Lake Mead Cruises

So I won 2 tickets on the radio for an Evening Dinner Cruise with Lake Mead Cruises. I procrastinated and ended up booking their weekend before last cruise of the season (October 31).
Making reservations was easy, they called a few days before to confirm and ask a few questions.
The marina was easy to find once you get in the park, the have signs up pointing you in the right direction. The parking lot is dirt and near the dock. We checked in with ease, they offered if we wanted to buy refreshments or snacks. we opted for a beer, took a quick potty break and looked around the gift shop. They took everyone’s picture before boarding started. The temperature was nice but it was a cloudy, dreary evening.
We boarded in no time and were escorted to our assigned dinner table. The dining room was only half full, we got a nice window seat. But because of the time of the year it got dark fast and looking out the window was pretty useless, all you see is darkness.
We were served drinks pretty quickly, then our salads which were all dressed the same with a vinaigrette, also some rolls and butter on the side. They were all very good. We picked our main course. I got the Salmon and Doug got the Steak, both came with mashed potatoes and mixed steamed veggies. It wasn’t gourmet but it was very good, steak and salmon a bit overcooked but edible. We had a few minutes in between courses so we would all go out on the deck and check out the moon and stars and anything else we could see. Dessert was last, I chose the Lemon cake and Doug picked the Chocolate. The Lemon was light and delicious, Doug was even jealous and said it was better than the chocolate.
Before you knew it we were on our way back to the dock, enjoyed the night air, conversation with each other and another nice couple we met on the boat.
Over all it was a relaxing nice time, but with it being so dark out, if I had advice to give… go on one of the daytime cruises. And remember to tip your server!

Had a great experience with this cruise and my lady and I actually got engaged on it!
I called ahead from NYC and made reservations for a Sunday brunch cruise, as we were traveling to Las Vegas and Boulder City. I gave them another call the day before and made a few more specific arrangements and what not, and everyone was helpful.
We arrived early and had a drink at the bar. They have a few draft beers, cans, and some mixed drinks. Seemed pretty cheap (compared to NY at least), and our bartender was friendly and let us run a tab to the boat once brunch started.
Before we ate, we secretly went up to the top deck, where I surprised my girlfriend good! It went over really well and Shelli, our server, walked up with mimosas and took a few photos for us. She was fantastic! They also made an announcement to the ship and everyone was cool and didn’t embarrass me (too much).
The food was good! I was pretty distracted and excited, but I had some sausage, crepes, eggs benedict, bacon, and all that other good stuff.
The entire staff was really cool. Carla, Shelli, thanks a bunch! Also, the captain and his apprentice took a photo of us in the cockpit, which was cool.
We got some souvenirs after and one shirt was too small for my fiancée, and they were really cool about exchanging it the next day.
Overall a great job and a wonderful experience!

My dad was in town and has no interest in visiting the strip. I thought this would be a nice way to kill a few hours and see Lake Mead. At $ 26 I think it is a pretty good value for a 90 minute cruise but I wouldn’t pay any more. Keep in mind you have to pay a $ 10 National Park fee to enter however my dad has a National Parks senior card which got us in for free.
You also have to park in a dirt/​gravel lot and walk down to the dock. The check in was very easy and they boarded about 1:45 for our 2:00 deparutre. Unfortunately they kept waiting for late people to arrive and we did not leave until 2:15. Of course they came back right on time which gave us only a 75 minute cruise, not 90 as we paid for.
The cruise is narrated but it is prerecorded. As it was so hot we mostly stayed inside as most others did but it was really noisy and hard to hear the commentary. I thought we would see more of the lake but they just go straight to the Hoover dam and back. They do have a full bar as well as a grill with a good selection of food. It was okay to do once, but once was enough.

Went on daily cruise today with 2 friends loved the cruise workers were very nice cruise was great the only thing they charged you to go in complex to park in dirt lot I think if you pay for cruise they should wave the 10 dollar fee to park in dirt lot have to wash car after I left but the cruise was great

Lisa, you rock!
There are so many things that were five stars, I don’t know where to start.
The staff was very friendly, they were on time for departure and return. The cleanliness of the boat was outstanding, the staff was continuously cleaning throughout the meal and the whole trip.
Food was great! We had light appetizers, chips salsa, fresh vegetables, fresh melon.
The experience in it’s entirety Was phenomenal.
Captain was a flawless navigator.
Thank you Lake Mead Cruise team.

I have been on the dinner cruise a couple of times and I love it everytime, I always have the steak, the food is delicious, the view is beautiful and everything is always great. I like outdoors and all the times I have went I have a great time.

Decent buffet and unlimited champagne for the brunch cruise. Beautiful scenery. Polite and helpful wait staff. Top deck of the boat was very relaxing. We enjoyed ourselves very much. We would go again :)

We went on the sunday brunch cruise and it was everything we expected and then some!!! All the crew members were very nice. The boat was gorgeous, The scenery was gorgeous, my girlfriend was gorgeous. Was worried about the brunch buffet being not up to par. But it exceeded my expectations! Food was excellent. Champagne and orange juice (mimosas) provided unlimited! We were the 2^nd table to get the food so the food was still hot and fresh when we ate. Didnt hear anyone complain about the temp of the food after us. Very laid back and only like 3 young children so it was very quiet and relaxing. Would do this or a dinner cruise again!

WHAT RUINED THIS ENTIRE CRUISE EVENT–
It is a historical recount from the dinasaur era to LBJ in office. Everything that took place about the lake was blasted over the speakers on the boat for a solid hour. About the time you think you are getting a respite from that the recording starts up again. It is not a full two hour event. It was more like an hour and a half.
You people need to find another way to do this. If people would want to hear all that then give them headphones like they do at the museums. This ruined the entire excursion. The vista was beautiful the weather was beautiful the endless blaring of audio everywhere on the boat ruined the entire activity.
Money could have been wasted at the blacjack table better.

Cruise is pretty cool, although I agree with others about the recorded narrative being annoying. The one star is because they force you to have your photo taken before you board for their stupid souvenir sales «or we aren’t going to let you board». Screw that. Warn me first when I buy the tickets that you are going to pull a stunt like that. Maybe I’m overreacting, but I am the customer, and if I say I don’t want my photo taken, why force the issue?

Took a 2pm cruise with 1 teen, 3 children and 2 additional adults. For the price of the cruise ($ 32,adult and $ 26, child), I expected much more than a recorded explanation that could barely be heard through the 2^nd deck speaker. We were so very bored, especially the kids.
Food was just ok and reasonably priced. $ 7 to park on a unpaved lot in addition to the price of the cruise. The group picture was $ 20.
Overall, I felt ripped off.

Not impressed. We departed 25 minutes late, so don’t plan a tight schedule for after the 90 minutes. Air conditioning appears to be inadequate. It’s the Nevada desert for God’s sake! Long line for the bar. Canned narration is hard to hear. They allow smoking, so the smokers smogging away up top were happy (Hack, hack! Cough, cough!) The only upside is you get to see Hoover Dam for about 10 minutes for photo ops. You could just drive a few minutes further and view Hoover Dam from a viewpoint off the road for free. Otherwise, Lake Mead is a rocky-​rimmed wasteland with it’s own special beauty that gets old after 10 minutes. It is what it is. The extra star is for the staff. All friendly and efficient. Oh, almost forgot. There is a $ 10 fee to get into the National Recreation Area. It is good for 7 days, but big woop if you are just coming for the cruise.

We had a fabulous time on the Lake Mead dinner cruise tonight! The food was delicious, service impeccable, and you couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful evening. Captain Bob maned the ship, and Tony poured the Beat Dam Margaritas! My father reminisced over the cruises he had enjoyed with my mother in the past. We hung on his every word, while enjoying a perfect sunset. Thank you Lisa, we plan to bring all our guest out to enjoy the dinner cruise, every chance we get!

Hubby treated me to a champagne brunch ferry ride in Lake Mead, whoopee! Been wanting to try this out and it did not disappoint. For special occasions, make sure you book in advance because they fill out fast. Also make sure you come early. There’s a grace period of about 15 – 20 minutes for boarding but when we left, one family missed the ride and had to console themselves with taking photos of the boat.
The ferry has 3 floors — 2 air-​conditioned indoor floors and an open deck at the top. The views are better on the 2^nd floor dining area. The champagne, orange juice and coffee are free flowing and good, while brunch served had mostly breakfast items that fall under a tolerable gray area — not great but not horrendous. There was salad, fruit, scrambled eggs, potatoes, french toast, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, some weird sweet and sour noodle dish, blueberry muffins, yogurt parfait and corn cake. Eggs benedict were also served but with a 10minute wait. If you are a stickler for good food, you can skip out on the meals and take the mid-​day food-​less cruise.
If you are ok with staple breakfast buffets, it’s a nice opportunity to chat with family over food and enjoy the ride/​views. The best time to go on this cruise is when it’s not too hot, cold or windy. Because the winds were bad that day, we could not enter the canyon where we could see the part of Hoover dam more closely. After you finish your meal, there is enough time to explore the top deck and take photos before the boat docks. The dining area and bathrooms are clean, and service is prompt. And for an extra $ 20, you can purchase a large photo print out and photo magnet of your family in front of the boat. Definitely a must-​book in Vegas!
(p.s. if they improved their food, this cruise deserves a perfect 5 star rating!)

The dinner cruise was great! 2 hours of relaxing and enjoying a gorgeous sunset. It took us up to the Hoover Dam, then served the main course. It was perfectly coordinated, shortly after desert was served, we were back at dock. The food was good, the wait staff were friendly, and the table settings were elegant for a short cruise. Id like to do it again sometime, it was worth every penny.

We went in may 2013. It just was not what we expected. We had a party of five so we spent over 150 for the trip it’s nice to get out of the Vegas strip but all it did was go 1 mile an hour to the dam and circle back so just one big circle! Which I’ve done that on other cruises on lakes also. It was to hot to sit on the top deck, I went up there with my husband and there was only two other couples, make sure you wave at the flashers on the boats that u pass lol anyways we just stayed inside and hit the bar up and got nachos and stayed in the ac, there was no live person talking it was a recording and when you get off the boat they want you to buy you pics I got them just bc that was that last time they would be seeing me lol I think it was like 25 for 2 pictures. But hey nothing’s cheap in Vegas! Save your money and go ride the ducks in branson mo it was way more fun

HIGHLY suggest! Amazing cruise, narration, drinks, and food! The prices were extremely reasonable and they offer a military discount, as well as AAA.
All of the staff was super friendly and very welcoming.
I am so glad that my mom talked us in to doing this cruise!

We went on this cruise last weekend as a family outing and it was great! Totally worth the $ 20 per person to get out on the lake and enjoy a serene, informative, and relaxing cruise. It was a great refresher after doing the typical strip and gambling scene.
It was a nice 2 hour ride that was a bit blustery at times but very scenic and lovely. It takes you close to the damn and gives you a spectacular view of the dam and the new bridge. They do serve food on the boat but we decided to eat elsewhere.
I highly recommend the cruise for those looking for a cheap and relaxing afternoon out on the water.

I don’t think this is getting enough love. Maybe I’m biased since I used to cruise around on a paddleboat like this one on the Pittsburgh rivers as a kid. How can you not like a casual day on the lake?
Here’s what you need to know: this is meant to be a relaxing, sit-​back and enjoy the afternoon kind of ride. It’s on Lake Mead so you certainly can’t be expecting something exciting to pop up during the cruise. It’s also a paddleboat so you can’t be expecting it to go very fast. It’s meant for you to have a chill afternoon in Boulder City.
We, of course, had to go on one of the windiest days so far this year. And I, of course, had to think I was going to look cute and wear a dress on our little afternoon date. Do not do this! It is not smart and everyone will stare at you like you are a crazy person. Yes, we had extra wind the day we were there, but I can imagine that it’s windy on the lake most days. Because of my fashion don’t, we didn’t explore too much of the boat. We ran up to the 2^nd floor and grabbed something to eat and then as I clung onto my dress for dear life we went to the 3^rd floor to really enjoy the views. We completely missed the first floor.
There is a prerecorded guide that talks about the history and geology of the area when the cruise first starts. I’m kind of bummed we missed it since I can be a bit of a nerd, but I was starving and my stomach always comes first. We were able to order off the menu on the 2^nd floor but unfortunately there weren’t a lot of options for vegetarians. We ordered some snacks and I decided that I couldn’t pass up a frozen strawberry margarita. I only reserve frozen cocktails for days when I feel like a tourist, and this was one of those days. The second floor was just to the full point when we arrived but cleared out after 20 minutes.
On the top floor there are some patio furniture-​esque chairs to sit in and soak up the sights. I decided to not let the wind win and relax. There were plenty of interesting rock formations to see as well as a new perspective of the Hoover Dam (down below vs. from up top). If you’re lucky you can steer the boat for .82 seconds like I did!
In all, this is a fun afternoon date or a good spot for a family. Prices for drinks and food are a little more than I would normally spend but not outrageous. I am docking one star, however, since I do feel the tickets are overpriced. I got a discount on mine and feel like it was worth the price for what I received.

I have done the Lake Mead cruise three times. It really is a super way to send a relaxing hour and a half. The cruise gives you a view behind Hoover Dam which is a view you’ll never see unless you do other water activities at the lake.
The narration during the cruise is very informative. It explains the geology of the Boulder Basin on which this section of Lake Mead is formed. The narration goes on the explain the building of the dam, and now there’s a separate narration to describe the Hoover Dam Bypass being built south of the dam.
I have done this cruise twice in the summer. The paddle wheel boat is air conditioned, but when it’s hot, it’s not conducive to going out on deck to get some great photos. More moderate months would be best. If you are visiting in the summer, don’t be afraid of going because of the heat. You;‘ll enjoy the trip in the air conditioning inside.