Harbour Spirit

For a 4-hour charter, Harbour Spirit is $925 per hour from January to October and $1,050 per hour in November and December. A 3-hour charter is a flat rate that includes a food and beverage package: $2,900 from January to October or $3,600 in November and December. Between the final week of November and the final Saturday ahead of Christmas, Friday and Saturday bookings are 4 hours, as the 3-hour option isn't offered then.

Christmas party packages in November and December have a minimum of 70 guests and are tailored on request. Public holidays and special event dates are priced on request. Every booking has a minimum of 60 guests.

Other costs: wharf fees ($75 King Street, $90 Convention Wharf, $375 Manly), $250 for pre-access up to an hour before the cruise (maximum 3 people, subject to availability), $300 per bar staff member for a cash or tab bar (one per 50 guests), and mandatory security for birthday parties with guests aged 24 and under (one guard per 80 guests at $390 each). A $2,000 deposit confirms the booking, the balance is due 14 days before, and a $1,000 refundable bond applies.

Catering comes from the commercial galley on the lower deck. The menu package is $65 per person, with a minimum of 60 guests. It opens with canapes (vegetable spring rolls, gourmet savoury pastries and tomato bruschetta), moves to charcuterie grazing boards with antipasto, cold meats, turkey, a cheese platter and salads, then a substantial grazing station with herb-crumbed chicken, lasagne, Thai sweet chilli chicken, roasted vegetables, fried rice and fresh king prawns. Desserts are a chef's selection of mousse, tarts and slices with seasonal fruit. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes are marked through the menu.

Beverage packages run for a minimum of 4 hours with a minimum of 60 guests. The beer, wine and soft drink package is $50 per person, with a South Australian wine range covering pinot grigio, shiraz, cabernet, rose, moscato and sparkling, bottled beers including Corona, Peroni and James Squire 150 Lashes, and soft drinks, juice and water. Adding house spirits (vodka, bourbon, rum, scotch and gin) brings it to $64 per person, and a soft drink package is $20 per person.

You can also run a bar tab or let guests pay as they go, with a $300 bar staff fee per 50 guests.

Harbour Spirit is available every day, subject to the calendar. You can book it for 3 or 4 hours, and a 4-hour all-inclusive package is offered during the Christmas season.

Pick-up is from King Street Wharf in the CBD, Convention Wharf in Darling Harbour or Casino Wharf, and other Sydney Harbour wharves can be arranged on request, subject to availability and extra fees. Wharf fees are $75 at King Street, $90 at Convention Wharf and $375 at Manly. Pre-access is available for up to an hour before departure for $250, with a maximum of 3 people on board, subject to the boat's schedule.