After years of wanting to go on this boat we finally did it! It was a nice little boat ride. Actually 2 hours long, I was beat by the time we we came back. But if you every wanted to see the emerald bay this is a great way to see it at a different angle. And also learn about the Lake a little more. There were some things that were incorrect about the Native American's that occupied the area, but it was nice to learn other history as well. If you have to the time this is something you should consider trying out. A little pricey, and plus the added parking fee doesn't help. Beautiful views! read more

We arrived here on a beautiful day for the 11:00am cruise to Emerald Bay and back. The $8 parking fee was waived this day, so the $44 / per person cruise price was just a bit more palatable. We were hoping that the photo taken just before we boarded would be worth buying later, but when we found out it cost $37.50 we declined (wouldn't it be more customer friendly & less wasteful to charge a lot less and sell many more?). We started out on the back of the boat, top deck. It was a gorgeous view from there, but many people turned their chairs around to look ahead instead of behind of the boat. After awhile, one of us was feeling queasy so we went to the front of the top deck. It was about 20 degrees cooler there, from the wind I'd guess, so we moved from there after awhile and went to the enclosed lower deck. We bought some drinks and snacks in the "gift" shop, but they didn't sell any "can coolies" to keep my drink cool (they sell everything else it seemed). The views from inside were good, but after awhile we went back up to sun on the top back deck. Emerald Bay and the Vikingsholm house and Tea house on the island were interesting to see from the boat. I later found out that tours are given of the American Craftsman Vikingsholm museum home for a nominal fee. This was a pleasant cruise to see south Lake Tahoe and spend some time with family. The young guy (Talbot?) narrating during the cruise said that some of his narration was made up so who knew what to believe. The boat staff was friendly and we had a good time. read more

It was an enjoyable 2 hour cruise. It would have added to the overall experience if there was a live narrator (vs. a CD player). I appreciated that what was played was not constant; it came and went as we entered certain areas of the Lake. I did not try and snacks or drinks -- but from what I could tell, it was reasonably priced. read more

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Enjoyed the afternoon tour, Mark Twain and all. Beautiful day in one of the most beautiful places that I have been in a long time. Received the passes through a timeshare presentation at the Ridge. Had to buy a kids ticket, but at $10 it was a steal. They didnt seem to mind me bringing my own snacks and drinks on board. Great way to spend a couple hours on the lake. read more

Overall, a fun adventure if you have the time and money. They'll take you to Emerald Bay and back while giving you a history of the lake. Best views are had from the top level. The boat didn't rock at all (mid-Nov.) so I think people who get motion sickness easily should be fine. They have a bar/food on the boat, but it's very expensive. You're better off bringing food or waiting till later. My one gripe is that the $45 boarding fee is kind of steep. Families seemed to have a great time. Even little children. read more

First, it's kinda sad when I see a large number of people just not dressed up for such a great dinner dance cruise. Are they days of dresses and suits gone? Where people took pride in getting dressed up for a great dinner dance cruise? It's just my opinion but it's so much nicer when people get decked out. Anyways, the wait staff was great. The food was delicious. The band was PHENOMENAL! Three piece band but they really did a great job and had an awesome sound. Dancing started early and it was packed all night long. A few negatives though...watch the bartender...when pouring, he basically splashed the liquor in the drinks...definitely not a full shot. When I challenged them, there was no question and they provided a full shot of liquor. For the $10/drink, keep an eye out is all I'm saying...lol. The Rib Eye was great and the Salmon was yummy too. It's almost a hundred bucks a pop plus drinks but it's worth it. Put your nice digs on and check it out. Sunset dinner cruise.... read more

I'm not entirely sure how this company can take people's money knowing there is a high likelihood that they will cancel due to lack of staff. They use a third party booking system that is in the south, cancel with automated recording and have a no refund policy! Isn't that stealing? Getting a live person is virtually impossible and they continue to disappoint people who unknowingly book with them expecting a great cruise. Very poor policy! I mean, I get it that COVID might have wiped out your staff but be upfront with people! Or don't run till you are fully operational! Trust me folks, there are better cruises on the lake where you work with real, live, friendly people! Choose them, not this company! read more

We had a great time and really enjoyed our tour. There were a few things that kept us from giving them five stars. 1. Getting into the parking lot took forever! We got there half an hour prior to our cruise, but it took at least ten minutes to get into the parking lot. 2. Even though we were there on time, we had to stand in line, in the hot sun for over forty minutes waiting to get on the boat. Two girls were making each party stop and take a photo before they were allowed to get on the boat. It took forever, and we were a bit irritated that we had to stand in the sun for so long. We chose not to have our picture taken because we did not want to waste more time for the people behind us in line, and the cost of the photo was half the price of the tickets for the cruise. 3. Although we did appreciate the narration provided by a man we could never see, We could have don without the extra 25% fictional information that he kept giving us. It also would have been nice if they didn't play music when he was not talking. I would have rather enjoyed the quiet and view without the extra noise. Speaking of extra noise, we could have DEFINATELY done without the guitar playing, and singing. It might have been tolerable if the volume wasn't cranked up so loud that the music was distorated and there was no escaping it. By the end of the cruise we were just praying for it to stop. read more

Views are 5 stars Minus two stars for the first employee who greeted us, just before they take your picture. I've asked him if there is coffee on board and he said that coffee on the ship is free. He repeated that it is free twice. He was lying, coffee is over 3 dollars. read more

I went to the dinner cruise this past Memorial Day weekend. I'll keep it short... Food - very good... I had the steak and my wife had fish. They were pretty good with my food restrictions, so that was good. Staff - pretty good... the waiter I had (Herberth) was cool and was very accommodating. Music - bad. This is where things went south. The "band" was two guys on keyboard and drums and it felt like they were playing for a shriners convention or something. The music was dead... Coldplay, The Doors, other music that is impossible to dance to. I think at one point they were playing the Sanford & Son theme... what? And they started at almost 8:00 (cruise ends at 9:00), even though they said they would be playing music the whole time. The worst part was that there was a bachelor party and bachelorette party on-board, and they were itching to have some fun but the music totally killed the mood. It was kind of funny seeing people leave one by one to go to the lower deck and find something else to do. read more

We took the Black Friday noon cruise as the actual classy cruise was off due to weather (the Safari Rose). There were 50-60 people without seats - literally stacked down the stairwells eating their meals of loaded fries etc on dinner plates. Total fire hazard. Totally oversold for $65 and 30 something for a kid. People standing in the aisles making it hard to see or enjoy the view. People sitting 3 rows deep in the dance floor area on the 2nd floor. Bet their view was great from the ground. Disgusting display of greed or pure mismanagement? You decide. NEVER AGAIN. This boat not only sucks, but it is unsafe to be on the water with this many people. read more

Can't really speak to the cruise as we missed our boat. Let me give you a heads up which their website does not bother to do if you are thinking of this cruise on a holiday weekend--add 60-90 minutes if you are coming through South Lake Tahoe. Also, do not count on parking and don't believe the parking rate on their website--they upcharged for the holiday weekend--nice. Came from Bay Area and according to Google Maps should've arrived at 1:30--and that is when we hit South Lake Tahoe--after getting through South Lake Tahoe traffic, we got to Zephyr Cove at about 2:20 p.m. Waited in an impossibly long left turn arrow light waiting to get into their parking lot--they said they were doing their best to get everyone on the boat. We parked at about 2:28, ran up to the boarding dock--boat was still there and boarding ramp was still down at that point--we were told, too bad, too late--we were stranded with two other families. The best part is absolutely no refund as it was our fault. Manager told me all the information about a "busy" holiday weekend was on the website--(just looked at their website--wrong) and that they "encouraged" everyone to use the shuttles (wrong again--website simply says you can opt in to the shuttle service) Then tried to say because we booked through Viator, it was not their problem that we weren't told about traffic delays associated with holiday weekend (as the manager claimed they do on their website). So long and short of it, zero stars for me--I know that legally, they can keep my money (and the money of the other two families who got stiffed), but you know what? That doesn't make it right. Hope the greedy overlords who run Aramark choke on it. read more

Had such a great time on the MS Dixie II! It was so nice to be able to spend a few hours on the lake, have a guided tour, the dinner was delicious, the band was fun, the souvenir pictures were extremely overpriced but we had such a great time we bought it anyway, and everybody seemed genuinely happy to be there! My mother and I had such a horrific experience with our hotel, The Montbleu, that we were so grateful to be able to experience the MS Dixie II. It completely turned out SLT experience around! Can't wait to come back! What I learned this trip to SLT: MS Dixie II is a MUST VISIT! But the Montbleu hotel is a MUST AVOID lol (If you want to know why see my review) PS- If you are a drinker you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO order a rum runner! I don't know if they serve them at all of the bars on the boat but I know that they for sure serve them at the bar on the second deck. :) read more

Food was great. Friendly people, great views, beyond our expectations. Crew was very accommodating since we had an infant, car seat, and stroller. Highly recommend! read more

MS Dixie II - Sunset heading back in - Boating Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

Did the morning cruise on the MsDixiell Loved EVERY MOMENT of the 2 hrs. Staff was great-- ESPECIALLY Bartender Bart - fun , knowledgeable and FUNNY. Give this guy a raise ! Oh , yeah and he makes some good drinks too. We would do this again in a minute and will come back for the dinner cruise as well. PS THE BUSS PICK UP WAS ANOTHER 5 STARS. read more

This was a very big surprise as we reluctantly booked upon it being highly recommended by this gentleman we met on our first drive down to Lake Tahoe at Strawberry Station. I'm not one for being stuck on a crowded bus, boat, train, etc... With not much to do but look out the window. But... The boat was is nice condition. All staff were sweet and attentive. We saw some of the most beautiful views of the lake and Emerald Bay and learned the story behind Vikingholm which was cool! The dinner (we had the second seating and I would definitely recommend it as when it's sunny and warm out you want to be up out on the deck, then done on the way back after the sun went down and it's too cold to be outside. Food was surprising delicious! Maybe we set the bar low... But it surpassed our expectations for sure! read more

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I helped a friend plan her wedding and this is the venue she chose prior to bringing me onboard to help coordinate things. I have a background in large event production in the L.A. market and I can assure you, this place does not know what they are doing. The ONLY person who provided quality service, who did what she said she would when she said she would, was Olimpia - the food and beverage manager on the boat. The Zephyr Cove event staff are terrible. They don't respond to contact (it took weeks to hear back when the bride called or emailed), they all tell different stories, and quite frankly, they bait and switch. They promise the moon when in reality they cannot deliver. They also have a very high turnover rate so my friend had to deal with three coordinators over the course of eight months of planning. Their excuse for failing to follow-up, failing to fix their errors, is always "Well, we're busy with other weddings." Sooo, what, our $20k is less important than some other bride's $20k? We had been told the bridal team could access the boat two hours before the wedding so they could set up. That alone is an extremely small window. We were stunned when, three weeks before the wedding, we visited the boat and Olimpia informed us that no, the boat is always out on lunch cruise before the wedding and the team would have less than 45 minutes to get EVERYTHING set up. Thankfully, Olimpia saw our panicked faces and suggested she allocate two guest spots on the lunch cruise so the bridal team could have a few hours to prep. Unfortunately, the Zephyr Cove people told the bridal team to leave the boat before the cruise departed so not everything got done ahead of time as hoped. While the food was delicious (again, Olimpia lived up to her word) the cake was a mess. The Zephyr people want you to use their vendors (typical of this kind of wedding mill and the main reason I tell people to avoid such places) so my friend used their baker and agreed upon a cake. The cake was delivered on a cheap, flimsy, unprofessional, plastic picnic plate. The decoration (roses made of frosting) were sloppy, had open spaces between roses and tiers, and the top tier wasn't entirely level. The cake person plopped the cake on the table and refused to take it out of the box, put it on the cake stand (which someone damaged), place the cake topper, or add the baby's breath. She literally said it wasn'ther job and she was leaving. The DJ was not allowed time to set up before the reception so there weren't any mics or speakers when it was time for toasting the bride & groom. The Zephyr rep who remained onboard refused to help breakdown the decor, etc, and didn't spring that news on the bride until 15mins before the reception ended. The boat was sweltering hot. The bar drinks were served in plastic cups and the two bathrooms on the main deck were apparently out of order. In the bride's words: everything was half-a**ed and she felt ripped off. Also, someone cleaned out the bridal suite prior to the end of the evening (witbout telling anyone) and lost some items belonging to the bridal party. Other than the very warm and professional Olimpia, there is nothing about this place I'd recommend. read more

This was our first time here, we loved ship ride and dinner cruse and the bands great also!

I came to Lake Tahoe with my husband and sister for my babymoon. Since I cannot ski, we decided to book a boat tour. We checked the availability online for 3 adults and called and in to make a reservation. We were charged $330. An hour later, we got a call saying the boat tour was full. Now, our money is being held, no service was rendered and our money will not be credited back until we return from our trip. This has been the worst vacation I've ever been on and I couldn't do the one thing I was looking forward to doing. read more

The MS Dixie II boat tour is highly recommended stop if your ever in the S. Lake Tahoe area. I took the day tour on a light snow day. It was spectacular. A little cold but so beautiful. I could only imagine the fun we would have had if we went on the weekend dinner cruise. The bar and appetizers were a delight and not completely overpriced. Not to mention the whole crew staff was very accommodating and friendly. They even take your picture upon boarding and sell you a photo package. I bought ours. Which will be a great keepsake to look back on. Don't be turned off by the price. You get your money's worth. The tour was like 2.5-3 hours. The view and atmosphere is just breath taking. read more

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Great cruise, beautiful views. Get there early so you can enjoy a seat and not have to deal with the hassle in the parking lot (very busy). Hats off to Vacations Made Easy, they are a great team. BIG SHOUT OUT to Sam, thank you so much for helping us you saved our vacation. read more

Made reservations and got confirmation through email. Waited an hour for pickup outside Gondola/Patagonia store, and no one showed up. Called company number and the lady on the phone was worthless. Asked her to call me back once figured out issue, never did! These people ruined one day of my vacation. We were all very upset. read more

My family and I are so happy that we booked our ride! Boat was very spacious and the inside seating saved us from the heat. Overall the views were BEAUTIFUL!!! I can't get over how incredible Emerald Bay is. Don't leave Lake Tahoe without seeing this incredible place. read more

It sounded like a great idea when visiting South Lake, get out on the water, have a great meal, check out some of the best views that Tahoe can provide and do a little dancing to a live band after having a few drinks. The only problem is that this paddlewheeler offered only the great views; which I could have gotten by driving over to Emerald Bay for free. Our discounted tickets still added up to $120, the band is 20 years past their prime and mangled some of the greatest songs from the 1960s and 1970s, the dinner was served a half hour before we were set to end the trip, the steak was dry, the dinner drinks were served to us after most other passengers got their dessert and only a couple employees on the M.S. Dixie were even remotely friendly. The only thing that saved the trip was the company we had during our dinner; Kevin, the shuttle bus driver who attempted to pick up Bachelorette party girls on the way to Zephyr Cove; and the kids who were giving the "band" that 'what the F is this S' look while they played over the top of a CD. read more

All I have to say is, it's a good thing the food and views were good, because the service and ambiance were awful. We waited in line for 30 minutes, they crammed us in like sardines and practically threw our food at us. AND if it's cold outside, plan on standing most of the ride because there is not enough room or chairs for everyone to sit. I don't think this was worth $75. Everything just seems cheap and cheesy. read more

If you have $75 and it's your birthday or you want to get engaged, this is the place to go. The staff wished "the birthday girl" happy birthday every 15 minutes, and surprise, surprise, two different couples got engaged! Original. The sunset cruise was spectacular, but don't expect anything more than that. Drinks are over priced for the amount you get and the dinner resembled a middle school cafeteria lunch. Don't get the steak!!! The garlic bread tasted like soggy sawdust and looked like wadded up toilet paper. I didn't expect to go on a $75 cruise to eat Wonder Bread! Despite all the bad, being out on Lake Tahoe during sunset made up for it. Tip: Don't go for the food or drinks, go for the view! read more

Just took the Tahoe dinner cruise on the MS Dixie II. Had a great time with my new bride, dinner was better than expected. The ribeye steak and blackened salmon were very flavorful and portions were generous. The live band was very good and diverse. We had a great time. read more

MS Dixie II - View from MS Dixie II of Emerald Bay at sunset. - Boating Near Me - Zephyr Cove, Nevada

On our honeymoon, we were told that the MS Dixie II Dinner and Dance cruise would be a great way to see the lake and see the sights. What we weren't told? Our waiter didn't want us to leave until we finished all of our three courses, and we missed all the sights and sunset. We didn't get any pictures because it was too dark by the time we were able to head upstairs. All we did was sit for hours and look at the black night. We could have sat outside on the dark, but didn't bring a coat. We did see ONE sight, and a light was shown on it by the boat, and that was it. I recommend this cruise, just not at night. read more

This cruise should be called the Covid Cruise. Before we booked we called and they said that social distancing and mask wearing would be require, as well as the capacity would be cut in half. That was not the case at all. There were too many people booked therefore not enough seating outside that people could social distance 6 ft apart. Also most people didn't wear their masks. There was no enforcement of these rules nor any announcement about mask wearing or social distancing. But they did announce no running and other basic rules. There is an inside eating area but people that were not eating or drinking just sat in there without their masks on to talk and play games etc. I would only book this after the Covid vaccine is released. read more

This is an incredibly disorganized and unprofessional business. I have not ever or since had such a difficult time giving a company money for a service, which they were then unable to provide. They made our reservation, then lost. We were one of many this happened to. If you have a choice of swimming across the lake and this tour, swim. read more

My wife and I had a blast! We both had the Rib Eye Steak which was AMAZING! The staff was very polite and fun. The atmosphere once you're on the water is wonderful with the elegant dining experience while cruising the Lake and continues on after with the guided tour of Emerald Bay. And to top everything off the live music continued on the way back as my Wife and I danced to the talented band. Would do it again and again! read more

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Went on a dinner cruise with my 10 years old daughter . The views from the boat were absolutely beautiful but had to wait a long time to have dinner we got second seating and the quality of the food is horrible we both got food poisoning. read more

There was some reservation confusion regarding the initially booked date for our sunset dinner cruise. They were absolutely unwilling to work with us and refused to comp our nearly $200. We booked with Safari Rose and had a much for positive experience. read more

Make sure you REALLY want this. Because there's a 48 hour cancellation period that is absolutely iron clad, no exceptions as said in wizard of oz "ain't no how, ain't no way". My wife got sick the day of or cruise, demonstrating Covid19 symptoms. So thinking I'm doing the right thing, I called to respectfully ask for an exception to their cancel policy, and in so many words they said tough toe nails for you, we can't and won't do for you. Baloney, they could have. So again, make sure you REALLY want this cruise. read more

very disappointed. for the cost ($130/person) you are seated at either an interior table or at a window table. expecting a good view of the water because of the price, we got a distant view and when we asked if we could move, got nothing but excuses from the staff. additionally, the cost of an ice tea or a soda is $4.50 extra in addition to the $130 meal. I can understand pating for a bar tab, but for iced tea? over all this is nothing more than a tourist trap. it makes me sick that we fell for this trap. my suggestion - pass this up. read more

For the mid-day cruise, we had a lovely time! Can't say anything about the dinner or dancing cruises, but the cruise to Emerald Bay and back was lovely. read more

I would give this some more stars if it wasn't so expensive. But if you've never taken the boat ride on the Dixie before, I do recommend it. It's a beautiful ride across the lake and a lot of fun if this is your first time doing it. I've never done the dinner so I can't vouch for that. They do during the other cruises have food items you can purchase and eat. The food is OK. Don't remember it being anything special, but it's really about the ambience on the paddlewheeler overlooking the beautiful lake. I do recommend doing this at least once when you visit Tahoe. read more

At $99 a pop the 2- hour cruise provides a decently nice experience if you run out of things to do around Lake Tahoe. We booked tix for the 2:30 pm cruise 2 days prior. We received the confirmation the next day with the bare minimum information on date and time of cruise and the number of guests. At the time of online booking, they recommended that we do not drive there either because of limited availability of parking spaces or because parking fee has to be paid. They provide complementary pick up instead. The pick up location we picked is "Harrah Har" as spelled on their website (Hotel and Casino). Since pick up information is not given in the confirmation email, I went to their website and this location is not even listed there. panic! So on the day of the cruise I called and asked them where we should be waiting for the shuttle. The lady said at Harrah's ( she pronounced it confusingly close to Harvey's rear entrance by the Arcade. Now if you google the location, you'll find out that Harvey's Arcade and Game Room is listed there, which is, I believe owned by Harrah, right across Harrah's. We waited at the wrong spot and when the bus didn't come, I called their number and no one picked up the phone. Luckily I had asked the lady on the phone what the shuttle bus would look like and she had told me that it might have M.S. Dixie or Yosemite on it. When I saw the bus with "Yosemite" sign turned into Harrah's parking, I realized that we had been waiting in the wrong spot, so we, senior citizens, had to run across the street and chase the bus. Luckily we got on it on time. It was terrible. A bad beginning sets a negative tone for the whole thing. That's something that could have been avoided if the tour company had given detailed information on the shuttle pick up! read more

Although the MS Dixie Cruise was a fun relaxing experience for my cousins Bachelorette party, the agency which we booked through Victor.com was an absolute mess!!! Not only did they not make it clear when providing a check in point that you need to make sure you are on the Nevada side of South Lake but the "if you have questions" # was linked to a woman who "no longer worked for the company" and the alternate number provided was unavailable! We were rushed getting there and worried we were not going to make it. Thankfully the ACTUAL MS Dixie staff was very accommodating and helpful. DO NOT BOOK through VIATOR.COM! They also booked me for Thursday rather than the Saturday date I'd chosen online; again thankful for the MS Dixie staff who got us on and did not charge us twice. If you are looking for a bit of down time on your trip to Tahoe this is definitely worth doing. Get the 2nd seating so you enjoy the view on the way to Emerald Bay and have a nice meal on the return trip. read more

We had a great time on this. Lots of safety precautions on the boat. Dinner was very good. However, BIG things to change. BIG!!! They were running late from the cruise before the dinner one and the young man who brought the trash down put it BY the metal trash cans and not in it. When we got off the dinner cruise at 9 and walked to the end of the doc we all had to stop because there was a bear in the garbage that the ship crew had left behind. Being from Western Montana--YOU DONT LEAVE TRASH OUT! We put trash in the garbage and they have special lids because of bears! Luckily we scared it away. It could have easily came at us. Not very safe! read more