Marina Del Rey: Christmas Eve Buffet Brunch or Dinner Cruise

Christmas Eve belongs on the water. This Marina del Rey cruise pairs holiday buffet dining with harbor views, live music, and a festive setting, giving you a ready-made celebration without planning a restaurant meal. I especially like the choice between a daytime brunch and an evening dinner, plus the open-air rooftop decks when you want more than a window view.

I also like the practical comforts: a guaranteed table for your party, climate-controlled indoor seating, and drinks included with brunch. The main caution is price. At $143 per person, this makes sense for a special occasion, but it is not a casual harbor ride, and the nonrefundable booking policy calls for a firm plan.

Key things to know before booking

• The Christmas Eve setting does the heavy lifting: Festive décor, music, harbor lights, and views of Burton Chace Park create a celebratory mood.
• Brunch offers the strongest drink value: Unlimited mimosas, champagne, sparkling cider, coffee, tea, iced tea, and water are included.
• Dinner feels like a full holiday meal: Turkey, tri tip steak, salmon, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and desserts form a substantial Christmas menu.
• You get both indoor comfort and outdoor views: The climate-controlled interior helps with comfort, while open-air rooftop decks give you a clearer look at the marina.
• The meal suits mixed groups: Meat, seafood, vegetarian dishes, children’s food, salads, and desserts give most diners something workable.
• Plan around the fixed schedule: The cruise lasts about 2 to 2.5 hours, and starting times vary, so check the available departure before committing.

Why a Christmas Eve cruise works in Marina del Rey

Christmas Eve can become a scramble of cooking, reservations, traffic, and family logistics. This cruise gives you one clear plan: arrive for a holiday meal, settle at your table, watch Marina del Rey pass by, and let the entertainment handle the atmosphere.

That simplicity is the real appeal. You are not just paying for food. You are paying for a decorated setting, service, harbor scenery, music, and a fixed festive occasion. For a family group or couple that wants Christmas Eve to feel different from an ordinary dinner, those extras matter.

The cruise lasts two to two and a half hours. That is long enough for a proper meal and time on the water, but short enough to fit into a larger Christmas Eve schedule. You might still have family plans before or after, though I would avoid packing the day too tightly. The departure time is not fixed in the information provided, so check availability carefully before you make other arrangements.

Choosing brunch or dinner for your Christmas Eve

The brunch and dinner options create two different moods.

Brunch is the lighter, more relaxed choice. It includes unlimited champagne, mimosas, and sparkling cider, along with coffee, hot tea, iced tea, and water. The menu covers breakfast favorites, lunch dishes, carving-station meat, seafood, pasta, salads, and desserts. If the drink package matters to you, brunch offers the clearest value.

The brunch menu begins with muffins and danishes, followed by a smoked salmon display with bagels, cream cheese, shaved red onion, capers, and tomatoes. Scrambled eggs with American cheddar, bacon, pork sausage, breakfast potatoes, and French toast with whipped cream and maple syrup keep the first part of the meal familiar and comforting.

You also get more substantial dishes, including oven roasted salmon with bok choy and miso citrus soy sauce, birria style chicken, baked orecchiette pasta, salads, and hand-carved tri tip steak. Families can use the children’s station with chicken tenders and French fries, while the dessert station offers individual sweets and seasonal fruit.

Dinner is the more traditional Christmas Eve choice. The menu leans into familiar holiday flavors rather than breakfast foods. You can expect turkey with cranberry sauce, tri tip steak with caramelized onions and balsamic demi-glace, roasted Atlantic salmon, baked macaroni with three cheeses, garlic mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, and traditional stuffing with turkey gravy.

The dinner menu also includes a roasted vegetable and grain salad with quinoa, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, watercress, mixed seeds, and sumac vinaigrette. Potato gnocchi with roasted squash, Parmesan, arugula, and pistachio pesto is available by ordering from your server. That detail matters because it is not presented as a self-serve buffet item in the same way as the other dishes.

For dessert, dinner includes apple crisp with a gluten-free oat crumble, plus a display of cakes, brownies, pastries, and seasonal fruit. If you want the meal to feel recognizably like Christmas dinner, choose the evening sailing.

The buffet: plenty of choice, with a few limits

The menu is broad enough to handle a group with different tastes. That is useful when one person wants salmon, another wants steak, and someone else wants a vegetarian plate. You do not need to build the meal around a single shared entrée.

I would approach the buffet in stages. Start with a small portion of the salads or breakfast items, then return for the main dishes you most want. The brunch spread can tempt you into taking too much too early because it combines breakfast, lunch, and dinner-style foods. Save room for the dessert station.

The strongest dinner choices are the turkey, salmon, and tri tip, while the sides give the meal its holiday character. The menu is not designed as a specialized vegetarian or vegan feast, but the roasted vegetable and grain salad, salads, vegetables, pasta, and some side dishes provide useful options.

Dietary care requires attention. Items marked gluten free are prepared in a kitchen that is not gluten free, so cross contamination remains possible. The menu also identifies vegetarian, vegan, and nut-containing dishes, but you should still speak with the staff if a food allergy is important. Potato gnocchi contains nuts according to the menu notation, and the pastry and dessert selections may also include nuts.

Boarding, seating, and the view from the harbor

Your table is guaranteed for your party size, which is a meaningful advantage on a holiday. You do not have to arrive wondering if your group will be split between separate tables. The arrangement also makes this easier for families and groups celebrating together.

The indoor dining area is climate controlled. That gives you a comfortable base for eating, especially if the weather is cool or you simply prefer a steady temperature. Large windows may offer views, but the clearest way to see the marina is to step onto the open-air rooftop decks.

You can expect scenic views around Marina del Rey, including Burton Chace Park and the harbor itself. Sea life may also appear during the cruise. The appeal here is not a long list of famous landmarks. It is the changing water view, marina lights, boats, park scenery, and the feeling of being away from a crowded dining room.

The best strategy is to treat the cruise as two experiences at once. Eat indoors where the food and service are easiest to enjoy, then spend part of the sailing outside for photographs and fresh air. You do not need to choose one setting for the whole two hours.

Music, décor, and the holiday mood

The ship is dressed for Christmas, and the décor helps the event feel distinct from a normal sightseeing cruise. Music entertainment adds another layer, giving the meal a social rhythm instead of leaving you with only background conversation.

A French-language comment about the experience praised the buffet, a welcome glass of champagne, the lights around the harbor, and the friendly atmosphere. Those details point to what makes the event work best: not one spectacular attraction, but several modest holiday touches working together.

The mood should suit you if you want a convivial celebration rather than a quiet, intimate meal. Music, shared dining areas, and a holiday crowd can make the occasion feel lively. If you prefer a silent dinner with a long à la carte menu, this is probably not the right format.

What the $143 price really covers

At $143 per person, the cost is high compared with an ordinary brunch or dinner. The fair comparison is not a basic meal. You are paying for a special Christmas Eve event that bundles food, a cruise, entertainment, décor, table service, and a scenic setting.

Brunch offers the clearest added value because free-flowing champagne, mimosas, and sparkling cider are included. Coffee, hot tea, iced tea, and water are also included. Dinner includes the meal and those nonalcoholic beverages, but beer, wine, and cocktails cost extra.

The guaranteed table is another practical part of the value. On Christmas Eve, a group meal can become expensive and awkward if seating is uncertain. Here, your party has a defined place to dine, and the menu has enough range to avoid ordering several separate dishes.

Still, the price only feels worthwhile if you care about the occasion itself. If you mainly want a quick meal or a short boat ride, you may find the package costly. If you are marking Christmas Eve with family or friends and want the setting to carry some of the planning burden, the price is easier to defend.

Who will enjoy this cruise most

I would recommend the experience most strongly to:

• Families who want a festive meal without cooking
• Couples looking for a holiday date with scenery
• Groups that value a guaranteed shared table
• Diners who enjoy buffets and broad menu choice
• Brunch fans who will use the included mimosas and champagne
• Visitors who want a short, organized Christmas Eve activity

It is also a practical choice for mixed-age groups. The children’s brunch station includes chicken tenders and French fries, while adults have salads, seafood, steak, pasta, and holiday dishes. The climate-controlled interior can be useful for anyone who does not want to spend the full cruise outdoors.

I would be more cautious if you have strict allergy needs, want a fully vegan meal, or dislike buffet dining. The menu has vegetarian and vegan-marked items, but the kitchen is not gluten free and cross contamination is possible. The event is also nonrefundable, so you should only book once your Christmas Eve plans are firm.

Practical details that affect your day

The cruise lasts two to two and a half hours. Check the available start times because the schedule can affect your plans for the rest of the day. Brunch and dinner create different timing needs, particularly if you are coordinating family gatherings or holiday events.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. You will need to arrange your own way to the departure point in Marina del Rey, though the provided information does not specify transportation or parking details. Do not treat this as a transfer service.

Bring a passport or ID card. The activity is offered in English and is wheelchair accessible. If anyone in your party needs accessibility support, it is still sensible to confirm the practical arrangements when booking.

Beer, wine, and cocktails are available for purchase, but they are not included. For brunch, the included champagne, mimosas, sparkling cider, coffee, tea, iced tea, and water cover the main drink needs. Dinner guests should budget separately if they want alcoholic drinks beyond what is included.

Should you book the Christmas Eve cruise?

Book it if you want Christmas Eve to feel like an occasion, not simply another meal. The combination of harbor lights, festive decoration, music, buffet choice, and a guaranteed table gives you a tidy holiday plan with plenty of visual appeal.

I would choose brunch if unlimited mimosas and champagne are important, or if you prefer a daytime celebration with both breakfast and lunch foods. I would choose dinner if turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a more traditional Christmas menu matter most.

At $143 per person, this is best viewed as a special-event purchase. It offers solid value for a group that will enjoy the food, scenery, drinks, and atmosphere, but less value for anyone focused only on the meal. Check the departure time, confirm dietary needs, bring identification, and book only when your plans are settled because the activity is nonrefundable.

FAQ

How long does the Christmas Eve cruise last?

The cruise lasts approximately two to two and a half hours.

Is there a brunch and a dinner option?

Yes. You can choose between a Christmas Eve buffet brunch and a winter holiday dinner buffet, depending on availability.

What drinks are included with brunch?

Brunch includes free-flowing champagne, mimosas, sparkling cider, coffee, hot tea, iced tea, and water.

Are alcoholic drinks included with dinner?

Beer, wine, and cocktails are not included. They are available for purchase.

Is a table guaranteed?

Yes. A table is guaranteed for your party size.

Is the cruise wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is wheelchair accessible.

What language is the experience offered in?

The live tour guide and activity language are English.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

What identification should I bring?

Bring a passport or ID card.

Can I cancel for a refund?

No. The activity is nonrefundable, so make sure your Christmas Eve plans are firm before booking.