Phuket sunset catamaran party review: yes, it is a party
My verdict: the boat for people whose perfect day involves a DJ, a foam party and every water toy the crew could strap to a catamaran. It is a newer listing with a smaller review base than the other boat days here — I would rather tell you that than have you discover it — and the reviews it does have are warm. Book it as a party that happens to visit islands, not an island trip with music, and you will come home happy and hoarse.
What you actually get
Eight hours out of Chalong Pier toward Racha and Coral Islands, with a buffet, an afternoon tea, and a toy chest — snorkelling gear, stand-up paddleboards, a sea scooter, a water slide off the deck — plus a foam party and an onboard photographer who hands over five photos. Grace spent her day on the water sports and reviewed accordingly; Diana rated the food and entertainment; Tanmay called it a “perfect combination of relaxation and party.” Gilles went as far as “objectively one of the best excursions,” which is a bold sentence for a man deploying the word objectively, and Natalia’s “best tour we have been on” sits right beside it. Brigid liked it too. The sample is small; the enthusiasm in it is not.
The honest bits
First, the numbers: 87 reviews against the Phi Phi day’s 21,190. The rating may well hold as the base grows, but today it rests on a small sample, and honest reviewing means saying so. Second, Justin found the beach stop fairly busy — beaches within a party boat’s range of Phuket usually are. Third, at $117 this is the second-priciest ticket on the site; the toys, two food services and the photographer are what the money buys. If your sunset tastes run quieter and richer, the James Bond cruise is the sit-down version of this same idea.
How it compares with Yona
Yona is anchored: a pool, four bars and a DJ that stay put while you settle in. This catamaran is the moving version — same party energy, but with islands passing and salt water involved. Groups torn between them should read the Yona day review and ask one question: do we want a pool or a wake? Every boat option in between is lined up at boat parties & cruises.
What works
- The toy list is genuinely long — SUP, sea scooter, slide, snorkel gear, foam party
- Two food services — buffet and afternoon tea — on one ticket
- An onboard photographer hands over five photos, so nobody minds the wet phone rule
- Reviewers reach for superlatives — Natalia, Gilles and Tanmay among them
Worth knowing
- A newer listing — the review base is small, and I would rather say so than not
- The beach stop runs busy, per reviewer Justin
- The second-priciest ticket on this site — you are paying for the toy chest
- It is a party boat; quiet-sunset people should look elsewhere
Assume everything you wear is joining the foam party. Pack a full dry change and keep your phone sealed away — the onboard photographer exists precisely so you can stop worrying about yours.
Who it’s for
Groups, birthdays, and anyone whose holiday photos are better loud. It is the closest thing on this site to a floating night out that ends at a reasonable hour — and unlike a Patong bar crawl, the tab is agreed before you board.
Frequently asked questions
Is the sunset catamaran party worth $117?
If the party is the point, yes — the ticket folds in a buffet, afternoon tea, snorkel gear, SUP, sea scooter, water slide, a foam party and five photographer photos, which is a lot of day for the money. If you would use half of that list, the cheaper boat days deliver islands without the toy chest.
Why does this cruise have so few reviews?
It is a newer listing — 87 reviews at the time of writing, against tens of thousands on the long-established Phi Phi route. The rating is strong but the sample is small, and I flag that on every page where it matters.
Where does the party catamaran leave from?
Chalong Pier, on Phuket’s south-east coast. Note that this is not Yona’s shuttle pier — the floating club runs its own boats from Patong or Royal Phuket Marina depending on season, so don’t conflate the two departure points when planning transport.