See out 2020 in style with a New Years Eve Cruise!
Even without the fireworks this year, it’s the best way to usher in the long awaited 2021!
Yes, This year’s (2020) Fireworks have indeed unfortunately been cancelled by Sunshine Coast Council due to the potential impact of crowds along the shore and the Covid-19 pandemic rules and regulations. Information on this page/cruise may still refer to the fireworks but this is obviously in 2020 not a component of this cruise.
Who Cares about fireworks! We are still running our New Years Eve Cruise to celebrate leaving 2020 behind us in style!
Don’t get caught up fighting your way in the huge crowds on the beach and foreshore! There is simply no better, more memorable way to watch the fireworks and celebrate the ushering in of the new year than from a spacious, uncrowded large boat doing a New Years Eve Cruise! You deserve that feeling of luxury and exclusiveness after the hard work of the past year!
Watch the Mooloolaba fireworks from a vantage point that will make you the absolute envy everyone standing ashore!
Even better still, you will be enjoying a drink and food with selected friends and family without any of the effort those people have to make!
Yes, we want you to feel that VIP feeling! Enjoy yourself on your a New Years Eve Cruise with a wide range of drinks, INCLUDING COCKTAILS, served by a team that only has your enjoyment in mind!
Everyone at Sunshine Coast Afloat prides themself on being extremely dedicated and responsible to our guests. On all cruises, including the wildly popular New Year’s Eve cruises, we limit vessel capacity to to the best suited numbers to ensure that you have a safe, comfortable and memorable experience.
No doubt this is why we have, for the last 9 years won the top Tripadvisor awards each year!
This New Years Eve Cruise does fill fast so please avoid missing out by booking early!
We really look forward to seeing you aboard soon!
COVID Safe Cruising – for detailed information on how we’ve adjusted our tour to be COVID Safe as well as for our fully updated terms click here.
Please note that other impacts such as phone and agent bookings, weather and other unforeseen things could impact on the availability at the same time as you are requesting the charter online. Our Terms and conditions are available on this webpage ( Click here to view them now ) and will also be emailed to you as part of the booking confirmation.
What to expect;
Firstly, with this being a rather late return after the midnight fireworks, this New Years Eve Cruise is not suitable for the kids. as such it is restricted to 18yrs and over only. If you want to bring children we strongly 
recommend our 8.30PM fireworks Cruise which you can find by clicking HERE.
This cruise is scheduled to depart at 9:30PM, so we strongly recommend you arrive between 9PM and 9:15PM, to ensure a smooth and easy boarding process. Don’t worry if you arrive a little earlier or if Crusader 1 isn’t at the dock when you arrive. She won’t be far away from returning from the 8:30PM cruise. Once we have disembarked our early cruise guests, and done a cleanup of the decks (about 10 minutes) we will be ready to begin boarding your cruise.
There is plenty of seating for everyone, and as the evening progresses you will no doubt be enjoying yourself on both decks! There are railside seats, table side seats, rear bar seating with stools and lounges, and even bean bag seating on the bow. Once everyone is aboard, the crew will run through a quick safety briefing, and we will be underway! Once underway the Portside Bar will open (Yes, that’s the name of our bar) and you will be able to place an order from our wide selection of offerings. We do change and update the range of drinks on offer on a regular basis to ensure the most popular drinks are available as best we can. Feel free to contact us before your cruise to get the most up to date drinks list sent to you!
From there it’s fun with drinks food and music as we count down to the stroke of midnight! Each year the Sunshine Coast Council puts on a magnificent fireworks display from the rockwall along the harbour entrance to Mooloolaba. Your skipper will ensure we secure a premium location to make sure you have the very best view of this wonderful spectacle! (He will probably try to make sure the people on the shore can see you too to get that extra bit of VIP feeling!).
Once the fireworks have finished we will slowly begin to make our way back to our departure point. This often takes longer than the 30 minutes allocated as water traffic can be hectic and with a large vessel like ours we tend to let other smaller vessels make way first. When we do arrive back at the dock it’s time to disembark and make your way back home (or to another party!?). Luckily our home dock is on the outskirts of Mooloolaba so if you are needing an Uber or taxi, it’s usually not a long wait for one!
Why we think you should join us;
Well frankly, we can think of no better way to celebrate ushering in the new year than by being looked after, like royalty, on a large quality boat, taking in the sights and sounds of the new years celebrations all round! 
The huge range of pyrotechnic effects lights up the night sky, while from our vessel you are assured the best vantage point from which to get the complete visual experience.
This trip is also an ideal, cost effective option, for corporate outings, general partiers, and all other manner of new year’s eve celebrations! We do everything we can to assist you with every aspect of your cruise to ensure it is planned with the quality and fun you have in mind. All to ensure maximum enjoyment for all aboard. With awesome music playing, plenty of beer, wine and bubbles (and cocktails!), it is hard to imagine this cruise would do anything other than perfectly suit your needs.
So avoid the bustling crowds on the foreshores and join us to take in the sights of the beautiful Mooloolaba Harbour aboard our spacious vessel Crusader 1. We look forward to having you onboard and celebrating the New Year in style. The Sunshine Coast way! It’s simply the perfect way to wrap up the year!
What you absolutely need to know:
| DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION | Bridge Seafoods (restaurant), 209 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba ( Sunshine Coast ), Queensland. Australia (This is the service road along Brisbane Road) | ||||
| DEPARTURE/RETURN TIMES | The departure time is 9.30PM. Please arrive 20 minutes prior for a prompt departure.
Return time can vary based on the duration of the midnight fireworks and the boat traffic on the river. Usually about 12.30AM. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS OFFICIALLY A 3 HOUR CRUISE |
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| SMOKING | Crusader 1 is a NON-SMOKING vessel.
As such no smoking is permitted whilst aboard. |
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| WHAT TO WEAR & BRING | Comfortable clothing, and a party mood! And don’t forget your CAMERA! No Large Eskis please. Just large large enough to bring your food in please. | ||||
| INCLUDED |
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| NOT INCLUDED |
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Please note- This tour operates once a year on New Years Eve only.
This is an 18 yrs and over cruise only!
A Boat booking option is also available if prior bookings have not already been made!
ITINERARY
1
Departure
Please arrive 20 to 30 minutes PRIOR to your noted departure time. We would hate for the cruise to depart too late to enjoy the first fireworks of the evening! Depending on the departure time you may need to ensure you have enough time to find a car park, as it can get a bit hectic on New Years Eve in town!!
Please do not wait on the pontoon itself as the crew will be mooring the vessel on its arrival and we safety is paramount for all. Especially if you have eskies and bags of supplies you wish to bring aboard!
Please do not wait on the pontoon itself as the crew will be mooring the vessel on its arrival and we safety is paramount for all. Especially if you have eskies and bags of supplies you wish to bring aboard!
2
Boarding
Once securely and safely moored, the crew will ask you to board the vessel. Make your way up towards the cabin, placing any small bags in the locker seat that will be open and waiting. There will be plenty of time to lay out food and other things for the evening once we are underway.
3
Registering
We are heading out to sea so each and every person aboard must sign in on the ship register, and marked off by the crew. To this end see the skipper (at the cabin window) and he will indicate the passenger log for you to complete.
4
Relax
Once the paperwork has been done, have a look about the boat to get comfortable.
5
Safety First
As required by maritime legislation, the crew will have to do a safety briefing before we hit the open ocean. Much like on a plane any time you fly, we do need your attention for the couple of minutes it takes. We all hope and expect the information we are providing never to be needed, but its always best to be forewarned and prepared.
6
Pushing off
One of the few times we need you to be seated, out of the way of lines and other items. Just until the crew have cleared them away and the skipper is heading forward.
7
Crossing the Bar
Recognised in maritime as one of the potentially more dangerous things that happens aboard a vessel, this is the 2nd time the crew will ask everyone to be seated. Once through (It only takes a minute or 2) the ocean conditions will take effect.
8
Searching for the best viewing spot
This is where the skipper might take a little extra time to really get the boat in a great (and safe) spot from which you can get the best possible view of the fireworks. A great time to set out the food etc you might have brought with you on the centre deck table. The deck crew will be more than happy to assist you with this until they are needed for anchoring.
9
First fireworks!
The first of what will be 2 great fireworks displays on the night. Scheduled for 9PM (for the kids they say) its a great way to kick off the evening!
10
Party time
Once the first fireworks have finished you will see a lot of activity on the water with other vessels leaving etc. If the skipper thinks he needs to get to a different spot for the midnight display he will probably move once a bit of room has been made by the other boats. (Wind shifts, tides etc all play a part in this). For you this is the time to party, cook a BBQ (if you want to do so), and generally enjoy yourselves.
11
The real fireworks!
The year has come to an end. These are the fireworks that celebrate the start of a new year full of hope and promise! And you now have a first class position to watch and enjoy them with the people you want to share that with! This is the culmination of the evening, and of course it also signals that the evening is drawing to a close for all.
12
Heading back
All good things must come to an end. We try to keep the return trip as short as possible to give us as much time for fun as possible. On average the return trip takes about 15 minutes all up. Just enough time to get anything packed that you want to take back with you. Everything else will be placed in the rubbish bins after you have departed the vessel.
13
Back home
Of course as we re-enter the bar, and during the mooring of the vessel, the crew will ask all passengers to be seated again for safety. Once moored securely back on the pontoon the crew will assist you to disembark the vessel.
The “BRIDGE SEAFOOD ” Pontoon (located at the rear of the restaurant),
209 Brisbane Road Mooloolaba Qld.
For a GPS use “Bridge Seafoods” or “209 Brisbane Road Mooloolaba Qld”. In iPhone Maps “Bridge Seafoods” is far more accurate.
Please DO NOT park your car here on the service Road, but rather in the FREE public car-park next to the BP service station across the road.
The location is the corner of Incana Court and Brisbane Road. This parking is free and unlimited in time, and only a 2 minute stroll (100m) from the departure point.
Once parked please wait near the top of the ramp until instructed by the skipper that it is safe to come down the ramp and board the vessel.
FOR BOAT-BOOKINGS ONLY, ON SPECIAL REQUEST, THE FOLLOWING LOCATION CAN ALSO BE ARRANGED:
The “Coast Guard & Boat Ramp” Pontoon (located between the 2 boat ramps),
51 Parkyn Parade Mooloolaba Qld.
(Click on the RED 
icon on the above map for more information)
We depart from the “Coast Guard & Boat Ramp” Pontoon. (Pontoon is located between the 2 boat ramps).
For a GPS use 51 Parkyn Parade Mooloolaba Qld. These are the units across the road from the ramp.
Please DO NOT park your car in the Boat trailer areas here but rather find a park along Parkyn Parade where parking is free and unlimited in time. Cars parked incorrectly in the Boat ramp car park are likely to be towed.
Once parked please wait at the top of the ramp to the pontoon until instructed by the crew that it is safe to come down the ramp and board the vessel.
