An Auckland dinner cruise under sail, course by course

Each guest chooses 1 main and 1 dessert, and the choices have to reach the operator at least 24 hours before departure. The GetYourGuide listing names the mains it offers: lamb rump, pan-fried market fish, roast chicken Caesar and miso roasted pumpkin. Canapes are shared at the start.³ If the list changes with the season, the booking page will show the current version, so read it before you pick, and choose the fish if you want something that tastes of the place.

Tell the operator about allergies and dietary requirements when you book, together with your meal choice.⁷ There is no separate kids' menu; children share the adult dinner, with changes for diets where the kitchen can manage them.⁸ Explore Group closes bookings three hours before departure to allow for the catering.⁹

Drinks work simply. The welcome drink is included, and further local wines and beers are sold at the licensed bar on board.¹⁰ The bar takes cash and EFTPOS or credit cards, and nobody under 18 may drink alcohol on board. Bringing your own bottle is not allowed on Explore Group vessels.¹¹ Budget for a glass at the bar if wine with dinner matters to you, and remember that the drive home from the Viaduct is a reason to keep it modest.

Not every evening needs 3 courses, and a lighter option leaves room for dinner ashore afterwards. The 2-hour night lights cruise out of Z Pier pours a welcome drink and passes canapes, from $35. The wine and cheese cruise lasts 1.5 hours, with a box of cheese and cured meats and a glass of wine or beer, from $32. Both leave from Z Pier at Westhaven, a different marina from the Viaduct, so check which pier your ticket names before you set off.

The Maritime Museum offers quieter choices with a sense of history. Its Ted Ashby summer evening sail is a two-hour trip around the harbour as the sun sets, with light nibbles and one beverage in the ticket.^12,13 For a small party, a high tea aboard the vintage launch Nautilus starts from NZD 98 per person.¹⁴ It is an unusual idea for a birthday afternoon: cake and tea on a boat older than anyone at the table, cruising past the modern towers of the waterfront.

If you would rather dine ashore and sail first, the harbour sail we list gives you 1.5 hours under canvas, a cookie and a hot drink, then lands you back at the Viaduct with its restaurants a short walk away. It starts from $65. For lunch on the water, see our page on lunch cruises. Sailing in the late afternoon and then eating on the waterfront is often the best value of all, and it frees you to choose your own table and your own time.