Sail with Santa

The Ultimate West Country Family Tradition

Unwrap the true magic of Christmas with an unforgettable festive adventure on the water! Setting sail from Exmouth Marina throughout December, our famous Sail with Santa cruises combine the wonder of the holiday season with a scenic, smooth-water voyage along the River Exe. Meet Santa Claus himself in his cosy onboard grotto, enjoy hand-delivered gifts for the children, festive treats for the grown-ups, and live festive entertainment that gets everyone into the Christmas spirit. It is our flagship winter event and an exceptional, value-for-money family tradition that creates magical memories to last a lifetime.

🕒 Cruise Duration1hour

📍 Departure PointExmouth Marina

Adult Price£15.00

Child (to 15)£15.00

Under 12m£7.50

🎁 🥤 🎭 🍫Includes Present, Drink, Entertainment & Treat!

Groups (15+ adults): £14.00 _{Click here for group bookings}£2.50 booking fee applied at checkout

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Trip Description FAQs Recent Reviews

Trip Description

A Magical Christmas Adventure for All Ages

From the moment you step onto our festively decorated vessel, the Christmas magic begins! Designed to bring pure joy to little ones and a warm festive glow to parents and grandparents, Sail with Santa is far more than just a boat trip - it is a full, immersive Christmas experience on the water. Swap busy shopping centres and long outdoor queues for a comfortable, heated floating wonderland where the excitement builds from the moment we cast off from Exmouth Marina.

Meet Santa in His Onboard Grotto & Festive Fun

The highlight of the journey is, of course, a special visit with the main man himself! Santa Claus takes time to meet every single child on board, sharing smiles, listening to Christmas wishes, and hand-delivering a fantastic, age-appropriate gift. While the anticipation builds, the vessel is filled with Christmas cheer, festive music, and lively entertainment to keep the whole family singing, laughing, and celebrating together throughout the voyage.

Festive Treats for Everyone Included

We make sure the adults are just as looked after as the kids! Included with your ticket, grown-ups can indulge in a piping hot, delicious local mince pie alongside a steaming glass of home-made mulled wine to keep the winter chill at bay. Children can enjoy a soft drink and festive sweet treat along with their gift from Santa. Our fully licensed onboard bar is also open throughout the trip, serving local Bays Brewery ales, Sandford Orchards cider, hot drinks, and festive tipples served with a warm, friendly smile by our crew.

Snug All-Weather Comfort for the Whole Family

No matter what the December weather brings, our flagship vessel keeps everyone completely comfortable. Families can relax inside our warm, heated lower saloon, taking in the serene winter scenery of the Exe Estuary through large panoramic windows. Or, if you want to catch the crisp winter air, head up to the top deck, wrap up warm in one of our cosy blankets, and take in the panoramic views of the water together.

Why Choose Sail with Santa?

A Magical Visit with Santa: Every child gets to meet Santa Claus in person and receives a special, hand-delivered gift.
Included Festive Refreshments: Complimentary warm mince pies and mulled wine for adults, plus drinks and treats for the children.
Lively Family Entertainment: Packed with Christmas spirit, festive music, and fun to keep little ones thoroughly entertained.
Warm & Heated Saloon: A cosy, heated indoor environment with the option to wrap up in blankets on the top deck.
Exceptional Value for Money: A complete, high-quality family Christmas experience that leaves everyone full of festive cheer.

Sail with Santa is our biggest and most popular winter event of the year, with tickets selling out quickly every season. To make sure your family doesn't miss out on this magical West Country tradition, we strongly recommend booking online early to secure your preferred date and time.

FAQs

The Santa Experience

Question: What is included in a Sail with Santa ticket? Answer: Every child receives a hand-picked, gender & age-appropriate gift from Santa and a juice and chocolate bar. Adults are served a glass of warm mulled wine and a locally made mince pie. The cruise also features a range of entertaining things to do including music, face painting and more! The boat is fully decorated for the season with a dedicated Santa's Grotto also.

Question: Does my child get to meet Santa personally? Answer: Yes. Santa is on board for the entire duration of the cruise. He spends time with every family individually to hand out gifts and pose for photos, ensuring a magical experience for the little ones. We purposely keep numbers to a minimum so that you do not feel rushed.

Question: What kind of entertainment is on board? Answer: In addition to meeting Santa, we have a professional children's entertainer on board festive fun & face painting to keep the children engaged throughout the one-hour trip. It is often considered one of the best Santa experiences and has become a tradition for many families.

Booking & Ages

Question: Do I need to book in advance for Sail with Santa? Answer: Yes. These are our most popular cruises of the year and almost always sell out months in advance. We strongly recommend booking as soon as tickets are released to secure your preferred date and time. To get notified when dates are released, please join our newsletter.

Question: What age is the Sail with Santa cruise suitable for? Answer: This cruise is designed for children of all ages, for all those who still believe in Santa and having a great Christmas! Because we provide specific gifts, we ask for the age and gender of each child during the booking process.

Question: Do babies need a ticket? Answer: Yes. Every person on board must have a ticket due to our strict passenger capacity limits. We offer a reduced rate for infants (under 12 months) which still includes an age-appropriate gift from Santa.

Logistics & Comfort

Question: Where does the Sail with Santa cruise depart from? Answer: All Sail with Santa cruises depart from Exmouth Marina. Please allow plenty of time for parking, as the Marina can be busy during the festive period.

Question: Is the boat warm for the children? Answer: Yes. Our vessels have large, undercover heated lower decks. We keep the boat toastie and warm so the children can enjoy the festive entertainment and meet Santa in total comfort, regardless of the weather outside.

Question: Can I bring a pram on the Santa cruise? Answer: Yes but due to the popularity of these trips and the space needed for the entertainment and Santa's grotto, we have limited space for prams. If possible, we recommend using a carrier, but we will always do our best to accommodate you on the lower deck.

Recent Reviews

Stuart Line Cruises

4.8

Based on 580 reviews

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dee W.

3 weeks ago

We had a lovely day and time. I booked this as a relaxing day from our adult kids. The cruises was lovely and relaxing. You can get tea, coffee and beer etc on the boat and it is a good price, the staff are friendly and welcoming, if you want a day out try this. Get there early if you want the top of the boat

Sarah E.

4 weeks ago

We had a fabulous boat trip with Stuart Line cruises from Exmouth to Brixham & back with a couple of hours free time in Brixham. The views were stunning & the onboard commentary really interesting & informative. Staff were friendly & helpful. Refreshments reasonably priced. The boat was dog friendly & despite the heatwave the lower deck was cooler & very comfortable. We even had a pod of dolphins following the boat for a while which was an added bonus! Overall a fantastic day out & great value for money. We will be back for another trip!

Kim B.

4 weeks ago

I did the day trip from exmouth to brixham/torquay. Incredible boat trip. Amazing value for money (if anything i think they should raise their prices). Crew were really nice and captain very knowledgeable telling you facts along the coast. Lasted 7 hours in total. The boat itself has indoor and outside seating. You could choose to get off at torquay or brixham. You have about 3 hours in torquay or 2 hours in brixham. I got off at brixham and you can follow the path to the right of the harbour and 10 min walk to Fishcombe cove if you want a hidden cove for a swim. Easy access although there are about 20-30 steps. Great little trip and thoroughly recommend. Will check out more of their trips!

Ade W.

4 weeks ago

This was our second trip with Stuart Line Cruise's. We did the trip to Brixham as we've never been there before. We had commentary during the cruise around the coast which was very good.We were lucky enough to see dolphins just past Dawlish.The staff were pleasant and friendly. A lovely day out and a hot one as well.

Andrea H.

1 month ago

Lovely boat tour- we did the mini coastal cruise. Very well kept boat, friendly staff. Informative tour without being boring. Took us close to the kittiwake nest ground without being intrusive. Lots of space to move around, bar and toilets ( but didn't test these). Space for wheelchairs.

Stuart W.

1 month ago

Brilliant experience going out on the mini cruise, the kids (4 & 8) loved it as it was their first time on a boat and now cant wait to do it again!
The crew were really friendly, came and took orders for drinks and snacks which was nice as we could enjoy the views and commentary from the captain without leaving our seats. The boat and toilets were clean and we found it really good value for money!!

Claire B.

1 month ago

Stuart Line hosted the Exmouth Art Group’s 80th anniversary celebration cruise on Tuesday. We had a wonderful and fun evening in the glorious late sunshine & all the staff were professional, cheerful, helpful & friendly. Thank you very much from all at the Exmouth Art Group

Patricia M.

3 months ago

This is a brilliant experience. I have booked a few outings with the Stuart line in all weathers and it's always great. The staff are amazing and the coastline/river is so different when seen from the water. And when the weather isn't cooperating properly, the boats facilities are fantastic. We always have our dog with us as well, who is made just as welcome. Highly recommend

Bob H.

3 months ago

Always try to have a trip with them, have done the jurassic coast trip, river Exe trip and did the Torquay and Brixham yesterday 28/05/26. Cant fault any of these for the money charged, we paid £16 each yesterday for a trip that lasted from 11am through to 18:30 in the evening, with 2 hours on shore in Brixham, plus the bonus of seeing dolphins on the way back, hence the later than expected arrival back in Exmouth. Crew really helpfull and knowledgeable about the area. Definitely will go again as relaxing day out.

Roo

7 months ago

Such a great day! Went on the winter birds cruise today and it was brilliant. The person doing the commentary on the birds (sorry I forgot their name) was super knowledgeable and the trip was all round fantastic, the small bar is also very reasonably priced! Saw a peregrine falcon chasing a flock of avocets - absolutely majestical! Cant recommend highly enough, the work they are doing for nature and conservation of the river mouth is really awesome. Hats off.

Mark

9 months ago

Had another fabulous BirdWatching Cruise on 02/12/25 with a day of clear blue skies and a fabulous array of wonderful wildlife on the Exe. As per previous trips the crew and guide were excellent and made for 3 hours of a thoroughly enjoyable and enriching experience. The hot chocolate and pasty was most welcome and I can’t recommend these cruises enough and they offer terrific value as well.

Mel P.

9 months ago

We had a fabulous guided bird watching trip today. The weather was superb as was The Pride of Exmouth, all the staff and our bird guider for the trip. Stuart Lines really do think of everything to make sure everyone has a great experience . 5 stars from us. Thank you