Dining Cruises: Clearwater Beach Marina
Clearwater Beach Marina in Clearwater, Florida, is a destination for boaters and outdoor lovers. There are many opportunities for everyone who visits the marina, from renting boats to having dinner. You can do it all at Clearwater Beach Marina.
One of the very popular activities you can partake in at Clearwater Beach Marina is to embark on a dining cruise. There are two companies that specialize in dinner cruises: The StarLite Cruises and Yacht Starship. Both companies have a fleet of boats, but only a few have Clearwater Beach Marina as their home base. Some of these dinners are buffet style, while others are sit-down fine dining meals. Some trips are done during the day, some at sunset and others in the evening. All of them have entertainment and full bars, sometimes with all-you-can-drink options.
The Yacht Starship has the beautiful 149-seat yacht, The Yacht Starship IV, used for the brunch and sunset dinner buffet cruises. They are each 2 hours long. The brunch cruise has delicious breakfast selections like scrambled eggs, rosemary potatoes, Eggs Benedict Florentine, and Belgian Waffles. There are also entrees like Creole Peel n Eat Shrimp, Beef Stroganoff and Blackened Salmon. For an additional $15, you can get unlimited mimosas. There is entertainment and dancing as well.
The dinner buffet starts just before sunset and lasts 2 hours. The menu has entrees like Mediterranean Roast Chicken with Creamy Fennel Rosemary Sauce, Classic Beef Bourguignon with Beef braised in a savory Red Wine sauce with Carrots, Onions and Garlic and Coconut Red Curry Salmon. There is the “Free at Sea” promotion for the dinner cruises, where you can upcharge and get an open bar option or use the full bar as a cash-based bar. There are DJs playing tunes and dancing under the stars.
They also have holiday-themed dinners. There are two cruise times for the upcoming Valentine’s cruises: a sunset cruise from 5 – 7 pm and a late dinner cruise from 8 – 10 pm. Both trips offer passengers a 3-course menu starting with a Wedge Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Macerated Dried Cherries, Tomato and Cucumber Relish and Avocado Ranch Dressing. There are three mains to choose from: Roasted Garlic Glazed Beef Tenderloin served with Red Onion Marmalade over Roasted Peppers paired with Truffle Fondue Potatoes, Charred Asparagus and Herb Crusted Plum Tomato, the Red Snapper with Saffron, Essencia Wine Beurre Blanc and Pickled Bell Peppers, Honey Roasted Garlic Mashed Fingerling Potatoes and Charred Asparagus and the Pan Braised Chicken Breast with Fennel, Caramelized Tomato, Mushrooms and Poached Leek Pernod Cream Sauce with Farro & Grilled Artichoke. The meal is finished off with a Chef’s Choice for dessert. The meal includes the “Free Bar at Sea” with an open bar for all guests. There is also lively entertainment and dancing.
The StarLite Cruises has many more options for the dining crowd. They offer daytime fine dining, evening fine dining, brunch fine dining, and tropical-themed cruises with a buffet in the daytime and evening. No matter what time you would like to eat, StarLite Cruises has you covered.
The Starlight Majesty can seat up to 300 passengers. StarLite Cruises uses this magnificent yacht for the fine dining Daytime, Evening and Brunch Cruises. You sit in luxury while cruising the waters off Clearwater Beach.
The StarLite Daytime Dinner, Evening Dinner, and Sunday Daytime Cruises aboard the Starlight Majesty are sit-down dinners with table service for all the cruises. Passengers must choose an entree from an extensive menu.
There are fewer selections during Lunch, but there are still six choices. Some of the standouts are The Shrimp Creole, a New Orleans Classic with tender gulf shrimp in a mild creole sauce, Beef Burgundy with tender beef tenderloin in a burgundy mushroom sauce over rice, and The Vegetarian Harvest, which changes depending on what vegetables are fresh and in season. The chef prepares this dish using several techniques, and it is served with a tomato provencal sauce and rice. The Daytime Dining Cruise is 2 ½ to 3 hours long and is a sightseeing cruise with narration by the captain.
The Evening Dinner Cruise has more selections with ten entree selections. The evening meal has the popular Vegetarian Harvest, but you can enjoy other favorites like the Stuffed Shrimp, which is five large shrimp stuffed with Blue Crab Italian herb stuffing drizzled with a house cajun remoulade, the Flat Iron Steak Argentine, a tender flat iron steak seared to medium with a traditional Argentinian green chimichurri sauce, a classic Chateaubriand, slow-roasted beef tenderloin cooked to the perfect medium-rare and topped with our homemade bearnaise sauce, and the Land and Sea which is a pairing of two of the favorites – chateaubriand and stuffed shrimp. The Evening Dining Cruise is 2 ½ to 3 hours long, too, but instead of narration from the captain, the evening comes alive with DJs spinning tunes and live entertainment.
The Sunday Daytime Yacht and Music Cruise has the same menu as the Daytime Dining Cruise, and just like during the Evening Dining Cruise, there is live entertainment and dancing during this brunch cruise.
All of the cruises have other dining options. The service on the yacht is like dining in a restaurant. There are tables with white tablecloths and servers to assist you. To book the cruise, you had to pick an entree for your meal, but there is also a selection of appetizers, wine selections, and cocktails from a full bar that can be ordered separately for a nominal cost. The yacht has full cash bars where you can order any drink you want.
It is that time of year when love is in the air, and StarLite Cruises has a special Valentine’s cruise and menu just for the two of you. The menu has a selection of chef’s choice appetizers and a wide selection of entrees. There are favorites like the Stuffed Shrimp, the Flat Iron Steak, The Vegetarian Harvest, and seven other choices. If you want two favorites on one plate, there is the Land and Surf combination with two Stuffed Shrimp and a 5 oz. Flat Iron Steak. There is also the house specialty, the Starlite Chicken Spinaci. This is a roasted breast of chicken with a light breading stuffed with sauteed spinach, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. There is also the Lemon Pepper Red Snapper, a pan-seared Red Snapper filet dusted in a housemade lemon pepper seasoning. The meal also includes two premium cocktails or glasses of wine. This cruise is 3 hours long, leaving the dock at 7:00 pm and returning at 10:00 pm. During the night cruise, live entertainment and DJs will get the crowd up on the dance floor.
Then there are the two Tropical Island-themed cruises aboard the Calypso Queen. This 149-seat boat resembles a riverboat with tropical colors. The Calypso Queen has a Daytime Casual Tropical Buffet Cruise starting at 12:30 pm and an Evening Casual Tropical Buffet Cruise starting at 7:00 pm. Both cruises are 2 ½ to 3 hours long and have tropical buffets with items like Mango Glazed Chicken, Beef Teriyaki and Chilled Steamed Shrimp. They both also have complimentary beer, wine, rum punch or soft drinks. Like the other cruises, the Daytime cruise is a sightseeing cruise of the harbor with a captain’s narration, and the Evening cruise is a party boat with live entertainment and DJs spinning tunes.
So, if you want a unique dining experience, make sure to book a day, evening, or Sunday brunch dining cruise. All of the food is prepared by talented chefs using the freshest ingredients. Whether you want a buffet or a sit-down dinner, Clearwater Beach Marina has the dining cruise for you.
