A lot of people find us by searching for a booze cruise in Tampa. What we run is the private version: your own captained party boat for up to 12, BYOB with iced coolers under every seat, and a route that goes wherever your group wants, from the downtown bars to Beer Can Island.
Have more than 12 guests? Twelve is the Coast Guard limit for one boat, so a popular option is two boats. We run both on the same route, to the same islands and the same waterfront bars, and anchor alongside each other at the stops, so a group of up to 24 stays together all day. It is priced as two charters at the normal rate, with no group surcharge. See large group charters for how it works.
Cancellations: more than 7 days before your charter, you get a full refund or a credit. Inside 7 days it is a 50% refund, and inside 48 hours the booking is non-refundable. If we have to cancel for weather, you always get the full amount back or a credit. Give us a call to cancel or to ask about one. Full details are on our FAQs page.
Paying in instalments: Afterpay is available at checkout if you would rather split the cost.
Not sure which trip fits? Compare all our Tampa party boat charters in one place: 4, 6, and 8-hour trips, the sunset cruise, and the Wave Rave night charter.
The Tampa Booze Cruise, Minus the Strangers and the Bar Tab
Gone are the days of crusty captains and underwhelming pontoon boats. A public booze cruise sells you a seat on a big shared boat, a fixed loop of the river, and drinks at bar prices. Our charters run on Adventure I, a deck boat over 26 feet with a premium sound system, color-changing lights, faux-leather seats and a swim platform, USCG licensed for up to 12 passengers. It is your boat for the day or the night, your captain is included, and the bar is whatever you packed.
BYOB, with the ice and coolers on us
Every charter is BYOB. Bring beer, seltzers, wine, liquor and mixers, and load them into the cooler space with ice under every seat. Water and sunscreen are already on board. We cannot sell alcohol, which is exactly why the day costs what it costs and not a dollar more per round. Everyone drinking must be 21 or older, and the captain will ask for ID if there is any doubt. Our what to bring guide has the packing list.
Where a Tampa booze cruise actually goes
This is the part a river boat cannot do. From the Davis Island Boat Ramp we can run out to Beer Can Island and the sandbars, where you anchor in waist-deep water with the speakers on and the coolers open. Or we cruise the Riverwalk and downtown Tampa and dock at waterfront bars like Armature Works and Sparkman Wharf for a round on land before reboarding. Most groups do one or the other in four hours and both in six.
Two ways to do it: daytime or after dark
The 4-hour private party boat charter is the daytime booze cruise: sun, swimming, a sandbar or a bar stop, and the whole boat to yourselves. From $899 for up to 6 guests. $1,109 for 12. Each guest over 6 is $35.
The Wave Rave night charter is the one to book if the booze cruise you have in mind is a night out. Three hours after dark, a live DJ plugged into the sound system, the color-changing lights on, and the downtown skyline lit up behind you. Thursday to Saturday evenings. From $825 for up to 6 guests. $1,035 for 12. Each guest over 6 is $35.
Price is per boat, not per person. Captain, ice, coolers and water are included. Gratuity is not included. Add a bottle girl or bottle boy if nobody in the group wants to play bartender, or a custom-setlist DJ on a daytime trip.
Private charter vs cycleboat
Tampa has pedal pubs and cycleboats, and they are a fun hour on the river. The differences are simple. A cycleboat is shared, so you buy seats and ride with whoever else bought the rest. It is pedal powered, so it stays on the Hillsborough River and never sees a sandbar. And the schedule, the route and the music belong to the operator. A private charter flips all three: the boat is yours, it has an engine and a captain, so Beer Can Island and the open bay are in reach, and the playlist and the stops are up to your group. For a bachelor or bachelorette party, a birthday, or a dozen friends who want a real day on the water, that is usually the better trade.
The practical bits
Up to 12 guests per boat; groups of 13 to 24 book a sister charter on two boats that anchor side by side. Pickup is at the Davis Island Boat Ramp, with Armature Works and most public docks in downtown Tampa available. Book at least 48 hours ahead. If we cancel for weather you get a full refund or credit. Dogs under 20 lbs are welcome. Tipping 15 to 20 percent is customary if the captain earned it, and they usually do.
Booze Cruise FAQs
Is this a public booze cruise with a bar on board?
No. We run private BYOB party boat charters, not a shared boat with a cash bar. The whole boat is yours for up to 12 guests, you bring the drinks, and cooler space with ice is under every seat. No lines, no drink prices, no strangers.
Can we drink alcohol on the boat?
Yes, as long as everyone drinking is 21 or older. Every charter is BYOB: beer, seltzers, wine, liquor and mixers are all fine. We cannot sell alcohol, and the captain stays sober so nobody in your group has to.
How much does a Tampa booze cruise cost with you?
The 4-hour private charter is from $899 for up to 6 guests, $1,109 for 12, and each guest over 6 is $35. The 3-hour Wave Rave night charter is from $825 for up to 6 guests, $1,035 for 12. Prices are per boat, not per person, with the captain, ice, coolers and water included. Gratuity is not included.
How is a private charter different from a cycleboat or pedal pub?
A cycleboat is a shared, pedal-powered bar boat that stays on the river and sells tickets by the seat. Our boat is a captained deck boat with a real engine, so it reaches Beer Can Island, the sandbars and the open bay, and it is yours alone. You also set the playlist, the route and the pace.
Guest limit, cancellation terms and where we meet are the same on every charter: the FAQ page and pickup locations.
Book Your Private Booze Cruise in Tampa
Pick a date and a length, book online, and start the group chat about who is bringing what. For two boats or a specific pickup dock, call or text our team.