Lake Geneva Cruise Line

Fun 2 hour cruise on the Polaris. I would give 5 stars except that the benches are very hard for the long ride. Bench cushions would help. Also, halfway through the tour, a reference was made to Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel. Mackinac was mispronounced. Mackinac is pronounced Mackinaw.

I wouldn’t usually do such a «touristy» activity but I wanted to see Black Point and this seemed to be the easiest way. The boat ride was easily the highlight of the tour as the captain and tour guide were very nice and knowledgable. I have hiked the entire Shore Path before, but it was great to see the houses from a little further out and learn a bit about the history and owners.

The boat tours in Lake Geneva are fun. It is the icing on the cake to a beautiful summer day and it’s great to be out on the water learning about the history of this great city. I have been on several of these tours but my favorite is the full lake tour.

A shop owner wisely advised us to take the one hour cruise on a windy 55 degree day. That was the perfect length for the weather. A longer cruise would be more enjoyable on a more clement day.
The lakeside homes are beautiful and the captain’s running commentary is highly informative. The tour was well worth the cost.

We took the 10 am mail delivery boat tour and it was great. It was nice to have the boat go right up to the docks so we could see the beautiful homes up close, and it was fun to watch the mail jumpers leap to the dock and back onto the boat, scooting into the front window. Some residents were outdoors and we could watch the dogs carry the newspaper up the dock or do tricks in the lake. Sit on the right side of the boat if you like to get a closer look at the homes and boats. We sat inside because it was a chilly day and still had a great view. It was almost nicer than up top because we could watch the mail jumpers up close (we sat right and front). If you bring stamped mail, they have a special post mark they put on just from this mail boat. Or you can buy a stamped postcard for $ 1 from the concession area on the boat.

My husband, 7 year-​old daughter, and I took the mail boat tour. The view was beautiful and the commentary was interesting. There are screens that show the jumper delivering mail, but we couldn’t see him very well. The screens also show photos of the houses being discussed. I would have enjoyed seeing the photos better. The seats are plastic yard chairs, which were slightly uncomfortable because they slide and everyone is packed in to begin with.
We very much enjoyed our tour and would go again.

After living in the area for nearly 3 years this is the first time we decided to take the Cruise around lake Geneva. We did the 6pm Ice Cream Social on the big boat. The tix were only $ 14 for some reason, I think there was some kind of ½ price sale going on.
They board about 15min before and the entire boat is air conditioned. We sat upstairs in the forward part of the ship that is open air and right next to the captain. The cruise lasts about 1.5 hours. There is a bar upstairs that serves beer/​wine/​soda and some snacks and candy bars. There are also 3 bathrooms on board, not the biggest, but enough.
The captain was excellent. If you want the best view, sit on the right side of the boat since all the houses come on the right. He gave detailed explanation of the history of each area, including previous property owners, new construction, and the generations of people that have owned the homes over the years. The houses are AMAZING and just ooze $$$. Even the boats on the dock are kind of neat. About half way through the cruise you get a sundae, either strawberry, chocolate, or Carmel. The kids did get a little bored towards the end, but as an adult, I loved the whole experience.
Overall it is well worth the $ 14/​ticket, especially with the history lesson and the ability to see the houses up close.

We had our wedding this past May on the Duchess boat. Angie was extremely helpful from the minute I contacted them. She helped me plan our event every step of the way and it turned out to be an amazing day! The service on the boat by the captain, bartender and all of the staff was not only professional but also very pleasant. Our ceremony was on the boat upstairs and it turned out beautiful even if the weather wasn’t completely sunny. We served appetizers downstairs following the ceremony and it was just perfect! The food from Gooseberres was wonderful! All of our guests are raving about the entire experience! If you are looking for a unique way to share your wedding or any event with your friends, family or coworkers choose Lake Geneva Cruise Line! They will not disappoint!

On our recent mini-​vakay to Chicago, our friends took us for a drive to Lake Geneva. The day was perfect — 70 degrees and sunny — so we bought tickets for the Ice Cream Social lake cruise. What fun! It was 1.5 hours and only hit half the lake, but the captain’s funny commentary was worth the $ 25 ticket. The staff were outstanding and the tour was one of our favorite experiences on this trip.

This is a must do in Lake Geneva! I do it every single year and will continue to as I come it’s a great way to learn about some history enjoy a wonderful boat ride and even a dinner depending on which place you go. I like both the half and the full trips around the lake.

I went on the Dixieland Jazz Dinner Cruise as part of a bachelorette party this past weekend, and it was a bit of a mixed experience.
The good: The boat itself is nice, the travel smooth (I’m prone to seasickness and didn’t feel it all), the tour guide seemed knowledgeable (when I could hear him – my group was pretty noisy) and it was very fun to see all the gorgeous houses around the lake. Also, the staff was friendly and accommodating and they were completely prepared for our large group (and wisely sat us upstairs and away from the bulk of guests, which was thoughtful).
The not-​so-​good: The food was disappointing. I get that it’s hard to cook a meal on a boat, but I think we were expecting something a bit more special. The meal was bland banquet food: iceberg lettuce salad, green beans that might have been canned, basic lasagna, cheese cake with pie-​filling cherry topping. It was edible (at least my veggie entrée was! The meat that came with the chicken and shrimp options wasn’t very popular at my table), but it was at the low end of acceptable restaurant food. With such a nice atmosphere, I’d expect the food to match.
As it is, I’d recommend doing one of the non-​meal tours because it is a nice way to see the lake.

Four stars for mailboat tour. Wifey and I do this once a summer. Also the sundowner for live music and a beer or two.
It’s cheaper than owning a boat (and I can’t afford it anyhoo).
Tip: take the black point tour for some great views and history of the area. Wear comfy shoes!

I have to say that this cruise was a great way to spend an hour on the lake during a beautiful Saturday.
We really wanted to do the mail tour, but unfortunately, it’s only once per day and super popular! So, plan ahead if you want to do this one.
In the end, we chose the 1 hr Lady of the Lake tour which I think was just perfect. If you want a good seat, definitely go early — they start boarding 15 min prior to cruise time. We were actually almost the last ones on and just lucked out with good seats — we were upstairs with a great view.
The tour guide was a college student and he was quite informative, though be warned, some of the jokes are a bit cheesy (but still amusing and the kids will like them).
I thought the tour was just the right amount of time, the guide was helpful and the information was really interesting. It’s also a wonderful way to see the lake and the lovely homes around it.
Definitely worthwhile (though a little pricey).

Lake Geneva is lovely, but there really isn’t much to do there. For that reason, I recommend any boat tour to throw a little spice into a day that usually consist of shopping and drinking (at least for me).
We did the Black Point Estate Tour. Nice history lesson with a good amount of exercise (you have to climb many stairs to get to the estate). On the way to the estate, the guides explain the history of some of the mansions on the lake which is interesting.
The boat itself is rather uncomfortable with plastic chairs jammed together. We had the misfortune of being on the boat when a storm rolled in, and it’s almost impossible to escape being soaked if you experience a similar fate. By the time the crew got the little plastic «windows» down, the damage was done.

This is a great way to get the lay of the land if you’ve never been to Lake Geneva. We took the full lake tour (2 hours) & you learn about the history of the lake & some of the families with the big beautiful homes along the lake. A coworker visits Lake Geneva quite often and I learned things about the area from this tour that she had no idea about.

Classic tourist trap activity but probably a must for first time visitors to Lake Geneva.
Tour was well thought out and relatively informative. Our tour guide sounded like it was her first time, and was clearly reading from a script though. To make things even worse, she lost track of where she was on the script and re-​read several sections more than once.
Not a problem in and of itself, but we went in the middle of the summer and for $ 25 (I think) per person I would hope that the guides would have the script down pat as they describe houses and estates that have been around for close to 100 years …
There was a bar on board, which would have been a bonus but it was cash only, and of course, I had no cash …
We went on the 1 hour tour which was more than enough. Overall it was nice to be out on the water and the houses are beautiful.

We really enjoyed the Full Lake Tour on the Walworth. We were able to buy tickets about 15 minutes before boarding for the tour, and entertained ourselves in the little shops by the pier in the meantime.
The tour and the staff are great. We were one of the first ones on board and managed to grab seats on the upper level by the front. TIP: Sit on the right hand side of the boat. This way you will be able to see all of the amazing houses and take pictures without any other people obstruction your view. We just lucked out by choosing to sit on this side.
The two hours go by very quickly as the tour guide entertains you with stories of the people who live in these amazing houses. There did seem to be less guiding in the last 20 – 30 minutes of the tour, but by that point we had seem so many amazing houses, I couldn’t tell you who more than a couple of them belonged to.
There is a full bar with some snack on the back of the boat. If you are a walker, apparently they will pick you up in Fontana and bring you back the rest of the way. Not sure the price of that though, and you’ve missed half the tour by then. Price of the normal full lake tour is $ 29/​person.
If I return, I’d like to see the Mail Boat tour which I hear sells out quickly.

My wife and I went on the Mail Boat tour, so this review is for that tour alone.
Overall, I was happy with my experience. The narration of the history was fairly interesting. The people were nice. The boat was clean.
After that, not so much. This is a long long tour. 2 ½ hours of slow moving through every inch of shoreline. The chairs are just plastic patio chairs, which are not comfortable for this long and you’re jammed in there like sausages.
The mail jumper is a novelty and after five or six jumps, I didn’t actually care anymore. If I could go back, I would have chosen a shorter tour, a different tour, and something that let me enjoy the peace and serenity of the lake a little more and on my own terms.
But if you’re interested in the history of the shore houses, and don’t mind the slow moving trek, this may be a good choice.

If the bartender was going to mention that he has a full bar with discount drinks again I was going to scream. Very inappropriate as no one was buying drinks. They should get rid of the bar and make it more about the boat ride tour. Price was expensive for the ride: $ 50 for 2 adults.

The boat tour was fun! We took the 1 hour tour in the Lady of the Lake. I believe 11:00 was the first tour for this boat. They had a bar at the second floor, and the tour guide also stays on the second floor. The boat was beautiful and clean. However I did not get the chance to use the restroom to have a peek.
You can clearly hear the tour since they have a microphone and speakers. The tour was informative and funny at the same time. The houses by the lake are just gorgeous and jaw dropping!
Staff was very friendly. The tour is a must go! Just make sure to sit at the right side of the boat and if you have motion sickness, take dramamine 30 mins-​1 hour prior to taking the tour. Make sure it’s a non drowse dramamine so you won’t miss the tour!