Corporate & Work Charters
Corporate charters on the Hauraki Gulf
Whole-boat fishing days and harbour cruises for work groups of 10 to 40. Skipper, crew and catering sorted, one invoice at the end.
Most corporate venues in Auckland are a room with a set menu. This is the alternative: your own boat for the day, out on the water, with someone else doing the work.
We run these for trades, civil and construction firms, engineering and professional services teams, and businesses taking clients out. Groups are typically 10 to 40 people, and the boat is yours for the charter.
- 10–40 Passenger groups
- 50+ yrs Crew experience
- 5 ★ Google & Tripadvisor
- Z Pier St Marys Bay, Auckland
Six reasons companies book us
December is the obvious one. It is not the only one, and the rest of the year is far easier to get a date in.
End of a job
A project wraps, the crew has had a hard few months, and there is nothing in the calendar to mark it. A day on the water is the easiest thank you there is, and it does not have to wait for December.
Client entertainment
Take your clients out somewhere they will actually remember. Whole boat, no other groups, and plenty of time to talk without a restaurant closing around you.
End of financial year
March is the other busy season nobody plans for. If there is budget to use before the year closes, this is a straightforward way to spend it on the team.
Staff Christmas function
December books out early, and weekends go first. We run these right through the month.
Work Christmas partiesTeam day or crew recognition
Not a team-building exercise with whiteboards. A day out that people actually want to come to, which is usually the part that matters.
Milestones
Company anniversaries, a retirement, a long-service thank you, a new contract signed. Same boat, different reason.
Fishing day or harbour cruise
Same boat and the same crew. The difference is what the day looks like, and most work groups pick fishing. If you are weighing it up, this walks through which suits a work group.
A fishing day 10 to 40 people, from $2,100
Out into the gulf for the day, with up to 25 people fishing at once. Rod, reel and bait hire are available, our crew are on board, and you can add a dedicated fishing assistant if your group wants more of a hand. Works for people who have never held a rod, which is usually most of the group.
Large group fishing chartersA harbour cruise 10 to 40 people, from $2,600
Three hours around the Waitemata and the inner islands, with food, drinks and your own playlist. Better for larger groups and mixed crowds, and for anyone bringing partners or clients.
Harbour cruises and party boat hireWork groups aboard MV Koru
What is handled
- The whole boat
- Never shared with another group. No fixed seating, no set finish time to work around.
- Skipper and crew
- You are not running the day. Turn up and the crew handle it.
- Food and drink
- BBQ meal on board at $45 per person, or bring your own catering. BYO alcohol is arranged in advance and served by our bar staff, since MV Koru is a licensed vessel. A licence and bar staff fee applies - give us a call for the current rate.
- One invoice
- One booking, one invoice, with your PO or reference number on it if you need one. No collecting money off 25 people, no splitting a bill at the end.
- Central departure
- Boarding location: MV Koru, Z Pier, 31 Westhaven Drive, St Mary's Bay, Auckland. Just minutes from the city centre.
Room for the people who do not want to fish
The most common complaint about work charters is that the people who are not fishing end up standing on a wet deck with nowhere to sit. MV Koru is built on two levels precisely so that does not happen.
- Lower deck. A large covered fishing deck where up to 25 people can fish at the same time - most of a 30-person team, not a handful taking turns.
- Upper deck. An open viewing deck for anyone who would rather sit in the sun, have a drink and watch the harbour go by.
- On board. Kitchen, large BBQ, BYO bar service, Bluetooth sound system and two toilets.
In practice a work group sorts itself out: the keen ones stay on the rods all day, everyone else drifts upstairs, and the two halves meet at the BBQ.
Why it works for a work group
A day on the water is one of the few things that works across a whole team. There is no dress code and no seating plan, nobody is stuck making conversation over a plated dinner, and the people who would quietly skip a restaurant booking will turn up for this one.
It also gives people something to do together rather than just stand around, which is the part that usually makes or breaks a work function. On a fishing day that sorts itself out within about ten minutes of leaving the dock.
Getting a date held
Give us a rough date and a headcount and we will tell you what is open. You do not need final numbers to hold a date, and the details can be sorted closer to the day. If you need a quote for approval, we can put one together.
- Checking availability
- Live availability is on the online booking calendar, so you can see open dates yourself before you ring.
- What it costs
- Charter prices are for the whole boat and include GST. Fishing charters cover the first 20 passengers and harbour cruises the first 30, with additional passengers charged per head. Full rates are on each charter page, and there is a full breakdown of every extra in what a private charter actually costs.
- Holding the date
- A $450 deposit secures it. The deposit is non-refundable but transferable - if the date has to move, it moves with you. Booking within 14 days of the charter, the full amount is payable up front.
- If the weather turns
- The skipper may adjust the route to find sheltered water, or we will reschedule you to another date. We watch the marine forecast and will be in touch ahead of time if anything needs to change.
- If you need to cancel
- We will reschedule your booking to another date within the next 12 months.
- Safety and compliance
- We are licensed and governed by Maritime New Zealand under MOSS, the Maritime Operator Safety System, with an operational plan for our vessel and crew that Maritime New Zealand audits. We can send a copy of our operator certificate for your health and safety paperwork. Life jackets are on board for everyone, the skipper gives a safety briefing before departure, and holds a first aid certificate.
Corporate FAQ
Common questions from work groups
More in the full FAQ, including weather, what to bring and where we depart from.
Can we charter the whole boat for a company event?
Yes. Every charter is a private, whole-boat booking - you are never sharing MV Koru with another group. That means no fixed seating plan, no set menu you have to work around, and no strangers in your photos. Groups are typically 10 to 40 people depending on which charter you choose.
What is included in a corporate charter?
The charter price covers the whole boat, the skipper and the crew for your booking. Catering and bar are optional extras: a BBQ meal is $45 per person, or you are welcome to bring your own food aboard. If you want a bar, BYO alcohol can be arranged in advance and is served by our bar staff, since MV Koru is a licensed vessel. A licence and bar staff fee applies - call us for the current rate, as it depends on the arrangement. Full pricing for each charter type is on the fishing and harbour cruise pages.
Is a fishing charter suitable for staff who have never fished?
Very. Most people on a work charter have never held a rod, and that is the normal case rather than the exception. Our crew are on board, with 50+ years of combined experience on these waters, and you can add a dedicated fishing assistant if your group wants more hands-on help. Rod and reel hire and bait are available, so nobody needs to own anything or know anything before they arrive.
Can we use a charter for client entertaining rather than staff?
Yes, and plenty of companies do. A day on the water gives you hours of unhurried time with clients, which is hard to get in a restaurant. The boat is yours for the charter, so you control the guest list, the catering and the pace of the day.
When is the best time to book a work function?
As early as you can for December - the weekends go first and once a date is taken it is gone. Outside December there is far more availability, which is why an end-of-project shout, a client day or an end-of-financial-year function is usually much easier to get the date you want.
Planning something for the team?
Tell us roughly when and how many, and we will tell you what is open and what it would cost.