As a caretaker for someone with disabilities, it isn't often that you experience much help when visiting various sites. Sometimes, staff members won't even acknowledge clients. However, from the start, the captain helped us get a wheelchair down the ramp and into the ship, the servers checked on us a few times, and when it was over, another staff member helped us get up the ramp. Not only did they help us up and down the ramp, but they also did it despite having it under control. They could have easily let us be. However, they went the extra mile and were so kind. My client felt so seen! read more

We were invited to a wedding on the river boat and it was such a fun time! The boat was clean, the staff were friendly, the accommodations were great, and the food was wonderful. We had a lovely time and would come again for this calming river boat ride experience. read more

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Friendly staff, easy parking and boat access. Very helpful for our larger party. Very accommodating, including setting up a bar tab and allowing us to bring in a special cake for our celebration. Just a really nice cruise for all ages. read more

My coworkers and I recently attended a meal packing charity event aboard the Stillwater River Boats! It was the perfect setting for such an important event! There were three levels on the boat with great view from each! The bottom enclosed level was where we did our meal packing. The second enclosed level was air conditioned with plenty of seating, a cash bar and served a buffet style dinner that was very good! The third level was open air with plenty of seating and a great 80s themed band played hits as we cruised the St. Croix river . The staff were very courteous and our bartender was very nice! The whole cruise was roughly 3 hours and was such a great team building exercise for our team! read more

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We booked a spot on the cruise as part of my daughters birthday week! Stillwater about an hour from our home. Quaint downtown along StCroix. Riverboats I counted four bin all, free parking; arrive 45 minutes ahead to check in. Sunday buffet was stuffed chicken breast, roast beef, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls and butter. Bar on board not included. Bloody Mary $8, soda and coffee $2, beer also and hard seltzer drinks. Two levels of dining, third level outdoor seating for the ride. Paddle boats just like the old days seats 227 people. Courteous staff and service people to announce your turn to attend buffet, refill water and order cocktails or walk up bar. Enjoyable time; windows open by your table to feel the breeze; handicap accessible to first floor. Steep steps to second and third deck but sturdy railings. Great views of the river, fellow boaters, the bridge to Bay port and St Croix river banks, and cool breezes! $47 per person also dinner cruise. The Majestic for group casino events . Nice experience! read more

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First time ever for the riverboat experience. My church does a yearly trek with the pioneers. The first thing is rounding everyone up. Then the boarding announcement. Most people are in groups that are reserved ahead of time. They do their best with a buffet on a massive scale. I guess I was disappointed about the enclosure and how cold the AC was when it was a perfect breezy day. Good thing I brought my jacket for that. It seems like a nice summer job for teens. They don't seem very well trained in clearing plates and I bussed my own table. I had a nice chat with Maddie on my way out and was the first in line for that. The view is nice seeing lots of pontoons on the river and houses on the hill. Not sure if I'll do it again. read more

Everything was GREAT! They were not in control of the weather, but it was FABULOUS, too. Nice venue Great food Great staff Thanks! read more

Very friendly, helpful employees. Weather was perfect. We would have liked a narrative or history of the areas we passed. read more

We took a family member on the brunch cruise, and it was a wonderful experience. The food was fabulous, and the service was great. Definitely recommend and we will be back! read more

I've enjoyed, if I can say so myself, river and sea cruises. In some cases, they've been disastrous. The boats were poorly presented, dirty, the service was terrible, the food was inedible, not to mention the overall service. Even in Hawaii, where one expects a great show, I was disappointed. On the other hand, on Lake Taneycomo in Branson, MO, the tour and service were very pleasant. Why all this preamble? Because it's been a long time since I went on a cruise along the beautiful and picturesque St. Croix River, WI/MN. The Avalon by StillWater River Boats. As soon as you step onto the Avalon, you feel a huge welcome. The tables are set with tablecloths, the young sailors serve with feeling and professionalism. The cleanliness is formidable. Rarely seen even in restaurants that call themselves upscale. I missed the jazz on the paddle boat, but don't panic, there's a special jazz music show one day. The bar is complete, and the service is very professional. The most important thing for me is the real crockery and silverware, not plastic. I hate plastic. The sailors, they constantly came to remove used plates in case the diner wanted to serve themselves again. Excellent! The menu was very good. The only thing I'd like to suggest, as a chef, winemaker, and Italian, is that there be a greater variety of wines, and not just Californian ones, which, by the way, weren't very good. Until next time... read more

My daughter and her husband are visiting from az. We took a Saturday afternoon cruise with lunch. It was a fabulous way to spend the day. So slow and relaxing. We had plenty of time to sit back and relax and visit. Plenty of room. No pressure. Great assortment of sandwiches and sides read more

Easy to check in they left on time came back on time the boat was clean the service was done timely the food was good quality and everybody was happy. Parking was easy and I've taken a few cruises here in the past eight years and I can tell you it's well priced and it's good family time or romantic time or birthday party time. The staff were very accommodating despite their young age. read more

Stillwater River Boats - Beautiful late August weather - Boat Charters Near Me - Stillwater, Minnesota

Enjoyable cruise down river. Great weather! Wide variety of age groups and family friendly. Food was very average. Eat early - ran out of some of the food (only negative). Service was good, everyone was very pleasant and friendly. Very casual atmosphere. Music would have been great! read more

We had a group of 10 and had a wonderful experience on our cruise. It was easy to schedule, we left on time and returned on time. The dinner was ample and delicious! We look forward to doing this cruise again! read more

Hosted our daughters wedding on one of the boats. They made every aspect (meal, bar, setup, dance, ceremony) as easy as could be. I would highly recommend in every aspect! Such a fun experience! read more

Aside from the beautiful river, the paddle boat itself is lovely, the cruise is a good length, and the staff on board is absolutely outstanding! read more

This was a lot of fun for our entire family group of 6 (ages 6 - 65). Plenty of room to wander on the boat and great site seeing. Plenty of seating as well. The lunch served had a good selection of good food and was all you can eat, so nobody went hungry. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to do some relaxing and enjoyable site seeing on the river. read more

River boat cruise is so much fun! Definitely an experience for anyone to enjoy, come as a couple on date night or as a family event. It's very low key, 3 decks for you to find a seat or wander. There are adult beverages not inclusive of the meal. Take your drink and enjoy the view. As for the food, it's definitely Midwest comfort food that consists of bread, fruit, salad, a meat and chicken dish, side of veggies and potato. Food is served maybe 10 minutes after the boat leaves the dock, buffet style and refreshed very regularly. We went on the jazz dinner cruise- the band consists of 3 men who were great. A little disappointed- I had imagined we would hear jazz the whole time but did not, the band wandered from floor to floor. Being on the water and enjoying the views from the Mississippi was worth the drive. Imagine the views in the fall. I'll be back for that. read more

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Beautiful scenery, comfortabe and relaxing and great service. Nice little brunch. Good food. Loved everything about it.

We got reservations in advance for the Sunday dinner cruise. We were in eager anticipation of this trip as we have never done anything like this before. We certainly were not disappointed. The Avalon was exceptionally clean, the crew were all very friendly and helpful, the dinner was marvelous, and the cruise down the St. Croix was a blast. Our only disappointment was that we miscalculated when the best autumn colors would be (certainly out of anyone's control), but this only gives us a good reason to try the cruise again next year! Highly recommend it! read more

Hosted some friends from Japan and took them on the 2-hour lunch cruise. We all loved it!! The staff was courteous, attentive and extremely helpful. Nice lunch spread and drink options. Amazing views of this historic town. I'd recommend this to anyone visiting or who wants to reconnect with Stillwater! read more

Excellent service and team members! Great time!! We are planning another trip in two weeks. The food and drinks were very good!!

My wife and I took the luncheon cruise and cannot recommend it high enough. The cruise was fantastic, and the crew made even more so. It was everything we could expect and more. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon read more

It's our first time going to the River Boat , the boat is huge, nice decoration, clean and the food is superb ! We will go back for more dinner cruise ! It's nice to celebrate occasion and party with friends. read more

Stillwater River Boats - Stillwater River Boat - Boat Charters Near Me - Stillwater, Minnesota

Very pleasant experience nice and friendly crew loved cruising the Mississippi with you

We had the St Paul Companies/Travelers Retiree group on one of the lunch cruises. We do this every year and we have been very happy and satisfied with each event. The lunch is very good and the scenery very relaxing. I highly recommend it. They also made booking very easy. read more

Our out of town guest. It was wonderful and Pam absolutely loved it from walking down the ramp, being welcomed onto the boat, deciding which level to be on was all so much fun for her. Our meal was nicely set up for us buffet style, attractive, beautiful chafing dishes, hot and delicious . The cruise was great scenery and a beautiful night. Thank you Stillwater River Boat Cruises. read more

Our financial guy paid for a charter cruise on the Jubilee packet from 4-630 pm. The only bathroom is on first level. We sat in third level most of the time until it got cold. 4/5 stars as the captain was smoking cigarettes. Who does that? The appetizers were smoked salmon, roast beef, cristini, peanut chicken skewers, veggie and fruit tray. The chicken was dry but you'd be to if you sat in a chafing dish. We were 2 weeks too early for fall colors. Mainly rich people homes on the Wisconsin side. When we turned around, I could feel being in Minnesota and Wisconsin at the same time. It was cool seeing hot air balloons in the distance. read more

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Excellent service by friendly staff . Food and cocktails were amazing. loved the music staying.

We were disappointed with the Saturday afternoon lunch cruise. The cruise had no narration of the area's history or the river. It did have a lot of loud people and that's not any fault of the boat crew. But, it made for a less enjoyable experience. The lunch cruise was definitely not worth the price of $33 each. Cold cuts were average with no condiments and they quickly ran out of the better desserts. You have to pay extra for coffee and soda pop. Just an average cruise with less than average food. read more

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Great and enjoyable cruise on the boat with fantastic scenery. Very relaxing for sure. The food buffet and food that was provided was less than desirable and incredibly underwhelming. Eat before you go on this dinner cruise for sure. read more

Wonderful cruise on an early fall evening. Decent simple dinner served buffet style. Plenty of food. Ship was simple, clean, well-kept and mechanically sound. An economical way to entertain and feed a crowd, especially good for out-of-town visitors. Only real downside is difficult parking in downtown Stillwater. No close parking for handicapped folks, and not wheelchair accessible. read more

It was a nice ride on a summer evening. It is not tour guided. Just simple to sit, eat, drink and enjoy the ride. The foods flavor was decent and I was able to go back and get a 2nd plate but they do pick up the buffet and don't leave it out the whole boat ride. I think the drinks should be included especially if it's like soda or lemonade but no... all drinks had to be purchased. There are 3 floors and the top one is outside. Would do it again but I'll probably sneak in my own soda can read more

My first time on the River Boats was in 2022, a lunch outing on the last Thursday of the 2022 season - and I was quite a bit nervous about the outing, as I was in charge of making it an excellent day for a large group of senior citizens, several of which used wheelchairs and walkers. I was nervous about getting our group down and up the ramp to the boat, finding them seats together on the boat, getting them through the buffet lines, getting them into the bathrooms as necessary, and potential falls on the boat due to 'senior sea legs'. But there was no need for my worry. The Stillwater River Boats staff was nothing short of AMAZING. Their ramps were accessible - even with the ultra-low river levels this fall. AWESOME isn't a strong enough word for their staff. They anticipated our needs before we knew we had them. They were always right there whenever we needed a hand with a wheelchair or carrying a plate or drink, etc. The food was excellent. The lines were short. The boat itself, was perfectly suited for a group of seniors and at the end of the day, everyone in our group had had a fantastic time. We went again yesterday (2023) and could sing the exact same praises. Great food, fabulous staff, a fun day for all 21 of us! Can't wait to go again in 2024! read more

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Our trip was enjoyable. We had a big party (50th wedding anniversary) and reached out to them to ensure we would be able to sit together. However, once we got to the boat we did not have a reserved area, however the young workers were able to reserve two tables. The young workers offered to take a group photo, which was very much appreciated. (September) was the perfect month, the trees were just starting to turn colors. We went on the afternoon boat ride and the meal was sandwiches with cold cuts, German Red Potatoes, fruit, peanut butter cookies and other little dessert. We were sitting on the second level and the lunch line was extremely slow, someone approached us and said the line was moving quicker below. We didn't want to climb the stairs with a plate of food, but chose to do so. The line below had two lines, while the second floor only offered one meal line. (just a heads up) We had great weather. If you plan on walking downtown, don't move your car as parking is tough to find once you leave the boat parking area. I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to go for a quick 2 hour boat ride to view the Fall colors. Personally, I'd eat before you leave the dock. read more

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Enjoyable experience especially on a nice weather day. This is not a guided tour, simply a nice boat ride with a meal. Our group enjoyed themselves but it would have been nice to have had an announcement of when the food would be ready. read more

Perfect blissful fun filled day!!! We started our day by checking into Rivertown Inn and having massages for two to ending our day on this beautiful blissful experience !! We will be back!! Purchase your tickets online , highly recommend that you arrive early, also go on a night that it's not so hot, Aug is perfect weather!! Bring a jacket as the temp drops at night. I do recommend a wheelchair if someone Is elderly as they will get tired going up the ramp at the end of the night. We met so many fun people on the boat too! Great socialising !! Loved the scenery, I'm sorry if you read any negative review. The dinner was beef tenderloin and walleye fish. Bring hot sauce if you want to spice anything up lol! ( I have a travel size! ) but overall we had a blissful night! It was wonderful !!! read more

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Warning Vegetarian! Last night I boarded the boat for a dinner cruise and had ordered a special vegetarian meal. Keep in mind that I paid the same $56 as all of the meat eaters for my meal. Those who ate meat had a buffet that included all you can eat beef, wild rice stuffed chicken, and cod. For my vegetarian meal, I got a paper soup cup with about half a cup of beans and a quarter cup of rice. While I did enjoy the same salad, fruit, and dessert as everyone else, I was very disappointed that my measly little paper cup of rice and beans was the same price as what everybody else was eating. With all the options that are out there today for vegetarians, I think the Stillwater River Boat company needs to do a better job, or at the very least charge less for those who request a vegetarian meal. read more

If you are looking for a relaxing boat ride, this is it. Options on indoor or outdoor seating, full bar and buffet dinner. Easy access with parking. It's great, do it. read more

I was so looking forward to celebrating the July 4th Holiday on the river with the fireworks above us, but this never happened. The event was supposed to be a two and half hour dinner cruise under the fireworks. We docked 15 minutes before 9:30pm. NO fireworks until almost an hour after we docked. We waited 40 minutes and still nothing but the small towns surrounding us shows. The food was plentiful and delicious, the staff was very attentive and sweet, music was sub par and the lack of what I mainly booked this event for a romantic night under the fireworks left me feeling cheated and disappointed. I am sorry, but I don't get out often and I was really looking forward to this. read more