This review is in regards to the Midnight Cruise on Town Lake. I think this would have been a nicer experience if they had not oversold tickets beyond what was a comfortable capacity. People were crammed up on the top deck - forced to sit in weirdly arranged seating positions. Standing was not an option, though it would have been preferred, because chairs and a few 4-tops were sprawled across the deck. I went with a group of 4, all of the 4-top tables on the deck were occupied by couples, 2 people, uno, dos, leaving us to sit very awkwardly in the middle of the deck surrounded by other confused & disappointed customers. You legit could not have a conversation without people on all sides hearing. I definitely lean towards introversion, so sitting so uncomfortably close to others prompted me to ask for a refund before sailing off, which they did not grant, so we moved down to the lower level. It wasn't much better. The inside of the boat was dark, danky, and smelt terrible. As a result, we were forced to sit & stand outside on the very tip of the lower deck with 7 other disgruntled people. While the city views were... nice...the experience was not one that I would purchase again - I think everyone on that boat couldn't wait for their hour to be up. I think people go on this cruise for a romantic, intimate setting, but overselling it for profit? I'd rather pay more for less people. Sorry, Lone Star Riverboat. read more

Get there early to get a seat. Great way to view the bats coming out from under the bridge! The boat captain provided facts on bats and was very humorous. He kept the riders entertained. read more

The boat tour itself is a great experience and seeing the bats is amazing. However, what ruined it for me is the BYOB policy. We went on Memorial Day. It practically became a booze cruise. You can barely hear the tour guide speaking because of it. The table behind me was unruly, cursing up a storm and even passing flatulence obnoxiously. They were so wasted there was no point trying to reason with them. My wife was livid. Also on our way out, another table with drunk people knocked the leg of the table over, sending semi-empty bottles of beers all over my feet. Luckily the table didn't fall directly on my feet or there would've been a problem. It's such a shame because the tour itself is great. Keep this in mind if you want to bring children. read more

This is my 2nd year to do this trip with some students. It's a great outing - not too long and not too short. They are very organized, the tickets are very reasonably priced and it's easy to find and get on the boat. Captain Shelby was awesome - she talks just enough and is entertaining, informative and the jokes aren't too cheesy. Highly recommended for tourists and Austinites. It's a great way to see the bats and get some wonderful views of downtown Austin. read more

This is a great way to experience downtown Austin in a totally different, kid friendly way!! The Bat tours are a much if you live in Austin and if you are visiting. Not only do you get the chance to spend some time on Lady Bird Lake but the host/hostess of the cruises are always extremely knowledgable about Austin and the bats. It is very affordable especially for the experience!! read more

Fun tour to do! Nice crew. Decent comfort.

The bat cruise was awesome. Tracy who represents Lone Star Riverboat did an awesome job. Everything was worth and will definitely recommend it and do it again. Keep up the good work! read more

Had a great time and enjoyed seeing all the bats. Nice crew. You will get wet from the bats when they fly over you and it's not water.

the tour is only $10 per adult, so it's not something to complain about if you didn't like it. the crew was friendly and informative and very accomodating. we decided last minute to do a boat tour, instead of stand on the congress ave bridge, so the only spots on the boat were inside, instead of outside on the upper and lower deck. however, they said that we could stand around outside on the lower deck if we wanted to get a better view. my only suggestion would be to go as late in the bat season as possible so that you can see the bats better if the sun sets later. the mexican free tail bats are very small, and difficult to see in the dark. it was a very interesting experience, and something else that i can cross off my list! if i'm ever up in austin again around bat season, i'd probably opt to hang out on the bridge. read more

Easy to get to and great folks to entertain you. Bring your favorite adult beverage and snack and see Austin's beautiful skyline in the sunset. The bats are amazing!! Super fun! Even for us Austinites. :) read more

The pictures on the website show a very nice double level boat, in reality, it is 3 broken down pontoon boats with plastic patio furniture. We were told boarding starts at 715 we arrived at 715 and the boats were already loaded and even though we had reservations we would either have to ride on separate boats or separate ends of one boat. do not waste time or money on Lonestar cruises go over to capital cruise instead much nicer boats. read more

Can't beat the $10 price. BYOB. Tour guides were cute and funny. It's a great way to see Lady Bird, the skyline, and, of course, the bats.

My boyfriend & I loved the experience we had with Lonestar Riverboats. The boats are not glamorous but they're all you need to cruise the river & get a GREAT view of the bats. The captain gave us a little bit of history as we cruised up & down the lake. I live in Austin & was able to learn a few new tidbits about my city. I would definitely ride again! The price was right & the hour out on the water was just enough! Not to mention how beautiful it was. read more

Crappy little open barge with cheap plastic lawn chairs, no restroom facilities, and if you foolishly pay in advance like we did, there are no refunds so if you don't want to sit in an open boat in the rain, too bad, you lose your money. There must be better cruise companies, 'cause all these guys want is your money. Never again. read more

we went to a family friends wedding and it was amazing the captain and his assistant were very kind friendly people the boat was well organized and set up we loved it definetly recomend read more

Worst experience ever. We bought 12 tickets, arrived at 7:25 and all seats outside were taken. We were told to have a seat inside to see the bats. Which obviously defeats the point of going on a boat. I've been on this tour multiple times before and bring many visitors to this tour. Never again. The staff did nothing to try and get people to consolidate together. Very disappointed in this organization. Be warned if you are expecting to be outside you may have been sold a bill of goods. read more

Took my friend on this tour when she visited a few months ago, both of us were VERY disappointed. the boat itself is cute and you're allowed to bring outside food and drinks on it which is a plus. However we had a (must've been) brand new tour guide (slender female with brown hair and a hipster style). If you see her run off the boat! She was completely not prepared, it seemed her tour was primarily based on the bridges because the few questions people asked her she had to ask the captain for the answer..(captain was cool/down to earth btw).. anyway I think she anticipated her speeches to stretch out longer because there were many awkward silences and if I could have paid them to let me off I would have. My friend and I got so bored we ended up going inside/downstairs and we heard her say shed be right back over the mic, she came downstairs and behind the 'bar area' to brush her hair and check her textmessages. good job. finally we got back to the dock and with the lightweighted loose tanktop she was wearing her whole vintage bra hungout as she pulled the boat in. eek. I would've enjoyed this tour with a different guide but my friend and myself agreed we could've given a better tour having Wikipedia-Austin on hand. read more

This was so much fun! Our captain was very funny and knowledgable. We had kids and adults in our group and we all really enjoyed it.

My family & I took the new live music bat boat. I bought tickets online 2 days before. It's a 2 hour boat ride, BYOB. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Right around sunset, the captain positioned us about 30 feet from the bridge and we could see and hear all of the bats fly out. This is definitely the way to see the bats. Kid-friendly too! read more

We had a great experience seeing the bats! Our tour guide, "Captain Han Solo" was very funny and informative at the same time! Highly recommend seeing the bats from the riverboat, rather than standing on the bridge. read more

Took our granddaughter to watch the bats and had a wonderful time. Very organized and had a very friendly staff. Boat was clean and guide was entertaining. Well worth the price. read more

I made reservations on the wrong date, and when I changed them, Joye was very easy to work with and made them seamlessly. She advised to get there early for a good seat and told me I could bring a picnic. We got there in plenty of time and had a great seat on the top deck. Capt Chris was great from the beginning of taking our tickets until we left the boat. Humorous and knowledgeable. When the cruise was over, I ended up forgetting my wallet on the top deck, and after some paranoia, and panicking, Joye ended up calling me back stating they had it and that I could get it before the sunset cruise sailed. When I picked up the wallet, Chris was super friendly in handing it back to me and not expecting a tip in return. Great customer service, great experience all around. I will make this a must do when family come to visit! read more

We had a great time. This is much better than standing on the bridge and trying to find the bats. Our out-of-town guests loved it

We really enjoyed this bat ride! The little tour of the lake was fine and interesting if you are a first timer but the bats are an amazing sight! Must see if you've never experienced it. Lots of tours to choose from but this one is always available and fun enough for the experience. read more

I've lived in Austin 10 years and I still learned a lot on this tour. Our guide was really charismatic and informative. Only thing was there was no one at the bar when we went down to purchase a drink. Rode whilst on a bachelorette party, excited to take my family next! read more

LoneStar has 3 boats that they use for their cruises, two smaller boats and a larger river boat. For the bat cruise it seems like they normally use the smaller boats, and the larger one is reserved for parties/private functions. The larger boat even had a live band, so it made the waiting time less boring, and it was also pretty cool listening to the background music while all the boats lined up to wait for the bats. Captain Laura (I think that was her name), seems like a quiet person, and we couldn't hear the other captain when he went over safety, so we missed that - it's common sense stuff though, just don't jump into the water. Once the tour started, everyone was able to hear her since she put on a headset; she knows a lot about the current Austin scene and architecture, so it was really interesting learning about some of the buildings, like the bell/fire tower, the W building, the owl looking building, the new library that's under construction, etc... Out of all the boats (including the competition), Captain Laura also brought us far back and slowed down to ensure everyone on the boat could take a perfect shot of the city, and then brought us up closest to the bridge/bats, so that was awesome. She also knows a lot about the bats; so it was really cool learning more about them. Definitely recommend going on a boat to watch the bats, it was really awesome!! read more

I'd like to thank you so much for your assistance in our cruise event. We all had fun and enjoyed the cruise very much, even though the weather was less than cooperative. The crew was great and extremely helpful in set up and take down. All in all it was great and I'd do it again. read more

So take this with a grain of salt however, they are extremely not family friendly. My family and I were first on the wait list as we were unable to reserve due to short notice. So we got there 2 hours ahead of the time we should have to make sure we were first on the lost. We said that our friends were able to reserve so we asked if we could sit near them. They said they would try their best, and told us that we would be a first priority to load for the wait list. As the time comes closer to lading for the wait list, we wait as were told to and as we approach the front we are acknowledged by the boat captains. They then begin to board the other wait list people. As we get to our point in the line to board they say we can load you guys onto this boat with your friends however we will have to split you up all along the boat. Our group consists of a 17 year old and three younger children and as I say thank you for thing to load us however we can not be split up while people are drinking and vaping. So as I try to say thank you the boat captain says why not? In a very rude way. I try to explain to him that I am having to watch over my siblings and that it would not be okay for us to be split up. Overall I this may have been a one time thing however this is the worst experience I have ever had in terms of caring about your customers. So yeah hopefully they don't treat you as bad as they did my family. read more

Riverboat cruise was great, saw plenty of bats, they left on time, reservation process was easy. Definately worth the time and 10.00. Thank you... read more

Tour guide, CJ, was great! This was an awesome way to see the bats! Well worth the money. Parking was a little tricky. After circling around twice paid $5 to park in a lot near the Hyatt and close to the Lone Star Riverboat. Get there early to get the seat you want. They had one large riverboat and two smaller boats in operation tonight. read more

Wednesday evening, July 22, I took the bat tour while in Austin for a workshop. It was very enjoyable. That night it drizzled rain, but we were still able to stay on the top floor of the boat and see the bats. It's great to get so close. We also brought our sack supper and were able to have a fun picnic on the boat as we cruised Lady Bird Lake. It was very affordable and fun. I hope to take the entire family on this tour next time I'm in Austin. I was not on the paddle wheel and did not feel that I was missing out on anything. read more

I should have written this a long time ago but only discovered this spot to review it just now. I organized an event on the Lonestar in October of 2010, and I can't say enough about how helpful and accommodating was Captain Mike, his office staff, his on-board help. I do wish there were more options for caterers, but our food was good - the experience itself made the night perfect. read more

We had a great time on our sunset bat cruise! Our captain Hans Solo (lol) was a great guide and got us in the perfect location to see the bats take flight! Amazing!! read more

The Lone Star Cruise was a pleasant and informative experience. The guide was knowledgeable about Austin and the famous bats, and the experience of watching thousands of bats emerge from under the bridge was memorable. A very rewarding evening! read more

I absolutely loved this cruise/tour. Some friends of mine did the sunset bat tour a few weeks ago and Captain "Han Solo" was not only very knowledgeable but also extremely entertaining. It's always a treat when someone who clearly loves and knows the city well shares it with you. He made a lot of jokes and puns and interacted with everyone as much as possible, and someone on the boat even mentioned that they had him as a tour guide before and he had more information and different fun facts and tidbits this time around. He was also very accommodating and steered the boat away from the usual spot before the bats came out so we could take an amazing panoramic photo of the skyline. We had one friend who was not previously signed up and was told there were 7 people ahead of him on the wait list, and he still had no problem getting a seat before we took off. Very cheap, definitely worth your money. Great way to see and learn about Austin! read more

Last night, we had one of the greatest experiences of our "well travelled" lives. Captain Chris took us out for a "bat tour". Try to envision 700,000 bats departing from the underside of a bridge on a beautiful Austin night. You really can't, until you've experienced it! Captain Chris spent about an hour giving us an update on a history of the Austin skyline interjected with humor that either had you cringing or chuckling under your breath at the subtlety! Great tour, great fun, great time. You can't go wrong! read more

My roommates and I did the sunset bat cruise. It was well worth the $10. Our tour guide was funny and engaging. We had a very nice time.

Very enjoyable , a nice leisurely cruise down the river for an hr. I would recommend getting there 45 minutes before your cruise as it fills.up fast in the air conditined bottom part. Once it gets moving though, outside is nice and windy and cool. read more

My wife and I really enjoyed our cruise. We choose to sit on the top deck of the larger boat versus the platform of the smaller boat, and we're glad we did. We got a better view and less crowding. The BYOB policy was a plus. The ride up and down the river/lake was really enjoyable before the bat's started flying. The boat rode under the bridge a couple of times before the bat's took flight so you could get a glimpse of them on their perches. The boat is equipped with a high-powered spotlight with a red filter (it doesn't disturb the bats) and we saw them coming down and out of the cracks they live in when they started taking off. They took off rather late, so if it weren't for the spotlight, I'm not sure we'd have seen much more than a cloud of bats heading over the trees. This cruise seemed to be the perfect way to see everything (skyline, river, bats [and where they live], etc). The only suggestion we'd have is for them to turn up the sound on the PA system. The captain gives an excellent narrative of the city, the bats, the river, etc. The problem we had was we only caught one or two words per sentence, and we were sitting mid-ship. I don't think the people behind us heard anything. And if someone is talking around you, you won't hear anything no matter where you sit. All-in-all, we would certainly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the city. read more

We went on the New Years Eve event last night and it was not so great, to be polite. When we got there at 9, which we were told to do, the tables downstairs were already taken. This really wasn't aproblem because we planned on being on the upper deck anyway, but when I asked about party hats and blowers I was told, "There's plenty for everyone, just take them off the table." When I tried to do that, the people at the tables got upset so we didn't get any. Small point I know, but the larger problem was that it was overcrowded. Even if we had wanted to sit downstairs there was no room. The food was meh and the 'buffet' was squashed up near the restrooms (which stunk to high heaven!) Dessert was a small tray of cookies that wasn't replenished. Other than a free glass of champagne no one really took care of us and if it wasn't for the outstanding view of our beautiful city and the fireworks, for $150 a couple, it would have been a complete bust. Thumbs down Lone Star. read more