Two Hours Past the Queen Mary With Nobody Else Aboard
One flat price, up to six people, two hours out of Rainbow Harbor and back. The cake comes aboard with you, and so does whatever else you decide to bring.
The boat leaves from Dock 1 at Pierpoint Landing Sportfishing, on Aquarium Way in downtown Long Beach. The operator asks you to wait at the entrance to the dock and call at your exact trip time, not before. Follow that literally. It is how they find you.
Two hours later you are back in the same place. In between, the yacht runs out through Rainbow Harbor, past the shops and restaurants at Shoreline Village, along the beach, and around to the moorings where the sea lions haul out. Nobody gets off the boat at any point. Everything on the route is seen from the water.
What makes it unusual is the arithmetic. One booking covers the whole boat for up to six people at a single flat rate, so a party of two pays what a party of six pays. There are no other passengers aboard.
The Queen Mary is the landmark the route is built around. The operator's itinerary describes easing past the hull slowly, close in from the water, so people can photograph it without ever tying up.
Departures run at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00, seven days a week. The rate is charged for the boat rather than per head: USD 349 Monday through Thursday, USD 379 Friday through Sunday. The price you see when you book is the price you pay.
LA: Birthday Special Private Yacht (1 ticket covers 1-6 people)Two hours on a private yacht out of Long Beach for up to six people, with cake, candle, balloons and banner provided.www.viator.comThe Sea Lions Are the Point, the Dolphins Are Luck
The fourth stop on the route is a set of buoys and moorings where sea lions pull themselves out of the water to sleep in the sun. The operator's itinerary says they are often there, and the boat comes in close and idles so people can watch.
Dolphins are the other animal everyone hopes for, and the operator is careful with the wording: the listing says sometimes even dolphins. Sometimes is the honest word. Book for the sea lions and treat a dolphin as the trip you got lucky on.
Nobody disembarks for any of this either. You watch from the aft deck or the bow rail, which is where most of the photographs end up being taken.
They Bring the Cake, You Bring Everything Else
There is one bookable option, and the operator lists what comes with it: an eight-inch cake, a candle, number balloons and a banner. Bottled water, snacks, the on-board restroom, and all fees and taxes are included as well.
Then the part worth planning around. Outside food and drink are welcome aboard, so the catering is entirely your call. The aft deck has a table and bench seating, and there is a bluetooth sound system, which means the playlist is yours too.
What it adds up to is a two-hour room on the water that you furnish yourself. Some groups bring a full spread. Some bring the cake and leave it at that.
Who It Fits, and the One Rule About Children
The operator says all ages are welcome and rates the trip as suitable for all physical fitness levels. Anyone under twelve has to wear one of the boat's life vests, which the operator supplies. The reservation itself does not require an adult on the booking.
Six is the ceiling, and it comes from the operator twice over. The product title says one ticket covers one to six people, and the description closes with a flat statement: limit of 6 guests in your party. Because the rate is charged for the boat, a couple and a group of six pay the same number.
Book Early, and Read the Refund Line First
Two things are worth settling before you pay, and both are written into the listing.
The first is timing. Bookings close three hours before departure, and confirmation is instant. With five departures a day, seven days a week, that still leaves room to decide on the morning of a 16:00 or 18:00 slot. It does not leave room to decide on the way to the dock.
The second is the refund line, and it is strict. The operator's terms read: all sales are final, no refund is available for cancellations. There is no grace window written anywhere in the listing. Book the date you are sure about.
🛥️ Boarding is at the entrance to Dock 1, Pierpoint Landing Sportfishing, 200 Aquarium Way, Long Beach. The operator notes that public transport runs nearby. Call them at your trip time, not before.
Two hours later the yacht comes back in through Rainbow Harbor, in the middle of downtown Long Beach, with the evening still ahead of you.