Starship Sydney & Starship Aqua

What Starship Sydney & Starship Aqua does

Starship Sydney and Starship Aqua are two purpose-built luxury glass vessels operating on Sydney Harbour, marketed as premium event venues for private charter hire, all-inclusive event packages, and select ticketed cruises. The business is operated by Captain Cook Cruises Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of the ASX-listed Kelsian Group Limited, and traces its origins to 1988. Starship Sydney is the flagship: a three-deck vessel with floor-to-ceiling 3.5-metre glass windows and a proprietary 6m x 3m hydraulic car lift rated to 2,500kg, accommodating 950 cocktail or 350 seated guests. Starship Aqua is a smaller two-deck sister vessel with 3-metre glass windows and capacity for 300 cocktail or 150 seated guests, broadening the addressable mid-sized event market.

Revenue is generated through three mechanisms: (1) private charter hire, where clients book the vessel exclusively for weddings, corporate functions, automotive product launches, social celebrations, and association or membership events; (2) structured all-inclusive event packages priced from approximately $119 to $235 per person, which bundle cruise, catering and entertainment; and (3) ticketed special events such as the sold-out New Year's Eve 2026 cruise. The customer base is diversified across weddings, corporate (conferences, EOFY, gala dinners, awards nights), automotive brand activations, social celebrations, and associations/membership organisations, with cultural cuisine supplied by Gold Licensed caterers representing Greek, Italian, Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern traditions.

The sub-brand has only 5 direct employees listed, indicating it is an operating unit inside Captain Cook Cruises and Kelsian Group rather than a standalone P&L. Its go-to-market is supported by partnerships with Destination NSW, Tourism Australia, and the City of Sydney, and by mainstream media placement including Married at First Sight Australia. Competitive positioning rests on the proprietary glass architecture, the hydraulic car lift that enables automotive launches, the harbour location, and the Kelsian distribution platform, rather than on technology or AI capability.

Name

Starship Sydney & Starship Aqua

Legal name

Captain Cook Cruises Pty Ltd

Website

https://starshipsydney.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Starship Sydney and Starship Aqua are two luxury glass event vessels on Sydney Harbour, operated by Captain Cook Cruises (Kelsian Group) for private charters, weddings, corporate functions, and ticketed events including a sold-out NYE 2026 cruise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Event Venue Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Private Yacht & Luxury Boat Charters (With Crew) (THAJALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA), River Cruise Charters (Private/Group) (THAEACAE)

Keywords

• Luxury event vessels
• Harbour event charter
• Wedding venue hire
• Corporate event hosting
• Private boat charter

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Charter Hire: Private hire of Starship Sydney and Starship Aqua for weddings, corporate events, celebrations, and other private functions. Pricing is quote-based and varies by event type, duration, guest count, and package selected.
2. All-Inclusive Event Packages: Pre-packaged wedding and corporate event packages including dining, beverages, service staff, and coordination. Packages range from Harbour Elegance ($205pp) to Harbour Opulence ($235pp), with conference packages from $119pp and EOFY packages from $149pp.
3. Ticketed Special Events: Public ticketed events including New Year's Eve cruises with all-inclusive tickets. Payment terms include full payment for bookings under 10 guests, or 30% deposit with balance due 14 days prior for groups of 10 or more.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Starship Sydney and Starship Aqua are two purpose-built luxury glass vessels chartered for private and ticketed events on Sydney Harbour. The company offers all-inclusive event packages spanning weddings, corporate functions, conferences, gala dinners, automotive launches, Christmas and EOFY celebrations, and signature ticketed public events such as New Year's Eve cruises, with full catering, beverages, event coordination, and marine crew provided.

Product overview

Starship Sydney & Starship Aqua operates a fleet of two luxury glass vessels for private event hire on Sydney Harbour. Starship Sydney is the flagship vessel with three decks (Sky Deck, Lounge Deck, Main Deck), accommodating up to 950 cocktail or 350 seated guests, featuring 3.5-metre floor-to-ceiling glass windows and an integrated hydraulic car lift. Starship Aqua is a more intimate vessel with two decks (Main Deck and Rooftop), accommodating up to 300 cocktail or 150 seated guests. The company offers diverse event packages including weddings (Harbour Elegance and Opulence packages), corporate events (conferences, gala dinners, product launches, automotive events, Christmas parties, EOFY celebrations), and exclusive ticketed events such as New Year's Eve cruises. All events feature panoramic 360-degree views of Sydney Harbour with five-star service and customizable catering options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Starship Sydney
• Starship Aqua
• Wedding Charters
• Corporate Event Charters
• New Year's Eve Cruises

Quantifiable outcome

• SOLD OUT New Year's Eve events indicate strong demand and premium positioning

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Destination NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for major Sydney Harbour events including New Year's Eve, Vivid Sydney, Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, and Australia Day celebrations. Starship Sydney operates cruises to view spectacles organized by Destination NSW and other precinct partners.
• Tourism AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for major Sydney Harbour events and tourism promotion, positioning Starship vessels as premier Australian event destinations.
• City of SydneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for precinct events and major Sydney Harbour celebrations coordinated with City of Sydney event organisers.
• Gold Licensed Caterers (Cultural Cuisine)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with Sydney's best Gold licensed Caterers to offer cultural cuisine options for weddings and events, allowing couples to provide traditional and diverse dining experiences.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Y.CO: Global luxury yacht charter and sales broker. Comparable in offering premium private-charter experiences to high-net-worth clients and corporate event bookers, though at a much higher price point and global scale.
• The Boathouse Group: Network of premium waterfront hospitality venues around Sydney including Shelly Beach and Palm Beach. Comparable in offering premium dining and event experiences tied to iconic water-adjacent locations.
• Doltone House: Established Sydney premium event venue operator (weddings, corporate galas) with multiple heritage and waterfront locations. Competes for the same high-end wedding and corporate budget pool but operates fixed venues rather than vessels.
• Camper & Nicholsons: International luxury yacht charter and management company. Comparable premium private-charter positioning for weddings, corporate hospitality, and high-end events, but at global superyacht scale rather than harbour vessels.

Direct peers

• Clearview Cruises: Glass-boat dining and event cruises on Sydney Harbour, offering private charter and ticketed experiences with similar 360-degree harbour views. Closest direct competitor in the premium glass-vessel category.
• Captain Cook Cruises: Sister brand within Captain Cook Cruises Pty Ltd / Kelsian Group, also operating event cruises on Sydney Harbour. Directly comparable vessel-based event and charter product aimed at the same corporate and leisure customers.
• Magistic Cruises: Premium Sydney Harbour cruise operator running dining and event cruises including lunch, dinner and special-event services. Competes for the same corporate function and tourist segments.
• Jackson's on the Harbour: Waterfront event venue on Sydney Harbour offering weddings, corporate events and private functions. Comparable premium event-hosting positioning within the same geographic market.
• Sydney Princess Cruises: Operates showboat-style dinner cruises on Sydney Harbour with private charter and event options. Comparable in targeting private functions, weddings, and corporate entertainment on the harbour.

Regional players

• Cruise Whitsundays: Australian operator offering day cruises and event experiences in the Whitsundays region. Comparable vessel-based leisure and charter business model but operating in a different Australian geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StarshipSydneyStarshipAqua
• Instagraminstagram.com/starship_sydney
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starshipsydney

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Starship Sydney & Starship Aqua