What StarLite Cruises does

StarLite Cruises is a privately held, family-owned cruise excursion operator founded in 1986 and headquartered in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The company runs what it describes as Florida's largest daily excursion fleet, comprising six vessels across four consumer brands — Starlite Dining Yachts (Starlite Infinity, a 128-foot yacht; and Starlite Horizon, a 115-foot yacht), Calypso Tropical Cruises (Calypso Queen and Calypso Breeze), the Dolphin Racer speedboat adventure, and Tiki Island Cruises (Island Explorer I & II). Operations span three Tampa Bay coastal home ports: Clearwater Beach Marina, John's Pass Village in Madeira Beach, and Corey Causeway in the St. Pete Beach Area.

The company's core technology is its physical fleet and Coast Guard-approved passenger infrastructure rather than software; the only meaningful digital layer is a FareHarbor-integrated booking platform that handles reservations, calendar management, and payment processing across all brands and locations. Marketing and distribution run through the company website, Facebook, Instagram, Constant Contact email, and partnerships with regional tourism bodies (Amplify Clearwater, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, Visit Florida, Tampa Bay Beaches, St. Pete Chamber).

Revenue is generated primarily through per-passenger cruise ticket sales (priced from $24.50 for Tiki tours to $209.95 for premium holiday events), onboard food and beverage upsells (tropical island buffets with complimentary drinks on Calypso cruises, à la carte dining and cocktails on yacht cruises), and private charters/group events for corporate functions, weddings, and association gatherings. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via self-serve online booking, phone reservations, walk-up ticket booths at each marina, and a dedicated group sales team. The company employs 51-100 staff and has served over 3 million lifetime passengers; Phil Henderson serves as Founder, President & CEO.

Name

StarLite Cruises

Legal name

Starlite Cruises

Website

https://starlitecruises.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Cruises

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Day & Short-Horizon Private Cruises (Half-Day/Day/Overnight) (THAEAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA), Destination Yacht Cruises (Island-Hopping & Archipelago Routes) (THAEADAI)

Keywords

• Dinner cruises
• Yacht charters
• Dolphin tours
• Water excursions
• Event cruises

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Cruise Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from selling tickets for scheduled cruises across multiple brands (Starlite Dining Yachts, Calypso Tropical Cruises, Dolphin Racer, Tiki Island Cruises). Ticket prices vary by cruise type, duration, and whether buffet is included. Prices range from $24.50 (Tiki cruises) to $209.95 (premium holiday events).
2. Onboard Food and Beverage Sales: Optional tropical island-style buffets and full bar service available for purchase on most cruises. Buffet tickets include complimentary beer, wine, rum punch, and soft drinks. À la carte dining and cocktails sold separately on dining yacht cruises.
3. Private Charters and Group Events: Private vessel charters and dedicated event hosting for corporate parties, weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday celebrations, and association events. Group bookings for parties of 20+ receive special rates and dedicated event coordination.
4. Specialty Holiday Cruises: Premium-priced holiday and specialty event cruises including New Year's Eve, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, and Offshore Powerboat Races spectator cruises.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

StarLite Cruises operates cruise excursions including dining yachts, tropical buffet cruises, dolphin-watching speedboats, and tiki-style party boats, with hosting services for group and private events. The company runs what it describes as Florida's largest daily excursion fleet across the Tampa Bay/Clearwater area.

Product overview

StarLite Cruises operates a fleet of cruise vessels across four distinct brands serving Florida's Clearwater and St. Pete Beach areas since 1986. The company offers two premium dining experiences via Starlite Dining Yachts (Starlite Infinity and Starlite Horizon) providing fine dining cruises with chef-prepared entrees, tableside service, and panoramic views. Casual tropical cruises are offered through Calypso Tropical Cruises (Calypso Queen and Calypso Breeze) featuring island-style buffets, DJ entertainment, and complimentary beverages. Specialty experiences include Dolphin Racer Adventure for wildlife viewing and Tiki Island Cruises for BYOB social tours. The company also supports group events including weddings, corporate functions, and holiday celebrations through private dining areas and vessel charters. With over 3 million passengers served, StarLite Cruises claims to be Florida's largest daily excursion fleet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Starlite Infinity Dining Yacht: A 128-foot, five-deck event yacht featuring modern aesthetic with chic interior design, accommodating up to 340 passengers for sit-down meal functions. Departs from Clearwater Beach.
• Starlite Horizon Dining Yacht
• Calypso Queen
• Calypso Breeze
• Dolphin Racer Adventure
• Tiki Island Cruises

Products and services

• Starlite Infinity Dining Yacht Dining yacht offering cruise experiences for individuals and groups in the Tampa Bay/Clearwater area.
• Starlite Horizon Dining Yacht Dining yacht offering cruise experiences for individuals and groups in the Tampa Bay/Clearwater area.
• Calypso Queen Vessel offering tropical buffet cruise experiences for individuals and groups.
• Calypso Breeze Vessel offering tropical buffet cruise experiences for individuals and groups.
• Dolphin Racer Adventure Speedboat dolphin-watching excursion offering wildlife viewing experiences.
• Tiki Island Cruises Tiki-style party boat offering party cruise experiences for individuals and groups.
• Group and Private Event Charters Private charter services for corporate events, weddings, group celebrations, and team-building experiences aboard StarLite Cruises vessels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3 million passengers served since founding in 1986
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FareHarborcoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking and reservation management platform integrated into Starlite Cruises' website. FareHarbor handles online booking, calendar management, and payment processing for cruise reservations.
• Amplify ClearwaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal tourism marketing organization for Clearwater Beach area.
• St. Petersburg ClearwaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial tourism marketing organization for the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area.
• Visit FloridaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState of Florida's official tourism marketing corporation.
• Tampa Bay BeachesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism marketing partnership for Tampa Bay beaches area.
• St. Pete ChamberminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber of commerce partnership for St. Petersburg area business community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yacht StarShip Dining Cruises: Tampa Bay-based dinner cruise operator offering fine-dining yacht and tropical buffet cruises along similar intracoastal and harbor routes. Directly comparable to Starlite's Starlite Dining Yachts and Calypso Tropical Cruises brands across nearly identical price points and customer segments.
• Captain Memo's Original Pirate Cruise: Clearwater Beach-based pirate-themed cruise operator running daily sightseeing excursions from the same harbor where Starlite's Calypso Queen and Starlite Infinity depart. Competes for the same tourist foot traffic with a different themed experience.
• Sea Screamer: Clearwater Beach speedboat dolphin-watching tour operator offering narrated, family-friendly cruises that overlap directly with Starlite's Dolphin Racer Adventure product, including sightings-guarantee customer propositions.
• Little Toot Dolphin Adventures: Florida panhandle (Destin/Fort Walton Beach) operator running dolphin-watching and sunset cruises out of small vessels. Directly comparable to Starlite's Dolphin Racer product in terms of vessel scale, narrated experience, and sightseeing focus.
• Hubbard's Marina: John's Pass Village & Boardwalk (Madeira Beach) marina operator running dolphin watch and deep-sea fishing trips from the same dock where Starlite's Calypso Breeze departs. Comparable Florida Gulf Coast marine excursion business with overlapping customer base.
• Captiva Cruises: Southwest Florida (Captiva/Sanibel) operator of sightseeing, sunset, dinner, and shelling cruises along intracoastal and Gulf waters. Directly comparable to Starlite's portfolio spanning casual tropical, dining, and sightseeing excursions for tourists.

Emerging players

• Cruisin Tikis: Multi-location Florida franchise operating open-air BYOB tiki-style boat tours. Conceptually identical to Starlite's Tiki Island Cruises brand and represents a newer, fragmented competitive threat in the same Florida tourist market.

Broad incumbents

• City Cruises: National portfolio operator of dining, sightseeing, and charter cruises across major U.S. cities and waterways (formerly City Experiences). Operates a much larger and geographically broader cruise business than Starlite but shares the same dinner-cruise-tourism business model and premium hospitality positioning.
• Spirit Cruises: Operator of dining, holiday, and private-event cruises across multiple U.S. ports. Comparable to Starlite's dining yacht and holiday cruise programming but at much larger scale and across more geographies.
• Hornblower Group: Diversified marine and experiences operator offering dining cruises, ferry services, and yacht charters across U.S. and international markets. Comparable to Starlite's cruise and charter business lines as a broad incumbent in the experiential water-based leisure space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StarLiteCruises
• Instagraminstagram.com/starlite.cruises
• Xx.com/starlitecruises

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about StarLite Cruises