Both the Starcraft Marine Stardeck 236 Cruise-N-Fish 2013 and the Starcraft Marine Starliner 256 2011 are pontoon designs, both built in aluminium, so the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department - Starcraft Marine Stardeck 236 Cruise-N-Fish 2013 at 23,8 ft versus Starcraft Marine Starliner 256 2011 at 25,3 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Starcraft Marine Starliner 256 2011 tips the scales at 2 600 lbs - 400 lbs less than the Starcraft Marine Stardeck 236 Cruise-N-Fish 2013 at 2 200 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 200 hp, the Starcraft Marine Starliner 256 2011 has a 50-hp advantage over the Starcraft Marine Stardeck 236 Cruise-N-Fish 2013's 150-hp ceiling - enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads - 30 gal and 30 gal - so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Starcraft Marine Starliner 256 2011 is rated for 14 passengers, while the Starcraft Marine Stardeck 236 Cruise-N-Fish 2013 caps at 12. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Starcraft Marine Starliner 256 2011 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Starcraft Marine Starliner 256 2011 if your priority is putting more people on the water - it handles 14 passengers and at 25,3 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Starcraft Marine Stardeck 236 Cruise-N-Fish 2013 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 12 that costs less to run day-to-day.