Dinner Cruises in Australia: the 11 to Book First

1.Spirit of Melbourne Dinner Cruise on the Yarra River

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,470 reviews · from $139Our pick

Board at Southbank Promenade at 7:30 pm for about three hours on the Yarra River. You’ll pass Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, Rod Laver Arena, and the Royal Botanic Gardens while enjoying four courses, Australian wine, beer, bubbly, spirits, dessert, cheese, and port. Seating may be aboard the Yarra Countess or Yarra Empress.

“excellent experience! very very atentive staff! me and my wife enjoyed evey moment! good food and appropiate drinks. 5 stars… clear!”

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2.Adelaide Hills Tour with River Murray Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 374 reviews · from $135

Spend about 8.5 hours with a small group of up to 24, traveling from Adelaide to Mount Lofty, Bridgewater, the Murray River, and Hahndorf. Guides such as Paul, Phil, Roy, and Karen provide local stories, while Captain Proud carries you on a three-hour lunch cruise.

“A fun day out. The food was fantastic. The captain was very entertaining. The views are amazing. A great way to see the river.”

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3.Swan River Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 301 reviews · 2h 30m · from $92Best value

Board Captain Cook Cruises at Perth’s Barrack Street Jetty for a 2.5-hour return trip to Fremantle. You’ll pass riverside homes, yacht clubs, marinas, docks, and heritage buildings while enjoying reserved seating, a seasonal buffet, dessert, captain’s commentary, and drinks from the bar.

“We had an absolutely wonderful time on the Swan River lunch cruise! The weather couldn’t have been better — a sunny winter’s day that made the views along the river even more stunning. From the moment we boarded, the crew made us feel welcome and relaxed. The lunch was fresh, delicious, and generously served, with something for everyone. Sipping a glass of wine while cruising past Perth’s skyline and the beautiful riverbanks was such a treat. The pace of the cruise was perfect — enough time to soak it all in without feeling rushed. It was the ideal way to spend a winter afternoon, and we came away feeling refreshed…”

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4.Swan River Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 270 reviews · from $114

Board Captain Cook Cruises at Barrack Street Jetty at 7pm for a 2.5-hour Swan River evening cruise. You’ll have reserved seating, a hot and cold buffet, live entertainment or a DJ, and city views after dark. Drinks are available to buy onboard, but are not included.

“Food was very enjoyable - easy seating as table was pre assigned- servers were very polite, proficient and friendly.”

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5.Swan River Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 262 reviews · from $93

Set out from Barrack Street Jetty at 11:15 am for a 2-hour-45-minute cruise toward Fremantle and back. You’ll pass the Bell Tower, Kings Park, Swan Brewery, yacht clubs, mansions, and the Blue Boatshed while enjoying live commentary and a buffet of hot dishes, salads, and desserts.

“Fantastic cruise on the swan river with a great team aboard the ship, good complement of food served in a buffet style lunch.”

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6.Swan River Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 239 reviews · 2h 30m · from $106

Board Captain Cook Cruises WA at Pier 3 for a 150-minute evening on the Swan River. You’ll have reserved seating, a hot buffet with salads and dessert, full bar service for purchase, and live music or a DJ while Perth’s skyline glows outside.

“The food was really good quality and plenty of it. The entertainment was great live and we were really impressed she played for the whole cruise. Staff were friendly and well organised. A great outing on the whole!”

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7.Mandurah: Murray River Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 138 reviews · 4h 30m · from $112

Spend 4.5 hours with an English-speaking guide on a twin-level catamaran from Mandurah to the Murray River. Expect a buffet lunch, tea and coffee, birdlife, possible wild dolphins, and a walking stop at Cooper’s Mill on boat-access-only Cooleenup Island.

“Commentary was excellent including local history, environmental changes and wildlife Staff very helpful and friendly Didn’t need to cruise past multi million dollar homes Food was ok chicken and zucchini slice were dry”

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8.Murray River Day Trip from Adelaide Including Lunch Cruise aboard the Proud Mary

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 105 reviews · from $142

Travel from Adelaide to Mannum by air-conditioned coach, then spend two hours aboard the Proud Mary with a buffet lunch and river commentary. You’ll have free time in Mannum, scenic stops in the Adelaide Hills, and a choice of Melba’s Chocolate Factory or Woodside Cheese Wrights before returning to Adelaide.

“Very nice trp, relaxed and not rished at all. Very knowledgeable guide and lovely places to visit. The cruise was the highlight of the trip.”

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9.Adelaide Hills Tour with River Murray 3 Hour Lunch Cruise.

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 91 reviews · 8 hours · from $133

Spend eight hours with CP Tours and Charters, travelling from Adelaide through the Hills to Mount Lofty, Bridgewater Mill, Beerenberg, Murray Bridge, and Hahndorf. Your English-speaking driver-guide, such as Phil, Karen, or Chris, handles the journey, while Captain Proud serves a two-course lunch during its three-hour river cruise.

“Weather does always help make a good trip. Everything was great. Karen our driver was very good and informative during our travels & boat trip was just so laid back fantastic. Meals were amazing. Could not fault trip.”

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10.Spirit Of Melbourne Yarra River Lunch Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 65 reviews · 2 hours · from $95Top rated

Spend two hours aboard the Spirit of Melbourne, cruising from near Flinders Street Station with a three-course lunch, Victorian produce, beer, wine, sparkling wine, juice, and soft drinks. Choose your main when booking, then watch Melbourne’s waterfront pass through panoramic windows.

“food and service was very good and with unlimited wine it was super value for money”

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11.From Strahan: Evening Dinner Cruise on the Gordon River

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · 6 hours · from $113

Sail from Strahan into Macquarie Harbour and the Gordon River aboard the quiet Spirit of the Wild. Your six-hour cruise includes Sarah Island, Heritage Landing, character-led stories from Captain James Kelly and Lady Jane Franklin, and a chef-prepared buffet. Upgrade for leather recliners, a private deck, and complimentary drinks.

“We decided to visit Strahan as it’s the only town on the west coast of Tasmania. After researching things to do, we discovered that cruising Macquarie Harbour and the Gordon river is pretty much the highlight and only thing to do here. Macquarie harbour is huge, so be prepared for a long boat trip. Ours included hells gate, Sarah Island and the Gordon river board walk. It was 6 hours. Hells gate is not particularly interesting. Just the entry to the harbour. Sarah Island penal colony has very little ruins remaining to see, however the tour guide tells a great story of its animated history. The Gordon river boardwalk showed…”

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