Newport Harbor's Sunset Cruise Is One Cheap Thrill

Sometimes finding fun things to do on a budget in Newport Beach can be a seemingly impossible task. But I found plenty of fun summer things to do (check out ), including a $10 sunset cruise around Newport Harbor. 

Ten dollars? Yes! For less than the price of a martini, you can enjoy a relaxing cruise with beautiful sunset views. The Fun Zone Boating Co. has nightly cruises leaving at 7 p.m., but on Fridays you can pay $10 for the cruise that is regularly $19. See the bargain?

Beforehand, my posse and I went to Newport Landing and took advantage of its super-cheap happy hour: mai tais and appetizers for $3. We arrived at the Queen at promptly five minutes before 7 p.m. and brought two bottles of white wine on the boat with us. You are allowed food and drinks—even alcohol—on the boat. 

We boarded the Queen, a small boat that was painted red, white and blue and looked as if it would be a lifeboat from Disneyland's Mark Twain Riverboat. Just about everyone on the boat was a tourist. How could I tell? We were the only ones who brought wine, and everyone else was wearing the token polo shirt and shorts (men) and V-neck tees and shorts (ladies). When we stepped aboard, everyone was already seated in the front of the boat outside, so we had to sit inside. I guess getting there five minutes before doesn't guarantee prime seating. 

Tony and Fletch were our drivers, which was kind of hilarious, since Tony had the same attitude as Tony Soprano, and Fletch looked like Chevy Chase. I've taken many harbor cruises before and was shocked to find out some interesting information from our tour guides. I found out where in Newport Beach the No. 1 drug dealer lives, and where The OC was filmed. I kept thinking how these tourists were being fooled by the joking tour guides, so I yelled, "They're lying! The OC was filmed in Malibu!" 

Along the way, we spotted plenty of playful sea lions and even some dolphins. The boat went out into the ocean, where the water was pretty choppy. As we sailed back into the harbor, the sun was just about to set. It was so beautiful, especially with the backdrop of the boats and the Fun Zone. The view of the sunset alone was worth the $10. Pirate's Cove looked beautiful.

All of the tourists started to pile into where we were seated inside, because it was getting rather chilly outside. That's right, we locals thought of this beforehand (not really; we were just late getting on the boat because we were throwing back mai tais at the Landing). 

After the cruise, we stayed on board an extra 30 minutes to finish our wine. It was a perfect cruise for the price, and you got to bring your own refreshments. I could definitely get used to this!