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I can only concur with the other reviews that describe the debacle that was NYE. Late boat arrival (and not to the pier specified on our ticket), no harbour cruise to the Opera House - just a long time parked in Balmain and a significantly restricted view of the midnight fireworks from behind Goat Island. The food and drink was generous and the onboard staff friendly. Fortunately, I'd purchased the tickets last-minute and, as a Sydneysider, wasn't counting on a "once in a lifetime" experience.…
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Date of experience: December 2021
1 Helpful vote
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Incredibly disappointing experience with Sydney Event Cruises. From the very start they were late in picking us up, to the boat itself which was oversold as having 3 luxurious outdoor decks as I can assure you there was nothing luxurious about this boat. There was a few plastic seats, frozen finger food heated up, and decor that looked like it was set up from a bucks night the night before. However the most disappointing was that the New Years Eve tickets were marketed and sold, for almost $400 promising fireworks from the best vantage point within the harbour. This was not the case due to the boat crashing not once but twice into Balmain wall, with the second time becoming stuck, which meant we missed the window to get under the bridge to see the fireworks. Not only did we not see the fireworks from the other side of bridge, but the captain took the boat as far away as possible and we saw nothing of the bridge or the main fireworks. The atmosphere was ruined, there was no countdown - zero communication throughout the night, and a complete lack of customer service thereafter. I emailed requesting a refund and was given a $25 gift voucher, along with a list of excuses justifying everything that happened. To say myself, my family and everyone on board was disappointed is an understatement. The fact that there was no apology on the boat, or even via email the next day just shows how much this company doesn’t value their customers. There’s no way I’d take the risk and ever book with this company again!…
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Date of experience: December 2021
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If you are considering a cruise with this company, you should seriously reconsider. We had a terrible experience this past NYE. The boat was 1/2 hour late, it wasn't prepared for a new group of guests (seemed like it was still decorated from a previous bucks/poker party) and more seriously we hit a stone wall half way through the night, causing us to be lodged for over half an hour. Even more worryingly was that we were about to hit the same wall again later in the cruise- thankfully, this was avoided after several staff on board were seen running to the captains quarters to quickly alert him of the impending collision!. As we were lodged on the stone wall for so long, the boat missed the opening to cross under the bridge to see the fireworks from what the company promotes as a prime vantage point. Our vantage point for the midnight fireworks ended up being behind an island. To ensure a balanced review, the hospitality staff, and food served on board were great. We reached out to the company with our concerns and the response provided was one full of excuses that were not supported by facts or the experience we had on the evening.…
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Date of experience: December 2021
1 Helpful vote
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DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! Nearly $400 a ticket to watch the NYE fireworks behind a hill! But apparently they can’t guarantee a harbour view! Maybe don’t advertise views from the best vantage point then! Oh and maybe give your skipper some more driving lessons so your boat doesn’t run into a brick wall and nearly collide with 2 other boats! Even after a request for a refund the CEO offered a $25 voucher to use on another cruise, um let me think about that! I DON’T THINK SO!…
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Date of experience: December 2021
1 Helpful vote
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I paid almost $700 for the New Year's Eve Cruise. The boat was 30 minutes late. We also got stuck at Balmain wall for another 30 minutes. Then we were told we were going to the other side of the harbour for the best views, only for the driver to instead position the boat directly behind Goat Island at midnight. I didn't see the bridge fireworks at all due to the boat being in the worst position on the harbour. I asked for a refund but was rejected. They sent us a letter explaining the series of unfortunate events that caused the night to be so awful but apparently all of this doesn't warrant a refund and instead sent us a measly $25 voucher to be used within a year. Management are completely unaccountable.…
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Date of experience: December 2021
1 Helpful vote
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