Basics About Riverboat Cruises on the Ohio River
The Ohio River will flow for almost one thousand miles all the way from Pittsburgh to its mouth on the Mississippi. Boat cruises will leave from a few major cities close to the river and provide daily and nightly sightseeing or dinner tours. Story telling along with live entertainment will be provided along the way.
BB Riverboats
BB Riverboats will provide dining cruise trips, which will include dinner, sightseeing or brunch cruises, as well as private charters or specialty cruises. The Belle of Cincinnati offers an open upper deck along with three climate-controlled decks. A bit smaller, the River Queen includes two different enclosed decks as well as a 3rd deck. BB Riverboats will invite guests who want to reserve a spot on either one of the lunch or dinner trips for a cruise on the river. Advance bookings are highly recommended.
Belle of Louisville
Considered a National Historic Landmark, the Belle of Louisville will cruise all the way from the downtown Riverfront Park of Louisville. Dance, dinner and sightseeing trips will be provided from early may through late October on board this river ship; the trips will include story telling and live entertainment. The sister boat of the Belle, the Spirit of Jefferson, will provide lunch or dinner cruises along the entire year. The meals will be served in buffet style, and aboard both riverboats guests will find cafes from where to enjoy snacks if they don`t want a meal. Lunch or dinner bookings may be required.
Queen City Riverboats
Queen City Riverboats` lunch and dinner cruise tours, which will include story telling from the captain, will sail along the Cincinnati harbor. On board, guests will enjoy various meals served in buffet style along with coffee or tea, as well as a cash bar. Outings will not be scheduled on a regular basis. Tourists who want to cruise with Queen City will be able to join an already scheduled tour or simply request a cruise. The cruise line will provide shuttle service between downtown Cincinnati and Kentucky when Reds & Bengals are playing, and will also provide a front seat for the 4th of July Fireworks. Early bookings may be required.
Valley Gem Sternwheeler
Valley Gem Sternwheeler will run buffet dinner tours which will feature entertainment on Saturday nights and occasional special trips, like a continental breakfast cruise trip which features various museums, or an excursion on board a paddle-wheeler to Buckley`s Island for a quick nature bike. A lock cruise trip will be provided in October; the cruise will include a boxed lunch along with a quick excursion through a lock along the Muskingum River. Lunch or dinner cruise tours will sail around Buckley Island or Muskingum Island along the Ohio River. Advance bookings may be required.
What Choices Will Be Available When Cruising on the Ohio River
The Ohio River flows from Pittsburgh to Cairo, before will empty in the Mississippi, and along its way will cross over 1.000 miles. Historically speaking, this river was considered a major link for transportation between the Mississippi River area and several East Coast cities, and the probably the busiest, as a lot of boats plied this river`s waters. In present times, only a few will manage to remain, and they are usually being used to offer a venue for weddings or other special social events or sightseeing cruises.
Belle of Louisville
Belle of Louisville is considered the oldest old-fashioned boat in operation and also a National Historic Landmark. The Belle of Louisville and Spirit of Jefferson are being owned by the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government. Each and every one of these two boats include a wheelchair lift, they feature a dance floor, ample indoor seating, observation deck and climate control. River cruises are usually available during the entire year and are suitable for the whole family. Several cruise options for public tours will include sightseeing or harbor tours with lunch and dinner included in buffet style, and the boats will also be usually available for private events.
BB Riverboats
BB Riverboats can be found at Newport Landing in Newport. This line will own two luxurious Victorian boats, the Belle of Cincinnati and River Queen. Both of these boats are modern and they include bars, climate-control systems, elevators and a dance floor. You may take a 1 1/2-hour sightseeing cruise with narrations included, or you might want to opt for a dinner our, which will usually last for around 2 1/2 hours. Lunch and dinner will generally be served as buffet style, with a few choices of salad, entrees or dessert. Dinner cruises will feature entertainment, which will include Dixieland jazz music. From June through late September, the company will offer the Pirated of the Ohio, an afternoon family tour, where kids may dress up as pirates and play several related games.
Celebrations Riverboats
Celebrations Riverboats, which is based in Ludlow, will own several private cruises along the Ohio River. Its boats are modern and handicap accessible. They may be rented for weddings, birthday parties or other social events, with an additional option of two-hour lunch tour or three-hour dinner cruise included. Guests are offered a choice of salad, entrees and dessert. Water, sodas or coffee are complimentary as well, while alcoholic beverages will be available at the bar, which will open after the embarkation process will end. The riverboats are equipped with a state-of-the-art sound system, offering a wide selection of music. In addition, you can also hire live entertainment.
