Hornblower Cruises & Events

Scheduled this to do with my girls today, and boy was it a great day for a boat ride. It was the Spooky Halloween theme and it was for the kids. They had face painting and balloon art. They gave out candy and lil prizes to the kids. At the concession stand they solded a few items (Hot dogs, chip, soda’s & beer etc). I was not pleased with the hot dog, for $ 3.50 bread was hard on one side and the hot dog was just a regular hot dog…
I must admit for just $ 20. bucks a person, free for children under the age of 3 years old. It was so worth that $ 20. The weather was great, water was calm and most of all for me; it was relaxing. This girl wanted to lay it down. .Lol There was a lot of people tho and the children were all dressed in their costumes. They looked so cute and the ladies that were doing the face painting was matching up the colors with what they wore. It was really neat and they were fast at it too.
It was a wonderful day and if anyone wish to take this little cruise with your children, just keep in mind that its a lot of people taking it, so its best to get here early for boarding. I was so happy we were early. We got great seats up top. The view is so much nicer from the top and thats where the concession stand is as well. I enjoyed this and the joy on my granddaughter face spoke Volumes.
This is something great for the whole family. The view was nice and there was a lot of people out on the water doing different things. Fun day in October!
#SpookyHalloweenCruise

Great way to spend an affordable hour on the river with friends and family. Plus the crew is friendly and well trained. It was a very nice afternoon the river, thanks to the Hornblower crew.

I was hoping to review this Hornblower Cruise the next time that we maybe have brunch here but I’m not sure if that’s going to happen although I have heard the rumor earlier this year & my HB did from someone on the boat last Sunday 5÷3÷15.
We have been on the Hornblower Cruise quite some time ago for a dinner cruise when they didn’t serve us dinner until 15 minutes prior to docking which was around 945 pm that night. They reimbursed us with a complimentary brunch cruise for two. I really enjoyed that cruise as it was AYCE plus you can see outside in the daytime and it’s gorgeous when we have beautiful weather.
I decided to take advantage of riding this cruise last Sunday as the weather was perfect for it. They travelled down the Sacramento river down to where Virgin Sturgeon was located on the river.
It was actually quite cool and one can see all the boats taking advantage of the gorgeous weather we were having. Also that was the same weekend of the bass fishing contest that lasted four days.
The boat cruise was only for an hour but it was well worth the ride. Hopefully they pick up on brunch cruises and dinner cruises too down the line. They did sell snacks & drinks but cash only. If one purchased tickets there in Old Sac you need a credit card as they didn’t take cash there. I know that’s kind of confusing. We held off on snacks as we just had lunch so we just grabbed a drink on the way back to the car. The bathrooms were very decent and on the first floor. We sat up on the higher deck though the entire time. It was so nice to be out there on the river with the weather being just perfect!!! Sactown is blessed with the best weather.

My husband and I took our girls on a river ride yesterday after I finished the Santa Run and they had a blast. They had free reign to move about, inhale sugar cookies, stalk the deck and squeal at the river water frothing behind us. Also, they did begrudgingly take some pics with Clause and he was a trooper. In other words, they had free reign to BE TWO and partake in a solid hour of diversion courtesy of a wonderful, accommodating crew.

I took my son and nephew they are seven and eight. We usually go up to Jamestown for the Santa train. The Santa train was sold out so I looked for other options. I am really glad I found this. We entered the boat the crew welcomed us on and Santa and his elf which has to be the best elf ever she was great with the kids and makes balloon animals. She is so into her character you can’t help but feel cheery!!! Santa was singing and was available for pictures he was great with talking with the kids also! I am so very happy we found this definitely will be coming again!

This review is for the Christmas River Cruise.
My kids are 4 and 2. They had a great time! Once on board there was hot cocoa and cookies for everyone. Santa was very jolly and spent a lot of time with all the kids. We were able to take some great pictures with Santa. Make sure you bring a good camera! There was no line and we got to take our time with Santa — there were only 10 or so kids on the boat and we got about an hour of cruise time. Also Santa’s helper, a lady elf, was wonderful and she did balloons and told Christmas stories for kids. She’s extremely patient and cheery. She also sang Christmas songs with Santa. Staff was also nice and helpful.
I’d recommend parents to pay attention to where Santa and the elf are. They do move around to keep as many guests entertained as possible and I don’t blame them! You would need to go to different parts of the boat to get the most out of the experience (painting upstairs, views on the deck, balloons with elf, etc). If you stay at one spot, especially if just inside, I can see how it could be slightly boring (from reading some other reviews). Overall we really enjoyed the cruise! I also got a good deal from gold star but I think it’s worth full price! Im sure we will do it again!

This was one of the most relaxing times I’ve had in ages! Maybe a little pricey, but I thought it was well worth it. We went on a November weekend and it was not crowded at all. I suppose if you went when it’s crowded, it wouldn’t be as nice, but today was great! Nice buzz from the full bar and a relaxing hour it was.

My friends were visiting from the bay area and found an online deal for this 1 hour tour… 1 hour tour.
Well, I thought it would be much pricier than what it turned out to be. It was actually a fantastic deal. Our tour wasn’t overly crowded so we were able to sit outside on the bow and enjoy the warm weather. The host was funny and informative and the crew was very attentive. When we were cruising between historical fun facts, they were playing a great selection of «oldies» through the loudspeakers. When we were about to dock, the crew even walked around and asked if anyone wanted them to take their pictures… many people took them up on the offer. All in all, based on the price and convenience, I’d say that I would recommend this to anyone who has a little extra time while visiting Old Sacramento.

We did the 1 hour historical cruise at 4:30 pm on the 4^th of July.
The sights were great and the history was interesting.
The narrator, Leilani, spoke much too quickly and I only caught about a 3^rd of what she shared. The microphone cut in and out, which contributed to more lost narrative.
The upper deck filled up immediately, so we sat in the stuffy downstairs. It either needs open windows or much better a/​c.
I’d also recommend a roving beverage vendor to service the folks downstairs.

Picked up a Living Social deal for a one-​hour tour to use the next time a case of «We don’t have anything FUN to do this weekend!» strikes. (Although having to make telephone reservations to use it was a little less than spontaneous.) Included with the online boarding instructions was the following guideline — «Attire: Dressy.» I didn’t wear an evening gown or anything, but I was definitely the only person who didn’t get the memo that for tourists, shorts and a sweaty tank top are also considered appropriately «Dressy» attire aboard the Hornblower. Slightly less highbrow than the experience I anticipated.
Downstairs is a large enclosed room with windows and up front a small space to sit or stand outside in the sun. Upstairs is an open air room where patrons can purchase beverages, with more limited standing-​only sightseeing space in the front. Our hostess was Leilani, who barked fun facts about Sacramento over the loudspeaker throughout the journey with the dramatized inflection of a tv journalist.
I enjoyed the experience but was glad we paid the reduced price. Drinks are about $ 6 a piece, so bring cash if you intend to get sloshed in the figurative sense.

Had a deal from
for $ 10 tickets (half price) on select dates, and we had an out-​of-​town visitor for the weekend and thought, why not?
Goldstar confirmation said to check in at the boat, which was misleading. The ticket booth for Hornblower Cruises is actually up along Front Street on the boardwalk, where you get your boarding passes then go down to the L Street Dock. That was a bit confusing with Rio City Café in between the Hornblower signs. But since it was already paid through Goldstar, we were already on the boarding list for the 12 o’clock cruise.
It was a nice day to be out about town, glorious weather, playing tourist, although it also coincided with the Shamrock’n Half Marathon which starts/​ends at Raley Field, across the Tower Bridge, with portions of the course through Old Sac. Road closures definitely were a challenge to navigate, with Old Sac also being busy with spectators and race finishers sticking around for celebratory brunch or St. Patty’s beer. I should have known about the race, since I ran it last year! D’oh!
One-​Hour Historical Sacramento River [Yacht] Cruise
Leisurely hour on the Sacramento River learning about its part in transforming Sacramento into what it is today. Sail past Old Sacramento’s famous historical sites including the Delta King, the I Street Bridge, the Tower Bridge, Air Force Docks, past Garden Highway’s eateries and hear the captain’s stories about town history. You’ll also see the point where the American and Sacramento Rivers converge (where blue water meets chocolate-​milky brown, haha) at the Jibboom Bridge, and views of the city skyline including the old Money Store ziggurat building in West Sac.
The boat itself wasn’t terribly crowded, we sat at a table on the upper deck indoors for awhile (open windows), then migrated to the outdoors to sit near the front, portside bow where the captain was narrating, also a better view of what was up ahead. The bar was cash-​only but a few people partook in their St. Patrick’s beers aboard the boat. Sunny and breezy, it was very nice for a midday cruise. I might check out one of the evening cruises come summertime.
Parked in Old Sac parking garage, but Hornblower doesn’t validate.

I really enjoy all the history Sacramento has to offer, and try to get out and learn as much about it as possible. I figured this would be a good opportunity. On
, you can get ½ price tickets just about any time so I booked for Feb 15^th. What a great way to start off a nice Valentine’s weekend, right? Definitely!
We boarded for the 2pm cruise and there were approximately 25 – 30 other people. Not crowded at all. We went straight for the snack bar as we were a little hungry and definitely thirsty. They offer some basic stuff; hot dogs, chips, peanuts, soda, coffee, hot chocolate, beer, wine, and even little bottles of champagne! I got a bottle so we could do our own little toast together. It was pretty decent stuff! We each got hot dogs too. Man, they were good!!!
There was plenty of room to sit inside but I didn’t want to. I like being out where the action is! So we took up residence on the port (left) side of the second deck bow (front of the vessel). I heard everything the announcer was saying loud and clear, and I have hearing issues. I guess being right by the helm (where they were announcing from) was a plus.
It was a very nice, leisurely tootle up the river with interesting facts and history along the way. I won’t give any away so you’re just going to have to go find out for yourselves. We got as far as the Virgin Sturgeon area then turn around and headed back, then under the beautiful Tower Bridge and back to the dock.
Definitely touristy but fun. I would do it again if I had visitors from out of town, or if someone I know just wanted to go. It made for a nice kick-​off to a very nice Valentine’s weekend with my guy:-)

Hornblower Cruises offers several different cruises along the Sacramento River, including a champagne brunch and dinner/​dancing cruise. I chose the standard up-​the-​river tour as I’m rarely awake for bunches and the dinner cruise was a smidge out of my price range.
The standard cruise lasts about an hour starting up toward the Sierras and then turning around and heading toward San Francisco and back past the Old Sacramento dock and making a final turn right before I-​80. The cruise is also narrated including historical and point-​of-​interest information.
A nice, if somewhat brief trip up and down the river immediately around Old Sacramento. The sound system could have stood to be a bit louder as is was somewhat hard to hear out on the deck, but the price was reasonable and the scenery was lovely. A nice way to blow an hour if you are already down at Old Sacramento.

For a touristy but educational and very different viewpoint of Sacramento, the Hornblower is where it’s at. This well-​worn tourist vessel gives its patrons an entertaining but flawed hour+ tour of the Delta filled with a couple interesting facts.
As a local, I’d never had any desire to ride on what I considered to be a tourist trap. When my mother-​in-​law came to town, it was an excuse to prove myself wrong, and I did… at least partially. The busy weekend cruise herds people on and off all day like a cattle car and repeats the trip over and over in cookie-​cutter fashion. Hop on early or prepare to miss the seats and be relegated to leaning on a railing or sitting in the stuffy downstairs.
The crew is very friendly and the facts they gave me about everything from the new water treatment station to the Tower Bridge to an old air force loading dock were very interesting. We chugged up the delta to about the location of the Virgin Sturgeon then turned around and went under the Tower Bridge in majestic fashion.
My only major peeve was that they only take credit cards at the ticket counter and only take cash at the on-​board bar. This makes some sense because, as explained by our ticket taker, the ticket counter doesn’t want to have a lot of cash on hand to invite thieves. Still, unless you’re the rare breed who always has plastic and a lot of cash on hand, prepare to be disappointed at one end or the other.

We cruised down the Sacramento River on the Hornblower, a Thursday afternoon, for the price of the Groupon ($ 24 for 2 bordering passes. 40% saving)
— They had done this deal before where it was $ 20 for 2 passes. Weaker deal.
— You need to make a reservation in advance and bring your Groupon
— We parked in Old Sac. They don’t validate.
— Come early to grab a table and seat. Sit starboard on the 2^nd floor! Best spot.
— You can purchase drink and snacks when aboard. We didn’t bother.
— Rest assure that they have fans. It can get hot.
— Nice history of events, architecture and city
— Tour is about an hour.
— Bring a camera, bottles of water, and chips
Learn nautical terms! haha.
Starboard — Right
Portside — Left
Bow — Front
Stern — Rear

Purchased the 1 hr– Hornblower Sacramento tour on Goldstar for $ 10 (instead of $ 20). I thought my kids would enjoy it. Eh– it’s ok. If you have friends with a boat that can take you on the delta, that would be preferable. The boat we went on was older and the front rattled, so you could not hear the tour guide speaking. Kind of defeats the purpose of the tour. The bartender on the 2^nd floor was kind though. $ 2 each for soda, and he threw in the $ 1 bag of potato chips for free :). If you’re really hunting for things to do, check it out. Otherwise, your time might be better spent at one of the museums in old town.

We went on the dinner cruise Saturday night. It was great fun. The majority of people there were celebrating a birthday or anniversary.
The food was great and the service was great.
The music was pretty good. A lot of older stuff, but that fit the audience well. It was a professional singer and his karoke equipment. Not too loud. And he took requests, which was nice.
The three hours went by very fast. Overall, very enjoyable and I’d do it again.

Service was impeccable. Our server was Chelsea. She was absolutely wonderful. We have 2 vegetarians in our group so we were a bit harder to accommodate. She was attentive, sociable, and professional. Dinner was wonderful. We had the mushroom dinner and a bottle of Zinfandel. The night and the scenery was beautiful. The music was great. The entire staff was wonderful.
My ONLY complaint is that the top two levels of the boat were completely UNutilized. It would have been so much more entertaining if there was music on the second level where there is an existing DANCE FLOOR! it was just a boring empty room where no one wants to go.

For my birthday present, my husband gave me a champagne brunch cruise on the Hornblower. I have to say, I loved it. The day started off beautifully. We were in Old Sac before all the cars and all the modern people with their cell phones and blue teeth descended on it and so you could wander down the streets and pretend like you actually were in a Sacramento from a past age.
We were a bit taken aback when we queued up to board because there was a very large and very raucous birthday party crowd ahead of us. Still, that turned out to be a good thing because when we did board we were sent to the second story of the ship where it was blessedly cool, the service was very personal and all the seats were next to the window. We were seated in a big room with the buffet in the middle so that when we got up, we had plenty of room to wander about.
We were between a couple that I am fairly certain just started dating and an elderly couple who were treating their two daughters (one flew in from Virginia and the other is still in the Sacramento area). By the way, the first thing you will discover on a ship is that there is no privacy. I don’t mean there isn’t a lot of privacy; I mean there isn’t any. It’s not like a floating restaurant – more like a floating airplane but with a lot better service and more room for your legs. So you actually get to meet the people around you. Which of course is how we found out all sorts of stuff the very large family of the lady next to us. She was a lovely lady; I hope to run into her again one day.
The food was lovely, the company was delightful, the service was excellent. We sailed just past the Sand Cove Park Beach along the Garden Highway (no, you never see the highway from the boat – we did take some pictures of what you do see) and it felt lovely. Standing on the deck, watching the boats and beyond them the houses go by, I felt like for a second or two I could pretend I was in a different time: before cars and watches and the never-​ending bustle. It felt good.
Maybe that’s why when the guys on the boats passing us waved and smiled as did the folks on the beach and we weren’t the only passengers to wave back. Somehow, floating along the Sacramento River in lovely company with great food and wonderful service and in such a leisurely manner. well, it put everyone on our level certainly in a good mood. And for me, personally, the trip made my day.

«I’M ON A BOAT. I GOT MY FLIPPY-​FLOPPIES…»
SITREP
Sacramento is lucky to be at the juncture of two rivers: the American River and the Sacramento River. Being «River City», it takes advantage of the natural lay of the land — or the WATERWAYS, as the case may be — to let local residents experience the beauty of a riverboat cruise.
For 30 years, Hornblower has helped couples cruise toward happily ever after. Sweethearts fall for stunning settings and yachts, flawless service and a range of affordable options. Hornblower boasts a wonderful sightseeing, dining, and DJ-​dancing experience (depending on the package that is procured prior to launch.
HISTORY
Since Hornblower founder and CEO Terry MacRae purchased a small charter yacht business in 1980, the company has operated to deliver premier, quality dining, entertainment and cruise experiences. Today, Hornblower’s company-​wide «Respect Our Planet» program also makes environmental responsibility a top priority with all vacations, weddings, corporate outings and galas.
SET-​UP
In 2009, Hornblower started operating in Old Sacramento and now provides river tours on the Sacramento River and dinner, including mid-​day brunch cruises.
Hornblower-​Old Sacramento has a view of the cityscape from the waterway and is always a breath-​taking experience and there is something to be said about a serene boat trip that reminds one of a bygone era when pleasure trips and commerce relied so much more on this «old school» style of transportation. I always LOVE to take one or two of these evening cruises during the summer.
THE LOWDOWN
If you always wanted to try «a boat» experience, but had a reticence to go on a smaller fishing or ski boat, but couldn’t afford the bigger 3 – 7 day Carnival or Princess line cruises, then YOUR BOAT HAS ARRIVED!