DC Harbor Cruises

Got two tickets for «cocktail cruise» as gifts from my friend. I appreciate the thoughts behind it though. She bought the tickets via groupon. The cruise ran from 6 – 8 pm. By that time in fall, it was dark.
First and foremost, the crew and captain did their jobs but I expect a bit more for such an event name. Some guests even wore suits and black long dresses to fit the occasion. They were wrong. I felt bad for them. Luckily we didn’t dress up much, just dress pants and shirts.
— parking lot charge is $ 15
— no free cocktail but $ 8 wine in a plastic cup. No frill bar.
— old and worn out seatings. Imagine Christmas light hanging as decoration.
— no view except the blue light from the south capital street bridge on anacostia River, joint base, national defense university, Reagan airport, a bit of Washington monument where you can see half of it from the dock.
— good songs playing on the speakers.
All in all. It is very disappointed.

We were departing from Washington Marina in 2015 for the Cherry Blossom boat ride on the Patriot II — note the entry is actually farther before the road (GPS leads you down further in the Marina to the centerpoint instead of the North side where the boat boards), and so if you miss it, going around is a headache.
Good thing is that even when late while doing that turning around the street for parking, they held the boat for me for six minutes. The parking lot there wasn’t open to the public (somewhat annoying), though they had rates up (but no way to get into the lot without a key card).
DC Harbor /​National Ferry Corporation runs a Cherry Blossom boat ride, and they discount it for the early weeks (like last weekend when we went) on Groupon, as there are very few Cherry Blossoms to be seen — they pointed out four trees overall on our 1hr ride. Good thing is, the captain (announcer?) had a lot of commentary on the buildings. Really it was a chance to take the little one around on a boat.
They do serve some snacks and drinks for those who like a glass of wine or spirits while they ride.

I went yesterday with a group on the happy hour cruise, which we purchased through groupon for my friend’s birthday. The staff was not super friendly and the line was super long to even get a drink, with one slow bartender. We waited 25 mins to get drinks, so I recommend one or two people getting for your group at one time so at least some of the people in the party can enjoy themselves on the boat. Some of the guests were also disappointed that they were out of hot dogs, which was the only hot food offered on the menu. Overall, the boat ride was ok, but slow inefficient service made this not as fun as it could have been.

I went on the happy hour cruise and it was a pleasant activity, but there were a few things that could be improved. There was only one bartender, so the line was always obnoxiously long, get your drinks in bulk. They do take credit cards. A staff person mentioned historic sites in the beginning, but it was difficult to hear. And now that the sun is setting earlier, you could only see things for the first ½ hour or so. The rest of the trip didn’t have a lot of sites along the water that were interesting.

I booked tickets for an early afternoon Cherry Blossom cruise last weekend for my boyfriend’s sister and brother in law visiting from upstate NY. Knowing the traffic would be crazy during the peak cherry blossom time we took metro to L’enfant and walked the couple blocks to the waterfront. There are tons of signs near the docks point to where DC Harbor cruises picked up, however, if you want to check in early and get boarding tickets (if you have a voucher from an online purchase), there is a small booth/​stand to the left towards Cantina Marina (vs right or towards the highway). There is also a BBQ food stand behind it if you want a quick bite if you arrived too early and need some time to kill.
After getting our tickets, the man at the check in booth directed us to where the boat would pick up. We made our way over after our quick BBQ lunch and waited for the boat to arrive. After waiting for it to dock and unload people from the last trip, we boarded and set off about 15 minutes later. There is plenty of seating on the lower and upper decks on benches along each side of the boat. There is also a covered indoor seating area with tables and a bar with a few snacks (granola bars and crackers).
We set off at a leisurely but good pace and made our way around Hains Point and towards the bridge before making a loop back to DC. I agree with another Unilocaler that while you don’t see some of the major highlights/​monuments up close, you get a nice narration of the sights you do see– military housing, bases, airport, bridges, Hains point, not to mention the gorgeous cherry blossoms all up and down the river!
You do see the Pentagon, the Air Force Memorial, the Washington Monument, all around Hains point and the Cherry Blossom trees, and the waterfront. They even had good music playing in between the tour narrations!
Overall it was a fantastic trip and we all had an incredible time. Staff was friendly and we were able to find the location of the boat very easily with all the signs and staff. The boat itself was clean, had tow clean bathrooms and 2 bars, plenty of seating, and was smooth sailing the entire way. Tip for seating– when boarding the boat, sit along the right side– it’s stays mainly in the shade and you see everything when it makes the return loop back. Also bring sunscreen if you stay outside! Perfect weather and perfect first cherry blossom boat ride– with so many cherry blossom boat vendors I was worried about making the right choice. But DC Harbor Cruises was excellent! I would definitely do it again and highly recommend them!

Krista B pretty much said it all…
Christa F has only to add that, I never actually found any ticket booth, but had already purchased my tickets via Goldstar over a month ago, maybe two (I think there was still snow on the ground and the tix purchase was a total stab in the dark that paid off in a big way as the weather was gorgeous and the blooms at peak!). The line was pretty obvious for where we needed to be, and the wait wasn’t unbearable.
Cruise for what I paid, was pretty much spot on. The narrator really had me giggling at one point, or was that the Corona… hmmmm. Staff members have everything down pat, so everything runs very smoothly.
This is a great way to avoid the complete pandemonium down at the tidal basin, but still catch a pretty view of the cherry blossoms. If you have a nice zoom on your camera, you might as well be sitting on the lawn right next to a cherry tree. Only, here you have a wonderful breeze and significantly fewer people to contend with
It is a nice way to spend an hour or two, particularly if you have out of town guests.

I don’t know if this company is even still in business! I, like several other people, purchased a Groupon for a cruise a couple of weekends ago. When we got there, nobody ever showed. Yes, the boat was there so at some point they had to have been a legitimate business but now it seems they just schedule phantom cruises to take people’s money! We called dozens of times and nobody answered their phone that day or any day since. Maybe sequestration was the problem, or maybe we can blame it on the Government shutdown from a few weeks earlier… it probably has something to due with the glitchy Obamacare website or Congress’ complete and utter ineptness to do… well, anything. No, no, no… they simply are a horrible business. Don’t waste your time or money… they simply suck!

On Saturday, I hopped aboard the DC Harbor Cherry Blossom Cruise. I was a little weary based off these Unilocal reviews, but I must say they don’t do this event justice. I bought a Groupon a month or so back for an afternoon cruise. I loved my trip! The boat was big and spacious, very clean and the staff was so friendly. There was ample indoor and outdoor room and plenty of seats. We didn’t go around the typical spots that the boats taking off from Georgetown waterfront usually head to, but we still saw a lot of beautiful DC sites. I would definitely come back for another boat cruise.

Just like nearly everybody else, we went on the habor happy hour cruise because we had a Groupon for it. I would never, ever pay full price for any of their cruises.
The good: the staff, crew, and even the bartenders were amazing. Super friendly and made the cruise somewhat enjoyable.
Unfortunately what was NOT enjoyable were the sights. We saw… none. I mean, we did go by Nationals Park… and by some of the military bases, and the airport… but I was hoping more or less to see more «DC» sights? So, basically what I’m telling you is don’t going expecting to see magnificent things — because you won’t.
They had a full bar on board for the Happy Hour cruise, which drinks averaging about $ 7. They also had some hot dogs/​chips and other light food items.
Best part about the Happy Hour cruise (And the main reason we went) was nobody under 21 was allowed. Best reason to go. Ah heck, for that, I’ll give it an extra star… making it three.

Would give DC Harbor Cruises a 0 if possible. Purchased a Groupon… went to book the cruise for March 28^th. Never received a confirmation. By this time the Cherry Blossom Peak had changed and so wanted to switch dates (and remember, initial date was never confirmed). Tried e-​mailing received no response. Tried calling… left a message… received no response. Contacted Groupon today and asked for a refund (which I am receiving) since (as of today), the dates during peak blossom are full. HORRIBLE customer service!

Found DC Harbor Cruises on groupon; I bought 8 tickets for a group outting for my birthday. We had a BLAST!!! We went for the happy hour boat ride, since the cherry blossoms aren’t out yet. It was kind of cold but you had the option to be outdoors or indoors which was great. The view was beautiful! My guest and I will def be visting again! I also want to go back for a family trip, My son would LOVE it! I highly recommend DC Harbor cruises!

I am confused this wasn’t where the boat left from, but I remember the phone number so I guess I am writing a review about the right cruise. Groupon sold me 2 tickets for $ 27 and we went on a Sat. night (⁷⁄₂₈). Other than getting caught in a downpour right as we were ready to board the boat, we had a good time. My wife and I sat on the top deck when the rain finally stopped and enjoyed the sights. But I caution people buy the discounted rate on Groupon because it’s not worth it if you pay more than $ 40. I am in no way saying it’s bad, just not worth it if you gotta shell out a lot of dough. I wish the boat was a little bigger or that the company capped off the amount of people per cruise. Btw, the crew and staff were very nice and respectful.

We booked the tour in advance via Groupon — cherry blossom festival — didnt get to see any cherry blossoms. I agree with some of the other Unilocalers. Misleading photos. No memorials, monuments, etc. except far, far, away. crappy commentary. Both me and my husband were yawning on the cruise. It was sad and no fun:(
Below average tour. The boat takes you to the crappy part of DC waters not on the Tidal Basin! It was waster of time and money both!

I am very thankful to the female employee at the booth who rescheduled our reservation for the following time slot b/​c we arrived late. The traffic was absolutely atrocious and we got there about 30 minutes late and she was very very cool about us not making it on time (as a matter of fact she says few do b/​c of the traffic).
I took the cruise on the first weekend of operation and luckily, I was able to get a very nice view of the cherry blossoms along the river.
If I were to give a few suggestions on improving the experience:
1) Please announce to all the riders where you can get a good view on the boat. As dumb as this may sound, I wasn’t aware there were good spots towards the front of the boat. B/​c of the way the boat is structured, I thought there was only one seating area towards the back
2) Too much talking on the speaker system. I don’t think anyone needs a whole lot of explanation of the DC area on a cherry blossom cruise. I think most people would appreciate viewing the cherry blossoms quietly rather than having their ears blasted through the speaker system (which we can’t hear well anyway).
To sum this experience up, although it’s no fault of theirs, I would rather walk along the walkway near the National Mall area or picnic there in order to appreciate the cherry blossoms. You need a bit of time around the cherry blossoms to appreciate them. On a boat, you’ll be blazing past all of them from a distance and I think it’s pretty difficult to appreciate what you’re seeing at such a pace.

We booked the tour in advance via Groupon deal thinking we would see the cherry blossom trees in bloom. Well, they bloomed early and all the petals dropped last week. Of course we went on the tour anyway this afternoon since prepaid.
We’re a bit jaded. We live in San Francisco and we’ve got the San Francisco bay, Alcatraz island, the Golden Gate Bridge, etc. So cruising the D.C. channel and Potomac river was deflating.
Average tour. We did see a few cherry blossom trees in bloom. Kwansan tree I think. But the boat doesn’t take you to the Tidal Basin anyway even if trees were in bloom. I agree with some of the other Unilocalers. Misleading photos. No memorials, monuments, etc. except far, far, away.
Personal food and drink not allowed on board. About 50 minutes in length.

Got a Groupon for the 50-​minute Cherry Blossom/​Springtime Harbor Cruise. The website claims that you will «See the blooming cherry blossoms from the water while being surrounded by the monuments of our nations capital.» This is absolutely false. The closest we came to a monument was the Jefferson Memorial which you could sort of see the top of over the trees. You stay south of the 14^th street bridge the whole time. So we got to see some nice views of the Naval Support Facility in Anacostia and the runways at Reagan Airport.
My advice is to save your money and walk around the tidal basin to really get good views of the cherry blossoms and the monuments.

My parents and I took the cherry blossom wine tasting cruise this past weekend through a deal with Goldstar. You get 8 tickets to try a variety of different wines and there were some light refreshments like cheeses, bread, dip, vegetables and fruit. If you want to buy more, you can.
Overall I was happy with the deal. The boat was not super crowded like another one I took so getting wine did not take long at all. The sommelier was very knowledgeable, patient and friendly. Most everyone was able to get a seat inside which was nice since the weather was a little on the chilly side and light drizzles. The staff also did pick up our trash from the tables while we were seated so that was a nice bonus. Unlike some of the other reviewers, we did get almost the full two hours so hopefully they have realized their mistake and started correcting it.
They did run out of some food items so it would have been nice if they had been able to restock. Also, advertising this as a cherry blossom cruise is definitely misleading. The sun had already set by 7pm so there was no way we could have seen the blossoms. The other thing I would recommend is have someone point out some of the landmarks, especially for those that are tourists.

I am glad another reviewer was excited to see the metro from the water, but foolish me, I wanted to see DC landmarks from the water and in that regard I was very disappointed especially after seeing the photos on their website.
Be advised the boat does not go under the 14^th street bridge (like those from Washington Marina) so you don’t get to see the tidal basin, Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln memorial, Washington Monument at all of only in the distance.
The bar was fairly well stocked and the prices a bit high but not overly so.
Lame, tired (e.g. like reading Wikipedia) and often hard to hear narration. Maybe he was just having a bad day but the captain was almost rude to me in replying to a simple inquiry and he didn’t seem to want to be there during the entire cruise. Overall a very disappointing experience, try another cruise line.

My party of 4 adults 2 kids used a Groupon 50% off coupon for the SPRINGTIME Harbor hour cruise. We were early so we had time to find the place. Finally saw someone to ask. There was no sign on the spot. I would not pay full price for the trip. Tourist were listening to us point out important sights to our 4 tourist guest because this tour was almost guide-​less. Either we knew more than the guide OR the regular guide was off that day. The most efficient part of the operation was the food & drink concession stand ($ 6 beer, $ 2 water, $ 3 dogs). They made sure part went smoothly. This operation need to get their act together.
Do not pay full price for this type of service.

I also got tickets for the cruise through the Groupon Deal that was run. I was able to book a trip through a few short emails with them using my groupon — it probably would have been fewer if my first date wasn’t sold out.
Parking for the cruise was unusual. We were the first to arrive and didn’t see anyone else around who looked like they would be going on the cruise, so we weren’t sure we were in the right place. We finally parked on the street near the ballpark and prayed our car would be fine, but other parking options were incredibly limited.
The cruise itself was very enjoyable. The staff was very friendly and tried to make you feel completely at ease. I will say that I wasn’t able to hear most of the things he was pointing out on the side between the wind and other noise around us. But like others have said the cruise had a strange route… they should skip the Washington Channel and do more toward Alexandria and National Harbor area instead.
Like others our boat also left late, but from what I gathered from the crew that was because others with reservations showed up late… so we were stuck waiting for them.
It was a nice experience… not necessarily something I would go out of the way to do again, but a nice experience.