Enjoyable hour cruise of intercostal of Ft Lauderdale, staff was wonderful. Includes unlimited beverages. Worth doing! read more

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This is a very intimate boat compared to the others that are out there for intracoastal tours. I've been on other larger ones but this was nice since it was so much smaller. The staff was friendly, they did a great job of entertaining and showing off the homes and basic tour details. The boat was also nice and clean and well kept. My only qualm was that the included drinks were very low class. The sodas were local grocery brand, kinda something you should pay for a name brand? They had bush & miller beer and white wine. But still not a soda that I would want to bother drinking. read more

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Five stars, regardless of the booking process. We got a 2 for 1, with a company called "vacations made easy". I had to pick up the tickets at a timeshare resort in Pompano Beach. It sounds like this ticket booking company is affiliated with the timeshare company. In addition to selling the cruises, I wonder if they give them away as "timeshare sales pitch prizes"? I wish they had a "yelp" page of their own, as they would get a very poor review. Anyway, back to the boat. This "vacations made easy" company. , told us, "oh, yes... The boat is handicapped accessible no problem at all. We get to the dock, and because it's high tide, you have to climb three steps to get into the boat. If it had been normal tide, my partner would've been able to walk right on board with her walker. Vacations made easy didn't tell us anything about that. it was not the operators of the boats fault, (riverfront cruises,), that this misinformation occurred. Fortunately, My partner was able to get into the boat, (although with difficulty, ) and everybody was very helpful in assisting her on and off the boat. The ride itself was amazing. It was an hour and a half long and we learned about the history of Fort Lauderdale. They talked about the owners of a lot of the homes along the water, as well as some of the yachts that we saw. We also learned the difference between. A megayacht and a superyacht. (it has nothing to do with the size,...a superyacht can carry a helicopter.) Everybody was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, they had a great sense of humor, and there is also complementary beer and soda. The boat was spacious, and very comfortable. It was a great ride overall. I highly recommend this company, just don't book them through "vacations made easy." read more

I came across riverfront cruises while looking for a venue for my mom's celebration of life event. My point of Contact was Paula Redington, she manages a couple of places in the riverfront area and pitched the idea of this cruise based on my budget. She offered me 3 free tickets to experience the boat ride to decide if I wanted to book the cruise for an 1.5hr. The cruise is beautiful. It is a 90min boat tour along the waterways of Fort Lauderdale. The boat is two levels, the top level is open aired but shaded, the bottom has an indoor air conditioned area with snacks and beverages for purchase. I believe the boat can hold up to 110 people. There is one restroom on board (that is in need of an update) but it was working and decent. The day of the cruise I was told I could be on board earliest at 0900 to set up before my guests arrived. At 0900 most of the crew wasn't even there so I had to wait before boarding. We ended up getting on around 0930ish but this definitely set behind my schedule as my guests had to wait while the crew set up and we decorated. We were allowed to bring our own food and beverages which was a plus. Our crew members were Jason, dylan and Jose was the captain. Jason and Dylan were super helpful with the celebration and helping everything flow. The scenery was spectacular and I received so many compliments about how beautiful it was. I would recommend them for private events for sure. read more

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Friend and I sat at the bar on the boat. It was all you could drink, but they had a very limited supply of certain beers. The bartender was extremely friendly, except he had to keep telling the captain where to go. That was very odd. They did not point out anything during the cruise. The bartender says, "everybody seem to be drunk so I didn't want to interrupt the fun". It would have been nice if they had it out houses along the tour. read more

Awesome very knowledgeable and fun would definitely do it again if in hot a humid Fort Lauderdale

Don't pay any attention to the four-star reviews this is a joke... I set up through Groupon for a 10:00 a.m. tour at 9:45 they told me it was canceled so I waited for the noon tour then they show up with this barge with seats on it there were about a dozen of us not even sure if this was the boat... So we get on and then we see a couple of brochures that had the picture of the boat we thought we were going to get on... They gave us a couple of drinks and that was it... I realize you get what you pay for but the communication was poor the boat versus what's on the ad is false advertising. read more

This is a good way to view the huge extravagant mansions. The boat comes around the same path so it doesn't matter whether you sit on the right or the left. The captain has a sense of humor. The tour is relaxing and enjoyable. Only complaint is that the price is high. read more

So much fun! We took this 90 minute river cruise to get to see a portion of Ft. Lauderdale that we couldn't see by driving and it didn't disappoint. We bought our tickets, they took our picture as be boarded and off we went. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and informative and also funny. My son got to drive the boat too. It is a comfy set up, with a bar and for $20, you can get the picture, magnet and keychain. Not inexpensive at $24 per person, but it made for a nice and relaxing afternoon. The architecture of the homes bordering the river is varied and so interesting. Parking is super convenient right next door (We paid $4! What a bargain!). The boat was super clean and well maintained. The kids really enjoyed it too and they can be hard to please. I highly recommend! read more

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Steer far away! The boat for the day had broken down, yet they still let people book tickets online, only to spend money on transportation there and be greeted with "sorry everything's cancelled." No call. No email. Nothing notifying anyone of a cancellation until departure time. At least 5 parties all showed up and were faced with the same fake "sorry." There are tons of other options you should spend your money on, but do yourself a favor and dont come here. read more

I wanted to do something different for my birthday, so my friend found Riverfront Cruises on sunny.org (Ft. Lauderdale's tourism page), where we also found a 2 for 1 coupon offer. So coupons in hand, we showed up and paid $10 each instead of $20. (I do have to deduct a star here because one lady in front of us was confused about the price, and my friend offered her one of our coupons since we had more than enough. The ticket guy snapped at my friend, "Don't you give her any coupons! That's like taking money right out of our register!" He was in a bad mood because he had previously been dealing with an extremely out-of-line customer though, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.) They took a group picture of us, and we boarded the boat. It had been raining earlier, so all of the seats were wet. But as soon as we asked for a towel, one of the crew members rushed right up and wiped them down for us. The tour soon started, and I found it to be very interesting and informative, even though I'm a Ft. Lauderdale native. I recognized many of the names he listed as we cruised by really expensive houses (Wayne Huizenga's house is just breathtaking). Soon one of the crew came by passing around the pictures they took, and charged just $5 each. It turned out to be a great picture, so each of us got one. One great highlight: free drinks! They didn't have champagne, so they made me a "mystery birthday punch" that was quite good. I had three of them during our hour-and-a-half cruise, so I was feeling just peachy! My friends and I really enjoyed ourselves, and I wouldn't hesitate to bring others on this tour in the future! But do save yourselves some money and print out those coupons (the link is on the sunny.org site on the main page, click 2-for-1 offers)... they're only good until September 30th. read more

We were told about his cruise by some friends, who took it last month. The attendant at the ticket booth was not very friendly....seemed like she was just in a bad mood. Ask for AAA discount or get a discount in one of the tourism magazines (one per person).. If you want to charge your purchase, they will charge you $2.50 per credit card transaction...kind of steep !! The cruise itself was nice...they took us around the river all the way down to the Intracoastal, passing by homes of famous people like Sonny and Cher, and many more...sports and business legends. The guy who did the narration was not as talkative as the one that my friends'...but still it was nice and beautiful. Great way to spend 1.5 hours in Ft Lauderdale. read more

Looking for something unique to do today, we thought (and did) the Riverfront cruise. Beautiful day out, why not, right? Price is $23 for adults, although you can save $2 if you are AAA member. Note however that you pay for parking (we paid $3 for the 2 hours) and that if you charge the entry fee on a credit card, you are charged $2. The cruise itself is well, ehhh. It's a very leisurely stroll in the inland waterway passing expensive houses and boats. Time is about 1.5 hours. We sat up top and due to where we were sitting and how the speakers were positioned, we could barely hear the speaker narrating the ride. Was kind of frustrating at times. Plus he did speak a bit low or monotone making it a big more challenging. I think they need to up the volume. Would I do it again...nope. But it was a fine, different thing to do on a beautiful day. read more

I took the 90 minute cruise around Fort Lauderdale with my husband and 2 kids. We got a family package for $55 which included parking, free soft drinks and coupons for an alcohol drink or each adult. We chose seats in the top and remained in the shade at all times. We cruised past the mansions on the canals and out to the cruise ship terminal. The views were spectacular and we all enjoyed it. One and a half hours is a perfect length of time to be on the water. Some other cruises last 3 hours but I think that's too long. Bring snacks for the kids. There were supposed to be snacks for sale but they only had hot dogs, no chips or other types of snacks were available. Overall, a nice diversion from the beaches and pools and a great way to see where the multi-millionaires live. We saw the houses of Gloria Vanderbilt, Lee Majors, a house where the show Miami Vice was filmed, and the house where a local car dealer mogul named Maroone lives. Highly recommend. read more

Riverfront Cruises - Riverfront Cruises at Las Olas Riverfront. - Boating Near Me - Ft Lauderdale, Florida

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We really enjoyed this- it was pleasant and they gave a good tour of the waterway and who owns the many $20+ million dollar homes. Plenty of room to sit in the shade or sun. $23 a person for an hour and a half, which isn't bad. Give yourself plenty of time to find parking and get a ticket. We cut it pretty close due to traffic and had no clue where to park. With 5 minutes to spare, the photographer told us it was too late for us to get on. Thankfully the captain let us run over to the ticket counter and hop on. The man at the ticket counter told us they didn't have a senior rate when I had one of their brochures showing the rate. He honored it but without the brochure wouldn't have given it to me. The rude photographer then told us it was mandatory to take a photo when we got on the boat. When he was walking around selling the family photos at the end of the boat ride he didn't even bother asking us. He also gave everyone a high-five getting off the boat except for my parents and I. Wow, attitude much? It would have been a great experience except for his bad customer service. The captain and guide did an excellent job though. read more

Riverfront Cruises - One of the many beautiful homes you will drive by - Boating Near Me - Ft Lauderdale, Florida

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Beautiful relaxing boat ride along the river all the way out to the ocean, Featuring sightseeing of all of the yachts and mansions along the way. With all the construction going on near the riverfront this was a little difficult to get to the boat but definitely worth it read more

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What a relaxing afternoon. We loved being out on the water and seeing how the other half lives. The yachts were amazing too. Captain Mike spoke clearly and described perfectly the houses and/or boats he was talking about. This was a spur of the moment trip and we all loved it! read more

Terrible. The boat pictured on the website is not the boat we were on. Not even close. The price was still the same though. Also, the website specifically said there is a bathroom on board. That's a lie. The captain and Rhonda were excellent though, which is the only reason I didn't give it one star. Both were very friendly and funny. read more

I bought $156 worth of tickets for the May 15th cruise with RiverFront Cruises through groupon. At 2pm on the 15th I get a phone call from River Front Cruises telling me they had to cancel the 5pm cruise that we were scheduled to go on due to high winds...it was not windy where I was but anyway. Instead on rescheduling a cruise I asked for a refund. I have yet to see any money from them (or groupon). I have left several messages and have not gotten a call back. I would love to get something for my money...hopefully someone from RiverFront will see this and contact me read more

This cruise was so much fun. The concierge at our hotel recommended it. I also used a $5 off coupon from the book he gave me, which dropped the tickets to $15 each. That includes free beer and simple drinks. The boat has an open deck upstairs, then an enclosed section below. Try to get in the front of the line to get a good seat. The narration was very interesting. The guy doing it was great. For someone who does it all day probably, he sure was enthusiastic. Each home we passed through the inter-coastal had a cool story behind it. Those homes are prime real estate. Some brand new ones were built next to modest, which back then were state of the art, homes owned by Hollywood's older stars. The cruise lasted an hour and a half and I wish it was longer. They take a picture of you when you walk on then you can opt to buy it for $10. This was a fun way to kill a couple hours for all ages. Definitely bring a camera to get some pictures. read more

So I have a confession to make. I've been on Riverfront Cruises twice in the past week. Last Friday I decided to bring my out of town friends here after seeing the good reviews. They were looking for something to do on the water that didn't involve eating as we had been doing plenty of that throughout their vacation. We arrived around two on Friday afternoon and found the ticket stand to be empty, and the security guard informed us that the ticket girl had run out to get lunch. This isn't a complaint at all, the boats leave for a 1.5 hour tour at 1, 3, and 5, so just note that if you are far past those times you may not be able to buy a ticket right then. They do also have online ticketing though. We were able to purchase our tickets about a half hour later, $23 a person. I have seen other reviews mention coupons, but I'm guessing those are more prevalent during the off season as my expert googling skills could not find any. We boarded the boat a little before three. They take a group picture of each party as you get on, and both times I ended up buying it because they are pretty good pictures ($10 each). We set sail and the captain gave us a great tour of the waterways, but my favorite part was looking at all the fancy houses. They point out houses owned by the rich and famous along the ride, but no matter who owned them it's just fun to look at. There is a bar on the ship, and considering it's a ship bar the drinks are pretty reasonably priced around $7 for mixed drinks and $5 for beers...they could easily gauge you for much more since there are no other options. The also sell chips and hot dogs, but I don't think eating a hot dog is necessary when the tour is only 1.5 hours and there are plenty of real restaurants near where the boat docks. My second trip was on a Saturday when my parents were visiting. My dad loves sightseeing tours so I knew he would enjoy it. For the Saturday cruise we did the 1pm, and it was much busier than Friday at 3, though the boat was still not full. The bartender remembered me and I got great service (not that he wasn't great the first time). My parents enjoyed the tour quite a bit as well. My step mother had been worried about seasickness, as she has a hard time on boats, but she was perfectly fine on this cruise. It is very smooth and since you are on the New River and intracoastal the only waves there are are the wakes from other boats. I think this tour is a great, relatively affordable tourist option, and despite the fact that I live in the area year round, and have been to the River Walk many times, I thoroughly enjoy it both times. read more

This is a nice thing to bring your family too, especially if you are looking for something that isn't too much physical activity. It's easy going, a nice, inexpensive chance to see huge houses, and it's pretty relaxing. The tour guide was funny - obvious he's been doing it awhile and is a bit aloof about it all. He had a dry sense of humor. Not funny ha-ha funny. Just enjoyable because he was a bit grumpy. Made some punny jokes about a few things. They really want you to get drinks at their bar, tip the bartender, and eat their world famous hot dogs. I mostly remember them talking about these things over anything else like the houses you pass. The top deck is great. It's a bunch of plastic deck chairs all lined up. It's pretty comfortable. I'd suggest it if you are looking for something to pass the time that doesn't require hiking around in the hot sun. read more

Unfortunately, this is not a cruise I recommend! First you board at the now deserted Riverfront. Only one restaurant left there that we could see and it was packed, so in order to make time before our tour, we had to go back out and walk west past the train tracks. We found a small number of places that were open for lunch. Thank goodness we did, as the food on the boat did not look trustworthy to consume, other than the prepackaged chips and soda. This waterway cruise is pricey for the quality boat with an old dingy carpet, limited seating space outside (where you can get a clear view). What's worse? The narration from the captain throughout the boat ride. He seemed like a nice man with a lot of boating experience; but nonetheless, one who is now burnt out and way ready for retirement. In his monotone sarcastic voice, he criticized and demeaned people like Mr. Huizenga who is a respectable, honoring family man. Calling him the "garbage man" over and over again, as well as referring to other wealthy people with homes in our city with degrading titles, is not in any way humorous. The narration was not "fascinating" by any means as they promote it...it truly became obnoxious and annoying! How much more enjoyable would this water tour had been, if he would have pointed out the landmarks and mansions, giving out the history and simply naming the owners. In our opinion, this "cruise" should be priced at $10. After all, they make money from the sale of drinks and snacks, as well as the photo they take of you prior to boarding. Never again! read more

Riverfront Cruises - View from our boat of the sand bar and boaters enjoying their beautiful Independence Day! - Boating Near Me - Ft Lauderdale, Florida

We had booked our wedding with them and paid the 100% deposit. Hurricane Wilma came by and they cancelled our wedding with just three days notice and never returned our FIVE-FIGURE deposit. Owner, James Campbell, never returned our calls. When I finally caught him at his office he told me, "you're sh*t out of luck. Try suing me. Noone ever collects".... Mentioned the "act of God" clause of the contract and he told me the same thing again. Charlatans! read more

No Picture, No Cruise! My mom and I took the cruise today, as we were boarding, one of the staff asked us to pose for a picture. It was raining very heavily and we were soaking wet. We kindly said no to the picture and were trying to move forward so we don't have to stand in the rain. The guy who was taking pictures was very argumentative and wouldn't budge. We were tired of arguing and drenched, also didn't want to hold up the line. At this point and we just stood there and he took a shot of us. read more

I wish I could tell you how it is but they called to cancel less than four houses before the cruise. We had booked through GROUPON for the 5pm cruise. I received a call at 1.30pm telling me I had to take the 3pm cruise and needed to be there by 2.30pm! Very rude and aggressive. If the way they run their boats is anything like their customer service I'm glad we didn't step foot onboard. Disgraceful. Still awaiting refund from Groupon. read more

Riverfront Cruises, Fort Lauderdale, cheat during their tours, offering to take photographs of your family. They promise you to send it via your email ID; you share your ID with hopes to get the photo, only to realize that they have cheated you. They didn't send me the photos even after I pursued it for 3 months with multiple calls. So take the tour which is to simply watch billion-dollar houses from a distance, but don't agree to their offer to take family photos. They just cheat you on this, despite its value to your family. read more

My friend and I were visiting my friend who lives in Fort Lauderdale. We were looking for something to do outside and maybe on a boat. This ended up being a perfect option for us. The tour lasted for about an hour and a half. The tour guide does a good job pointing out all of the houses along the river. The best part about this tour is probably that there is a bar on board! Mixed drinks were about $7-8. The tour was a lot of fun. The upper deck is covered but open to the outside, so it's shaded but you can also be in the sun. It ended up being a great afternoon for us. So glad that we found this tour! When you board the ship they take your picture. They will try to sell you the picture towards the end of the tour. It was $10 and came with a frame. We ended up buying it and the guy threw in an extra print of our picture. I think he has some wiggle room for haggling. Always worth a shot! read more

** 3/28 Update: The company contacted me to apologize for the situation, they did take care of my issue and have resolved it from my side of things. After the "kinks" are worked out I'm sure they will be a good service.** Review for "Water Shuttle", by Riverfront cruises. I just visited Fort Lauderdale, FL and wanted to take a Inter-coastal Waterway tour, was told to use "Water Taxi" as they provide good narrations and have many boats. I saw the Riverfront Cruises counter and thought I could buy those tickets there and asked for "Water Taxi" I was NOT told they only sell "Water Shuttle" and that it was different. After I was given the tickets I noticed they said "Water Shuttle" and asked about that and the counter lady said "They are the same thing" (when in fact they are NOT). After waiting for 20 mins and seeing many other "Water Taxi's" come and go we went to the counter and asked again when the boat would come, the counter lady said they are new and don't have that many boats and it would be 30-45 min wait, when the "Water Taxi" is ever 10 min. We politely asked for a refund as we asked specifically for "Water Taxi" and was given these tickets and was told it was the same thing. After she called someone we were told no refunds and she then became very rude, after that we said fine we'll dispute. We ended up going to the real "Water Taxi" and paid for new tickets and had a great time with them. read more

River Front cruises was the most informative and enjoyable boat tour I have ever experienced. They offered an air conditioned cabin area as well as an outside covered deck with great snacks and beverages. Also after the cruise we stopped in at the Historic River house at the port where we boarded and we had the best lobster bisque and Blackened Mahi sandwich I have ever tasted. The bar and dining room are quite an experience bringing you back to a simpler time. If you go on a boat tour save room for lunch at the historic River house mansion. You won't soon forget your experience. read more

I'm a Florida native, so even though I had heard of Riverfront Cruises, I figured it was a touristy thing that I didn't need to check out. I was so wrong! I had a blast! It was actually a cool tour, the guide was entertaining, there were drinks on board (yay!!) and it was just overall a fun afternoon. They even take and sell photos like at amusement parks (I love that sort of thing)! I recommend it and plan on doing it again with some friends who have never been! read more

Very nice cruise!!! The captain was very knowledgable about the sites we visited. The boat was very clean and nice. I have nothing negative to say about the cruise, I would recommend it and would go again!!! read more

Place is closed. Website should say that!! We drove from Boynton Beach to catch the advertised 5:00 boat.

If i could give 0 stars i would. My family came from central florida 4 hrs down to Broward county to do the tour. I called the night before with a question no answer then I called 15 times the day of no answer. then the address they have listed to meet does not exist if it does then good luck finding it. I'm a local and could not. they didn't answer meeting spot was no existent terrible. read more

We had a good time on the cruise---went through the waterways and got to see some fancy homes and yachts! Our tour guide was good, too! It was a scenic and relaxing 90 minute boat ride. The parking situation was a little frustrating, the cute riverwalk area by the boats is vacant, so there wasn't much to do in the area after the boat ride! read more

Great time! Loved the cruise! I would highly recommend this to any of you who are visiting Ft. Lauderdale.

I'm glad this was part of my one day trip to Fort Lauderdale. It was a peaceful boat ride that showed me what I cannot afford! Huge houses and massive yachts were definitely a sight to see. You can buy drinks which is great to relax with during this hour and half round trip. There is a guide that will give a historical background to some of the houses and boats which definitely adds to the wow factor. There is plenty of seating as there are 2 decks (main deck is enclosed, and the top deck is covered). read more

What a great experience. The owners were awesome and so was the staff. Relaxing cruise and tour of some of the beautiful houses on Riverfront. Everyone was very accommodating. From the first women's smile and warm greeting, to the photographer before you climb aboard, to the bartender and tour guide. Great job guys, thank you! read more

I had so much fun on this cruise last week. We found a deal on groupon 2/$30, which was a good price. First we went to the bar and the drinks were a good price. The staff was friendly, and the captain gave you a lot of information about the history,mansions, and yachts in the area . And at the end of the tour they offer you the picture they took while you were boarding the ship. A great souvenir from a nice day tour. read more

Riverfront Cruises - The captain got us as close as possible to see the mansion. Nicely done! - Boating Near Me - Ft Lauderdale, Florida

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An excellent day on the water in Ft. Lauderdale, begins with a short (but not too short, 1 1/2 hrs) tour of the celebrity and billionaire mega cottages lining the rivers and canals, from old Ft. lauderdale to the ocean, in one of the sturdy and clean vessels operated by this touring company. The friendly staff begins your voyage with a photo op ($20 extra, offered before you depart), which I recommend for a fun and lasting piece of vacation memorabilia. The beer selection while limited is inexpensive ($4.50 for a Corona) enough to afford a couple libations before returning to the concrete or sand of other ventures thereafter. As stated in other reviews the captain is an excellent pilot navigating the seemingly impossible twists and turns of the rivers and canals easily whilst spouting fact upon fact into a mic held easily as he drove. We departed on the 1pm boat the weeks before Xmas, and found a half empty boat and more than enough seats and plenty of room to move about. I recommend skipping the topside deck, and using the lower deck bow area, just in front of the captain. The view is better, and the breeze is not so chilly, not to mention the proximity to the bar and inside area if one gets cold. I brought four children and found nothing but smiles and kindness from the captain and the crew even when my niece was standing directly if front of him using sign language to distract him. In short, it was very affordable, parking is validated if you use the appropriate garage (directly next to the anders st drawbridge) and a phenomenal value for someone whose never seen how the rich spend their money. read more

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