Private charter vs Tangalooma day tour
A Tangalooma tour fits you into its day: fixed ferry times, a large resort, and about 30 minutes in the water with everyone else. A private charter on Moreton Bay gives you the whole boat, the whole bay, all day. Here's the honest difference.
| Sea La Vie · Private Charter | Tangalooma Day Tour | |
|---|---|---|
| The boat | Yours entirely, no strangers aboard | Shared with up to 200+ other guests |
| Who decides the schedule | You and Jeremy, built around your group | The ferry operator, fixed departure & return |
| Time in the water | As long as you want, all day if you like | ~30–45 minutes at Tangalooma Wrecks |
| Snorkelling quality | Tangalooma Wrecks, open sandbar reefs, Jeremy knows where the fish are | Tangalooma Wrecks only, in a large group |
| Dolphins | Encounter wild dolphins at sea en route | Evening hand-feeding (paid resort program) |
| Food & drinks | Gourmet catered lunch, champagne, full refreshments, all included | Buy at the resort restaurant or bring your own |
| Destinations | Moreton Island, Amity Banks, Tangalooma Wrecks, Bulwer: Jeremy picks the best for the day | Tangalooma resort precinct only |
| Privacy | Just your group: sandbar, boat, bay | Full resort with hundreds of other guests |
| Price | From $1,390 for two, the whole boat to yourselves ($2,400 for the full boat of 7) | From ~$130–$180 per person (often $800–$1,200+ for a group) |
| Best for | Couples, families, special occasions, anyone who wants a real day | Budget solo travellers who want a resort day |
When a Tangalooma tour makes sense
A Tangalooma day tour is a perfectly good option if you're travelling solo or with one other person on a tight budget, and you mainly want to see the island and dolphins without the premium.
The resort is well-run, the wrecks are genuinely impressive, and the ferry is straightforward. You get Moreton Island, just with everyone else.
When a private charter is the obvious choice
If there are two or more of you (especially a family, birthday, anniversary, proposal, or just people who like doing things properly), the maths and the experience both point firmly toward private.
Divided across a group of four, a Sea La Vie charter works out to roughly the same cost as four Tangalooma tickets, with full-day access, a gourmet lunch, champagne, all your gear, and a captain who actually takes you somewhere worth going.
And against the big charter yachts?
The other way people go private is to hire one of the large charter yachts. They're impressive, but they're built for crowds and billed by the hour, with food and extras on top. A 74-foot party yacht runs around $1,250 an hour with a four-hour minimum, roughly $6,000 before you've even eaten. Sea La Vie is the opposite.
Price
The whole day, all-in, from $1,390
~$6,000 for 4 hours, food & extras on top
The feel
Max 7 guests, owner-operated by a marine scientist
Up to 30 aboard, a hired crew
What's included
Lunch, champagne, gear, fuel: everything
Per-hour rate, then bill the rest
Same privacy. A fraction of the cost. And a day that's actually about you, not the boat.
Ready for the whole boat?
From $1,390 for two, $2,400 for the full boat of seven. Everything included.
See the private day