All journeys, bookings, transfers and charters with Water Taxis Combined (WTC) are subject to the below terms and conditions. Bookings are not confirmed unless secured in advance by providing MasterCard, Visa, AMEX or Diners card details.

WTC reserves the right to charge the credit card supplied by the customer in lieu of a deposit in accordance with the below:

  1. Passenger Numbers
  2. Waiting Time
  3. Cancellations
  4. Amendments to Bookings (At least 2 days in advance)
  5. Amendments to Bookings, Made on the Day of Travel
  6. No Show
  7. Payment Methods
  8. Vessel Type
  9. Vessel to Vessel Transfers
  10. New Year’s Eve Bookings
  11. Safety


Passenger Numbers

All fares are charged based on the number of passengers for which the trip is booked and confirmed, or the number of people who travel, whichever is the greater number. Numbers must be finalised at least two days in advance.

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Waiting Time
  • WTC  levies $3.00 per minute waiting time for each water taxi or limousine hired. Please ensure you and your guests are on time for your travel to avoid these charges.
  • The first 5 minutes is offered as grace, after which waiting time is charged for the full time accrued on all boats.
  • Bookings which have been pre-paid by EFT will have waiting time charged to the passenger on board (they can pay by cash or credit card) or it can be paid with the credit card held on file.
  • WTC will not be held liable for lateness on its part caused by clerical error of any sort, other passengers running late and causing flow-on lateness, or weather and traffic problems on Sydney Harbour. We do our best to arrive on time and we do not overbook ourselves.
  • If you are late for a private charter or cruise, you can choose between paying the waiting charge and staying on board for the agreed length of time, or deducting the waited time from the trip time and pay no extra.
  • On busy days charter times cannot be extended due to lateness and must conclude at the agreed time.

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    Cancellations
    • WTC will charge 100% of the quoted fare where the cancellation occurs on the day of the confirmed booking.
    • WTC will charge 50% of the quoted fare where cancellation occurs one working day prior to the confirmed booking date.
    • Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Australia Day, and other public holidays or special event days carry a seven business-days 100% cancellation policy.
    • New Year’s Eve bookings have a ‘no-refunds’ policy once confirmed.
    • The cancellation is not effective until acknowledged by WTC. All cancellations must make mention of the booking reference number.
    • When bookings are requested, quoted and confirmed on the date of travel there is no cancellation fee payable with at least 1 hour’s notice given before the scheduled booking. Bookings canceled within 1 hour of the scheduled pickup time shall be charged at 100% of the quoted fare.
    • When bookings are requested, quoted and confirmed for an immediate pickup, or “as soon as possible”, but then cancelled while the taxi is en-route to the pickup location, the full quoted fare is payable.
    • When bookings are requested, quoted and confirmed the day before the date of travel, there is no cancellation fee if it is cancelled before 7pm that evening (i.e. later that same day).

    All cancellations must be made in writing by email to info@watertaxis.com.au or by calling the bookings office.

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    Amendments to Bookings (At Least 2 Days in Advance)

    All details must be finalised two days in advance of the booking date.

    • Any amendments you wish to make to your quote before you confirm it must be done by phone – call +61 2 9555 8888 – or by email – info@watertaxis.com.au Once you have requested a change, the quote will be reissued to you with the same reference number, for you to confirm and finalise. As we use the latest version of the quote held on file, please ensure you only confirm your quote once it meets your needs and you are confident all of the information is correct.
    • Amendments to your booking once it has been confirmed can also be made in writing or by phone. All amendments must make mention of the booking reference number. Changes will be made wherever possible, however if it will impact on our existing schedule we may not be able to make the requested amendment.
    • Amendments are not effective until acknowledged by WTC with a reissued Booking Confirmation email.
    • When making amendments to your booking, please do not just edit the content of our quote or our booking confirmation and send it back to us and hope for the best. Please call us to discuss any changes, or explain the necessary changes in the main body of your email and we will reconfirm with a new booking confirmation for you to check over and agree to.

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    Amendments to Bookings, made on the day of travel:
    • If on the day of travel you wish to delay the booking, you must call at least 45 minutes in advance to request a delay. Requests to delay the trip made within 45 minutes of the agreed departure time will accrue waiting time.
    • If you wish to bring a booking forward – i.e. travel sooner than originally booked – you must give us 1 hour’s notice to request such a change. This change will be approved if it can fit within our existing schedule.
    • If your request to delay or bring forward a booking can be accommodated without impacting our existing schedule, we will happily amend the timing for you. On busy days this may not be possible and you must travel at the booked time.
    • Changes to pickup or drop off locations will be accommodated at WTC’s discretion and may result in a revision to the total cost of travel.
    • The fare charged shall be the quoted amount or the revised amount, whichever is the greater.
    • If the revision cannot be accommodated and the passenger does not want to go ahead with the booking as originally confirmed, this shall be considered a cancellation on the date of travel and 100% of the fare shall be charged.
    • If the request to change the pickup or drop off location can be accommodated without impacting our existing schedule, we will happily amend the booking at no charge. On busy days this may not be possible and you must use the pick up and drop off locations agreed to in the original booking confirmation.
    • All fares are charged for the quoted fare (or amended quote where such amendments are made at least two days in advance) or the revised total fare recalculated on the day of travel – whichever is the greater amount.

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    No Show

    Please ensure you get on board the correct boat – your skipper will have your surname and/or your booking reference number. Customers who get on to the wrong boat (i.e. the boat of another company) will be charged the full amount of their confirmed fare – they may also be charged by the other company, but this is not our responsibility.

    When one is supplied to us, we will call the mobile phone number on file and send a text message after we have waited 5 minutes. If, after 15 minutes of waiting (from the booked departure time), no contact is made by the passenger to request to delay the booking, the booking will be declared a no-show.  The full value of the booking plus waiting time will be charged to the credit card provided to secure the booking.

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    Payment Methods
    • Payments made on board cannot be split by the number of passengers – if individual passengers are paying for their share of the overall fare, monies must be collected and managed by a passenger on board and paid to the driver in a single lump sum. If change is owed, the change will be paid in one amount only to the person making the payment on behalf of the other passengers. We cannot accept individual payments or provide change to individual passengers.
    • When a customer indicates at the time they confirm their booking that they will pay on board, but payment is not received on board, the credit card on file will be charged instead. Our customer service ethos is “no fuss” – our drivers won’t demand payment from the passengers – if they don’t pay on board the boat, we charge the credit card held on file. This allows flexibility for passengers who may forget to carry cash or be rushing off the boat. We will not be held responsible for issues or crises arising from us having charged the credit card held on file when payment was not forthcoming from a passenger.
    • When a payment dispute or argument of any sort arises on board the boat, the driver will refer the matter to the bookings office – payment disputes shall be considered in the context of these terms and conditions and the final calculated booking fare (inclusive of any waiting time or surcharges for damage/mess/diversions and extensions of travel will be charged to the credit card held on file.
    • When a customer indicates at the time they confirm their booking that they will pay by EFT, they must still provide their credit card details to secure the booking.
    • Payments by EFT must note the booking reference number in their internet banking transaction so that we can reconcile our accounts.
    • Only registered companies, charities, educational institutions or government agencies & departments may pay by EFT after the trip date (within 7 days). Individuals who wish to pay by EFT must pay in advance – any additional charges (eg: waiting time) would be charged to the individual’s credit card after the booking unless paid for on board by cash or credit card.
    • All credit card transactions attract a 5% merchant fee. All bookings must be secured by a credit card, in lieu of a deposit.
    • All payment disputes must be made in writing (email, fax or post). No verbal discussion will be entered in to – all correspondence shall be done in writing.

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    Vessel Type

    We have a mixture of vessels available within our fleet and most bookings will be undertaken by whichever boat is available at the requested time. We advertise a ‘Water Limousine Reservation Fee’ which is a flat rate surcharge on top of our standard prices to request a water limousine for your journey. In some instances we may not be able to supply a water limousine and in these cases the fee will be deducted from your bill and you will only pay the water taxi fare.

    This may be caused by:

    • Vessel Breakdown
    • Crew illness/injury
    • Other emergencies

    When the limousine fee is paid, it does not guarantee any particular limousine – we have a fleet of 5 water limousines which are all built and maintained to the same high standard – though they each have subtle differences – and any one of the five may be allocated any particular booking.

    When no limousine fee has been charged WTC reserves the right to provide any of its vessels or the vessels of another sub-contracted operator to undertake the journey and will not be drawn into discussions about securing the provision of any one particular vessel.

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    Vessel to Vessel Transfers

    Bookings for a transfer to/from another vessel are accepted on the understanding that a firm quote for price cannot be offered. The final price is based on the location of the other vessel at the time we collect/drop off relative to Circular Quay and/or the destination/pickup location on land. Waiting time is payable when the other vessel operator makes a decision to delay the transfer or if the passenger is preoccupied on board. As a general guide, vessel transfers for 4pax or fewer which pickup/drop off at Circular Quay will range between $85 and $190 and transfers for 4pax or fewer which pickup/drop off at Darling Harbour will range between $100 and $215.

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    New Year’s Eve Bookings

    1. No booking is confirmed until credit card details are held on file or an EFT payment is received in advance.

    2. Where bookings are confirmed at least 3 days ahead of 31st December, payment must be made in advance by EFT or credit card.

    3. Where bookings are confirmed two days ahead, the day before, or on the 31st of December, payment must be made by credit card. EFT payment is not available for bookings confirmed two days or fewer in advance of 31st December.

    4. We do not accept cash payments on NYE or credit card payments on board our boats – all bookings must be paid for through the booking office.

    5. We can only wait 5 minutes for latecomers – please arrive ahead of schedule to avoid disappointment.

    6. No refunds are available for NYE bookings once a booking has been confirmed.

    7. NYE is a busy night on the water and things can go wrong. If we are running late we will call you on the mobile phone supplied to us at the time of booking and advise you of an updated estimated time of arrival. We cannot be held responsible for lateness on our part as it is caused by other passengers, other boats and general traffic on the harbour.

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    Safety
    • Smoking is not permitted at any time on our vessels.
    • Passengers who are drunk, unruly or under the influence of illicit drugs will be refused passage on our vessels.
    • All decisions regarding safety are at the skipper’s discretion and all decisions are final – this includes but is not limited to decisions regarding:
      • Vessel speed
      • Vessel course
      • Wharf use and selection
      • Vessel – to – Vessel transfers
      • Passenger numbers
    • Any trip which is cut short or cancelled due to a safety issue not caused by WTC, or which does not go ahead due to drunk, unruly or drug affected passengers, shall be charged at 100% of the quoted fare.

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