Why a Sunset Party Boat Ride Is the Absolute Best Way to End Any South Florida Day – Christmas Edition from Captain Scott

Hey crew, it’s your favorite Fort Lauderdale captain, Scott Fleischer, checking in from the helm of Bottoms Up Adventure Charters. If you’re lucky enough to be in South Florida this December, you already know the weather is showing off: 78 degrees, zero snow shovels in sight, and the Atlantic glittering like it was paid to look this good. And right now, on December 23rd, there’s exactly one way I want you to close out your day tomorrow: on one of our famous sunset party boat rides, Christmas-style.

Picture this: instead of fighting mall traffic or stressing over last-minute gifts, you and your people are cracking open ice-cold drinks while we cruise past mansions wrapped stem-to-stern in Christmas lights that reflect off the water like a million floating ornaments. That’s not hype – that’s literally what happens every December night on our sunset party boat rides, and I’m here to tell you why this is the holiday memory you didn’t know you needed.

Christmas Lights, Fort Lauderdale Style (Only Visible from the Water)

Every year, the millionaires along the Intracoastal and New River turn their waterfront estates into a full-on winter wonderland – we’re talking 40-foot yachts wrapped tighter than your presents under the tree, palm trees dripping in red and green LEDs, and one house that syncs its light show to Trans-Siberian Orchestra so perfectly you’ll feel the bass in your chest from 200 yards away. The locals call it the “Winterfest Boat Parade hangover,” because even after the big parade, these homeowners keep the displays rocking straight through New Year’s.

The only way to see 90% of these insane displays? From the water. And the absolute best seat in the house? The bow of one of our catamarans during a Bottoms Up sunset party boat ride. We time it perfectly: we shove off at 4:30 pm, blast your holiday playlist (yes, we take requests – Mariah Carey and Metallica have both made appearances), and slowly cruise the “Venice of America” while the sky turns cotton-candy pink and those Christmas lights start flickering on one by one. It’s pure magic.

Turn Your Crew into a Floating Christmas Party

Look, I get it – some of you have family in town who think “Christmas in Florida” means miniature golf and early-bird specials. Blow their minds instead. Bring the whole gang – grandparents, cousins, college kids home on break – and watch everyone drop their phones when we anchor up with the Fort Lauderdale skyline glowing behind us and a sky full of stars popping out overhead.

We go full holiday mode in December: red and green LED strips under the gunwales, a 12-foot inflatable Santa that rides shotgun on the bow (he’s surprisingly good at beer pong), and a captain who’s been known to wear a Santa hat with a built-in bottle opener. Ugly Christmas sweaters are not only welcomed, they’re basically required for the group photo we’ll take when the skyline lights hit full blast.

And yes, we still bring all the toys: giant floating mats decorated like candy canes, paddleboards with Christmas lights wrapped around them, and coolers big enough to hold every bottle of champagne you scored on Christmas Eve Eve sales.

Private Fishing Tours by Day, Sunset Party Boat Rides by Night – The Perfect Christmas Combo

A lot of my fishing die-hards use Christmas week as their excuse to escape the in-laws for a few hours. We run private fishing tours every morning – mahi are still thick offshore, the kingfish are chewing at the reef, and the snook fishing in the Inlet has been stupid good. Reel in dinner by 1 pm, head back, take a nap, shower off the salt, then meet us back at the dock at 4:30 for the sunset party boat ride. Fresh caught snapper ceviche on the boat while the Christmas lights come alive? That, my friends, is living.

The Bach Party Boat Rental That Saved Christmas

I’ve gotta tell one quick story. Last Christmas Eve Eve (yep, December 23rd two years ago), a groom-to-be from Chicago called me in full panic mode. Their original Miami bach party boat rental cancelled last-minute because of mechanical issues. Twenty guys, flights already booked, hotel paid for, and zero backup plan. I told them, “Pack your ugly sweaters and get to Fort Lauderdale – we’ve got you.”

We took them out on the 50-footer, rigged the boat with extra Christmas lights, convinced the mate to dress like a drunk elf, and threw the wildest holiday-themed bach party boat rental these guys had ever seen. They’re still sending me Christmas cards – actual paper ones – every year. That’s the kind of memory we create.

Why Tomorrow Night (Christmas Eve) Is the One You Don’t Want to Miss

Here’s the insider tip: Christmas Eve sunset is hands-down my personal favorite trip of the entire year. The energy is different. Everyone’s relaxed, the kids are hyped on sugar cookies, the adults are ready to let loose, and the water is usually flat calm. We’ll have hot cocoa spiked with Baileys for the grown-ups, a playlist that somehow makes “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” sound fire at 3000 watts, and the Christmas lights hit peak insanity because every millionaire is trying to outdo their neighbor before Santa shows up.

We only have a couple of sunset party boat rides left this week, and Christmas Eve always sells out first. I’m not saying that to pressure you – I’m saying it because I hate turning people away at the dock.

Your Christmas Gift to Yourself (and Everyone You Love)

Forget another pair of socks or that gift card you’ll lose by February. Give your family, your friends, your partner, or just yourself the one thing nobody can wrap: an evening on the water where the only thing that matters is how loud you laugh and how many times you say, “This is the best Christmas ever.”

Whether it’s a laid-back family sunset cruise, a rowdy friends trip with all the holiday cocktails you can carry, or the bach party boat rental that becomes family legend, we’ve got the boat, the crew, and the Christmas spirit ready to go.

So here’s what I want you to do right now: grab your phone, head to https://www.bottomsupadventurecharters.com, and snag one of the last sunset spots left for Christmas week. Tell us in the notes it’s the Christmas run and we’ll make sure Santa Scott brings the extra festive vibes.

This is Captain Scott Fleischer wishing you the merriest, wettest, wildest Christmas you’ve ever had – South Florida style. The eggnog is cold, the lights are bright, and the boat is waiting.

See you at the dock tomorrow. Let’s make this Christmas Eve one for the books.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and full throttle ahead! Captain Scott BottomsUpAdventureCharters.com