Is the Side Pirate Boat Trip Worth It? What Each Fare Covers
Value depends on what the fare actually contains and on who in your family is paying. Here is each fare broken into its parts, with the costs that sit outside it.
Short answer
For a family with children, the pirate boat trip covers a full day — hotel transfer both ways, about 6 hours at sea, dressing-up costumes for the kids, a hunt for treasure, swims in the sea and lunch — for €20 per adult and €14 per child aged 2 to 10. The kids' pirate programme covers the transfer, lunch, face painting, games, the foam party and travel insurance for €23 per guest from 2. What it is worth to you depends mostly on whether your children will enjoy a day built around them.
What the pirate boat trip fare includes
- Pickup at your hotel and the ride back, in an air-conditioned vehicle
- The pirate-themed cruise along the coast, with the crew dressed as pirates
- Pirate costumes for the children (your own are welcome too)
- The treasure hunt, games and pirate stories on deck
- Swim stops in the sea
- Lunch on board with kid-friendly favourites
Outside the fare: extra drinks, personal spending and tips. We do not publish a price for any of them.
What the kids' programme fare includes
- The round-trip hotel transfer, air-conditioned
- The sail down the river and the swim break at the river mouth
- Free face painting, the professional guides and the animation team
- The treasure map, tug-of-war and the hunt for the pirate Ferhat
- Lunch for the children: spaghetti, chicken fingers or fish fingers
- The foam party with music and dancing
- Travel insurance for every guest for the trip
Not covered: drinks from the bar on board, snacks beyond the lunch menu, and the crew's professional photos and video. None of these has a published price.
Who gets the most from each fare
The coast trip treats children and adults differently at the till: children aged 2 to 10 pay less than grown-ups. Families with several children in that band get the most out of its pricing. The programme on deck — costumes, a hunt, swimming in the sea — suits children who are happy to play for a long morning and afternoon.
The kids' day charges one fare to every guest from 2, so the arithmetic is simpler but the adults pay the same as the children. What you get for it is a busier programme for the young ones: face painting, organised games, a party with foam and dancing, and a fixed sailing at 10:00. For parents who mainly want their children entertained, that can be the better use of a day, even if it is not the lower bill.
When it may not be worth it
Be honest with yourself about who is coming. Both days are designed for families; an adults-only party will find most of the programme aimed at someone else, and our page for adults and couples says so plainly. And if a child in your group finds a long day on a boat difficult, ask us before you book — we cannot promise how anyone will feel at sea, and the crew decides on the day.
Checking the sum before you commit
Write your party out by age and multiply. Three adults and one child aged 2 to 10 on the coast trip is three × €20 plus one × €14; the same group on the kids' day is four × €23. Then add whatever you expect to spend on drinks or souvenirs on the day. The full table sits on the prices page, and our comparison of the two days helps if you are still undecided.
Nothing is charged when you book. You settle in euros on the day, and a change of plan costs nothing if you cancel 48 hours or more before the start.
