Cancun Boat Rentals with Captain

What a Cancun boat rental is

A boat rental here is a private charter on one of the smaller boats in the Cancun fleet, from about 26 ft to just under 45 ft. The boat, the captain and the crew are for your group alone, for the hours you choose. It suits couples, families, small groups of friends and anyone who wants the island and the water without the size, or the cost, of a large yacht.

Every Cancun boat rental comes with a captain

Nobody drives the boat themselves. The captain knows the lagoon channels, the bay and the anchorages off Isla Mujeres, reads the wind and the sea, and decides where the boat stops. The crew handles the lines, the anchor, the drinks and the swimmers. Your group sits back and enjoys the water.

Which boat for your group

Count everyone aboard, children included, and compare the cards; each shows its limit. For 6 to 8: the speed boats and day boats of 26 to 28 ft, quick and easy, with a sun pad and a small shade. For 10 to 15: sport yachts and cruisers of about 34 to 44 ft, with a cabin, a bathroom, a shaded aft deck and a swim platform. Above 15, the larger yachts are on yacht rental in Cancun and Cancun large group yacht rentals.

Couples, families and small groups

For two, a small boat is private and simple: a sun pad on the bow, a cooler, the island and the sunset. For a family of five or six, a day cruiser with a cabin gives the children shade, a bathroom and a place to nap. For a group of ten to fifteen friends, a sport yacht with a big cockpit and a swim platform holds the music, the cooler and the swimmers. Tell the team who is coming, and they suggest the boat that fits.

A day on a small boat, step by step

Meet the captain at the marina and board. Cruise out through the Nichupté lagoon, past the mangroves and the back of the hotel zone, and into the bay. Stop at Playa Tortugas or the shallow sandbanks of Los Blanquizales for a first swim, or carry on across the bay to Isla Mujeres and anchor off Playa Norte, where the water is shallow and turquoise. Snorkel, float, eat at anchor, and ride back past the hotel zone, with the sunset over the lagoon on a late charter.

Snorkeling and the swim stop

Most small boats carry snorkel gear and life jackets, and some carry a floating mat. The swim platform at the stern makes it easy to get in and out. The captain anchors on sand, in calm water, and stays aboard while the group swims. The snorkel stops are on the Cancun snorkeling yacht tour.

Boat rental prices in Cancun

Each boat card is the price for the hours you choose, with the captain, the crew and the fuel. The smaller boats are the most affordable way onto the water in Cancun; compare the cards above for your date. Decorations, catering, a photographer, a jet ski at the swim stop and a van from the hotel are add-ons on many boats. Each one shows its price on the booking page, and it is added to the charter when you book the boat. A 50% deposit paid online holds the boat; the balance is paid in person on the day.

Speed boats, sport yachts and day boats

Speed boats of 26 to 28 ft from builders such as Sea Ray, Regal, Four Winns and Starcraft: fast, open, a bow seat and a sun pad, for six to eight. Sport yachts and cruisers of 34 to 44 ft, many of them Sea Rays: a cabin below, a bathroom, a wet bar or galley on some, a cockpit with shade and a swim platform. Most carry water, sodas, ice, life jackets, snorkel gear and a Bluetooth sound system; the card lists what each has.

Boat rental or yacht rental?

The difference is size and comfort, not the way it works. A boat under 45 ft is more open and closer to the water, and quicker across the bay; a yacht of 45 ft and up adds a saloon, air conditioning on many, more shade and more room. Both are private and captained. The yachts are on yacht rental in Cancun and luxury yacht rentals in Cancun.

A small boat for a party

A small boat makes a good party for a few friends: the music on the Bluetooth system, the swim stop and the sunset. A bigger party needs a bigger deck; see Cancun party boat rental.

Where the boats leave from and where they go

The smaller boats leave from marinas along the hotel zone, on the lagoon side, and from residential docks such as Residencial Nautilus, and from Puerto Cancún and SLS Harbour in the north. The usual routes cross the Nichupté lagoon, come out into the bay past Playa Tortugas and the sandbanks of Los Blanquizales, and, on many boats, continue to Isla Mujeres for a swim off Playa Norte. The island day is on the Isla Mujeres yacht trip from Cancun, and the sunset on the Cancun sunset cruise on a private yacht.

Safety and comfort on a small boat

A small boat feels the waves more than a large yacht, so the captain picks the calmer water and the calmer time of day; mornings on the bay are often smoother. Life jackets are aboard, and children wear them while the boat is moving. Shade is smaller on a speed boat, so bring hats, sunscreen and water. Swim stops are in the bay. When the port authority closes the port to small boats, no boat leaves and the rental moves to another day.

What to bring

Swimwear, a towel, sunglasses, a hat, reef-safe sunscreen and a light layer for the ride back. A dry bag for phones on a speed boat, where the spray reaches the seats. ID for the marina. Arrive before the start time; the boat leaves at the time on the booking.