Spirit of Mount Vernon/Mount Vernon Excursions

Went for the Halloween Boo cruise. It was a lot of fun if you are looking for a party on water. However don’t expect this to be an intimate setting. I would give it an overall 3.5 stars because of the food. It is sub par but does it’s job for a drunken palate.

Excellent way to entertain guests from out of town, especially those who can’t walk around all day. We got half price tickets the first weekend of the season for the trip to Mount Vernon and back. Mt Vernon admission and snacks (bagels, granola bars, coffee) were included for $ 50 for two people.

This is a 90 minute cruise covering the 16 mile distance by water from Washington, DC to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. On your way to Mount Vernon, the crew will provide a bit of sightseeing narration, including a Titanic Memorial, an old fortress, military housing, colonial Alexandria & other points of interests you pass along the way. For this reason, I’d recommend riding on the upper deck for the first leg of your journey. Until you approach Mount Vernon itself, the majority of what’s worth seeing is on the port (left side) of the boat.
There are restrooms & vending machines in the waiting area before you board & just as you’re about to get on the ship, you stop & pose for an optional (read: they charge) souvenir photo. There are also restrooms & a small number of concessions available on the ship & you’re welcome to bring your own food.
Do note that if you book your trip online through
, as I did, you need to call the toll free local number even after you get your e-​mail from them. This was never made clear & while I went to the wharf with my printed e-​mail, which included a barcode, they didn’t have my tickets waiting for me. While I had to call & it was resolved in a couple of minutes, it was still enough to cause a slight panic.
I’d strongly recommend the lower deck for the journey back. The sun can be a bit much in the late afternoon & while there’s an occasional breeze, you’ll likely be more comfortable below. For those of us in a rush to get off the boat, I do wish the crew made it a bit more clear which exit was being used, though. That sort of thing would make the experience even more efficient than it already is.
Unfortunately, you are only given about 3 hours to explore Mount Vernon, which is not quite enough. I’ll review that separately.
On leaving the pier, if you’ve arrived by cab, you might have better luck hailing one if you walk out of the wharf a bit. Catch one as it’s dropping someone else off, as they’re not always likely to go all the way inside. Remember, you’re at the far end of multiple piers, so there may be competition for cabs, even outside of the many people returning with you from Mount Vernon. You’ve had a long day already — why make it longer waiting around?

Great way to get to Mt. Vernon. Bring your own food though because there is not much selection on board.

Great trip — we were staying in Washington DC and didn’t want to rent a car. This was an easy and fun way to visit Mount Vernon. We had 3 little kids and they had a great time. Very kid-​safe boat and a smooth ride.
The crew was fantastic and were super nice about accommodating our stroller and answering all of my kids’ weird questions. My son left a beloved book aboard the the ship and they were even kind enough to find it and mail it to us. I will definitely recommend Spirit Cruises to any friends visiting DC!

Take a bus or rent a car– this boat ride is great for one way in the morning but in the return on a summer afternoon, the heat will knock you out. The a/​c is not very strong at all. Mount Vernon is a must see but transport yourself in a different way at least on the return.

I took my Mom to Washington DC for Mothers Day. We booked our trip on the Spirit of Mt Vernon and when we arrived we were informed that there was a mechanical problem with the boat. Due to this problem the boat would not be departing. They had arranged for busses to shuttle everyone to Mt Vernon or we had the option to be refunded our ticket prices. We decided to take the bus to Mt Vernon since we had planned our day around this trip. They did refund us the cost of the boat ride.
While we were waiting for the bus to arrive the staff set up a breakfast area with coffee, juice and muffins for all to enjoy.
One of their staff member, Ms Yvonne is fabulous. She introduced herself to us and chatted with us while we waited. She was so nice that she even arranged for us to go on a lunch cruise free of charge the following day so we were still able to experience the Potomac River.
Everyone was so accommodating and nice that it made up for the mechanical problem with the boat.
Thank you everyone at Spirit of Mount Vernon and thank you Ms Yvonne.

A beautiful day means the upper deck and sun. There is a lot to see. The view of Mt. Vernon from the river alone is history packed and stunning.

We took the Spirit of Mt. Vernon to Mt. Vernon. The trip was 1.5 hours each way and was very smooth. The boat had an area that sold breakfast foods (i.e. bagels for $ 2). The boat also had bathroom that was somewhat clean.
The terrible part about the trip was the smell of the boat. We stayed inside on the lower deck which has tables and carpeting. The entire place smelled of fish. It was gross. We had to smell that for 3 hours. We would have gone on the upper deck if the weather weren’t so cold!!! We wont be taking this boat again.

Not a fancy trip but for the money it was great value. Easy way to get to and from Mt Vernon and see some great views along the way. Just make sure when you get to Mt Vernon you don’t waste time. The place is amazing. Be sure to check out the museum and mansion.

This was a great way to travel to Mount Vernon. Staff was very nice, there were snacks on board and the weather was wonderful.
My only complaint, although I knew this going in was that it was a little long. I do recommend though if you aren’t on a tight schedule.

My wife and I have done this twice. With a living social voucher you really get your money’s worth. Beautiful cruise, friendly and professional staff, and great service. Air conditioning inside the cabin, plenty of seating up top, and excellent dialogue during the cruise. We will be doing this again, especially if we have guests in town!

I did this on a living social coupon and it was a nice day. Keep in mind this is full day event. The boat leaves at 8:30 and arrives back at 3:00. The ride up to Mount Vernon is very nice and they have a café on the boat if you want something to eat. The crew was extra nice which made for a pleasant trip.
If you want to see Mount Vernon in detail, this may not be the right way to do it. But, it you want to see most of Mount Vernon, this is a great way to see it.
I’m not sure I would pay full price but the discount coupon was a great value. If you are in DC, it would be worth it.

Overall not a bad time.
Something to keep in mind, the tour will take a good portion of an entire day. We left the port at 8:30 a.m. and weren’t back until 3ish. So if you’re looking to do a lot in a small amount of time, this tour is not for you.
Boat ride was pretty cool. Drink/​food available for purchase on board, though keep ready to tap your 401K as it is not cheap.
Best views are from the top deck, though it can get uncomfortable with the sun and the heat.
Mount Vernon tour was ok. House was interesting but the tour is less than half an hour. Basically, your going to have about 3 hours to check out the grounds, which is plenty of time.
The time period period are always a good time, asking us such questions as «Why have you come to the Federal city?», or «the canal system is going to be a big boon for the federal government».
Museum was ok, though how can one complain with getting to checkout Washington’s dentures.
I paid around $ 25 through a living social deal, which I thought was fair. Overall, cool day trip but keep in mind it’s going to be a FULL day.