Treat Yourself to a Boston Dinner Cruise

Enjoy Boston Harbor cruises plus gourmet dining

Go for a Boston dinner cruise for a memorable experience.  You feast on lobster, steak, and other gourmet dinner selections while touring Boston Harbor at sunset for a memorable experience. 

Lunch and brunch options are also available.  There's even a special seasonal cruise to the Harbor Islands for a clambake with food prepared by one of the best Boston seafood restaurants, Jasper White's Summer Shack.

For added thrills, you can opt for tall ship cruises, holiday and special occasion dinners, and DJs and dancing.  

When can you go on Boston dinner cruise?

Is a Boston dinner cruise sounding too good to be true?

Well, actually it gets even better.  Although some of these cruises are only seasonal, the biggest of these cruise lines operate year-round, except during the most severe weather conditions. 

The boats are big - and I mean really big - they're more like ships than boats.  They hold 600 - 700 guests, are fully enclosed (except for observation decks) and climate-controlled, and even have dance floors. 

The smaller Boston dinner cruise boats don't operate year-round, but who can resist the romance of a lobster dinner on a Liberty Clipper?  Or an entertaining tour guide telling you about Boston history, tall tales, and ghost stories as you enjoy a scrumptious buffet brunch while you cruise around Boston's Harbor Islands?

By now, you've probably figured out that you'll see as many locals as tourists on these Boston dinner cruise excursions.  Maybe even more.  These cruises are especially popular around Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve, July 4th, and other holidays . . . so if you're targeting those dates, reserve far in advance!  

They're also popular for private parties and even weddings . . . so you won't find every cruise boat or ship available at all times.

So, what's the catch . . . um, maybe the cost?  

There's no catch - in fact, here's the best part:  the cost for most Boston dinner cruises is about the same as you'd pay for a comparable lunch or dinner in a nice restaurant. 

That's right, for what you might spend on a good dinner in a Boston restaurant anyway, you can enjoy all the splendid sights of a Boston Harbor cruise for free. 

And depending on what else you enjoy, you can choose a lunch or dinner cruise with "extras" - a tour narrator to entertain you with information about the sites you're seeing, a DJ and dancing, a sunset Boston Harbor Islands cruise to Spectacle Island for a special New England clambake dinner on the shore.

So when you look at it this way, a dinner cruise can be an economical choice.  You gotta eat anyway, right?

What Boston dinner cruise choices will you find?

Here's an overview of various options.  Costs are for 2009 - but keep in mind they may change at any time!  They don't include the meals tax (6.25% or optional tips; alcoholic beverages may also be extra). 

Look for discount coupons in the Boston Phoenix and Improper Bostonian (free newspapers that you'll see around town).  Check with the concierge at your hotel as well.

Lunch and Sunday brunch cruises - Boston Harbor Cruises

Enjoy a yummy buffet while you cruise around Boston's Inner and Outer Harbor.  Lunch buffet menu includes things like Asian noodle salad, garden salad, Caesar salad, chicken with a special apricot and pecan sauce, fresh catch of the day (normally salmon or haddock), cheese tortellini, beef teriyaki, and wonderful desserts, including strawberry shortcake. 

Sunday brunch includes eggs, ham, sausages, muffins, fresh pastries - plus salads, chicken, pasta primavera, fresh fruits, and more. 

Both options include beverages plus a cash bar, as well a local historian who'll entertain you with tales about Boston's history and folklore.  On the 2-hour cruise on one of BHC's large 3-deck vessels, you'll see the Boston Harbor Islands, Boston Light (a lighthouse), Old North Church, the USS Constitution, and of course, gorgeous views of the city skyline.

Cruise operator:  Boston Harbor Cruises (BHC)
Dates/times:  Early May through early October, 12pm - 2pm
Departure location:  Long Wharf
Cost: $37.50
Tickets and reservations:  617-227-4321; website; or buy tickets at BHC's kiosk on Long Wharf
Nearest T:  Blue Line/Aquarium
Nearest parking:  Boston parking garages near North End

Steak and lobster dinners on a Tall Ship - Liberty Fleet

Steak, lobster, and all the trimmings - plus blueberry pie and key lime pie for dessert take center stage on the Liberty Clipper, a 125 foot gaff-rigged topsail schooner.  This magnificent "tall ship" is made like schooners from the mid-1800s. 

You'll experience a historical ride as you enjoy your gourmet Boston dinner cruise from The Silent Chef of Scituate.  Full cash bar.  Departure at 6pm means that part of the cruise will take place at sunset - spectacular!

The Liberty Clipper also offers a brunch sail on most Sundays throughout the summer.  The Silent Chef provides an array of delicious quiches, country ham, fresh pastries, seasonal fruits, and other goodies.

The 2 1/2 hour brunch and dinner cruises take you around Boston Harbor.  The sites, of course, are wonderful - but so is the experience of the billowing white sails as you enjoy the experience of being on this Tall Ship.

Liberty Fleet occasionally schedules wine tasting cruises during the summer months.  Give them a call to get the next date.

Cruise operator:  Liberty Fleet
Dates/times:  Dinner cruises - most Fridays or weekends, 6:00pm - 8:30pm throughout the summer; Brunch cruises - most Sundays 11:00am - 1:30pm throughout the summer
Departure location:  Central Wharf, to the north of the New England Aquarium
Cost:  Steak and lobster dinner cruises - $70 Adults, $40 Children (12 and under); Sunday brunch sail - $50 Adults, $25 Children (12 and under)
Tickets and reservations:  617-742-0333; website; or buy tickets at Liberty Fleet's booth on Long Wharf (next to the Aquarium's Whale Watch kiosk)
Nearest T:  Blue Line/Aquarium
Nearest parking:  Boston parking garages near North End

Boston Harbor Islands New England Clambake - Bostons Best Cruises

This may be the quintessential Boston dinner cruise experience . . . a ferry ride to Spectacle Island, in the Boston Harbor Island National Park Area, followed by a mouth-watering traditional New England clambake by famed chef Jasper White's Summer Shack.

You'll feast - and I do mean feast! - on clam chowder, lobster, mussels, steamers, corn on the cob, new potatoes, chouriço, coleslaw, and dessert, and still have time for sightseeing on the island.

Cruise operator:  Boston's Best Cruises
Cruise organizer:  Boston Harbor Island Alliance (a non-profit group that promotes the Harbor Islands)
Dates/times:  Thursdays, 6pm - 8:30pm, June - August
Departure location:  Long Wharf
Cost:  $75 for clambake, cruise, and alcohol (wine or beer - 2 drinks per person); $70 for clambake and cruise (no wine or beer)
Tickets and reservations:  617-223-8040 (ask for Dina); website
Nearest T:  Blue Line/Aquarium
Nearest parking:  Boston parking garages near North End

Dining and dancing - The Spirit of Boston

The huge 600-passenger Spirit of Boston dinner cruise voyages combine Inner and Outer Harbor sightseeing with sumptuous buffets followed by DJ music for dancing.  Evening departures mean that you'll enjoy the beautiful harbor views first by the the glow of sunset, and later under the moon and stars.  Inside, you'll find 3 floors, including 2 dance floors, and outside plenty of deck space for feasting on the scenery.

The dinner buffets feature plenty of choices - typically, appetizers, lots of salad choices, a carving station with ham and beef, salmon or other fish, chicken, veggies, potatoes, and wonderful desserts. 

Lunch cruises are also available, including seasonal lobster lunches that are spectacular.  In addition, Spirit of Boston offers lots of special dinner cruises on holidays and other occasions.

If you're looking for a way to combine sightseeing, dining, entertainment, and dancing, this may be the cruise for you.

Cruise Operator:  Entertainment Cruises
Dates/times:  Year-round; lunch and dinner cruises offered daily.  Most lunch cruises are 2 hours, and dinner cruises are 2 or 3 hours.  Special cruises may be other lengths.
Departure location:  World Trade Center
Cost:  Varies.  Lunch cruises start at $37.90.  2-hour dinner cruises start at $57.90, and 3-hour dinner cruises start at $74.90.  Discounts are given for children (occasionally children are free).  Prices don't include taxes or other fees.  There's a cash bar.
Tickets and reservations:  617-866-211-3807; website
Ticket discounts:   Worth checking out - Get 50% off tickets from Goldstar Events 
Nearest T:  Silver Line/World Trade Center
Nearest parking:   Parking is available in the Seaport Hotel Garage.  It's complimentary at some times and discounted at others - details are on the website in the FAQs section.

Dining and dancing - The Odyssey

Also huge, the 600-passenger Odyssey is the most elegant Boston cruise options, short of a private yacht.  For the dinner cruises, jackets are recommended for men and cocktail dresses for women.  Lunch cruises are somewhat more relaxed - but no jeans, sweats, shorts, tennis shoes, or anything else that's too casual.

Lunch and dinner are 3-course meals with table service.  Brunch is a buffet.  An executive chef prepares all of the food on board.

The Odyssey has 3 climate-controlled floors for dining and dancing.  What's special about the Odyssey is that each floor features live music ranging from solo pianists playing classical music to jazz bands to dance bands. 

Odyssey's goal is to give its passengers the experience of cruising on an elegant ocean liner while enjoying great views of Boston Harbor and wonderful food.  These cruises will also give you a memorable experience of Boston.

Cruise Operator:   Entertainment Cruises
Dates/times:  Year-round; Lunch cruises Monday - Friday, Brunch cruises Saturday and Sunday, and Dinner cruises offered daily.  Many special occasion cruises as well.
Departure location:  Rowes Wharf, behind the Boston Harbor Hotel
Cost:  Varies.  Lunch cruises start at $47.90.  Brunch cruises start at $55.90, and dinner cruises start at $69.90.  Depending on the date and occasion, some cruises are more expensive.  Prices don't include taxes or other fees.  Cash bar.
Tickets and reservations:  866-307-2469; website
Ticket discounts:   40-50% discounts off tickets from Goldstar Events 
Nearest T:  Red Line/South Station
Nearest parking:   Discounted parking is available at the Rowes Wharf Garage at the Boston Harbor Hotel.