Knysna Boat Cruise: Ocean Sailing Charters Review
A 2-hour Knysna boat cruise is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Though there are plenty of cruise companies in Knysna, you’ll be blown away by Ocean Sailing Charters. The friendly crew and great service make it worth your while to fit this into your itinerary.
Read about what else to do in Knysna
Ocean Sailing Charters
Ocean Sailing Charters has several cruises available each day with a variety of time options that will suit your schedule.
The cruise route will take you through Knysna Heads out into the ocean. However, if the ocean is rough, then you’ll spend more time wandering Knysna Heads. This happened on our ride, but it all worked out in the end because we were able to spend time jumping off the boat.
Typically, you should be able to see dolphins on your ride. However, I didn’t see any because the water was too rough to go out into the ocean.
Snacks and a welcome drink are offered on your ride. Additional beverages are for sale. The service was excellent and we felt totally pampered.
We all started off with some bubbly.
Ocean Sailing Charter Boats
There are three boats available at Ocean Sailing Charters.
The smallest is the Bella Vita. It is a lagoon cruiser that can fit up to 12 people. If you don’t have that much time in Knysna but still want to go on a cruise, the Bella Vita has a 40 min tour option
The Ocean Rhythm is a 44ft long luxury catamaran (which means it has two hulls). This is the boat that I went on. There are two “trampolines” (to lounge on), an outdoor dining area, and a cash bar.
The Lara Bella is a 55ft long luxury catamaran. It’s more pricey than the Ocean Rhythm. The Lara Bella would be the perfect fit for a private party. There are trampolines, an outdoor shower, a braai, a wine cooler, a coffee machine, a bar, a big lounge saloon area, 4 beautiful en suite cabins, a cash bar, and several fridges.
A tip: if you’re visiting during a popular time, check the different boat and time options to see what’s the cheapest. Although the 1h40min cruise is cheaper than the 2h10min cruise on the website, when I went to book, it was more expensive. On the other hand, the 2h10min cruise was the price listed on the website, so it was cheaper.
The Knysna boat cruise experience
If you have the time, I recommend the “Longer Scenic Day Cruise” with Ocean Rhythm.
- Longer Scenic Day Cruise, 2h10min
- R890/pp on the Ocean Rhythm or R1090/pp on the Lara Bella
We arrived 20 minutes before our cruise departure time to be sure we were the first on the boat as we wanted the lounge seats near the front of the boat. It seems like it was just the three of us and a group of family/friends.
Our snack was a combo of light nibs like sushi and spring rolls. We even got blankets when it got a little windy.
Don’t forget your bathing suit! It was freezing and painful for me and my sister. Just look at my face below. But my brother jumped in multiple times and enjoyed it!
Other Knysna boat cruises with Ocean Sailing Charters
Private Charters are available for groups of up to 12 people. The prices are really reasonable if you have that many people in your group. A scenic sunset cruise on the Bella Vita boat for 1h40m would cost around R300/pp!
Ocean Sailing Charters also has a Sunset Cruise.
If you feel like splurging, the romantic package for 2 on the Ocean Rhythm sailboat is R5900.
Location and Parking
The boarding will take place at the dock behind Sirocco on Thesen Island. There is plenty of parking available. We ate at Sirocco while we were in Knysna and I recommend that if you need lunch after your boat cruise.
Have any questions about the Knysna Boat Cruise: Ocean Sailing Charters Review? Let me know in the comments!