We bought a Groupon for a Biscayne Bay Sunset Sail and decided to use it when our friends from Arizona were visiting over the long Thanksgiving weekend. Overall, this sailing of Biscayne Bay was a fun little adventure, but there are some things to know in advance if you're planning to participate.
First, the time of this sail does not change. It is always at 6:30pm. So, if you're planning to see the sun actually set in the winter, you're out of luck. If that's what you really want to see, it's best to book this in the spring or summer.
Secondly, the marina can be hard to find. There is no signage for Marbella Marina at all. The closest landmark is the Four Ambassadors Hotel which is where the address will take you. The marina is directly behind it. The parking at the Four Ambassadors will cost you $16 for the amount of time you're sailing the Great White Catamaran, but you can catch a break if you find a spot in the street, which is what we did. We found parking right out front for $1.75/hour. One thing to note though is that those meters will only allow you to pay for up to 3 hours. We paid our $5.25, and noted the phone number to pay by phone (thinking we'd add more time to the meter from our phone while we were out on the sail). When we called to add more time to our meter, it would not take our money. So, ultimately, we gambled and won a free hour of parking.
While on the sail itself, you'll receive bottomless red/white wine, beer, water, soda, cheese and crackers, fruit, cookies, and chips. There is a small restroom on the boat, so no worries if you're in need! The staff are extremely friendly, personable, and fun and have knowledge of the area. We sailed around the bay, hovered around the Bayside Marketplace area, then set sail for Monument Island and Star Island, where the staff told us who lived where, who bought/sold which houses, including information about Al Capone and his lookout tower, guard house, and mansion. It was all very interesting, but would have been really nice to see during the day.
We DID get to see a dolphin jump up a couple of times, so that was cool. The catamaran itself has a bunch of seating cushions, making it a pretty comfortable ride if you're on deck. The weather was a bit chilly though (after all, it was Nov 27), so I'd recommend long pants, a sweater, a jacket and a hat. I was wearing flip flops and wished I'd been in socks and shoes, though there were plenty of other people in flip flops too. This is NOT a dressy affair, so plan for comfort and warmth, and don't wear your hooker heels and short shorts or you'll be sorry (plus, no one wants to see that anyway!).
Overall, I recommend this sailing for your out-of-town guests or even for locals who want a cool vantage point of downtown Miami at night. The lights are really beautiful, and the overall experience is a good one!