I booked this cruise for my birthday trip to Kingston. One of the best activities I did while…read morethere. I've done many steamship boat cruises in New Orleans, but this one went for double the time. Definitely more value and the area was just gorgeous. This was my first trip to Kingston, and I didn't even realize the city was on the water. This cruise was such a great way to see the surrounding islands and wildlife, along with the beautiful houses of the other half and cute vacation cottages. People in Canada are so friendly too. Everyone outside on their porches waved, along with those in craft in the water. There were geese and I saw a mama swan with babies too. The day I went the sun was super strong! I had put on sunscreen but definitely recommend bringing more along. I got a nasty burn on the bridge of my nose and across my forehead and cheeks. And I didn't bring my sunglasses, also a big mistake! There was limited seating up on the top deck, but being a single I was able to scootch into the back corner on the flat part at the back of the boat. Met some nice people too. The narrator, I believe her name was Diane, came up to sit and talked with everyone for a while. She was super nice. All the staff were. One thing I didn't like was that the middle deck bar served only people eating in the dining room, and I wasn't. This meant on my way up, I had to choose between a beverage and getting a seat. I knew I wouldn't get one if I had to go all the way back to the bottom, so I didn't get a marg until well into the cruise when I had a couple to save my seat. It was very hot on the trip out, but once you get in the vicinity of the islands, there was a nice breeze. I know there was music and the tour information. If you do sit on the top deck, at least where I was, you can't hear any of that, so it's your preference which is more important. But overall, just a peaceful day with beautiful views. 3 hours is perfect for a boat cruise! When I visit again, I will definitely go out with them again. Highly recommend!

If there's a must-do in Kingston, it's taking a boat cruise on Lake Ontario & St. Lawrence River…read moreand seeing the Thousand Islands...and I'm guessing there's no better way than taking 1000 Islands. Aboard the Island Belle, we took the 90-minute Discovery Cruise: You'll see war and shipwreck sites, the Royal Military College, Kingston Penitentiary, Fort Henry, and, of course, hundreds of the lush, forested, and flat-out gorgeous Thousand Islands. And, if you've never seen a whole bunch of energy-harnessing windmills, a breezy day makes for quite the sight to see. There is an audio narration between a modern lady and one of the Scottish settlers that plays throughout the trip. It's informative and unintentionally hilarious at times. The downstairs is great for those not wanting to brave the elements. Warm, nice tables, snack, sodas, and a full bar. The best part is the BEAUTIFUL views, the best vantage point is outside and in front ... this is the best way to get the most out of your trip. All aboard!

Captain Tom Gillette is the BEST! He is very responsive and we kept in touch via text. Tom even…read morepicked us up right at the dock behind our hotel (1000 Islands Harbor Hotel). It is clear Captain Tom knows fish and where to find them. And boy did we find fish - all kinds of them (Northern Pike, Large and Small Mouth Bass)! Captain Tom was great with our kiddos too and we all felt very comfortable on the boat just hanging out. Captain Tom also went out of his way to clean the largest fish we caught (and he let us watch)! Amazing knife skills. We enjoyed delicious fresh fish for 3 days! Thank you Tom for helping our family create some unforgettable memories!

I've been fishing with Classic Charters for the last 2 years and I have never been disappointed…read more Each trip I fished for multiple days and always caught plenty of fish. The captain, Tom Gillette is a class act and really knows how to have a good time. I have fished all over the world and the St. Lawrence with Captain Tom is by far my favorite. And the shore dinner is something that I will never be able to put into words. Already looking forward to my next trip.

This was an incredible experience! My husband booked this tour for part of our vacation. I was a…read morebit apprehensive as I have a tendency to get seasick but hubby explained that he talked to the tour company and they would make sure to stay in as calm waters as possible. I was still a tad leery when I got on the boat (which was a pontoon boat, as it was going to be a little more stable per the captain). I felt bad cuz I know hubby really liked the older "antique" boat but he was happy as I made it through the tour without even feeling queasy. Huge win for us both! (and probably a win for the captain as well, lol) The tour was incredible - Captain Ed knew so much history of the islands and we feel that we got a better experience than the mass public tour boat that was going around with a the loud speaker. If ever in the area again, I would not hesitate to book again with Captain Ed!

Took the 1+ hour tour with Captain Ed this morning. What a treat. 40 years in the area and Ed KNOWS…read morehis stuff. Wonderful history. Fantastic visuals. Smooth ride. Very highly recommended.

My husband and I took a little day trip to Gananoque for our anniversary and to my surprise, my…read moreheight-fearing husband suggested we do a helicopter tour, which neither of us had done before. We found a Groupon for the Boldt Castle tour, which was twice the length of the cheapest package - it was 20 minutes long and regularly priced at $160 each plus tax and tip. Our pilot was a retired air force pilot, which gave us both a lot of confidence in his flying skills. My husband was anxious and gripped the handlebar in front of him pretty hard, but the flight was smooth and he was extremely friendly and made us feel so safe and comfortable. He was also incredibly knowledgeable and told us a ton of stories and fun facts about the area, which also helped distract my husband a little. He even flew a couple of times around the Boldt Castle so that we could get the best photos possible. We had such a great time and would totally recommend it to anyone thinking about it!

From the owner: Exclusive Helicopter tours of the 1000 Islands, Boldt Castle and Private Helicopter Charters.read more

My family went Fishing April 14, 2023, with Fish Finders Charter. The Captain was great he talk to…read moreus we laughed and we caught fish. He took us to catch bait fish then we on out to two spots fish were not bait that good then he took out more then we started catching Sharks. which was so much fun. I can't wait to go back fishing with them again. Also Jason the fish hand was very nice and and he baited are hooks, took the fish off the hooks and he cleaned them when we got back to the dock. The Boat was awesome it hand lots for room for 6 of us. I loved the was a bathroom and if you got to hot you could go in cabin and cool off. Over all it was a great!!!

Thank Caption Dave. Our family had a great time, caught a lot of fish and picked up some casting…read moretips too.

Capt Dave was great! He treated my wife and I to a great tour of the river and provided the…read morehistorical aspects of the islands as a seasoned tour guide, all while fishing for the elusive Northern Pike, Muskey, Bass and Perch. All of this was seamless while attending to our every need without skipping a beat! He even taught my wife (a fishing novice) how to cast. Something she never thought she would ever aspire to try. As it turned out, she out-fished all of us! We chalked it up to beginners luck :) We wrapped up the day with a delicious shore lunch where I learned of my two new favorite twists on regular BLTs (adding white onions) and French Toast (deep fried with real maple syrup and a shot of Jack) which is apparently a tradition up in that neck of the country. The fresh caught fish was also perfectly fried up and was absolutely delicious. We couldn't have asked for more during our time away from the hectic city life. We will definitely be returning to the Thousand Islands and will be employing his skills and expertise again. Thank you for the great time Dave!

OMG! this was positively delightful! This was a pre-wedding activity and there was nothing that…read morecould have made it more outstanding. A lovely meal was provided with equally lovely staff. It started in Clayton NY and went up past Alexandria Bay. There was a delightful announcer who filled us all in on what we were seeing along the way. If you visit Clayton, don't miss this boat trip. Boldt Castle is breathtaking. https://www.boldtcastle.com/visitorinfo/about This trip was worth 100 stars.

We took the 5.5-hour tour on June 20th, 2024. Dennis, the guide, and Gary, the Captain, were…read morefriendly, gracious, knowledgeable, and informative. The boat had adequate seating, our lunches that were part of our package, were well prepared Ns very good. We had a chicken wrap. and a ham & cheese wrap. A drink and potato chips were furnished with our picnic lunch. If one were to get thirsty after the supplied drink was consumed, there was a limited bar serving soda, beer, and a few choices of mixed drinks. Dennis, the tour guide was the bar tender. The tour included viewing several islands with a discussion of the various homes and buildings on them. The star attraction was Boldt Castle We were given 1.5-hrs to tour the Castle, and it was amazing. The other disembarkment was at a historic lighthouse, which tourists could climb the 256 steps for a grand view of the St. Lawrence River. We had a great time, and I recommend to anyone who visits the Alexandria Bay or Clayton area to jump on board