A marine vessel propulsion apparatus includes an outboard motor, a transom bracket, a steering shaft, a first mount, a second mount, a tilt bracket, a tilt mechanism, and a steering mechanism. The tilt bracket is attached to a transom via the transom bracket and the steering shaft. The outboard motor is joined to the tilt bracket. The tilt bracket includes a first joint portion joined to the outboard motor via a first mount, a second joint portion joined to the outboard motor via a second mount, and a support portion arranged to support the outboard motor at a height different from heights of the first mount and the second mount.