Sydney Harbour is truly the jewel in the city’s crown, with its sparkling waters and stunning views, iconic buildings and structures, what better way to take it all in than on a leisurely lunch or dinner cruise, combining breathtaking scenery with great food to create a memorable experience. Captain Cook Cruises operates a range of sightseeing cruises on Sydney Harbour, offering both lunch and dinner sailings. Guests can enjoy stunning views of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and sparkling waterfront while dining, making it a uniquely memorable Sydney experience.
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The Ship
The MV Sydney 2000, flagship of Captain Cook Cruises, is a 63 metre vessel was built in 1998 in Western Australia. It is also the largest vessel operating crises on Sydney Harbour.
With capacity for up to 700 guests she features four decks, private dining rooms, expansive windows, bars, and dance floors. She offers fabulous panoramic views of Sydney Harbour. Perfect for lunch and dinner cruises all the while it delivering elegance, comfort, and outstanding service.
The ‘Harbour Experience’
One option is the Harbour Experience. On arrival, enjoy your choice of one house beverage, beer, wine, or soft drink, followed by a shared tasting board for two. Choose between:
- Australian Cheese & Charcuterie Board, featuring Bega Heritage Reserve Vintage Cheddar, King Island Brie, Berry’s Creek Tarwin Blue, cured meats, olives, basil pesto, and breadsticks with crackers
- Garden Antipasto Board, offering spiced roast beetroot dip, seasonal vegetable batons, crackers, olives, and a selection of antipasto vegetables.
The local cheeses are divine, and the fresh crudités pair perfectly. It’s an ideal way to enjoy a simple and elegant snack while sipping wine and sailing across stunning Sydney Harbour.
The ‘Harbour Lunch’
But if you go for the Harbour View Lunch it comes with an entree and a main. For the entrees there are three choices;
- Three Mushroom Ravioli with basil and parsley pesto, topped with shaved Grana Padano Parmesan,
- Smoked Salmon with lemon vinaigrette, capers, watercress, fennel & dill,
- Spinach and Pumpkin Salad with beetroot, crispy Serrano ham, Greek feta, almonds, and honey mustard dressing which can also be served as a vegan option.
For the mains there is a choice between:
- Twice-cooked crispy skin chicken with creamy potato cake, roast pumpkin, baby spinach, and honeyed carrots,
- Gremolata-rubbed Barramundi with salsa verdi, creamy potato cake, fresh seasonal greens, honeyed carrots, and fried caper berries,
- Middle-Eastern Eggplant slow-cooked and served with zucchini, roasted capsicum, polenta and marinated semi-dried tomatoes.
The Smoked Salmon with lemon vinaigrette, capers, watercress, fennel, and dill is simply gorgeous. It’s not overly smoky like some supermarket versions of smoked salmon, just beautifully delicate, with the fennel, capers, and dill adding a truly magical touch.
But… the three mushroom ravioli with basil and parsley pesto, finished with shaved Grana Padano Parmesan for an entree has an “oh my goodness” moment. Rich yet balanced, the pillowy pasta filled with earthy mushrooms pairs beautifully with the basil and parsley pesto and the sharp tang of the Grana Padano cheese.
I chose the twice-cooked crispy skin chicken, served with creamy potato cake, roast pumpkin, baby spinach, and honeyed carrots and it was absolutely delicious. The chicken remained moist despite being twice cooked, finished with a delicate gravy glaze. The potato cake, closer to a creamy bake, paired perfectly with well prepared vegetables.
My friend Ash orders the gremolata rubbed Barramundi with salsa verde, creamy potato cake, seasonal greens, honeyed carrots, and fried caper berries. While I adore seafood, barramundi isn’t my favourite, too many dark bits and lacking flavour (I’ll take flathead or snapper any day!). Ash assures me it’s delicious, and it certainly looks perfectly cooked.
Of course, the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House is one can I never tire of, an iconic backdrop that always looks magnificent, no matter how many times I’ve seen it.
While there are many options for Sydney Harbour lunch cruises, I find Captain Cook Cruises to be one of the most consistently reliable choices. With quality food, attentive service, and excellent harbour views, it offers a relaxed and enjoyable dining experience gorgeous Sydney Harbour.
Visiting Australia?
Matty Somewhere 
Thank you for a view I unfortunately no longer enjoy, living over a 100 kms south in the Southern Highlands. Since my decades’ long homes were situated in Darling Point and Rose Bay and I often spent weekends on friends’ boats on the Harbour, your photos make one dream 🙂 ! These cruises, on a fine day, methinks are a pleasant way to see ‘part’ of the huge ‘whole’ of what really is Sydney Harbour. Oh, the luncheon cruise for me. . . actually would just love the three appetizers . . . slowly . . . one after the other . . . with some good, dry white wine in the glass . . .