Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade

I’m being generous by giving two stars over just one.
but it was nice to get some fresh beach breeze under the moonlight.
I was kinda of expecting majority of the homes that line up against the coast to be lit up with decorations and Christmas lights but the decorated homes were few and far in between.
If you can find a deal on Groupon or Living Social, definitely do that.
We paid full price and I didn’t feel that it was worth the drive, wait or view.

One word summation, lame. Specially if you consider all the traffic and crowds you have to fight to get here. There were only 3 boats that I would say had the wow factor. The majority of the other boats were pretty basic with like a simple string of lights around the gaurd railing and maybe something on the mast. And the procession is over rather quickly. In about 15 minutes all the boats in the parade have gone past. I chose my viewing point at China Cove Beach, which is about 50+ yards from the parade but it’s right near the jetty so you can see the boats coming and going from both sides as this is where they turn around. Plus you don’t have to deal with the traffic and there’s plenty of parking on PCH if you don’t mind a 15 minute walk. But you will have to traverse a short hill to get to the actual beach. So for me it was one time and done, not something I would go view again or recommend to anyone who is looking for something exciting.

«Fury «boat was not even lit up. There wasn’t even Christmas music playing. It was a Sad Disappointing night. Do not bother paying $ 32-​$ 35 a ticket for the cruise. Not worth it !!

The 90 minute ride is just right. Boarding at 8 was hassle free.
I was hoping there would be hors d’oeuvres but it was slim pickings between lays chips or pretzels. Alcohol was alright. We ended up getting Heineken cans. They had bud light, corona (cans), some liquor (jack daniels, titos vodka) and mixed drinks available. Cash only.
For the price, this was fun and something to do midweek with our friends. We enjoyed the lit houses just as much as the fun yachts and boats passing by.
I thought it would be a little more crowded but apparently the 6 o’clock slot had more passengers according to the bartender.
I didn’t realize it was actually pretty chilly on the top deck once we picked up speed. I’d recommend bringing an extra throw blanket to cozy up with. They didn’t seem too strict on checking bags and I’m sure a blanket would be allowed.

It’s an annual event that brings together locals. We booked our Christmas Boat Parade tickets with Newport Landing/​Davey Locker through LivingSocial. The only cruise time they gave us was 8:30 pm. We did have to pay an additional fuel surcharge which was about $ 2 extra. They sent me an email with my barcode and instructions. It listed 2 different places for check in but we went to 400 Main Street where they had a table out front. We arrived at 7:30 (an hour prior) and were told that they would start loading the boat around 8:10, but we should get in line now. I figured we could grab a quick bite to eat nearby since we forgot cash. Our cruise came with one alcoholic drink each so we saved it for hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps. They also offered snacks like chips and other drinks on board as well but again, everything was cash only.
We came back after eating and the line hadn’t moved. It was about 8 pm by then, so I expected to board when 8:10 rolled around. 8:20, nothing. They called some people on the standby list and started selling more tickets that came available. Those people were directed on the boat first. WTH? There had been people in line for over an hour and you just let standby folks cut the line. 8:33 pm was when the line began to move. We boarded our 8:30 cruise by 8:40. At this point, I was happy to be boarding. We were on the Ocean Explorer. It was a double-​decker yacht with a bar, 2 bathrooms, and Christmas decorations. While were were on our way, they played holiday music to set the mood. We made it to the end of the parade in less than 10 minutes and saw 6 — 7 decorated boats. I did get a few pictures of some good ones but by 9 pm, no one was out in the bay on their boats anymore so they took us around to see the decorated homes instead. The rest of the cruise we looked at decorated homes. Not everyone’s home was decorated but there were some really great ones that were professionally done.
Our cruise was about an hour and 15 minutes and it seemed like they were about to dock when they decided to go out again because they wanted to make sure we got our full cruising time in. Honestly by then, most people were cold and there was nothing else to see. We did get our drinks with drink tickets though. The hot chocolate and schnapps hit the spot. Dress warmly, try to be in a good mood because it is a long wait. We had some rambunctious college students who took advantage of the shots special and they got hammered. Too bad they didn’t care for the families who were on the boat with them.
Tips: Book an earlier cruise. It’s not worth it for the 8:30 or later times. Park at the meters because they are free after 6 pm. If you park closer to 7^th and Balboa, you can walk a few blocks down to Main St. There are lots closer to the Balboa Pier, but parking is always a gamble when you’re in a rush. Happy Holidays!

I bought a Groupon to be in the Christmas Boat Parade and it SEEMED like a good idea at the time. but you don’t get to see much of the boats when you’re actually in the parade. We arrived early and there was a table set up to redeem the groupon. after that it was kind of confusing as they don’t really have a roped area for you to wait in line to get onto the boat. I was just told to wait by the 3 trees. I had to ask her again where do I wait? and she just pointed over at the trees. I headed over there hoping that I was at the right trio of trees. Overall, the experience not really was I was expecting. Next time I would much rather watch for free vs paying to be in the parade.

So much fun watching the boats decorated spectacular. Loved looking at all the homes decorated for Christmas. Wonderful family time children will love this. This has to be a must every season. Make it a tradition.

Glad I got the chance to finally do this after living in the OC my whole life. My rating would have been higher if I wasn’t so sea sick.
I bought a groupon for this event and it was for Davey’s Locker and Newport Landing. It gets a little confusing since they give you 2 different check-​ins but when I went an hour early, only one of the location was open. It’s recommended you line up early so you can get a good spot. I was told this was on the top floor. There was a wet bar on board but I didn’t even go near that. The crew was pretty cool and did a good job of us not sinking. That’s all I really ask.
The view was pretty good. Not all the houses are decorated but the ones that are were beautiful and then they were ones that was just «wow!» It’s also nice to see all the million dollar houses on the bay. This tour definitely made me feel poor.
I think this was a pretty good experience to go around the peninsula although I wouldn’t mind walking around here to see the lights. I recommend doing it every few years.

One would imagine that this would be the most exciting evening of the holidays. But it was not. For the price that a ticket costs, there should be a whole lot better lights.
I was not WOWED by really any of the house. Maybe I just went on a bad year. Yes, it was nice to see the decorations and be on the water, but it really was not worth all the money.

It’s an annual holiday tradition of mine to head down to Balboa Island and check out the holiday decorations.
I usually like to walk with a cup of hot cocoa or coffee and take my time checking out the details but this time we tried something different.
The boat tour begins on the other side of the island. You can take the ferry across –which we did and park in the lots for free after 6.
There are lots of boats that go out for the tour so it can be a bit confusing. We asked and were directed to a boat down the boardwalk area and then told to wait in a long line.
Once on board, you’re surrounded by about 100 people. You can either sit down below and be warm or freeze up top to get the best view. I wanted to take pictures and videos so I chose to freeze. If you’re going to take the boat tour, bring a warm jacket, gloves, a hat, a scarf etc. It’s cold out on the water.
The tour lasts about an hour and a half and it goes slow so that you can see all the décor. Sadly, there weren’t a lot of decorated houses and most were blocked by the the boats and yachts which is why I prefer the walking tour but either way, this was something unique and fun.

Bought tickets for the Christmas lights boat cruise (this company also does the boat parade). As a family we expected something else! They packed about one hundred people in a 40 foot boat with limited seating! Looking at other area boats which provided the same cruise with seating was upsetting…

I bought 6 tickets of groupon to the boat parade, not xmas light tour. They are still sellinh tickets on groupon for the boat parade, yet when you call to make the reservation, the boat parade is sold out. So I call back to see if I can buy tickets, all of a sudden they have spots available. Not cool. Take your Groupon off if uour not going to honor it. The Christmas light tour was not worth it. I did the boat parade last year and it was worth it… not the Christmas light tour… be careful when booking with this company. Not recommended.

Such a great experience that i cant wait for the next one, It’s always thrilling to see the lights, the staff was very helpful and courteous with the quick answers to my questions.
Great place to spend time with your family, just make sure to take a jacket !

This is such a fun way to see Christmas Lights with the family. Take the Harbor Cruise out of Newport Landing /​Davey’s Locker. Plan to snuggle as it gets a bit chilly. AND bring a dose of patience for parking. BUT the cruise is a hoot, the staff on the boats are great, and the lights are such a unique perspective.
DO IT — you will be so glad you did!

I make the trip to Newport Every year for the Christmas Boat Parade.
Kaitie and Stevie are exceptionally helpful when needing directions.
I encourage any and all to come out and see the lights and the harbor decorated for the parade and Christmas.
Also, if the price is too much they usually have groupons or something that can cut down the price. Ask when you call to reserve if there are any deals.

Glad I can now check this off my Christmas Festivities bucket list!
Hits:
* Newport Pier is adorable — the pier reminded me of a much smaller-​scale and cleaner SM Pier and with plenty of waterfront bars that also offer great HH deals
* The view of the neighborhood (s) surrounding the harbor is absolutely breathtaking — the houses and yacht decorations really lit up the harbor, even when we visited a week after Christmas
* While there were multiple boat companies offering holiday cruises around Newport Harbor, I was especially drawn to this deal because this cruise offered a choice of 1 free beer (canned), 1 glass of wine (boxed), hot Choco, or soda — so refined, I know :)
* If paying $ 40/​head for a 2-​hour yacht cruise around Newport Harbor is a bit steep, Groupon, LivingSocial, AND TravelZoo inundated the holidays with 50% off deals
Lessons Learned:
* If you intend to take the cruise during the weekend of the Christmas Boat Parade, DON’T pull a rookie move and try to reserve spots for the week before — I think a safe bet to hold spots for the coveted weekend is to make reservations at least one month in advance
* Arrive & check-​in half an hour before the cruise sets sail — that way you can claim prime spots set by folding chairs on the viewing deck, even though we ended up standing the entire 90 minutes of the cruise
Off my holiday bucket lost, but now permanently a tradition. I’ll just have to play my cards right to be here during the Christmas Boat Parade festivities!

Ugh this was definitely disorganized. Someone needs to get it together! For such a huge event, one would imagine they would have signs, people directing, an event planner… But it definitely lacked all of the above. There are two check-​in locations… Newport landing or daveys locker. It is not clear which you are supposed to check in at, so that is essentially a guessing game. Then there are several lines that are unmarked… The actual people here are pretty nice but overwhelmed and inundated with questions. That could be resolved easily with signs.
Recommend arriving early as directed– at least one hour to find parking and where you’re supposed to go. Then once you get your ticket and you’re in line, join in on the holiday spirit and have some patience. It’s a line but it will move. Take in the lights, water, alcoholic beverages, and revel in the joys of the season.
To all the Newport/​balboa residents who contribute to this experience, thank you. Love seeing those decorating and really getting into the spirit of the season!

Hearing that this is the biggest boat parade in OC (vs. the one in Huntington Harbour, comparable to the one in Naples, Long Beach), I had to come watch. I hesitantly bought a ticket to watch the parade from shore at the Newport Sea Base. $ 10 was for a seat on a lawn. Had to park in Public Parking 10 – 15 minutes away since we didn’t buy the reserved parking in their lot.
The lights and decoration were spectacular on about 10 – 15 boats for about 25 minutes. Where were all the other boats? We heard the parade usually lasts for 1 hour. It was too short this year.

This review is for the Newport Landings Holiday Cruise– as I could not find a Unilocal page for this specific event
A friend of ours called and made reservations, but it sounded like it was sort of a difficult process when he did. They took down our Groupon voucher numbers and redeemed the groupon online, so if you didn’t already print the voucher, you wouldn’t be able to because it is marked already as ‘redeemed’
Side note: Livingsocial had the same deal, except theirs included a free drink as well! :(
We signed up for the 8:30 holiday boat cruise, and parking around the area was simple at that time (We went Thurs ¹²⁄₁₇)
HOWEVER, when we got to the harbor area we had NOOOOO idea where to go. There were NO signs and NO ONE telling people where to go. It was extremely confusing because there were multiple lines for different boats, but when you call to make your reservation, they don’t tell you beforehand which boat you will be on, so when you get there, you’re totally lost. We were panicking because we didn’t want to miss our boat, and FINALLY we found someone who told us to go to the ticket office to redeem our voucher. After much confusion, we were told which boat to be on, but there was still no signs or no one indicating where our boat was and were we needed to be to line up for it. Eventually we figured it out on our own… but WHAT A CLUSTER F
The boat itself was smallish, but fit the needs of going around the harbor. There are bathrooms on board. There is a bar here cheap beer is $ 7– not crazy prices, but not worth it either. They had a sound system on board, but it was only used before and after docking to explain procedure. You’d think they would at least play Christmas music or at least talk about some of the homes or the parade or point to places or SOMETHING. On top of it, you could barely hear the sound when they did actually talk.
The homes and boats are actually quite beautiful, but I am very glad we came with friends because it would have felt like a looong 75 minutes had we not had anyone to talk to. If it had been cold, it would have even been less worth it. We actually felt kind of bad for talking because it was so quiet on the boat except for a few people talking. It was a fun experience overall, despite the hectic way it started, but I certainly would not pay full price for this as it is now.

i love christmas time because i love listening to the music and seeing christmas lights. so when i saw newport beach christmas boat parade on livingsocial for $ 19 i was super ecstatic!
$ 19 per person and a free non alcoholic drink.
honestly i was so disappointed! i wanted so badly to see christmas decorations but i can only say that i saw some. some were decked out and some weren’t but majority of the houses didn’t have any. you don’t get super close to the houses but the boat goes slow enough for you to see it pretty clearly. initially i was gonna give it one star but it went up to two because the houses that were decorated were really nice. overall, i wouldn’t recommend this boat parade. i felt so empty and unsatisfied with the christmas lights/​decorations.
FYI: they have a holiday boat cruise and a parade of lights cruise. the parade of lights cruise is closer to xmas which i didn’t know so i’m assuming that the parade of lights cruise would be much better. it’s all the same prices.
tips:
*metered parking or parking structure. the metered parking takes credit card.
*it gets super chilly so dress warm!
*it’s hard to take pictures because it’s so dark.
*check in early so you can get in line and be able to snag a seat or else you’ll be standing or sitting on top in the cold.
*they play christmas music.
*there’s a restroom.
*they sell snacks like chips, etc. and beer.
*doesn’t get too rocky if you tend to get sea sick because you’re going around in the harbor.
*same company that takes you whale watching.
*small boat.
*bring cash to tip the staff at the end of the tour.
*different prices for 3 – 12 y/​o and 12+ if you get it from their website.
*they go out 3 times a night for almost 90 minutes.