Fun little ride along the Fraser River. Not quite the same as Proud Mary, but pretty close. I believe the boats are real deal steam powered too. Parking is available in the non free lot, but there are also free spots up the hill. Staff were friendly and helpful. Not sure if there are other boats available, but I was on the Native. The boat itself is basically 2 dining/bar areas with a patio, with a really narrow outdoor viewing area running along the sides. There really is something therapeutic about cruising down the river. The steam boats are surprisingly quiet, and don't move too quickly. The weather cooperated the day I went which was also quite nice. It's pretty neat seeing the port in action, such as the lots completely full of imported cars, and the cranes lifting containers off ships. Definitely worth a trip at least once. read more

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Beware of business practices!! june 23/2024 my group of 72 year old nurses from Vancouver general hospital were looking for a venue to meet in September/2024,. A rep from the company called and took my credit card info, charged me $500 to hold it. i never received a contact or email of any kind for this booking! The group decided against this , so a week after or June 29 I called and cancelled. The company refused to refund my $500 and 2 months later still no refund . Tried calling many times, left messages and emails but 2 months later still no refund Beware of this company as unethical practices , as he basically ripped off 72 year old nurses from Vancouver after many, many years of service to this community . read more

This company is under new management. If problems occur, then their customer is facing a nightmare. They are highly disorganized and inexperienced. They cancel cruises on a few hours' notice. They can't be reached by phone; there is always a recorded message about their full voice box. They do not return messages and emails. Their office is a small kiosk, always closed, at the New West Pier and the only way to get them to call back is to go to the Pier on the day of a sailing and talk to someone on the boat. Very inconvenient! My booking was canceled twice. After one month of unsuccessfully attempting to contact them, I had no desire to take any cruise with this company, but they don't give refunds, only "gift cards" or rebooking, so you are stuck with them or you lose your money. read more

I went a few weeks ago and had a really good time. The biggest compliment I can put is they allowed me to reschedule when I got covid two days before I was suppose to go at the end of June. I had the best time and will plan to do again in the future. read more

Such a great night out, everything was reasonably priced, servers and bartenders were fun and friendly. Scenery was great - honestly we were so happy after, made new friends, blew off some steam and just an overall fun night. Go for it! read more

Paddlewheeler Riverboat Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - New Westminster, British Columbia

Nice ambiance, great service from the wait staff, great appetizers, kind of weak drinks. DJ was terrible, poor choice of music, did not have any idea of how to play to the age of the crowd. read more

I am shocked at the Bait and Switch. The company website does not state that there are different boats. It says Paddle wheeler, which most people are interested in. And that is what I thought I had booked and paid for. Almost $600 for 3 people to sit on cheap vinyl chairs for 6 hours, with a chicken salad sandwich and a danish pastry. Sitting on a very poorly maintained tour boat. The speakers did not work, which is ok, because the older lady talking the tour, with a reedy voice, was reading from her own hand written notes....but did not include anything relate to a Nature Tour, but we could not hear most of it, anyway. The rest of staff were working hard and we had fun, just because we always do. But this was an extreme rip-off, bait and switch. This second string boat might have been OK, if anything was maintained and functional. Very embarrassing for me, having booked this for my family. read more

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Helga the business owner was rude when I first called her, and she was very flaky as far as giving me information about tours. It seems like she has major staffing problems. read more

A family business, this is a friendly and welcoming boat! My wife and I were booked for a diner cruise for our anniversary when we got in a car accident. They have us a coupon to come back and since we were from out of town they have us 2 years to do so! We went back and had a great time! A beautiful cruise and lovely staff. Thanks for a romantic evening. read more

My family took the Pitt Lake Natural Wilderness Cruise aboard the Beta Star earlier this week. Every aspect of the trip was five stars! Every member of the crew was there to make sure we had a good time and were comfortable. Complimentary coffee, tea and water were available the entire trip. The food was fresh and delicious. The guide was very knowledgeable and humorous. I would HIGHLY recommend this trip to anyone. read more

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Was really looking forward to this but pretty disappointing. I think we were the first people on the boat yet when we tried to order they were out of everything we actually wanted so we had to have nachos for dinner, even with the boat being half full and the other event being cancelled? Unfortunately they were the grossest saddest nachos, literally no toppings on them and cheap ingredients anyway. Could've made better at home and it wouldn't have cost me $25... they charge almost $4 just for sour cream, usually that comes free? They cooked them upside down on the tinfoil so they had plastic baked onto them and weren't edible. $4 for chicken that was supposed to be beef and I would honestly say there was about 3 tiny pieces of chicken on them. The desserts were just basically from the freezer at save on but more expensive.. flattest pop I've ever had. Drinks were not made well and hard to enjoy. I guess they are just playing a CD because after 2 hours the same songs played again. The music was too quiet and the announcements were loud! Once you realize how bad everything is then you realize you're stuck here for 3 hours :( On the plus side the server was very nice. Frankly I cannot believe $90 for 2 people doesn't include dinner or drinks when they're that cheaply made. Won't be going again unfortunately which is too bad because it could've been a great birthday venue. read more

I took my family on the Father's Day Special BBQ Cruise! We did the afternoon dinner and though we got a little hot, everyone had a great time. Food was very satisfying and the host was funny. They mixed up our drink orders a few times but we didn't mind, it all got sorted out in the end. Staff was lovely and we enjoyed the peaceful ride! read more

This well a fun Saturday afternoon. The lunch was very good. Very friendly staff. Clean boat. Drink prices were good. I've lived in Vancouver all my life and have done the Paddlewheeler cruise about 6 times. I find it educational and enjoyable every time! read more

Really friendly staff. Everyone from Roxanne in the office (I think I had to call the office 4-5 times) to the staff on board was super cheery and friendly. All the staff looked as though they were enjoying their jobs, everyone from the guide to the kitchen staff and servers. Curtis was our server and was really sweet. Excellent memory, great attention to detail, and pretty quick too considering all the patrons and the up and down. When the celebrations started for several bdays on board, and my party was starting to fuss over me, he offered dessert on the house. I really didn't want a dessert or sparklers or happy birthday sung over the loudspeakers, so he quietly offered to have my drink on the house instead of the cake or loud birthday shenanigans, and I really appreciated that!!! The only thing I'd say needs improvement is the music for the pub nights!! The DJ didn't have the best tunes rolling.... we were a bit disappointed in the music.... and in the speakers! I expect there would have been more people dancing if the music selection was better ... She did play some "good" music finally when the boat was docking, which made it seem as though she had finally found her "good" playlist! I realize taste in music is selective, but a stronger dancing beat and a few more modern pop songs plus the old classics woulda been awesome! Overall, we will be back. read more

Deeply saddening experience - What was meant to be a special day for a friend was met by chaos and rudeness from the staff... I was recently a bridesmaid at my friend's wedding and experienced some shocking treatment during the reception at the Paddlewheeler. Firstly, I'd like to mention that for the most part the staff were friendly and accommodating. However, the main manager/organiser on the day was not only incredibly rude but also had one of the worst attitudes I have come across in my 7 years of working in hospitality and events. When we arrived, it was quick to see that the place was running very behind and things seemed shambolic. Myself and other members of the bridal party were quick to offer a hand and ask what needed to be done as fundamentally the main aim was to get the boat set-up before guests' arrival, despite the obvious organisational issues on the Paddlewheelers behalf. This was met with an awful response from the main manager on the boat who proceeded to complain that they needed us out the way to set up. This was unacceptable as there was a very clear running order to the day, arranged with the boats events team and the bride and agreed far in advance of the wedding day. We waited a while, but it was clear that we needed to start decorating if there was any chance of having some decor before the 1st guests arrived. We expressed this to members of the staff and began the rush to get the decorations up. At this point we also then found out that all the groomsmen had also very rudely been banished from the boat and told they were unable to come on board until their set-up was finished. This added further chaos to what should have been a smooth process and with the bridal party now dispersed, this was yet another unnecessary stress added to the occasion. Through the help of everyone from our party (even guests as they started to arrive), we managed to get most of the set-up done but everything from the boats side and operationally was still far behind schedule! The actual reception experience was good (though timings were pushed back a lot), but the horrific attitude of the main manager continued to be astonishing! Her dealings with the bride were rude at best and whilst I was getting a plate of food for the bride's Mother (who was looking after the young children), I was shocked that the lady commented openly and rather vocally to her staff that I was so greedy for getting two plates at the Buffet! I have never experienced anything like it before and was rendered speechless. Honestly, this should have been a memory that is never forgotten for all the right reasons for my friend's special day but the treatment has just tarnished the whole reception and I am deeply saddened that an establishment like this could deliver such bad service to their clients. read more

We were a group of 10 friends so we're fortunate to have the seats at the stern of the boat. There were many other seating choices that could suit 4-6 people easily. A Little trickier for a large group some seats had to be shifted to accommodate everyone. The pitcher of Sangria (30$) and nachos were evening favourites you could see them on almost every table. Prices seemed fair $6-7 beer, $11 for most food. The view was nice from the boat exploring an area that you wouldn't normally see my car and the ride was peaceful. It got lively with the DJ and dancing. The music was a good mix of middle-of-the-road older and classic songs. The outer area of the boat was narrow but manageable with a small smoking area that could've been problematic given that there was no closing it off completely from the rest of the guests. The first floor was the entranceway the kitchen the bar the official dance floor and the washrooms which in the boat style are truly a tight fit. The stairs connecting the two floors are wide and stable although a bit narrow. Folks mingled easily with different groups and in fact you felt like you made a few friends by the end of the journey. read more

The "Friday Night Fun Cruise" isn't. Based on the description of 19+, drinks, dancing and DJs on a Friday night that this event would be aimed at a younger crowd. Especially with Groupon and LivingSocial vouchers for this cruise which are primarily purchased by younger people. It is anything but. I called, as I was going alone, to make sure this was a fun night for a single person. The guy on the phone informed me it was. It wasn't. The cruise was full of white-haired people that kept to themselves and never left their tables. A few middle aged couples just stood and took photos all night as if it was a sightseeing cruise. The DJ is some lady at her iTunes laptop who plays typical bad wedding type songs. No one sang along, and only some awkward over-the-hill type people danced along. Despite being sold out or near sold out as the phone man told me, the ship was pretty empty from a party perspective. I would never do this cruise again and would recommend you save your $50. There's far better cruises around for that type of money and less. Just like everything in New Westminster, this is not for those under 50. read more

Went on a tour March 16/18 good thing we were with a bunch of great people because the service and food were the worst I have ever experienced. Pancho's are not ripple chips with cheese melted on, bangers and mash were 2 burnt sausaged and lumpy mashed potatoes. Cannot comment on burgers , they ran out of them right away. We waited 2 and a half hours were then told no burgers or bangers and mash, some of us were served a piece of chicken that was microwaves or boiled I don't know couldn't eat it. Our server couldn't get 3 drink order straight and 2 people in our party never got any food at all. It's a good scam if you ask me, will never go back. read more

I am so impressed with the entire crew. They truly define what Customer Service is meant to be. They returned the ship to pick us up as we were late due to an accident on the Queen's borough bridge. read more

I've been on the Pitt Lake tour several times over the years and we've always enjoyed it. The cost for special events (ie: Mother's Day) is a little high but Groupon prices for regular cruises are pretty decent. I don't like how loud the PA system is in the lower cabin but it's fine upstairs. The tour is very interesting, the lunch/dinner is fine, and the sights are great. A lovely way to spend a couple of hours and learn about the local community. Recommended! read more

Keep track of your drinks etc. Great tour etc., but my calculations and there are dfferent. S. They asked what my calculations were and honored it so all good would of made me happy with exact calculations. But really value them coming and honouring my calculations read more

Recently we chartered the Riverboat for a dinner cruise for a company function. We were very pleased with the excellent service received by the staff and a delightful meal. I would highly recommend this company. Nothing but great comments from our staff. A truly enjoyable experience. read more

I attended a wedding at the Paddlewheeler as a member of my friend's bridal party and I can honestly say I was totally disgusted with the level of service and treatment received from certain members of the venue's staff. DO NOT PLAN YOUR WEDDING OR ANY OTHER SIGNIFICANT EVENT HERE. The cold and unreceptive 'welcome' from 'Helga' (boat owner?) was apparent from the outset. To the point where she didn't even want us to come on board once we arrived!!! Despite having agreed for months prior basic preparations such as tying chair sashes to chairs, arranging a seating plan, putting table decorations down - this particular member of staff tried to obstruct us at every point!! I was completely shocked at how rude this woman was, particularly to the bride's mother when trying to negotiate trying to tie on the table sashes. Coming all the way over from the UK, this was a terrible reflection of Canadian hospitality - and all the more upsetting given that it was my close friend's special day. The impression I was left with was that these people were simply trying to bleed you dry of money, being rude and abrasive in the process. Avoid this venue at all costs (emphasis on the costs!) read more