Private sunset review: priced per group, not per person
Read the price correctly before anything else. This listing is priced per group, for up to twelve people, for ninety minutes with the boat to yourselves. At capacity that works out under $45 a head, which is a very different proposition from the number on the listing page, and with four aboard it is well over $100 each. The second thing to know: 28 people have reviewed it. A clean five stars on twenty-eight reviews is a good sign and a thin one, and I will not pretend otherwise.
The arithmetic that makes this page honest
$520 is the price of the boat, not the price of a seat on it. Twelve people aboard puts it under $45 each, which is cheaper per head than the shared sunset boat at $79 a person, and that is the fact this listing lives or dies on. Six people aboard and it is a little under $90 each, which is roughly the shared boat with nobody else on it. Four people and it is well into three figures a head, at which point you are buying privacy rather than value and should know that is what you are doing.
I labour this because per-group pricing is the single most misread number in this catalogue, and because printing it as though it were a per-person fare would make this the most expensive thing on the site by a distance when for a large group it is among the cheapest. Where it makes sense against the shared boat is worked through at private boat tours.
Twenty-eight reviews at five stars
A 5.0 is easier to hold on a small pool than a large one, and this pool is the smallest on the site. Nothing in it is bad; there is just not much of it. Compare that with the 2,261 reviews behind the flagship coast tour and you can see exactly what you are trading. I would still book it for an occasion, with the caveat stated rather than buried, and the same caveat is on the listing at the rankings.
The reviewers, and what they name
Three of the four people I can read named their skipper, which tells you something about how the ninety minutes go. Jasmin, from the United States: “Lorenzo was our guide and he did an excellent job. He took the time to give us some history as well as taking pictures.” Paul, from the United States: “Unbelievable tour with Enzo. Beautiful boat, great vibes.” Daniel, from the United States: “Captain Massimo provided helpful information about the area and snacks and drinks, and captured some pictures for us.”
Two of those three mention photographs, which is worth reading carefully. A photographer is explicitly not included in this listing, so what those reviewers are describing is a skipper being obliging with a phone rather than a service you are paying for. Do not book this expecting a shoot. Ela, from the United Kingdom, described what is actually on offer: “Amazing private boat experience, our captain was very informative with historical landmarks we passed by.”
What is aboard, and what is not
A minibar, prosecco, champagne, snacks, a snorkel set, WiFi and music, over ninety minutes. Dinner, a chef and a photographer are all excluded, and I list them because this is the kind of listing people assume includes them. It meets outside the brasserie by the Covo dei Saraceni, at the eastern end of the beach rather than at the main pier — read the confirmation, because that instruction and the one on the Capri boats are not the same place. The geography is at where the boats leave.
Usually included
- The whole boat for up to twelve people
- A minibar with prosecco and champagne
- Snacks, a snorkel set, WiFi and music
- Ninety minutes along the coast at sunset
Not included
- Dinner and any kind of catering
- A chef
- A photographer, whatever the reviews say about the crew and their phones
- Any stop on Capri — this is a coast run at dusk
What works
- Priced per group, so a full boat is under $45 a head
- The whole boat to yourselves for the best ninety minutes of the day
- Minibar, prosecco, champagne, snorkel set, WiFi and music aboard
- Three separate reviewers named and praised their skipper
- The obvious choice for an occasion, a proposal or a family group
Worth knowing
- Only 28 reviews stand behind the five-star rating
- With four aboard the per-head cost is well over $100
- No dinner, no chef and no photographer, despite what the setting suggests
- Ninety minutes is shorter than the shared sunset boat
- Meets at the eastern end of the beach, not at the pier the Capri boats use
Fill the boat before you compare prices. This listing only makes sense against the shared sunset tour once you count heads: eight or ten people aboard and it is the cheaper of the two per person as well as the better evening, while a couple on their own is paying for the privacy and nothing else.
Who it is for
Groups of eight or more, families travelling together, and anyone marking something. If there are two of you and the occasion is ordinary, the shared sunset boat puts you on the same water at the same hour for a fraction of it. The two are compared head to head at the sunset cruises.
Frequently asked questions
Is the price per person?
No. It is per group, for up to twelve people, and reading it as a per-person fare is the most common mistake made about this listing. A full boat works out under $45 a head, which is cheaper per person than the shared sunset tour. A couple on their own pays for the whole boat.
How long is the private sunset experience?
Ninety minutes, timed around the sunset, which is half an hour shorter than the shared sunset boat. It is a coast run rather than an island trip; if you want Capri, the day tours are at the Capri boat tours.
Is dinner included?
No. There is a minibar with prosecco and champagne, plus snacks, a snorkel set, WiFi and music. Dinner, a chef and a photographer are all excluded — two reviewers mention their skipper taking pictures, but that is a crew member being helpful rather than a service you have bought.
Is it worth it over the shared sunset boat?
It depends entirely on how many of you there are, which is why every mention of the price on this site divides it or says per group. With a large party it is the cheaper option per head as well as the nicer one. With two or three it is a straightforward premium for privacy. The comparison is at private boat tours.