Enjoyable cruise to see ships and the harbor and river…read more On the boat you can grab snacks and hot dogs and beverages. The staff are friendly.

A group of eight of us enjoyed a fun and relaxing lunch cruise on the Spirit of Norfolk. The buffet…read morelunch was good and plentiful. It included three types of salads, rolls with butter, chicken, pulled pork, and salmon entrees, potatoes, Mac and Cheese, plantains, squash, and street corn. Plus a large selection of desserts. Iced tea and water came with the meal too. They also have a full bar and reasonable prices for beer and wine. Service is cheerful and efficient. The entire crew was accommodating and helpful. After lunch, you can go out on their decks and enjoy the view or stay inside to dance to tunes played by a DJ. Tip and tax is included on the cruise fee, though not on the separate drinks you order on board. They'll serve you drinks at your table or on the outside decks. We boarded at 11:30 am, and the buffet opened around that time too. We then sail shortly after 12 pm. We disembarked at 2 pm. Parking is available a block away in the Town Point Garage. I believe they usually have handicap parking close to the ship, but that area was occupied by a festival when we were there. They give a military discount. Sometimes you'll see a discount on their website too.

Me and my husband missed the boat due to the large crowd and the amount of boats on the pier during…read morea busy festival. Over 25 boats on the pier. Poor directions on email for loading area. it literally said we will be in our "usual spot". For a person who has never boarded your boat the "usual spot" is not helpful. The company was unwilling to refund or allow us to board the next night and pay the $40 difference. The point of the cruise was to watch the fireworks that weekend so all weekend those cruises had fireworks. Offered to snail me two tickets to board in the future minus the fireworks which was the whole point of us booking. Wasn't helpful over the phone. Rushed me off the phone. Very impolite.

We booked a 7.30 till 9.30 sunset criuse during Harborfest, an annual festival on the waterfront…read more We boarded at 7ish with maybe 30 to 40 other folks so it was not crowded on the boat and we had our choice of seats, nice chairs with backs and arm rests. The crew were very friendly. Especially Connor and Lauren, the bartender. There was a bar with snack concessions for purchase. The cruise began at 7.30 out into the harbor with narration by the captain of the history of the harbor, the various ships docked in the harbor and the many shipyards. We saw dolphins playing in the water and were able to see the festival attendees, vendors and hear the music from the shore. There was a musician on board who walked around playing guitar and singing after the narration. We would have preferred more history to the music but he was entertaining. They raised the sails once we got off the shore and that was cool. We were able to stay on the ship after docking to enjoy the drone show that was part of the Harborfest activities, which was impressive but also disappointing in that it only lasted a few minutes, maybe 5 at tops. But overall it was a great cruise, nice ship that was clean and well ran. The deck underneath was also very nice with cool furnishings and is where the bar and bathrooms were located.

When I called to ask if there was anything special going on at the Bayou Bugaloo with your boat,…read morethe man who answered the phone could have told me you had a free piano show and anyone could attend instead of your attitude explaining to me it was for private events only at a minimum of $3,000. I'm giving this three stars only for the fact that my Mom has been talking about this boat being at the festival all weekend. Other than that i would NEVER rent your boat based on how you spoke to me and for not informing me of the free event. Good Customer service is going extinct every single day.

From the owner: Celebrate your next event on the Carrie B Showboat. From a simple party to a sophisticated themed…read moreaffair requiring catering, flowers, and music, our Party Planners can arrange everything for you or you can use your own vendors—it is entirely up to you.  Whether choosing to remain dockside, or to include a harbor voyage as a part of your charter, your celebration on the water will be exciting and special. Pickup locations available in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton & Chesapeake, VA – or just about any Southeastern Virginia dock! The Carrie B goes beyond Corporate Charters, Weddings, Reunions, School Events and Military Functions. Our list also includes: Corporate Events Weddings and Receptions Rehearsal Dinners Bachelor Bachelorette Parties Anniversaries Reunions Prom Graduation School Charters Educational Cruises Military Functions Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s Holiday Parties Sweet 16 Fundraiser Birthdays Retirement Memorial Service Bon Voyage

We had a beautiful sunset cruise on the Alliance II out of Yorktown. The crew was great, letting us…read morehelp with sails, being very informative, and offering drinks and snacks for purchase. Yorktown has free, simple parking so we enjoyed a scenic walk on the river walk, a delicious lunch, and cute shops in the town before hand.

Road the Schooner Alliance on a hot summer day with no wind so we moved by motor, but at multiple…read morepoints it felt like we weren't moving and were baking on the boat. If you go on a hot day, sit towards the front of the boat because you'll get any breeze that gets mustered up by the boat's movement. I'm not a boat person, and if it wasn't so hot out, I think I would have liked it better. The crew were so friendly and informative about how the boat works and they fired a cannon, which was neat. The drinks they offered were cold and went well with the boat riding. The chairs they have are plastic folding chairs, which ended up being more comfortable than expected.

Huge thank you to Lauren with our Norfolk harbor cruise team today!…read more We left over TWO HOURS early and still got caught in unbelievable traffic, construction, and a completely full parking lot. By the time we called, we truly thought we had missed the boat (literally and figuratively). Lauren went above and beyond to contact the crew and help us. She also helped us find a second parking lot when the designated lot was full. Because of her kindness and professionalism, they waited for us and we were able to experience an absolutely incredible cruise today. Customer service like that matters. Thank you for turning a stressful morning into wonderful family memories. . All this before we met the crew who patiently waited for us at the dock. They were gracious as they welcomed us aboard. The two hours were filled with so much detail on not only the ships we were looking at, but the buildings we were looking at and their history. The captain filled in with interesting bits of trivia about the harbor, the rivers that run into the Chesapeake Bay and facts of some piers and docks that had historical significance. The boat has an upper deck if you want to sit in the open. For those who prefer a little less adventure, you can sit inside the lower area that is fully enclosed. There is a small drink and snack bar where you can purchase drinks and packaged snacks. They have souvenir t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other small items for purchase. Highly recommend this cruise. You will not be disappointed in the cruise or the customer service.

Captain and his crew were great! Captain offered an informative narrative the entire cruise. Boat…read morewas clean and well kept. Boat was equipped with bathrooms (with child changing table), souvenirs and snacks and beverages including beer and wine. Definitely recommend for an upclose look at the fleet at Norfolk Naval Station.

We were in Norfolk for a short time on our cruise, and we docked right next to the USS Wisconsin…read more So we decided we would checkout this historic Navy battleship. The museum is full of historic information and articles to view. One of the coolest part of the experience is being able to board the USS Wisconsin, even for someone like me, a wheelchair user. I was able to tour the deck and check out many areas of the ship. The docents and museum personnel were friendly and knowledgeable when anyone had a question or wanted to know more of the history of "Old Whisky" I am a naval history buff and the chance to be able to get on a ship that helped the US in WWII, it was a treat. Whether you are visiting Norfolk for a long or short visit, put this historic Navy battleship!

Love passing this little backyard I have I live down the street and get to enjoy walking downtown…read moreand seeing the Wisconsin when families in town we do the winner fest on the Wisconsin. I've done yoga on there. I've had a party for girls on the run for a half marathon.

My sister was visiting from FL and I wanted to do something special for her. The Rudee Rocket was…read morea boat I had wanted to ride on for years but never did as I lived here, I thought it was too touristy LOL. I'm so glad we did this ride, it was so fun! The captains on the boat were so nice and did such a great job! You definitely need sunscreen and don't wear a hat, you'll definitely lose it! They have cold water on board for $3 each, so convenient as it is hot! The tickets were about $35 each and parking was $10. The ride is one hour, 30 minutes at a smooth pace and then FAST for the 30 minutes back. I highly recommend this ride if you haven't done it!

We had a really great time on our sunset/night fishing excursion. It was from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm.At…read morefirst I was nervous because it appeared there were a LOT of people on board with not a ton of extra space or rods, but we settled in just fine and we had space. Honestly, my kids had the BEST time. We had a group of 6 people and I'm not kidding, we probably caught 40 fish between all of us--mostly Croaker. We kept a handful to do the "biggest fish pool" challenge, but didn't win. My boys were disappointed about that, but has nothing to do with Rudee Tours. Really professional captain and crew--the first mates were super friendly and nice. They also were super attentive to my boys and engaged with them a lot, which made them feel very special. Had a fabulous time and will totally be back. It's worth the money and was beautiful watching the sun go down.

I've stayed at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside more times than I can count, and somehow it never…read moredisappoints. Location? Absolutely elite. If your idea of a perfect evening involves walking to great restaurants, grabbing a drink at a waterfront bar, or just strolling along the harbor pretending you're the main character in a travel show, this is your place. You can park the car and forget it exists. If you're an airline crew member, this hotel deserves bonus points. It's one of the few hotels that actually understands exhausted humans in uniforms. They have a dedicated crew room stocked with snacks, sandwiches, coffee, and drinks before or after a flight. It's not a five-course meal, but after a long day in the air, finding coffee and a snack waiting for you feels like someone actually cares. The rooms are comfortable and clean. Here's a little insider tip: * Water-facing rooms have incredible views... but thanks to all that glorious sunshine, they can run a bit warmer. * City-facing rooms tend to stay a little cooler if you're someone who sleeps best in an icebox. Now, let's talk about the staff. They're honestly one of the biggest reasons this hotel gets five stars from me. Every visit, they're genuinely kind, welcoming, and seem like they actually enjoy helping people. In today's world, that's becoming a rare superpower. Now for the tiny elephant standing on the roof... The hotel could probably use a little TLC in the maintenance department. Case in point: the entrance canopy actually collapsed not long ago. I didn't dive into the news to see exactly what happened, but generally speaking, I prefer my hotel roofs to remain attached to the hotel. It's a fairly low bar... literally. That said, one maintenance mishap doesn't erase years of consistently good experiences. If you're visiting Norfolk, especially if you're interested in the area's incredible naval history and military attractions, you couldn't ask for a better home base. Between the waterfront, restaurants, museums, and everything nearby, there's always something to do. Final verdict: Great rooms. Amazing location. Fantastic staff. Airline crew-friendly. Just... let's all agree to keep the roof where it belongs. I'll happily stay here again--and probably will.

I'm here frequently for work, and I've always enjoyed staying at this . Unfortunately, this most…read morerecent stay so for has been very disappointing. I've been without AC for the past week, and because there haven't been any rooms available to move me into, I've had to stay in a room that feels like a sauna. It's been extremely uncomfortable, especially during these hot summer days. I was moved to another room to 211 which is right next to where they're doing construction in front of the hotel so I wake up to noise every day and ALSO this past week the AC has gone out again twice ... ‍ While I understand that maintenance issues can happen, I'm disappointed with how this situation has been handled. I hope they take this feedback seriously and improve how they handle situations like this in the future. Ps I'm still staying in the hotel if you'd like to correct this situation for me...