The cruises compared here
A dinner cruise bundles a meal, drinks and a boat ride. In Dubai the bundle starts from €44, so the question is less about price and more about what kind of evening you get.
Three listings serve dinner: the night cruise in the Marina, an earlier sunset sailing from the same pier, and the dhow on the Creek.
1What the money buys
The Marina dinner cruise, from €63, is the fullest package. The listing prints a long buffet menu and includes an open bar and a saxophone player. The operator adds that each party has its own table.
The sunset cruise, from €51, leaves earlier from the same place and includes dinner and unlimited drinks. The Creek dhow, from €44, runs two hours with a buffet and unlimited soft drinks, tea and coffee.
2What it does not buy
A tour. None of the three lists a guide or commentary, and none goes to the Burj Al Arab. On the Marina boats you see Ain Dubai and Palm Jumeirah from a distance.
An outdoor seat is not guaranteed either. The operator of the Marina boats charges extra for the upper deck, and the Creek listing does not describe the dhow's layout. Check before paying if a deck is what you have in mind.
3The reviews tell the three apart
The Marina dinner cruise has 666 reviews and an 8.6 score. That is a large enough sample to trust.
The Creek dhow has 134 reviews and scores 7.4, the lowest of the boats we compared. Its listing also says that if a sailing does not reach its minimum number of passengers you are moved to another cruise. The sunset cruise scores 9.3, but from 33 reviews and with a new-activity tag, so read that number with care.
4Who should book and who should not
Book the Marina dinner cruise if you would otherwise spend the evening in a restaurant and like the idea of drinks being settled in advance. Book the sunset version if you want to be done early. Book the Creek dhow if you are after the old-town setting, the hotel pickup or step-free access.
Do not book any of them as your one boat trip in Dubai if seeing the coastline is the goal. Take the yacht cruise or the speedboat for that, both from about €25, and eat on land.
5A cheaper way to eat on the water
The shared yacht cruise has two-hour options with breakfast at 9 am or a barbecue at 11:30 am, 5:30 pm and 8 pm, and a three-hour option at 2 pm, also with a barbecue. These go out past Bluewaters Island towards the Palm and the Burj Al Arab.
The food is simpler: the listing mentions burgers, skewers and salads, with non-alcoholic drinks. In exchange you get open water and a deck. Prices for these options are shown on the booking page when you choose one.