Took my son and his wife on the sunset cruise for his birthday. It was an amazing cruise and would recommend it to anyone. Great live music, great crew, great service and gorgeous sunset! read more

This was such a great afternoon activity. Our tour guide was spilling all the tea about who lives where, works for what company, and how long they have owned the home. It was fantastic. And! AND!!!!! We saw dolphins! 03.05.2025 read more

Le Barge Tropical Cruises - Great view. 26.12.2024 - Boating Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Smooth sailing into a beautiful sunset. The music and drinks were ok (nothing special). There were many people so seating was a problem (everyone wanted the upper deck to enjoy the sunset). I would still recommend this cruise just know it may be crowded. read more

Le Barge Tropical Cruises - Boating Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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This is a fun party boat with live music that takes you through the gulf and you see the most beautiful large mansion homes along with am amazing sun set! They have drinks and snack foods onboard for purchase. If you've never been in the Le Barge Tropical sunset cruise, it a must do!! read more

Someone needs to let Wendy go. She's the first person that greets you and makes the first impression Nd that is NOT what you want. She obviously hates people and her job. I am a resident and took a cruise with two friends visiting. I've been before and wanted them to see the bay and shoreline. Came a hour early and stood in line with our water bottles. It was hot. She promptly told us that nothing was allowed on the boat which was fine. I said we'd take them back to the car when boarding started. When it was time to board Wendy states, its time to take your "water bottles" with practically air quotes and very sarcastically insinuating that we were trying to smuggle booze on board. Extremely rude and unprofessional. read more

Update: Last week I received the best surprise from LeBarge. the company explained that my email had been misplaced and they promptly made things right. They sent two new shirts, and we couldn't be happier! The blue and seafoam green colors are just perfect -- even better than we imagined. We also really appreciated the surprise koozies -- such a thoughtful and fun gesture. I truly appreciate the attentive follow-up and how effortless they made the entire experience. Thank you again! read more

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Wanted something fun to do on St Patricks Day and found Le Barge cruises. Staff is very welcoming. Really enjoyed the band especially when they broke out with a few tunes from the Greatful Dead! Did not know anyone upon boarding but soon made new friends rocking out to the music, the beautiful sunset and viewing all the mansions along the way. Will be returning soon for one of their sunset cruises. read more

Memorial Day Weekend at Sarasota visiting friends. They recommended we go on the Le Barge Tropical Boat Cruise, a 2 hr boat tour. At first I thought oh too hot, but was quite surprised that it was pleasant under the partial roof. The boat was really cool looking with live palm trees. As we went under the bridge it looked like we'd lose the palm trees. But we cleared it Yay! The boat route was so beautiful. So many mansions dotting the coastline. Also saw manatees, dolphins, bird island & many other wildlife. 2 hrs was just right, not too long, not boring. Beverages on board was reasonable. Water was $1 & my Margarita was $9. I recommend the tour to all at $38 per person. To nab the best seats, get there as early as possible & get in line. Best seats, top deck in the rear section, under a partial roof. read more

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A great way to enjoy the sights around Sarasota Bay. I look forward to another tour the next time we visit the area.

We had a great time on the sunset cruise. Fun, entertaining and inexpensive. I've read a bunch of other reviews, here is my take on it and some tips. Check in starts at 6 pm (they actually started at 5:50pm), and the line starts around 5:15. We got there at 5:30 and there were 30 people in front of us. Boarding starts at 6:30. The top deck holds 60 people and below deck 40. Once on board, all 100 rush upstairs to get a seat. There is not enough so people start putting chairs in the isles and sitting on planter. Tip, get ur first drink at the downstairs bar, the upstairs bar will be packed. Full bar and food menu, reasonably priced. You will go an hour out to the bay, turn around, the boat does not stop, and then head back. On the way back, half the people head downstairs so it is less crowded. There is a guitar player and we saw plenty of dolphins. We would definitely do it again. It's more of a party trip than a quiet sunset ride, still fun and kid friendly read more

My husband and I did the Sightseeing and Nature cruise and it was the highlight of our vacation. No complaints at all. We didn't have any trouble with parking or following directions for check-in. The staff was friendly and very accommodating. Drinks were expensive, but that's to be expected. We learned a lot about the Sarasota area and saw dolphins, manatees, and lots of local birds. Be sure to take cash for tipping the bartender and narrator. read more

Le Barge Tropical Cruises - All aboard! - Boating Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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A great way to entertain out of town friends and enjoy cocktails and a beautiful evening on the water! If you want top deck, get in line by 4/4:15p for the 5:30p sailing. read more

Great time! Great drinks! Great info and tour! Got to see some dolphins and birds here in the gulf. Will be back. read more

Le Barge Tropical Cruises - Boating Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Having been on this cruise several times over the years, it was just meh this last time. The staff were all great,". However, the live music was all over the place as far as genre. While he wasn't bad, it would have been better if he either sang yacht rock type of music or Le Barge had yacht rock playing. Most of the music was odd for being on a boat. The top half bar never opened, so it meant going downstairs anytime you wanted anything. For me, I think it may be time to say, " Bon voyage..." for a while, unless they change their style. My suggestion? Hire another bartender instead of live music or food on the bottom and drinks on the top. Also, talk the your passengers. Let them know in advance all drinks must be finished before stepping off. Thank them over the loudspeaker prior to port. Take a lesson from the fun airlines. ‍ read more

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Make a reservation in advance to guarantee your spot. You can do online. Read the sunset cruise & evening cruises are quite popular and more crowded. That's more of a floating party atmosphere, where the dolphin tour is very chill and family friendly. We knew it wasn't going to be a beach day (vacationing) so we took a chance on dolphin viewing cruise at 11am with our family. 2 hour cruise under $25 per person was a good deal. Very enjoyable! Crew is friendly, boat is clean & decorated colorfully & fun marine decor. There are plastic chairs & tables to sit at, like outdoor lawn chairs. Upper deck the palm trees are real! It was windy & overcast so we opted to stay on lower level which is indoor, until dolphin spotting began then walked outside. There are a couple bathrooms. Tiny but do the job. Full bars and both decks, featuring daiquiris which you can get without alcohol should you choose. (Not me..my kids. I had a beer. Lol!) Saw dolphins so that's a win. The marine life expert who narrates the cruise, Tina was very knowledgeable and fun. Circulating the entire boat for people's questions. In addition to learning about dolphins & manatees, she provided great info about Sarasota Bay. If you enjoy your marine expert, be sure to tip them on the way out in the dolphin jar on the bar. There's a bar on each deck with daiquiris with it without alcohol. Snacks and some hot food..more of snack types than a meal. Drinks are reasonable. Bring jackets, sweatshirt etc. The breeze can make quite chilly even on warm days. Next time we come I would love to do one of the evening excursions to enjoy the views with some cocktails and music. Whatever cruise you choose, you can't go wrong with LeBarge. read more

Le Barge Tropical Cruises - Boating Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

I've been on little mini cruises similar to this one many times, mostly on the Great Lakes. This was my first Gulf "cruise". We were looking forward to going! We reserved our tickets online a couple days prior. On launch day, you need to get there at least an hour early as they board by order of arrival. You DEFINITELTY want to get seats on top of the boat as that's were all the action and alcohol is! They start boarding a half hour before departure. Once seated (we grabbed seats on top in the back are so we could watch the waves and such) it was obvious it was going to be tight as the crowd rushed up the stairs to be on top. But it was manageable. PRO TIP - if you have mobility issues with stairs or climbing, the upper deck probably isn't going to be for you. The access stairs are SUPER steep, nearly like climbing a ladder. We took off smoothly. The steel drum music started almost immediately. It was nice and mellow. Just loud enough. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable trip. There was a table near us of about 8-10 older women who were having a GOOD time but they weren't obnoxious. They serve drinks and food on board. Drinks were well made but expensive, as was the food. Mostly snack type food: hot dogs, pretzels, spinach dip etc. This is a good trip if you've never been out on the near Gulf as you get to see a lot of Gulf side communities and mansions. We also had a couple dolphins jump through our wake. Trip last about 2 hours. Worth the price. read more

Le Barge Tropical Cruises - Dranks! - Boating Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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This is the worst sunset cruise ever. Music keeps cutting out. We are going 5 MPH for an hour. Not even on the ocean. read more

My friend and I had an absolute blast on this cruise during our mini vacay from only 1 1/2 hrs away in Palm Harbor. The DJ was so fun, great cocktails and what an amazing way to take in the beautiful views of Sarasota. Highly recommend this cruise! read more

Le Barge Tropical Cruises - Boating Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Fantastic cruise boat that you must book with! We did the tour from 2-4pm and it was $29 a person. The staff were extremely friendly and made it a fun ride. They even stopped anytime there were dolphins around to allow us to watch. This boat took us on a loop around all the nice houses on the docks. There was also food and drinks for purchase on board. We had a ton of fun and it was 100% worth the experience! read more

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Enjoyable ride, fabulous music by Frankie Lombardi on Thursdays, protected from sun. Best to be early in line for best seats.

We did the sunset cruise. Having been to Sarasota countless times this is the first time we did the cruise. Highly recommend and I would do it again in the future. read more

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Fabulous steel drum cruise on the bay! Get onboard early to buy a drink, a snack and head upstairs for a great view! Staff is very friendly!! read more

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Have done the sunset cruise twice and will probably never do it again. It's ok, a fun thing to do for tourists or with out of town guests, but it takes too much work. First, you make a reservation. No big deal. But then you have to arrive at least an hour before departure time to check in, since boarding takes place in the order in which you check in. So you check in and then stand around for at least half an hour because boarding isn't until 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure. (So for a 7 pm cruise, get there to check in at 6:00 and board at 6:30.) The last evening we went, people had apparently arrived to check in more than an hour before departure, because we got there an hour early as recommended and were one of the last groups to board. Everyone wants to be on the top deck, because that's where the music, palm trees, and good views are, but there's not enough room. Both times we went it was a lot of middle-aged/older tourists who were very annoying. The sunset is nice, but I don't think I ever need to do this again. Tip: if you miss out on seating on the top deck, hang out by the boat entrance before they take off. Before the boat has left the marina they open up the front area for seating. Great views, no crazy crowd - you don't have to squish in with all the tourists and you can still hear the music (just not as loud, which is a good thing) and have unobstructed views. read more

Went out for a Private party so yes you can rent this boat out for special occasions and cater your own food!! We had a blast and the captain is a great driver lol! So fun and we all had a wonderful time!!! Shout out to the crew! Drinks were ON POINT!! I have been on the cruise regularly and ya gotta get there early to get the best seat and they have like snacky foods or small portions if you get hungry. Have fun! Bon voyage!! read more

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We had a wonderful time on our dolphin/manatee watch cruise. We saw 1 manatee and 3 dolphins. We were able to see the dolphins a good bit. It was so much fun! I also ordered a Strawberry Daquiri on the boat and it was great! Captain Ryan and his crew were very professional and knowledgeable. Overall we had an amazing time! read more

Le Barge Tropical Cruises - Boating Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Le Barge Fourth of July Sunset cruise was incredible! Great workers, great music and a great time! Our cruise was great and watching the fireworks from the water with all of the yachts was perfect! read more

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Nice sunset cruise but too many people. No room to move around on top deck. Singer was ok but had nice song choices. One bAthroom had plugged toilet. Less people would make it more enjoyable! read more

We took the Tropical Sunset Cruise and had a wonderful time! The crew was great, the music was upbeat and beachy. We saw a lot of dolphins and the sunset was beautiful. read more

Wonderful trip for a variety of sightseeing in Sarasota!!! We had an amazing time. We really enjoyed seeing the stunning waterfront homes around Sarasota Bay. The trip was filled with tons of local information and the guides were happy to answer any questions. We were fortunate to see lots of dolphins. Highly recommend this trip!! read more

While visiting Sarasota on business meetings one of the events was a sunset cruise. Although it was a cloudy day we had a blast seeing the beautiful waterfront homes. Ship has full bar and food that can be purchased and is in overall great condition and very clean. We were a large group of about 30 and staff was absolutely awesome. read more

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We arrived before the checkin opened. Your representative, a young women, advised us where to wait and that we would be checked in in order of arrival. There was 1 elderly couple ahead of us. We were second in line, a group of 4, to check in. We waited about 15 minutes before a larger group arrived and checked in behind us. When boarding begin the first couple was called and boarded. We were standing directly behind them. Your representative then called a "party of 1" from the larger group behind us. There is no possibility that this person checked in before us as they arrived with group waiting behind us checked in after us. Your representative looked at us like oops but it was obvious it was intentional. The person ran ahead of us and grabbed the entire section of tables at the back of the top deck which was the area we had hoped to sit and why we had gotten there so early. Not a good way to start. We found other seating and decided not to let it ruin our trip. It's a shame that rude people are rewarded for bad behavior. The couple that was first in line were elderly and the gentlemen was using a cane. After checkin we said why don't you sit down to wait. We know you were here first. When they got back in line to board the people in the behind us where making rude comments even though we explained that they were first in line. They certainly didn't worry about breaking in front of us. The people on board, the cruise, entertainment and drinks were enjoyable. It was a beautiful night for sunset cruise. read more

We have been going on this Sunset ride for 5 years & the last 3 have been getting worse with the entertainment. This year was the last straw. The price went up & the entertainment got worse. read more

I have done the sunset cruise a number of times, both as a date night, and a girl's night out and have definitely enjoyed my experience every time. For those reviews who were upset that it's not laid back and overly kid friendly, you knew you were walking onto a boat with live music and a full bar! Take your kids on their sightseeing cruise during the day, it will be much more enjoyable for the family. The crew is always very friendly and the view is spectacular. I was born and raised in Sarasota, so I have lived with the beauty of the Bay my entire life, but somehow this cruise makes you appreciate it so much more. The boat is never overly crowded even at it's fullest, and if you don't want your view "blocked" by people sightseeing, don't sit in the middle of the boat, people always migrate towards the view of the sunset. We have always gotten there a little early and had no problem finding good seats. The trip length is just right, not to short but long enough and the entertainment is always great! I would definitely recommend LeBarge cruises to anyone, it is a good time to be had by all! read more

Pros Beautiful views Excellent service A made at least 20 calls to get directions the lady on phone was patient and helpful Beautiful views of nature and nice homes Saw lots of dolphins Got a history lesson Cons Needs deep cleaning Charges for food and drink but on advertisement looked like includes it People on boat were unfriendly and weird Not much interaction with staff Just happy to make it back to shore alive and saw some amazing views read more

Fun evening! Spent a week in the area and wanted to see Sarasota by water and this was a decent way. Drinks were good. Entertaining singer. Can't speak about the food as we didn't eat. Saw some gorgeous homes and a beautiful sunset. Even saw a dolphin jump out of the water! read more

Was on the barge to celebrate my birthday with family for the sunset cruise. As we had 2 people with varied physical limitations, we got there VERY early to secure our spot in line so that we could board first. The cruise itself would have been lovely HOWEVER it was overrun by very aggressive passengers who were allowed to run us, & the boat, over carelessly. Entire groups were permitted to cram in a space that not only blocked the views of others, but was not intended for occupancy. No staff seemed to care about the experience of the majority. We were relegated to the bottom rear in order to see anything. Not what I had expected considering we waited in line for over 90 minutes. . Also, my nephew had ordered a hot dog that he waited 45 minutes to receive. read more

Le Barge Tropical Cruises - Boating Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Everything good except the shrimp.... Tasted like either over-cooked, or frozen twice! Great for our large staff... Music, bar and great views. A very smooth ride. read more

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To oversimplify Le Barge: Daytime Cruise = Family/Sight Seeing Orientated Nighttime= Booze Cruise For a little over 20 bucks, you get a two hour tour of beautiful Sarasota Bay. The daytime cruise is great to bring kids and/or guests from out-of-town and spot a dolphin or two or see a passing manatee. The boat: It's not a luxury liner..More like a small ferry with palm trees on deck. The lower level can tend to be loud and the back end of the boat sometimes smells of exhaust and fuel. The upper deck is open and has a "bar" area as well as a few tables and a canopy area. Food & Drink: Like a movie theater; limited, crappy and expensive. If you're not coming for the food and drinks, but rather to experience the beauty of Sarasota Bay for a couple of hours, then this is not a bad venue for the price. read more

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Naturally, these tours are going to say 'we can't predict how many dolphins or manatees we might see on any given day'. This place apparently has some 'guarantee' whereby if no dolphins are seen, you get a refund but a 'credit' for a future tour. Well a lot of good a 'credit' will do if you won't be in the Sarasota area again. What's also not clear is what constitutes a 'dolphin or manatee sighting'. If I see A FIN 30' from the boat, does that mean I don't get a credit for another cruise in the future, because I saw A SINGLE FIN? On our ride, yes, a number of dolphins were spotted by the boat and passengers as a whole, but good luck in actually SEEING the dolphins! We were on the upper level, and, with everybody jockeying for position, and our having to run to this side, then back to the other side, then back again, all to try and 'spot' a dolphin about 30-50' from the boat, well.... at some point I thought 'why waste my time running back and forth, when I can hardly see the dolphins?" I was on my tippy toes, arching my neck, and ...yeah, I'd see a fin, and then the fin would disappear under the water. All told, I saw maybe three fins, and maybe 0.5 of an entire dolphin. And all of this about 30' from the boat. And not one manatee. Folks should understand that this boat DOUBLES as a PARTY BOAT at night. So that explains the layout of the boat. The upper level has round tables with chair around them. So if you want to get to either side of the boat to try and catch a glimpse of a dolphin, you are all up in the business of other people seated at tables. There is essentially no open space along the sides of the upper level of the boat. So you either must grab a table along one of the sides of the boat (and then hope you see dolphins right alongside that part of the boat), or otherwise you are running back and forth all over the boat, from side to side, and leaning over other people's tables. They also seemed very focused on selling people food and drinks, putting 'menus' in front of us on our tables. Maybe it was an off day... I can't say...but my experience was that it was a complete waste of my money. read more

At the end of the 2 hr sunset cruise we were forced to return to the enclosed lower part of the boat with the entire group of passengers, several of which were not wearing masks during the entire cruise. We stayed outside on the cruise up until this point and wore masks. Certainly not what we expected for Covid precautions. read more