I did a late July sunset cruise. Gorgeous on the water, super educational, and learned that salt is…read moremined from the bottom of this freshwater lake. Musical interludes break up the history.

We were asked to leave because we had a 12 month old dog with us, and there were going to be 70…read morepeople on the boat. I put in special needs that I was disabled and would have a dog and was not contacted before we stood in line for 30 minutes to go on the boat. The person admitting people on the boat was very negative towards us, and we ended up going home after getting a refund.

A group of 5 of us leveraged this tour (private, winter tour) and we were sadly very, very…read moredisappointed. 1. Transportation - this was one of the only pluses to this overall experience. We were picked up and dropped off door-door for this tour. The van that we were in was comfortable and clean. It was equipped with water bottles (one of two souvenirs) and snacks. We were charged a driving fee based on our distance - an extra $82. 2. Guide - our tour guide, George was very nice and well-informed. He clearly had passion and experience. The BEST part of our tour was the "off script" stop George made to one of the wineries en route between "planned" stops. This off-script stop was how the entire route should have been. Modern, clean converted farmhouse with gorgeous views, amenities and great vintages. Absolutely tragic that the rest of the stops were NOT aligned to this really perfect place. He was super eager to help us with pictures and answer any and all questions we had with the region and wine in general. Our second souvenir was a really great printed pic he took of our group. Again, one of the only highlights was George. I think the company should absolutely leverage his hospitality experience to help curate better partnerships and stops for the Seneca route. 3. Snacks/lunch - the winter tour advertised snacks, water and lunch was included/provided. The water was in a reusable water bottle (that we got to keep)- fine but I guess I would have expected additional bottles in a cooler. Maybe even some seltzer or soda for the price point. Snacks were just individual serve baggies from Costco - decent variety but again, for the price point not aligned. We expected snacks to be food pairings at each stop. We really only got that with chocolate bites at the first stop. On site lunch - this was a huge disappointment for the price point. At our first winery we had bites of chocolate for a flight pairing. The pairing and chocolate were nice. The second stop we had three cheeseboards to split between 5 of us - again, fine but no meat (so no significant protein) and we each got a bowl of soup. That was it. That was lunch. For a 7 hour tour this was simply not enough. And we aren't big eaters generally but definitely expected way more for a 7 hour alcohol tour. This was honestly terrible for the price point. I would have expected cheese/bites pairing at all stops with an actual lunch (at least a full panini or sandwich). 4. The wineries - this was where it really all fell down. We stopped at three places on Seneca. First stop was Damiani. We were NOT brought to the tasting room but rather the barn where the wine was made. Let's just say having your first stop pull up to a metal barn when you've paid ~$400/pp is NOT the best first impression. The wine itself and the staff member, Noah, were actually the best of the three stops. But the aesthetic of it was again, not it. Second stop was red newt - this was at least a more "expected" tasting room set up. We were brought to the back and had our flight/tasting there. The wine was OK at best - sadly we did buy a bottle with our "wine bucks" to have with lunch (again not great considering the price point that lunch didn't just come with a complimentary full glass) and one of us in the group got a whole mouth full of legitimate sediment (like straight grit she had to spit out). It was off putting to say the least especially since we had to buy this to have with "lunch". The pours themselves at ALL the stops was exactly that - a tasting pour. It wasn't more "generous" - just a standard 1oz pour and no one was pouring more. When we had "time" at the end we weren't offered more or even a half glass - we instead felt very pressured to buy bottles (and sadly, none of the vintages were really purchase a whole bottle worthy). Again, not expected for the price point - we thought with the "curated" experience and "lasting partnerships" the tour has with these stops we'd at least get heavier pours or extras. Def did NOT happen. The last stop was Flatt Rock - again, sold as a farm/mom and pop shop - that's what it was. The tasting room was not aesthetically a vibe. The wine was also not great and we were told they had a great champagne style drink - we didn't get any. Overall, we were looking for an all-inclusive. No one in our group wanted to plan the itinerary because we didn't want to invest the time but I think it would have been much more worth it to just do that. The three "on route" places we were brought to were old and just not what we expected for the price point. Maybe their public tours on other lakes is better but I can say with confidence the Seneca lake, private winter tour is NOT the vibe for the price per person.

What a nice experience!…read more Laura was a wonderful tour guide. She owns the company and is just so passionate about all things wine and the Finger Lakes. it was such a relaxing day filled with good wine and good food. Our tour included three winery stops, tastings at each winery, lunch at one winery and some cheese pairings at the other two. We didn't book a private tour but got really lucky because our hotel was an included pick up / drop off point. We spent a good amount of time at each winery and learned alot from all of the wine makers and Laura. If you want to spend a day drinking wine without worrying about driving or having to think about where to go / what to taste then this tour is definitely for you. Leave it to the experts, relax and have a good time and eat and drink well. You can't go wrong!

Our group of 12 ladies had the most amazing time on the boats! The guys were so much fun and…read moreaccommodating. They planned the whole day perfectly and the three wineries we visited were great. We were so happy that we booked with this company, the owner Rick answered all my many questions in the months prior to our trip up until the night before regarding potentially bad weather. Turned out to be the best day of our trip, thank you to our captains Scott and Mike for making it so fun and dealing with our crew :)

Had a great experience with captain Mike and Rick this weekend! We booked the tour knowing the rain…read morecould be a factor but Mike got us to 2 vineyards in between storms and shared fun facts and a lot of knowledge about the area and wineries. We got stuck in a storm at our second and Rick came and picked us up in his car and arranged a third tasting close by. Super accommodating and even bought us an extra tasting and refunded some of our money. I highly recommend schools out charters- best way to see the wineries and wonderful customer service!

Polite staff. Helpful and well informed. The view out on the water was beautiful Plenty of kayak…read morerentals to choose from in the area but I'm glad we chose PaddleDockers

Dear Puddledockers,…read more IF We call you to ask if you rent kayak paddles separately from kayaks... AND If we ask how much the rentals are... AND You tell us that they're $20 per day and have to be returned by the end of the day... AND We tell you that we'll be over in about twenty minutes... THEN You should have told us on the phone that you'll refuse to rent us kayak paddles separately from your kayaks because all of your kayaks (and the paddles associated with them) have all been otherwise reserved and you have no spare paddles for us to rent. Your apathetic and unapologetic staff at least had the courtesy of suggesting Eastern Mountain Sports might have paddles for us to rent, instead. And they -did- look up the phone number of the nearest outlet for us. That was appreciated. On behalf of all your future patrons, please have a care. And please get your shit in order. Sincerely, -Kevin

Set sail for True Love, a truly enjoyable time!…read more Bottom Line Up Front: We had a wonderful, relaxing, and fun time for a good price. The Good: The history of the John Alden designed schooner is worth reading before you go. We had some more "salty" members of our group that recognized the name of the schooner from the 1956 movie "High Society" starring Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra and after that we were on board for a wonderful time. We even were seated in the seats once occupied by Gene and Bing. We purchased our tickets after being approached by Terry who negotiated a decent price with us because he wanted a full boat for the next trip. Captain Bill was an experienced Captain and is well known in the area. He got us underway and was a delightful host regaling us with stories about the "True Love", Seneca Lake and surroundings, as well as, some stories about racing the "True Love" and his crew, Spencer and Marena. Captain Bill even assisted another sailing boat that was in distress and precariously close to the lake edge. The trip was two hours long and on time. The crew served non-alcoholic and adult beverages (some free, some for a price) while underway and also sold some souvenirs (Whisky and glasses). The Bad: There was nothing bad, from start to finish, this was a very enjoyable trip and the crew definitely enjoyed sharing their love of the "Trie Love" with the joyful passengers. The Ugly: Absolutely nothing other than we could not be out for longer. If you find yourself in Watkins Glen, this is definitely an enjoyable to kick back, relax, and let the wind fill your sails. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so I am going to end my post with a few that we snapped along the way. May you have fair winds, and following lake waters!

Excellent sailing experience The crew was great and was…read morevery eager to make sure we had a great time The boat was in excellent condition

Wade lived up to all expectations. He arrived early and catered to our every need, both early and…read morelate in the trip. If you've ever desired to go on the perfect carefree hired wine tour, there is nobody other than Wade that you should choose!

Wade curated a several-stop winery tour along the SE Seneca Lake for a friend and me, with fun…read morebanter on the drive about animals (birds and dogs), local tidbits, advice for other activities and meals in the area, and more. The winery staff obviously had a fondness for Wade, and we definitely felt like VIPs, getting great seating with gorgeous views and visiting calm wineries (a vibe we wanted!). It was such a fantastic day trip for us. Would recommend

Had a great time, everyone was super professional. Our flight took us over Ithaca and out on to…read moreCayuga Lake then over Cornell where we gently landed in a field. your path might be different with wind patterns. The basket was comfortable, very well maintained, clearly cared for and in top shape. The team drove us back from our landing location to our cars in a new and comfortable van. Overall a wholly pleasant experience and a great way to spend a few hours in the morning or afternoon, best planned a couple days before.

Had one of the best experiences of our lives. Little Smokey from wildfires but didn't disappoint…read more The flight team was amazing and follow all the instructions in the emails. Can't recommend them enough. Thanks Dar, Josh and Dennis!

This place offers great service and top equipment…read more Came here with the family before sending daughter off to school and everyone had a great time. If in the area and looking to do some paddle boarding or kayaking..this is your place.

Owner is extremely rude on the phone. Literally yelled at me and told me to go to another company…read morewhen he couldn't provide a vehicle for my needs. I'm sure that this place would no longer be in business if it was in a larger market.

Wow. It has taken me 2 weeks to try to think of how to review this service. If there was a…read morenegative star rating, I would have chosen it. Here it goes: 1) The car is neither luxurious nor comfortable. The body is rusted. The interior is dirty. The console in front of the seat is broken and stuffed with a dirty pillow. The handles on all of the doors on the inside are broken. The doors can't be opened from the inside (which is super-creepy with a driver like Orlando). The car beeps for 3 minutes every 20 minutes or so, but Orlando assures you that there is no problem. I am not sure that the seatbelts in the back work (it's ok with Orlando because it's "legal"). The car shudders when it goes over 50 MPH. The 4th, 5th, and 6th people of your party have to climb over a seat into a raised seat with barely enough room for three (we are small people--all less than 160 lbs). 2) Orlando is offensive. Within 5 minutes of starting our trip, Orlando had succeeded in offending everyone in our party--Canadians, Drivers of Subarus, Democrats, Physicians. Orlando never stops talking, and it is not about the area and local attractions or what to look for. He lectured the car about how doctors are criminals who prescribe medications that people don't need--such as insulin for diabetes. "All you need to do is take large doses of cinnamon." You can cure cancer by,"mixing Flax oil in cottage cheese. Its a well known fact. It's on the google." 3) You will feel like Orlando's prisoner. We were a group that likes conversation. We usually have to keep two members of our party from chatting too much. Orlando talked non-stop the entire trip. We were taking turns sitting in the front seat next to him to share the burden. We ended our trip one hour (and one winery) early just to be able to get out of his car. Some of the topics that Orlando pontificated on: his past employment for the government--"I can't tell you what I did. They asked me to fake my death, but I wouldn't do it; so I had to quit." He also told us about the buried UFOs as big as a football field in the desert. He also commented on how there are, "so many democrats that you could bury them." I am not sure what that was in reference to. 4) Despite the number of times that Orlando will tell you about his 28 years of experience, he is not all that knowledgeable. I had been planning this trip to the Finger Lakes for many months as a birthday celebration for my wife. I had carefully selected wineries that I wanted to visit. Right after getting into the car, he argued with me about my choices and asked me if, "you know anything about this area?" and then told me that it would be impossible to include Ravines in our itinerary as the Winery is in Geneva. I told him that there was a tasting room on Keuka lake, and he said, "I don't know anything about that." I had to tell him that I was confident in my itinerary and essentially argue with him to accept it. I don't think that visiting three wineries and having lunch between 1030 AM and 6 PM is too much to ask. In the end we were dropped off at 5 PM. In summary if you are looking for a knowledgeable, friendly driver in a safe comfortable vehicle for a relaxing day touring the amazing Finger Lakes wineries, DO NOT BOOK WITH Orlando. However, if you are seeking a nightmare version of Carpool Karaoke, but instead of James Corden driving you around in a nice car with pleasant conversation, you want an ignorant, rude, offensive, conspiracy theorist driver with verbal diarrhea and a dirty unsafe and uncomfortable ride, then Orlando and Finger Lakes Transport and Tours is for you.