A Family Christmas Party on the Water at Lake Ray Hubbard

Somebody in every family hosts Christmas, and every year the house gets smaller. Forty people, four generations, three dietary lists, and one kitchen. A private boat on Lake Ray Hubbard takes the whole thing out of the house for an afternoon: one price for the boat, bring the food and the drinks, and the crew drives while the cousins catch up. It is 25 minutes from downtown Dallas, with free parking and a hotel next to the dock for the relatives flying in.

This is how a family Christmas party or a holiday reunion works on the water. For everything else about private charters, including deposits, weather and the three boats, see Private and Corporate Events on Lake Ray Hubbard: A Planning Guide.

One price, and what it includes

A daytime private charter starts at $1,946 all-in. That number includes the boat, a Coast Guard-licensed captain and crew, fuel, gratuity and taxes. The boat is back at the dock two hours before sunset, which for a December afternoon means a midday departure and a return in time for the drive home before dark. Evening slots cost more and are quoted by boat and date.

Split across a family of 50, the charter is less per person than a restaurant would charge for the meal alone, and the restaurant would not have given you the room to yourselves.

The two things you add are the food and the drinks, and both can come from your own kitchen.

The boat for a big family

For a December gathering, pick one of the two boats with a fully enclosed, heated main deck.

Harbor Lights holds up to 90 and seats 72 at 8-foot tables on the heated main deck, with floor-to-ceiling windows. The open sky deck above seats another 72 on a mild day. The boarding area and the restroom are accessible for manual wheelchairs, which matters when grandparents are coming. It also has a Bluetooth stereo for the playlist and three flat screens with HDMI, so the slideshow of old family photos has somewhere to play.

Sapphire Star is the largest inland boat in Texas and holds up to 140, with 96 seats on the enclosed, heated main deck. If the reunion is the kind where second cousins bring their in-laws, this is the boat.

Sapphire Moon holds 49 and is open air on both decks, with wrap-around lounge seating. It is a good boat for a smaller family on a warm afternoon and not the one for December.

Potluck, catered, or both

Every charter lets you bring your own food. For a family Christmas that usually means the potluck comes aboard in the same dishes it would have come to the house in. Chafing dish warmers are allowed in the serving areas, so the ham and the green beans stay hot. If nobody wants to cook, choose a caterer from DFW Boat Ride's recommended list or bring your own.

Drinks are BYOB. Beer, wine, seltzers and cocktails come aboard in small to medium coolers; rolling coolers work well. No kegs. Everyone drinking must be 21 or over with ID. Sodas, water, juice and cups of ice are complimentary, so the kids' table is covered.

Hosts get 30 minutes of pre-boarding to set the tables, hang the garland and plug in the playlist. More setup time can be purchased. Leave the candles and sparklers at home; neither is allowed on board, and no smoking or vaping either.

Kids on the boat

Children are welcome on private charters. The crew briefs everyone on safety before departure, and the rules are the same ones a family would expect: no swimming, stay inside the rails, and listen to the crew. The enclosed main deck gives little ones a warm place to run between tables while the teenagers claim the sky deck.

No pets on board, so the family dog stays home for this one.

Grandparents and anyone who needs a hand

Harbor Lights has a manual-wheelchair-accessible boarding area and restroom. Boarding is at the dock next to the lighthouse, behind the Hilton Dallas/Rockwall Lakefront, and the crew helps at the gangway. Tell them when you book who will need extra time and they will plan for it.

Free self-parking is in The Harbor Rockwall lots at Summer Lee Drive and Shoreline Trail, a 5 to 11 minute walk to the dock. For anyone who cannot make that walk, drop them at the harbor and park afterward.

The afternoon, in order

• Noon. Hosts board with the food and the decorations.
• 12:30 pm. The family boards after completing the electronic waiver, which can be done on a phone beforehand so nobody is filling in forms at the dock.
• 12:45 pm. Depart. The first hour is drinks, the view and the catching up.
• 1:45 pm. Lunch at the tables.
• 2:30 pm. The gift exchange, the slideshow on the screens, the toast on the PA mic from whoever hosts every year.
• 3:15 pm. Sky deck for the family photo. December light on the lake is low and flat and flattering.
• 3:45 pm. Back at the dock, two hours before sunset, with the drive home in daylight.

For the relatives from out of town

The Hilton Dallas/Rockwall Lakefront is next to the dock. Book a block there and the people who flew in walk to the boat and walk back. The Harbor Rockwall has restaurants for the night before and the morning after, which keeps the hosting family's kitchen closed for the whole weekend.

Booking and weather

Private charters are booked by phone. A 50% deposit holds the date and time, and the balance is due 30 days before the cruise. For a party in the third week of December, that means booking by mid-November.

Charters are non-refundable, with one exception. If on the day the captain decides conditions are unsafe because of severe weather, lightning within 10 miles or excessive wind, you get a refund of what you paid or a new date. Cold is not a cancellation; the main deck is heated. Storms are. Pick a backup date when you book.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a family Christmas party on the boat cost? Daytime private charters start at $1,946 all-in, including the captain, crew, fuel, gratuity and taxes. Food and drinks are what you bring or what you order. Evening slots are quoted by boat and date.

Can we bring our own food? Yes. Bring a potluck, use your own caterer, or pick one from the recommended caterers list. Chafing dish warmers are allowed in the serving areas.

Is the boat safe for children and comfortable for grandparents? Children are welcome and the crew briefs everyone before departure. Harbor Lights has a manual-wheelchair-accessible boarding area and restroom, and its main deck is enclosed and heated.

How many people can we bring? Sapphire Moon holds 49, Harbor Lights 90 and Sapphire Star 140. For a seated meal, Harbor Lights seats 72 on the main deck and Sapphire Star seats 96.

Where do out-of-town family stay? The Hilton Dallas/Rockwall Lakefront is next to the dock, with restaurants at The Harbor Rockwall a short walk away.

Packages and pricing at a glance

Charters come in three lengths: 1.5 hours for appetizers and drinks, 2 hours for dinner, and 3 hours for dinner with time for a toast. On Harbor Lights, a 1.5-hour cruise is $1,946 by day and $2,343 on a weeknight evening, with the crew, fuel, gratuity and taxes included. Any caterer is welcome. Our partner, Cater Dallas, runs about $11 a guest for appetizers. See the holiday party packages for the 2-hour and 3-hour rates.

Related reading: what a private boat charter costs in Dallas and a company Christmas party on the boat, hour by hour.

Give the house a year off. See private cruises for the three boats, or call (214) 534-3797 and press 0 to check a December date.