In looking for ways to entertain winter and holiday visitors, I realized that I forgot about a way to combine dinner and a cruise to see the Christmas and holiday nights of the Florida waterfront.  And to be perfectly honest, some of our cities look better at night when everything is lit up.

Tampa is offering a two for one cruise this year.  Besides their usual dining cruise schedule, on some December dates the large Yacht StarShip, is offering a bonus holiday buffet.  Before or after the Yacht StarShip cruise, guests get on Tampa’s Pirate Water Taxi and sail up the Hillsborough River.

This is one of the largest dinner boats

This cruise gets you a waterside view of downtown, the historic Tampa Bay Hotel, the huge Straz Entertainment complex, and waterfront restaurants.  Normally the Water Taxis have some thirteen stops along Tampa’s Riverwalk which goes from the History Center up to the old waterworks, home of Ulele Restaurant.

Cruising Tampa On A Dinner Boat

If you prefer cruising the Intracoastal Water and the Gulf of Mexico at Clearwater, there are the spectacular dinner cruises of Starlite Cruises, offering fine dining, dancing, and great views of the hotels and resorts of the islands of Pinellas County.  The company actually has four different types of books available also for private parties and special events.

Cruising Off Clearwater Beach

If you want a dinner cruise with a little more action and partying, there is the Key West Party Cruise on the William Street docks.  With one price buffet dinning, a load calypso dance band, and unlimited margaritas and rum runners, you’ll think you are on an island cruise.

Key West really dresses up the docks and boats at Christmas and the island city is in a very happy mood.

Party Dining Off Key West

For Florida Gold Coasters there is the Majestic Princess Dinner Cruises out of Riviera Beach in Palm Beach County.  The dinner cruises sail down to Palm Beach and watch all the incredible waterfront homes all lit up.

Dining With the Palm Beach Mansions

If you don’t like going modern with large millionaire yachts, you can enjoy a dinner cruise in Panama City of the Betsy Ann Riverboat.  It’s a little bit rustic Florida and country South but that is also the vive in Panhandle Florida.  It should be no shock that the company also owns PoFolks and the Triple J Steakhouses.