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Romantic Boat Engagement Stories

marriage proposal nyc on a yacht by the Statue of Liberty

Sailing is simply romantic! For the best ideas for a proposal, leave land behind and let the wind and waves carry you away on a romantic boat cruise in NYC. Out on the water, the answer is always “Yes!”

Here are three cute proposals to inspire your romantic boat cruise:

The Spontaneous Proposal

He carried the ring for a month without finding the right moment. Either the restaurant was too busy or too empty. Their favorite spots in the city felt too public or too mundane. He called Captain Martin and together they came up with a plan to keep his ideas for a proposal a surprise until the very end. 

For the couple, the afternoon began with a stroll from Chelsea Market to the High Line. As if on a whim, he detoured to the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. “Let’s see if we can rent the boat.” As luck would have it, crew just happened to be positioned on the dock to direct them to a boat that just happened to be available for a sail. To throw her off the scent of the pending sailboat proposal, the Captain Martin went through the motions of answering questions about sailing and booking private yacht charters. They pretended to process payment and then stepped onboard.

It was all so magical she didn’t immediately notice when her favorite playlist started or when the champagne first appeared. For him, the perfect moment had finally arrived. He revealed the ring and proposed.

Not Just A New York Harbor Tour

It couldn’t be a complete surprise. He wasn’t sure if she liked sailing so he had to ask her in advance. Luckily, she was game for the adventure. It was a boat tour, he told her, conveniently leaving out which boat he had picked. He didn’t want her to know in advance that it was a private, luxurious, romantic, with a professional photographer onboard just for marriage proposals.

Captain Martin staged the voyage as if it were a public sail. With the photographer pretending to be just another ticketed passenger, the crew got in the act, posing on the dock as if waiting for more passengers. When the imaginary late passengers didn’t appear, the captain casually mentioned how lucky they were to have the boat to themselves and cast off from shore.

Out on the water, the couple took to the bow and relaxed on the sun pad. It’s an intimate lounge for two and a great spot to take in the beauty of New York City. As they sailed up to the Statue of Liberty, he kneeled down and revealed the ring. It was the cue the photographer had been waiting for. All of the emotions were captured — confusion, surprise, joy, excitement, and love. The engagement was flawless. The romantic boat ride was perfect. They returned to shore with photos ready to share with the world. 

Pretend Birthday Boat Rental

She wanted their proposal to be an epic moment in the city with their closest best mates on hand to celebrate with. Most importantly, she didn’t want any gawkers. The city is always extraordinary but privacy is a hard demand to make in the middle of Manhattan. A sailing yacht provides that rare balance of being in the heart of the city yet secluded; the perfect setting for an intimate engagement in NYC.

To pull off the surprise, she rented the yacht for a late night cruise with the excuse of celebrating a friend’s belated birthday. Once the crew served cake and champagne, she made a heart-felt toast that melted into a stunning marriage proposal. The birthday party turned surprise engagement party became the best boat party ever. No one wanted the night to end — the NYC skyline views, the joy and happiness of the engagement. They begged the captain and crew to keep sailing. And so they did, returning to the dock in the early morning hours. 

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