Sunset cruises from Marseille: dinner at sea, which boat and when it sails
5 min read
The answer first. If you want a proper meal on board and a swim before dark, book the sunset cruise with buffet and wine, from €75 per person. Want to be under sail instead of engine? Look at the schooner cruise with dinner. Every one of these boats heads for the Frioul islands, not for the southern Calanques; for those, read our Calanques comparison. Three of the five pages give departure times only for May to October, so for a trip between November and April, check the booking calendar before you plan an evening around one of them.
Check availability and prices for the sunset cruise with buffet
Where the boats go
The Frioul archipelago lies just off the Old Port. The cruise with buffet describes it as part of the Calanques National Park, and its programme anchors in a cove for a swim before dinner. The semi-rigid boat passes the Vallon des Auffes and the Château d’If; the maxi catamaran also runs along the Château d’If and anchors in the Baie du Grand Soufre. If you want to land on the islands and walk, that is a different outing, covered in our guide to the Château d’If and the Frioul ferry.
Five evenings compared
| Tour | Boat | Evening meal | Duration | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset cruise with buffet and wine | boat with toilet, shade and shower | vegetarian organic dinner, rosé or soft drink | 3.5 hours | €75 | 4.7 stars, 593 reviews |
| Schooner cruise with dinner and wine | traditional wooden schooner | cold vegetarian buffet, one glass of rosé | evening, back around 9:30 or 10:30 p.m. depending on season | €80 | 4.8 stars, 538 reviews |
| Evening sailboat cruise with buffet and wine | sailboat | cold buffet, vegetarian or Middle Eastern depending on availability, rosé and water | 3.5 hours | €80 | 4.8 stars, 254 reviews |
| Maxi catamaran with dinner | electric, sail and engine catamaran | aperitif, buffet and drinks | 3.5 hours | €114 | 4.8 stars, 93 reviews |
| Rosé and snacks at sunset | semi-rigid, up to 10 guests | glass of rosé or soft drink and snacks | 2.5 hours | €69 | 4.6 stars, 294 reviews |
What each one actually gives you
The buffet cruise sails from the left side of the Old Port, in front of the La Criée theatre. The page says dinner is a vegetarian organic buffet prepared the same day, with a glass of Provence rosé or a soft drink. Passengers who go into the water must be able to swim on their own, swimmers are not supervised, and towels and sunscreen are not provided. The page lists wheelchair users as not suitable and says passengers must be able to walk. The skipper alone decides whether the boat sails and can change the route for wind and swell.
The schooner meets in front of the city hall at pier PH2. Dinner is a cold vegetarian buffet with one glass of rosé, and the page names French, English and Italian as host languages. Arrive 15 minutes before departure.
The maxi catamaran publishes the fullest menu: prawns and chicken cooked à la plancha, salads, cheese and dessert, and the page lists wines, soft drinks and an aperitif as included. Boarding is at Quai des Belges at 7:20 p.m. and the schedule ends with disembarking at 11 p.m., so it is the latest of the evenings here.
The semi-rigid boat is the short option: 2.5 hours, with local snacks and a drink rather than a dinner. It leaves from the Mucem (Esplanade J4), not from the Old Port quays, passes the Vallon des Auffes and the Château d’If and anchors in a cove of the Frioul archipelago. Communication runs through WhatsApp only. The page lists pregnant women and wheelchair users as not suitable.
When it sails
The buffet cruise, the sailboat cruise and the schooner give departure times by season: 6 p.m. in May and from September to October, 7 p.m. from June to August, with the return around 9:30 or 10:30 p.m. One line on the schooner page gives its low season as September to May, but the operator’s own booking page names the same May-to-October season as the other two (Goélette Alliance). For the maxi catamaran and the semi-rigid boat, check the booking calendar for your date.
Who should check first
If the cruise is cancelled for weather, the buffet-cruise page offers a postponement or a refund, informing you within 48 hours before the date. A no-show gets no refund on the buffet cruise, the schooner or the maxi catamaran, and the semi-rigid boat gives no refund for late arrival. On the evening sailboat cruise, pregnant passengers beyond the sixth month need a medical certificate, and the crew asks to be told in advance about infants under one.
Our recommendation
Between May and October, the buffet cruise is the straightforward choice for most couples and friends: dinner, a swim and the city lit up on the way back. Pick the maxi catamaran if you want prawns and chicken on the menu and wine with the meal, and the schooner for the sails. Compare every evening departure in all sunset cruises, where 12 cruises start from €45.
