Marina Del Rey: Christmas Eve Buffet Brunch or Dinner Cruise

Christmas Eve on the water gives you a pleasant break from the usual holiday routine. This Marina del Rey cruise pairs a holiday buffet with views of Burton Chace Park, harbor lights, open-air decks, and music, so the meal becomes part of the evening rather than the whole event. Brunch adds free-flowing champagne, mimosas, and sparkling cider, while dinner brings a more traditional Christmas spread.

I like the guaranteed table for your party, which takes some pressure out of a holiday meal, and I like the choice between a lighter afternoon brunch and a fuller evening dinner. The main drawback is the price: at $143 per person, this is a special-occasion outing, not a cheap way to eat. The activity is also non-refundable, so check your plans before booking.

Key details to know before booking

• The cruise lasts 2 to 2.5 hours, giving you enough time for a full meal and harbor views without taking up the entire holiday.
• Brunch includes free-flowing champagne, mimosas, and sparkling cider, while beer, wine, and cocktails cost extra.
• Dinner offers turkey, salmon, tri tip, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and desserts, with potato gnocchi available by request from your server.
• The boat has climate-controlled indoor seating and open-air rooftop decks, so you can choose comfort or fresh air during the cruise.
• Burton Chace Park and Marina del Rey harbor views provide the main sightseeing interest, with possible sea life sightings along the way.
• The cruise is wheelchair accessible, conducted in English, and requires a passport or ID card.

A Christmas Eve meal with the harbor as your backdrop

The appeal here is simple: you sit down to a holiday meal, then let Marina del Rey provide the scenery. The boat moves through the harbor for about two to two and a half hours, with indoor seating, rooftop deck access, music, and festive décor creating the setting.

You are not signing up for a sightseeing tour packed with narrated stops. Instead, the cruise is a floating Christmas Eve event. The scenery comes in small pieces as you eat: marina water, boats, Burton Chace Park, harbor lights, and perhaps sea life near the vessel. That makes this a good choice if you want a social holiday occasion with scenery, rather than a formal tour focused on facts and landmarks.

The climate-controlled interior matters in December. You can stay inside for a comfortable meal and step outside when you want a better view or a breath of harbor air. The rooftop deck is useful for photographs and for watching the shoreline pass, though the exact outdoor comfort will depend on the weather.

Music helps keep the mood festive without making the cruise dependent on sightseeing. You can talk with your family, return to the buffet, and treat the entertainment as background rather than a full theater show. The atmosphere is convivial, with holiday decorations adding to the occasion.

Boarding and settling in for the cruise

Your reservation includes a guaranteed table for your party size. That is a useful detail for Christmas Eve, when families and groups often care more about sitting together than about choosing a particular table.

Once aboard, you can settle into the climate-controlled dining area, look over the buffet, and decide how much time you want to spend on the open-air decks. The activity information does not promise hotel pickup or drop-off, so you need to arrange your own way to the marina and allow enough time to arrive before departure.

Bring a passport or ID card. The tour is conducted in English, and the boat is wheelchair accessible. The available details do not specify parking arrangements, exact boarding instructions, or a named guide, so check the departure information carefully after selecting your date and meal time.

The cruise has a live tour guide in English, but this is best understood as a hosted dining experience rather than a long educational harbor commentary. You will get the most from it if you value the setting, meal, and holiday mood more than a packed program of narration.

What the brunch buffet brings to the table

The brunch menu works well for mixed appetites. You can begin with muffins and Danishes, then move to smoked salmon with bagels, cream cheese, shaved red onion, capers, and tomatoes. The salmon display gives the meal a more festive feel than a basic breakfast buffet.

Hot choices include scrambled eggs with American cheddar, bacon, pork sausage links, breakfast potatoes with onions and peppers, and French toast with whipped cream and maple syrup. If your group includes children, the chicken tenders and French fries at the kids station make the meal easier.

The brunch also includes several lunch-style dishes. You can choose Caesar salad, Greek salad, sun-dried tomato pasta salad, baked orecchiette with roasted kale and ricotta, birria-style chicken, oven-roasted salmon, and hand-carved tri tip with caramelized onions and balsamic beef demi-glace.

That range is one of brunch’s strengths. One person can build a traditional breakfast plate, another can choose salmon and salad, and someone else can focus on steak or pasta. The menu is not limited to one narrow meal style.

Dessert comes from a signature station with individual sweets and seasonal fruit. Coffee, hot tea, iced tea, and water are included. The biggest brunch benefit, though, is the free-flowing champagne, mimosas, and sparkling cider. If you plan to enjoy those drinks, brunch may offer better value than dinner.

Why the dinner menu feels more like Christmas

Dinner has the most traditional holiday character. It begins with Greek salad and a roasted vegetable and grains salad featuring watercress, quinoa, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, mixed seeds, and sumac vinaigrette. Fresh bread and butter accompany the salads.

The main buffet includes three-cheese baked macaroni, oven-roasted Atlantic salmon with bok choy and miso citrus soy sauce, hand-carved oven-roasted turkey with cranberry sauce, and hand-carved tri tip with caramelized onions and balsamic demi-glace.

The side dishes are familiar holiday fare: garlic mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, haricot verts, traditional stuffing, and turkey gravy. This is the menu to choose if you want the meal to feel recognizably Christmas-focused rather than brunch-like.

Potato gnocchi with roasted squash, Parmesan, arugula, and pistachio pesto is available by ordering from your server. That is a useful option for anyone looking for a dish beyond the buffet, though you should remember to request it rather than expecting it on the main line.

Dessert includes a pre-selected apple crisp with a gluten-free oat crumble, along with assorted cakes, brownies, pastries, and seasonal fruit. Dinner does not include beer, wine, or cocktails, but those drinks can be purchased separately. Coffee, hot tea, iced tea, and water are included.

The harbor views and open-air decks

Marina del Rey is the star between courses. The boat offers views of the marina, Burton Chace Park, and the harbor’s holiday lights. A French-language comment about the experience specifically praised the port lights, the welcome champagne, and the friendly atmosphere. Those details point to the strongest part of the outing: the setting adds a sense of occasion to the meal.

Do not expect a nonstop parade of major attractions. The cruise stays around Marina del Rey, and the scenery is about boats, water, shoreline views, and harbor atmosphere. You may also spot sea life, though sightings are not guaranteed.

I would plan to spend part of the cruise outside, especially around sunset or after dark when the lights become more noticeable. Then return indoors for dessert or another drink. The combination works better than choosing only one setting for the entire cruise.

The outdoor deck may be less comfortable if the weather is cool or windy. The indoor cabin gives you a dependable place to eat, and the climate control is a practical advantage on a winter holiday.

Music, décor, and the tone of the evening

Holiday décor sets the visual mood before the buffet does. Music supplies a festive soundtrack, while the moving harbor keeps the event from feeling like a standard restaurant meal.

The tone is more social than formal. You can dress up for Christmas Eve if you wish, but the available information does not specify a dress code. The experience is designed around an enjoyable meal, not a strict ceremony, so it should suit families, couples, and groups who want a shared celebration.

The welcome champagne noted in the feedback adds a nice first touch, particularly for brunch. At dinner, remember that alcoholic drinks are not included and must be bought separately. That can affect the final cost, especially if your group expects wine or cocktails with the meal.

Because the cruise lasts only 2 to 2.5 hours, the program should feel manageable for children and older family members. It is long enough for the meal and harbor views, but not so long that everyone must remain on board through an entire afternoon or evening.

Food choices, dietary notes, and family practicality

The menu includes vegetarian choices such as Greek salad, baked orecchiette, three-cheese macaroni, roasted vegetables and grains, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, and apple crisp. The dinner gnocchi includes pistachio pesto, so anyone avoiding nuts should ask before ordering.

Some dishes are marked as gluten free, but the kitchen is not gluten free and cross contamination remains possible. If you have a serious allergy or need strict dietary control, ask the operator about your needs before booking. The menu markings are helpful, but they do not remove the kitchen risk.

The brunch has a clear kids station with chicken tenders and French fries. Dinner does not list a separate kids station, though the buffet includes familiar items such as turkey, mashed potatoes, macaroni, and desserts.

The menu also includes meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, and nuts. The brunch pastries contain nuts, and the dinner dessert display may contain nuts. Read the menu carefully and speak with the staff if an allergy affects your booking.

Is $143 a fair price?

At $143 per person, the cruise costs much more than a normal buffet meal. You are paying for several parts at once: the harbor cruise, a reserved table, holiday décor, music, indoor and outdoor spaces, and the Christmas Eve setting.

Brunch may offer the clearest value if you enjoy champagne, mimosas, and sparkling cider. Those drinks are included, along with coffee, tea, iced tea, and water. Dinner gives you a more classic holiday menu, but alcoholic drinks cost extra, so the total can rise.

The price makes more sense for a special celebration than for a casual meal. If you are already planning a Christmas Eve dinner and want to add a memorable setting, the cruise combines food and entertainment in one reservation. If your priority is simply getting the most food for the least money, a land-based restaurant will likely be a better fit.

I would also consider the value of keeping a group together. The guaranteed table means you are not coordinating several separate reservations or worrying about finding a suitable place for a large party. For families who want one shared event, that convenience has real worth.

Who should choose brunch, and who should choose dinner?

Choose brunch if you like a relaxed daytime celebration, want free-flowing mimosas and champagne, or have a group with varied tastes. The menu moves from breakfast pastries and smoked salmon to steak, salmon, pasta, salads, and desserts, so it offers plenty of flexibility.

Choose dinner if turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and apple crisp are central to your Christmas Eve plans. Dinner feels more closely tied to the holiday meal many families expect.

This cruise suits couples looking for a festive date, families who want a meal without cooking, and groups who value sitting together. It also works for people who enjoy a little scenery with dinner but do not need a full sightseeing program.

I would be more cautious if you need a highly specialized diet, dislike buffets, or want a quiet meal with no entertainment. I would also avoid booking unless your plans are firm, since the activity is non-refundable.

Practical advice for making the most of it

Check the available start times before choosing brunch or dinner. The exact departure schedule is not fixed in the information provided, and the cruise duration can run from two to two and a half hours.

Bring your passport or ID card, and arrange your own transportation because hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. Give yourself enough time to reach Marina del Rey, especially on Christmas Eve.

For the best experience, plan a rhythm rather than staying at the table the entire time. Start with the meal, step onto the rooftop deck for the harbor views, return for dessert, and use the remaining time for music and conversation.

If you are celebrating with children or older relatives, the indoor seating and accessible boat are important advantages. Keep the menu notes handy if anyone has food allergies, particularly around nuts and gluten.

Should you book this Christmas Eve cruise?

Book it if you want Christmas Eve to feel like an event, not just another meal. The harbor lights, Burton Chace Park views, holiday décor, music, and broad buffet menus create a festive package, and brunch gives you especially good drink value.

Choose dinner for the strongest traditional Christmas menu. Choose brunch for the included champagne, mimosas, sparkling cider, and wider mix of breakfast and lunch dishes.

Skip it if $143 per person is beyond your holiday budget, if you need guaranteed allergy-free food, or if you prefer a quiet, highly controlled dining experience. For everyone else, this is a practical way to gather your group around one table and let Marina del Rey supply the scenery.

FAQ

How long does the Christmas Eve cruise last?

The cruise lasts approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Check the available departure times when booking.

Is brunch or dinner available?

Yes. You can choose a Christmas Eve buffet brunch or a winter holiday dinner buffet, depending on the available schedule.

Are drinks included with brunch?

Brunch includes free-flowing champagne, mimosas, and sparkling cider. Coffee, hot tea, iced tea, and water are also included.

Are alcoholic drinks included with dinner?

No. Beer, wine, and cocktails are available for purchase, but they are not included in the dinner price.

What food is served at dinner?

Dinner includes Greek salad, roasted vegetables and grains, baked macaroni, salmon, turkey, tri tip, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, haricot verts, stuffing, turkey gravy, apple crisp, and assorted seasonal desserts. Potato gnocchi is available by ordering from your server.

Is there a kids menu?

The brunch buffet has a kids station with chicken tenders and French fries. A separate kids station is not listed for dinner.

Is the cruise wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is wheelchair accessible.

Is hotel transportation included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you must arrange your own transportation to and from Marina del Rey.

What identification should I bring?

Bring a passport or ID card.

Can I cancel the reservation?

The activity is non-refundable, so confirm your plans before booking.