I am not a boat guy. I never have been, and I doubt I ever will. That being said, my bud in Florida has taken me out on his fishing boat several times, and ALWAYS had a blast. It's a great fishing boat. But, that's just it. It's a FISHING BOAT! IMO, it does not have value for cruising w/ friends and family.
My In-Laws had a Houseboat. It was a BLAST! You could have as many folks on there as you knew! Great for gatherings and casual fishing. The downside: it was FUCKING HUGE!!!! (120')
My In-Laws sold their Houseboat and bought a lakeside home and picked up a Pontoon Boat (~25-30'). This was also a great gathering boat. We had 10 people on it, and had TONS of room. It was "fast" enough to pull a skier (not very agile though). It could get into some better fishing spots, and was comfy enough to spend the night on (if we had wanted to).
Well, there's MY input. Take it for what you will.
KillJoy