Photo: Tux the penguin at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A dhow cruise in Dubai Marina sounds simple. You book a boat, you eat dinner, and you watch the towers go by. Then you compare prices, and it stops being simple.
The same evening on the same water costs AED 80 on one website and close to AED 400 on another. One boat lets your 4-year-old ride free. The next boat charges her the full adult price. And your ticket may just say “Dubai Marina” as the boarding point, which is a very big place at 8 PM on a Friday.
This guide fixes all of that. Below you will find the real Dhow cruise marina price ranges from named operators, a side-by-side table of the main boats, the child rules that change your bill, and the three boarding areas in plain words. By the end, you will know which boat to book and what a fair price looks like.
Quick Answer: Dubai Marina Cruise at a Glance
Short on time? Here is all you need to decide:
- What it is: a dinner cruise on a traditional wooden boat (a dhow) or a modern glass boat, sailing inside Dubai Marina for about 2 hours.
- Fair price: a standard wooden dhow dinner cruise costs AED 140 to 180 per adult with a known operator. The premium glass boat costs AED 260 per adult. Prices far above that are usually resale markups.
- Timings: boats board between 8:00 and 8:30 PM and return between 10:30 and 11:00 PM. A shorter sunset cruise leaves at about 5:00 PM on a few boats.
- What is included: buffet dinner with veg and non-veg food, soft drinks, water, tea and coffee, and live entertainment such as a Tanoura dance or a singer. Hotel pickup is not included. It costs extra.
- Children: rules change by boat. Most boats let children under 3 ride free. One top boat lets under-5s ride free. One operator charges the full adult price from age 4. Check before you pay.
- The honest warning: Most Marina dhow dinner cruises stay inside the Marina, around JBR and Bluewaters. A few operators advertise Palm views, so check the route before you book.
Prices checked on operator and booking websites in October 2026. Prices move by season and by website, so always check the final price, the boarding point and what is included before you pay.
Dhow Cruise Dubai Prices 2026: The Full Table
There is no single official Dubai Marina Cruise price. Many companies run boats in the marina; each sets its own price, and sellers add their own cut on top. That is why the spread is so wide. This table shows what each level really costs.
| Type of cruise | Adult price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Budget reseller deals | AED 80 to 129 | A basic wooden dhow, buffet dinner, and soft drinks. Simple boat, simple food. |
| Standard wooden dhow, booked direct | AED 140 to 180 | A good dinner cruise with a buffet, entertainment, and both decks. The level most people should book. |
| Premium wooden dhow | AED 195 to 220 | A better boat or better food. Some deals at this level include hotel transfers. |
| Glass boat (Xclusive) | AED 260 | A 125-foot glass houseboat, a 5-star style buffet with live cooking, and a live musician. |
| Top-end luxury listings | Up to about AED 316 | The highest mainstream price we found on a booking site for a 2-hour Marina cruise. |
Checked: 8 October 2026
How to read this table: if a site asks AED 330 to 400 for a normal wooden dhow dinner, you are looking at resale markup, not a better boat. The same boats sell for AED 150 to 200 on the operators’ own pages. Always compare the name of the boat, not just the price.
Child prices sit on top of this. They change the total a lot for families, so they get their own table later in this guide.
The Main Boats Compared: Alexandra, Alishba, Rayna, and the Xclusive Glass Boat
Most visitors end up choosing between a handful of names. This marina dhow cruise comparison puts them side by side, including the Pier 7 boats many guides skip. Prices are per person for the dinner cruise.
| Boat | Adult | Child | Sailing time | Leaves at | Boards at | What is special? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandra Dhow | AED 180 | AED 120 (age 5 to 11), under 5 free | 1 hour 45 min | 9:00 PM | Yacht Club, West Bay (Berth A11) | A 90-foot wooden dhow. Live singer or Tanoura. Alcohol sold on board. Sails Wed, Fri & Sat only. |
| Alishba Costa | AED 150 | AED 100 | 2 hours | 8:30 PM | Marina Promenade | A solid standard boat at a fair price. |
| Alishba Royale | AED 200 | AED 150 | 2 hours | 8:30 PM | Marina Promenade | The premium sister boat of the Costa, with an upgraded menu. |
| Rayna (Aisha 2 and sister boats) | From about AED 90 | Under 3 free; over 10 pays the adult rate | 90 min | 8:30 to 8:45 PM | West Marina, behind Al Rahim Mosque | Often the cheapest known operator. Prices move a lot by website and season, up to about AED 140. |
| Xclusive Glass Boat | AED 260 | AED 160 | 90 min | 8:30 PM | Xclusive Marina, behind Al Majara Tower | A glass houseboat with a 5-star-style buffet, live cooking, and a live musician. The special-occasion pick. |
| Al Mansour | AED 99 | Check at booking. | 1 hour 30 min | 8:30 PM | Pier 7 | A traditional dhow at one of the lowest starting prices in the Marina. |
| Lotus Royale Megayacht | AED 149 | Check at booking | Varies | Check at booking. | Marina Promenade, beside Pier 7 | A huge multi-deck megayacht with a 5-star buffet and live entertainment. UAE residents can get up to 50% off. |
| Ocean Empress | From AED 149 | Check at booking | 2 hours 30 min | 8:00 PM | Pier 7 | A large multi-deck vessel with tiered seating, from standard to VIP decks. |
| Al Wasl | AED 200 | AED 170 (above age 3) | 2 hours | 8:30 PM | Marsa Dubai Harbour, Gate 1 | A floating restaurant with a big international buffet, kahwa and dates, and a tanoura show. |
Alexandra is the most reviewed boat in the Marina. You pay a little more than the cheapest boats, and you get a long track record and free entry for under-5s. Two things to know: it sails only on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and it berths on the west side of the marina, at Berth A11 by the Yacht Club, not near Pier 7.
Alishba is the safe middle choice. The Costa at AED 150 is a fair price for a standard Dubai Marina dhow cruise, and the Royale is the step up without jumping to glass boat money.
Rayna is the budget pick from a big tour company. The catch is the channel: its prices swing a lot by website, so compare the final checkout price, not the headline.
Xclusive is the boat for a birthday, an anniversary, or a proposal. The glass walls, live cooking, and shorter 90-minute sailing make it a different kind of evening.
Why Prices Differ So Much: AED 80 to AED 400 Explained
Five things set the price of a dhow cruise in Dubai. Once you know them, the wild price spread makes sense.
- The boat. A basic wooden dhow costs less to run than a glass houseboat with live cooking stations.
- The deck. The open upper deck costs more than the air-conditioned lower deck. On Alexandra, the split is about AED 180 below and about AED 200 above.
- The food. Some boats serve a simple buffet. Others use hotel catering or live cooking. Read the menu before you book.
- Transfers. Shared hotel pickup adds about AED 30 to 40 per person. Without it, the same cruise is cheaper.
- The website you book on. Operators, booking platforms, and resellers all sell the same seats, and each layer can add a cut. This is the biggest reason one site shows AED 150 and another shows AED 329 for the same evening.
One more thing: the words “5-star” on a ticket are a marketing label, not a hotel rating. Alishba says this openly on its own page. Judge the boat by its menu, photos, and reviews, not by the stars.
Dhow Cruise Timings: Dinner Sailings and the Sunset Cruise Dubai Marina Option
Almost every Dubai Marina cruise follows the same evening pattern.
| Sailing | Boarding | Departure | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinner cruise (most boats) | 8:00 to 8:30 PM | 8:30 to 9:00 PM | 10:30 to 11:00 PM |
| Sunset cruise (a few boats only) | About 5:00 PM | 5:00 to 5:30 PM | 6:30 to 7:15 PM |
Most dinner cruises sail for about 2 hours. Some are shorter: Alexandra sails for 1 hour 45 minutes, and the Rayna and Xclusive boats sail for about 90 minutes. With hotel transfers, pickup is around 6:30 to 7:00 PM, and drop-off can be as late as 11:30 PM.
Dinner or sunset? The dinner cruise gives you the full show: the buffet, the entertainment, and the towers in full light after dark. The sunset cruise Dubai Marina option is shorter and calmer, with softer light for photos. Only a few boats run it. Xclusive runs a sunset sailing daily at AED 210 per adult. Alexandra’s own site currently lists dinner cruises only, so check its booking page for any sunset sailing before you plan around one. Alishba does not run one at all.
Arrive 30 minutes before departure. Boats leave on time, and the crew will not wait while you find parking.
What Is Included in a Dhow Cruise Ticket?
A standard Dhow cruise dinner ticket in the marina includes the same core things on almost every boat:
- The cruise itself, 90 minutes to 2 hours on the water
- An international buffet dinner with veg and non-veg dishes
- Welcome drinks, often Arabic coffee and dates
- Unlimited soft drinks, water, tea, and coffee
- Live entertainment, usually a Tanoura dance, a live singer, or music
- Both decks: the air-conditioned lower deck and the open upper deck
- Toilets on board
What is usually NOT included:
- Hotel transfers. An add-on: about AED 30 to 40 per person for a shared pickup, AED 350 or more for a private car.
- Alcohol. Most boats serve none. A few licensed boats, like Alexandra, sell it on board. Bayut lists an unlimited house-drinks add-on on Alexandra at AED 160 per person, but Alexandra’s own site does not show that package, so confirm it when you book. The Xclusive glass boat lists an open bar on its own site.
- Souvenir photos and tips. Small extras, paid on the night.
One honest note: on some religious holidays and official days, live entertainment can be paused by rule. The cruise and the dinner still run, and your booking page will normally warn you.
Upper Deck or Lower Deck: Which Should You Book?
Every dhow has two decks, and the choice changes your evening more than you would think. The price gap is small, about AED 20 on boats that split the price.
Pick the upper deck if you want photos, fresh air and the full view of the towers. It is the romantic choice, and the best choice in the cool months from November to March.
Pick the lower deck if you sail in the hot months, or if you have small children or older family members with you. It has air conditioning, calmer air and easier access to the buffet and the toilets.
Where Do You Board? Dubai Marina Boarding Points Explained
This is the part that catches people out. “Dubai Marina” on a ticket can mean three different areas, a 15 to 20 minute walk apart. Go to the wrong one at 8:15 PM, and you can miss your boat.
- Marina Promenade, on the Marina Mall and Pier 7 side. Alishba boards here, and so do the Pier 7 boats: Al Mansour, the Ocean Empress and the Lotus Royale megayacht.
- West Marina, behind Al Rahim Mosque, by the Dubai Marina Yacht Club. Alexandra berths here, at Berth A11 in West Bay. Rayna’s boats board in the same area, near the West Marina Signature Hotel.
- Dubai Harbour and Xclusive Marina, behind Al Majara Tower. The Xclusive glass boat boards here, on the harbour side near the entrance of the Marina. Al Wasl boards nearby, at Gate 1 of Marsa Dubai harbour.
How to get it right: your booking confirmation carries a map or a meeting point. Read it the day before, not in the taxi. The nearest metro stations are DMCC and Sobha Realty on the Red Line. If you drive, allow extra time for Marina traffic and parking on weekend nights.
What You Will See on the Dubai Marina Cruise
The route stays in the Marina waterway and the lagoon by JBR. You will sail past the twisted Cayan Tower, along Marina Walk, past Pier 7 with its stacked restaurants, and out towards JBR and The Beach. On a clear night you can see Bluewaters Island and the Ain Dubai wheel across the water.
Now the myth. Many blogs suggest the cruise sails around the Palm Jumeirah. Most Marina dhow dinner cruises stay inside the Marina, around JBR and Bluewaters. A few operators advertise Palm views, so check the route before you book. If a full Palm cruise is what you want, that is a yacht trip, not a Marina dhow cruise. Book this cruise for the Marina itself, and it will not disappoint you.
The water inside the Dubai Marina cruise is calm and sheltered, so seasickness is rarely a problem. If you feel sick on boats easily, sit near the middle of the deck, where the movement is least.
Dubai Marina Cruise for Families: Child Prices and Rules Compared
Here is the money trap for families. Every operator sets its own child rule, and the gap is huge. With a 4-year-old, your choice of boat can change the bill by AED 300 or more.
| Operator | Child rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Most boats | Under 3 free | A baby or toddler adds nothing to your bill. |
| Alexandra | Under 5 free; child age 5 to 11 pays AED 120 | The kindest rule we found. A 3 or 4-year-old rides free. |
| Alishba | Child pays AED 100 (Costa) or AED 150 (Royale) | A clear child price on both boats. |
| Rayna | Under 3 free; children over 10 pay the adult rate | A fair middle rule, but the adult rate is the one that moves by website. |
| Xclusive glass boat | Child pays AED 160 | A flat child price on the premium boat. |
| Desert Leap (a Marina operator) | Age 4 and up pays the full adult price | The harshest rule we found. Read it twice before you book with a young child. |
The lesson is simple: never trust a headline family price. Check the age line on your own booking. A “cheap” ticket that charges your 4-year-old as an adult is not cheap at all.
Children are welcome on all of these boats. The buffet has plain food most children will eat, and the Tanoura show holds their attention. Book the lower deck if your children may want to rest, and bring a light jacket for the upper deck after dark.
Dhow Cruise Creek or Marina: Which One Should You Pick?
Dubai has two classic dhow areas: the Marina and the old Creek in Bur Dubai and Deira. Both run dinner cruises, but they feel very different, and the dhow cruise creek option is usually cheaper.
| Point | Dubai Marina | Dubai Creek |
|---|---|---|
| The view | Modern towers, JBR, Bluewaters Island, bright lights | Old Dubai: dhows, souks, mosques and low heritage buildings |
| The feel | New, polished and lively | Traditional and calm |
| The price | Standard dinner about AED 140 to 180 | Dinner cruises often start lower, around AED 99 on shared boats |
| Best for | First-time visitors, couples, photos, a big night out | Culture lovers, repeat visitors, smaller budgets |
| Sailing time | About 2 hours | About 2 hours |
Our honest answer: pick the Marina if this is your first dhow cruise or your one big evening in Dubai. Pick the Creek if you love old Dubai, or if you have already done the Marina. Many visitors do the Creek on a quiet weekday and save the Marina for the weekend.
Which Cruise Should YOU Choose? The Best Dhow Cruise Dubai Picks by Traveller
There is no single best dhow cruise dubai answer. There is a best boat for your kind of evening.
- Couples: Alexandra on the upper deck. Fair price, a long track record, and the skyline does the rest. For a big occasion, step up to the Xclusive glass boat.
- Families with young children: Alexandra again, because children under 5 ride free. Alishba Costa is the close second, with a clear AED 100 child price.
- Tight budget: Rayna, booked on whichever known site shows the lowest final price that week. Expect a 90-minute sailing and a simple buffet.
- A special occasion: the Xclusive glass boat. AED 260 buys the best food, the best setting and a shorter, sharper evening.
- Sunset lovers: Xclusive sails at sunset every day at AED 210.
How to Book Dhow Cruise Marina Tickets and Save Money
Booking the right ticket is mostly about comparing the same boat in two or three places before you pay.
- Compare by boat name, not by headline. The same Alexandra cruise was AED 180 on one site, AED 150 on a discount platform and about AED 180 to 200 on an international booking site in the same week. The boat did not change. The cut did.
- Book direct when the price ties. The operator’s own booking gives you the clearest boarding map and the easiest changes.
- Decide on transfers with clear eyes. A shared pickup adds AED 30 to 40 per person. If your hotel is near a metro station, the train plus a short walk is cheaper and often faster than a shared bus doing hotel rounds.
- Book ahead in peak weeks. School holidays, the mid-term break and winter weekends sell out the good boats first. Check the cancellation terms too: the Xclusive glass boat allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before sailing.
- Skip the photo package pressure. Souvenir photos are offered on board. Only buy the ones you love.
Things to Do Nearby: Make an Evening of It
The Marina cruise starts at 8 PM, which leaves the whole day free. These guides on our site pair well with it:
- A desert day, then a Marina night. The classic Dubai pairing. Do the Desert Safari Dubai tour on a different day if you can. Two big evenings back to back will tire children out.
- The Palm, across the water. Most Marina dhow cruises stay inside the Marina, around JBR and Bluewaters, and a few operators advertise Palm views, so check the route before you book. Our Palm Jumeirah complete guide shows you how to visit it properly.
- Theme parks in the same trip. Our Dubai Parks and Resorts tickets guide and the Global Village guide cover prices and timings for family days.
- A downtown day. The Burj Khalifa tickets guide pairs well with a Marina evening: towers from the top in the day, towers from the water at night.
A quick note before the FAQs: Dubai Tours & Safari does not sell dhow cruise tickets. This page is an information guide only. Please book on the operator’s site or with a seller you trust.
FAQs About Dubai Marina Cruises
How much does a dhow cruise in Dubai Marina cost?
A standard wooden dhow dinner cruise costs AED 140 to 180 per adult with a known operator. Budget reseller deals start at AED 80 to 129. The Xclusive glass boat costs AED 260 per adult. If a site asks AED 330 or more for a standard boat, that is resale markup. The dhow cruise dubai price worth aiming for sits in the AED 140 to 200 band.
What is the dhow cruise Dubai Marina price for children?
It changes by boat, and this is where families lose money. Most boats let children under 3 ride free. Alexandra lets under-5s ride free and charges AED 120 for ages 5 to 11. Alishba charges AED 100 on the Costa. At least one operator charges the full adult price from age 4. Always check the age line before you pay.
How long is a Dubai Marina dhow cruise?
About 2 hours on most boats. Alexandra sails for 1 hour 45 minutes, and the Rayna and Xclusive boats sail for about 90 minutes. Boarding starts 30 minutes before departure, so allow about 3 hours for the full evening.
What time should I arrive, and where do I board?
Arrive 30 minutes before your sailing. Boarding areas sit in three parts of the Marina: the Promenade near Marina Mall and Pier 7, West Marina behind Al Rahim Mosque by the Yacht Club, and the Dubai Harbour side behind Al Majara Tower. Your confirmation carries the map for your boat.
Is dinner included in the ticket?
Yes. A standard dhow cruise dinner ticket includes an international buffet with veg and non-veg dishes, welcome drinks, and unlimited soft drinks, water, tea and coffee. Hotel transfers and alcohol are not included.
Is alcohol served on board?
On most boats, no. A few licensed boats, such as Alexandra, sell alcohol on board, and the Xclusive glass boat lists an open bar on its own website. If this matters to your group, check your boat before you pay.
Does the cruise go around the Palm Jumeirah?
Usually not. Most Marina dhow dinner cruises stay inside the Marina, around JBR and Bluewaters. A few operators advertise Palm views, so check the route before you book. If you want to sail around the Palm, book a yacht trip instead.
Sunset cruise or dinner cruise: which is better?
The dinner cruise is the full experience: buffet, entertainment and the towers in full light. The sunset cruise is shorter, calmer and better for soft photos. Only a few boats run it. Xclusive sails at sunset daily for AED 210. For any other boat, check the operator’s own page before you plan around a sunset sailing.
What should I wear?
Smart casual works on every boat. Light clothes plus a thin jacket for the upper deck after dark is the safe mix. You will walk along the dock, so comfortable shoes beat high heels.
Upper deck or lower deck for a family?
The lower deck. It has air conditioning, calmer air and easy access to the buffet and toilets. Pick the upper deck for photos and cool winter nights. The price gap is small, about AED 20.
Can I book a dhow cruise in the Marina on the same day?
Often yes, outside the busiest weeks. In school holidays and on winter weekends, the good boats sell out, so book a few days ahead then.
Marina or Creek: which dhow cruise is better for a first visit?
The Marina, for most people. The towers, the lights and the polished boats make it the big evening out. The Creek is the traditional choice, with old Dubai views and lower prices, around AED 99 on shared boats. If your trip is long enough, do the Creek on a weekday and the Marina at the weekend.
Ready to plan the rest of your Dubai trip? Browse our latest Dubai guides. Flower gardens, theme parks, desert evenings and the Marina by night, all checked for the new season.
Prices and timings were checked on operator and booking websites on 8 October 2026. Operators can change them during the season. Always check the final price, the boarding point and what is included when you book.
The Dubai Tours and Safari editorial team researches and updates our Dubai and UAE travel guides, checking prices, timings and facts against official sources.
