Nice Boat Tour, but it’s ‘Homes of the Rich and Not So Famous.’
The Facts:
ACTIVITY: Boat Tour. Under cover and indoor lower level available.
TYPE: Outdoors. Moderate stairs to the second level.
LOCATION: 401 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Florida (at the Bayside Marketplace)
WEBSITE: Island Queen Cruises
While visiting the Bayside Marketplace, we decided to purchase one of the Island Queen Cruises which leave out of the waterfront. The reviews online were mixed but we figured, it was a beautiful sunny day so why not take a boat ride. At the very least, we’d be out on the water.
We booked the “Millionaire’s Row Cruise” at the special rate of $20/per person as we walked up to Bayside from the street. There’s a kiosk right there and the salesperson will most likely meet you as you come walking into the marketplace. The boat was a double decker with the lower level fully enclosed and the upper level open air but with a full roof overhead. So we got the nice breeze but no sun beating down on us. There is a cash bar with soft drinks, beer and alcohol if you are so inclined.
The ride is nice and some of the homes are really nice but for the most part these million dollar homes are owned by people you’ve probably never heard of, but you know what they are famous for. Drugs, Popular items, etc… The one thing that really amused us is that the most expensive homes had the worst views, looking directly at the commercial dock cranes. The “cheaper ones” had better views. The views along the water were quite gorgeous and the most interesting “home” was the former home of Elizabeth Taylor that still has a present from Michael Jackson out near the water.
It’s a nice boat ride so if you’re looking for something to do for 90 minutes and want to get out on the water, it’s a nice ride. Especially if you’re planning to have do some shopping and lunch at Bayside Marketplace, this is a nice before or after lunch ride. You’ll get some opportunities to get gorgeous photos of downtown Miami from the water. You will see a $60 million home, but if you’re looking for all the homes of the rich and famous, you might be disappointed. These are the “used to be owned by someone famous” homes for the most part.
If you look at their website you’ll see that they do have some sunset and private tour options too. Those are much more expensive so we didn’t book any of those, but they are options too.
