Charleston Dinner Cruise

Great meal and great cruise. But the real find was Keith Bruce. Who knew one guy with an acoustic could do this!!!

We celebrated my in laws 50 wed Annv. We had 20 or so in our party. We felt so rushed the whole time. We went upstairs to take pics and owner told us to hurry back so flow of food wouldn’t be interrupted. They cook food off property and bring it to the boat in hot boxes. I realized it can’t be prepared on board but this makes the food dry and lacking flavor. I had chicken and it wasn’t good. The she crab soup was the best part of the meal. My relative across from me had pork chop and I swear it tasted like a fried bologna sandwich. In hind sight we should have gone somewhere else. It is a great experience for tourist which we were not.

A nice cruise and elegant dinner.
We booked a table for 7 on a Friday night cruise for my mom’s 50^th birthday a few weeks back, and we had a great time!
The vessel is a three storied one, with a rooftop, and two dining room decks. You can tell the ship is a bit older, not new and modern like the dinner cruises in Chicago, but it is very nice nonetheless. The tables are set for a formal dinner, and the amount of courses line up with the many flatware pieces surrounding your plate.
Dress is nice casual, though many were in business-​like attire. (Then there were the few in sweatshirts and jeans). There was live music by a guitarist/​vocalist that sang some oldies as well as some southern inspired tunes. It was a nice touch that added to the atmosphere.
The staff were very professional and attentive. Tea, coffee and water are no extra charge. We all had sweet teas, except my wife who likes just a splash of sweet in her tea. No complains with the tea! The bread was delicious. The she-​crab soup was a bit salty, but very good — so good that my mom who avoids seafood ate hers! The salad was decent and led nicely into the main course.
I had the ribeye and my wife had the shrimp/​grits. We both loved our dinners, respectively, and sampled each other’s. The steak was cooked just as I ordered and was very flavorful. The mashed potatoes had a spike of spice in them, which made it go well with the steak. Shrimp and grits were decent as well — creamy grits and tasty shrimp. No complaints from anyone on the food for our dinner.
The ride was smooth and took us around the Charleston harbor. It was a cloudy day when we went so we didn’t get to enjoy the rooftop much, but I did get to take in the massiveness of the 17 bridge when we went under it.
All in all a great experience for the price. Recommend!

Boat ride was fine. Food was not good. I ate the steak and it was terrible. The cut of meat was of very low quality. The vegetables were the exact same as a vegetable soup mix from the grocery stores freezer. The mashed potatoes were … Interesting. The alcohol selection is of poor quality. The live music was ok. The whole experience made me feel like I was stuck at a trashy wedding with a bunch of older people, children, bad food and a cash bar. Key word here is stuck! Because you can’t leave!
The bread was good!

This is a must for your visit! I’ll start with the bad: the weather was freezing (40’s) when we took our trip, so we did not get to enjoy the outside as much as we would have liked. That did not stop us from having a blast and making this tour worth every dollar, though – lol. We assumed going in, that the price was more for the views and the experience, and were only expecting mediocre food. Needless to say, we were blown away by the quality, and amount of food! I ordered the salmon with rice and my husband had the beef medallion – both still make my mouth water just thinking about how great they were! The salad was nothing to get excited about, but I am so glad I was able to experience the she-​crab soup. I am a fairly picky eater, and would have never ordered this off a menu. However, since it was sitting in front of me, I tried it… and loved it. The drinks are moderately priced – and pretty strong for the price! The DJ was a great addition to the evening. Once the food was done, he definitely played the right music to get people dancing. We had an absolute blast watching everyone on the dance floor and getting to meet the people at our table. We are coming back to Charleston in Oct. and will definitely plan another trip on Spirit Lines. It also looked like a lot of fun to do this event with groups (not just for couples). Make sure you add this great event to your itinerary – you will not be disappointed!

My husband is super sweet and surprised me with the Charleston dinner cruise. I was so pleased that he did as this was by far my favorite thing we did while he was stationed in Charleston.
The huge bonus of this cruise is that it allows you to see a lot of sites from the water that you might not otherwise get to see in Charleston. Finally, I found the food to be some of the best food I’ve eaten on a river cruise.
The boat isn’t amazing, but it is a nice size and I felt we were treated very well. We didn’t opt for our own separate table, which made things a little awkward as we were seated next to a woman who was experiencing sea sickness. Not her fault, but I think in the future to avoid the small talk, I would pay the extra and get your own space (definitely worth it as you also get to be closer to the window).
In addition to the downstairs, they have a roof top deck, which was nice (but could use some updating in terms of furniture). In sum, I loved the quiet, romantic feel of the ship and thought the staff were really friendly. I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Charleston.

I’ve done this cruise three times now. Every experience has been about the same; very, very nice. This is a highly romantic experience in spite of the other people on the ship. Depending on time of year, you will spend some part of the cruise after dark. You can go to the top deck and feel the breeze.
The cruise is really a high point of the experience. You will pass Fort Sumter, the Battery, the Charleston skyline and up-​to-​and-​under the Cooper River Bridge (Arthur Ravenal Jr Bridge).
You can call or reserve online. Payment is due when you reserve. Dinner is included in the price. Drinks and tip are extra. There is a full bar on the ship.
There is an option for seating at a table with another couple in the interior of the deck, or you can pay ~$ 25 more for a table for two at the window. I’ve always opted for the table for two. One seat will have great access to the window, the other will be somewhat blocked. The extra cost includes desert (about $ 10 value). Rates vary, but expect about $ 50 per person for dinner and the cruise.
The food is very good. A she-​crab soup starter that was excellent and a salad followed with a tasty house dressing. I recommend the shrimp and grits. The crab cakes are good. The fresh catch seems to always be salmon, but is done very good. The plate comes with a vegetable (green beans when I’ve been) and potato.
The cruise starts near the USS Yorktown at Patriot’s Point. Parking was $ 3 on my last visit (Labor Day weekend), but not on my other visits.
This is a great experience, but somewhat pricey. I did it for my 25^th Wedding Anniversary.