Wonderful trip, great views, and the staff was awesome. Very accommodating with our food allergies!

booked a night cruise for 2. the 3 course dinner was amazing. my girlfriend and I had great time, and the staff when above and beyond to provide a great service. Definitely recommend for date nights, anniversaries, or to show someone the lake. read more

Evening cruise on the Sightseer was relaxing, an enjoyable time on Lake Union. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly. I would do this again and invite friends. read more

my wife and I had a horrible experience with the recent waterway dinner cruise. We booked it for our 8 year anniversary. we were trying to re-enact our 1st anniversary since the salmon was so good. This dinner cruise, the salmon which is the main entree was so nasty, the salmon was very dry, and the sauce did not complement the salmon. we both took one bit and did not want to eat it. service was very slow, and the was barely any narrate on the cruise. Things look like it's falling down. we felt disappointed since we saved our appetite to eat on the cruise, drove an hour away, and paid a lot of money to be disappointed. we could not leave because we had to stay on the boat until the cruise was over. read more

We recently attended a private dinner cruise with my partner's company on the Emerald Star. The experience and views were amazing and we enjoyed some romantic moments under the city lights. Unfortunately, the food was very disappointing. The Vegetable Risotto was nothing but a pile of undercooked, crunchy white rice with a few lettuce leaves and a puddle of balsamic vinegar beneath it, it was definitely not a risotto. It came with no sides so I missed out on dinner. The guests at our table who ordered the Salmon also received a big pile of plain shredded cabbage as a side dish, which they were all mystified by. Creme Brulee was delicious, but my partner, who loves Peach cobbler, didn't even finish it because the peaches were undercooked and hard. Hors d'oeuvres were good, but sparse. We both left the cruise hungry and ended up stopping for burgers and fries on the drive home. read more

Waterways Cruises - Vegetable Risotto was disappointing - Boat Charters Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We had a great time the service was excellent!!!!!! The crew was accommodating and friendly

Easy way to navigate much better than dealing with parking for sure when going from West Seattle to downtown!!!@

Nice brunch with hubby. This is the first time I have been there, and I would say I am impressed their customer service is the best! Staffs are very friendly and professional, the food is amazing and the decorations are beautiful. I'm big on atmosphere and presentation, and this one got me right there. We unfortunately didn't have a sunny morning to enjoy, but the food, the view and everything really did warm my heart and my stomach . I will definitely be back! Love this tour read more

Waterways Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

This was a birthday celebration for me. I have done this cruise several times and it has never let me down. I always share my experience with my friends and family. The staff is always friendly I told Miles I will see him again and the food is great. I already booked my trip for Sea Fair. Thanks for providing a wonderful way to celebrate my birthday, Sharika read more

Staff were welcoming. Brunch was not what I thought it would be. Definitely a miss. There was no announcement around process to eat but eventually figured it was by table. read more

It is a fun, beautiful and relaxing way to enjoy a night out. There is soft music playing, attentive and polite staff (thanks David & Gabe), a scrumptuous dinner, and a champagne toast upon embarking (and a full bar if you want more). I highly recommend this. It is a phenomenal way to see the city in a unique way at sunset for a memorable evening! It is safe with temperature checks before boarding, masks must be worn if not at your assigned table, tables are socially distanced, etc. Not COVID concerns here. read more

Just got done with a fabulous lunch cruise on Seattle waterways. Karen, the Operational Manager for Waterway Cruises and her staff were extremely courteous and helpful. Now a days you don't see this level of attention and service. Our lunch began with a Caesar salad followed by a generous portion of Sockeye salmon entree with mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables. Unlimited complimentary servings of soft beverages and a delicious Creme Brûlée topped with strawberry and cream. Yum. The meal alone was worth more than the 30 dollars per person we paid. Highly recommend Waterway Cruises. Check out Waterway Cruises for other events and sign up with Goldstar for discounted tickets. read more

See all

My family and I had the pleasure of taking the Easter Brunch cruise. The whole event was fantastic. The boat was so clean and well set up. There was ample room for us all and a great sun deck area outside. Our food was delicious. A large buffet with lots of options and 2 full bars onboard for some great Easter brunch cocktails. The best part by far was the incredibly warm and friendly staff. They all personally greeted us and made sure we were having a good time the entire trip. The owners were even on board with their family as well and it was great to see how well oiled the entire team was. We would definitely recommend a cruise with Waterways to anyone new to town or for any born and raised residents of Seattle like myself. read more

My boyfriend is on crutches so we have been seeking out adventures that do not require mobility. We found a deal on the brunch cruise and decided to check it out. It was great to find that this was not departing from downtown Seattle like some other similar cruises, and also had its own parking lot, making getting there and boarding hassle free. It's a bit pricey for a 2 hour cruise, but the food is all you can eat and there is plenty of it. You also get a complimentary glass of champagne. I was surprised to see they also had a 20$ per person unlimited mimosa option. The 11$ bloody marys also looked tasty. The customer service was exceptional. I'd heard good things about vegan options being available on these boats, and was happy to find they labeled the brunch options available online including the herb roasted potatoes and the winter salad. I was even able to get the person at the egg station to fry up some veggies for me to add to my potatoes. My boyfriend filled up on bacon, and seemed to enjoy the French toast. I was surprised to see mac n cheese included in the brunch. A dessert of cobbler and cookies was brought out in the later part of the cruise. There are some outdoor areas if the weather is nice enough to be outside. On our visit, it was snowing and the windows fogged up a bit, but it was still really pretty. I enjoyed the commentary and learning facts about the area even though I have been on these water trips many times. I would definitely recommend this to someone out of town. Perhaps one day I will revisit for the dinner cruise. My boyfriend did continually complain about the male restroom's design, but he did not take a picture of it so I could share it. He reported it was quite awkward. The women's restroom was fine. We were on the Emerald Star. read more

Great experience! Food was good, drinks, were great, the crew was very friendly and attentive! My mom, sister, and I took a cruise for my birthday and had a wonderful time! Captain Jeff was knowledgeable and friendly. Yacht was clean and spacious. Left on time and even though the waters were crazy busy we weren't nervous or seasick or anything. Such a great time! Highly recommend! read more

Waterways Cruises - Captain Jeff let me drive the boat! - Boat Charters Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

I took my friend for her birthday and we were allowed to go in the bridge. The view was amazing! We were seated at a window table so we had some great photo ops throughout the cruise. Upon arrival, we were greeted with champagne and ordered a bottle of merlot. The bread wasn't cold but it wasn't warm either. The herb butter it came with was delicious though. The salad tasted fresh and sweet. The pears and pecans paired nicely- I loved the vinaigrette! The salmon was flaky and moist but I didn't like the creamy sauce that was over it. We asked for the NY steak to be cooked medium rare and it came out well done... it tasted okay. The portion was huge but it was also drenched in a brown gravy- not a fan. Ooo the bread pudding though... sooo good! Catch a cruise during the summer or daytime for better lighting! Sometimes there's a groupon so check there first! I'm coming for a brunch cruise next :) read more

See all

Ahoy! These cruises take off from both Seattle, WA & Kirkland, WA which is only about 15 minutes from Seattle. We took off for our dinner cruise out of Kirkland and it was a cute little town, to me it felt like it would be a cute set for a movie. The cruise itself was a little over 2.5 hours and we were out on both Lake Union & Lake Washington, not to mention we got beautiful views of the Seattle city skyline on the water. Seattle does have a beautiful skyline! We had a great meal as well! The captain and crew welcome you on board with a glass of champagne. We started off with caramelized onion & tomato bisque soup, then for the main course I got salmon and my Mom got steak, both were outstanding. We ended our cruise with a crème brulee. Waterways also has weekend brunch cruises, supper cruises (which is a buffet), and they even do weddings and events on board. read more

Awesome views, food was good, smooth ride.

We booked a cruise to see the blue angeles perform during Seafair wekend. Something I've always wanted to do. They are tucked away and can be difficult to find, thank goodness for Siri. Nicely appointed boats but quite frankly the reason I'm deducting a star is the fact the only bar open is upstairs when the tables for eating are all downstairs. My husband uses a cane, the stairs are steep and it certainly didn't make the bar accessible for him. On top of that, there was only one bartender to serve 100 people. The food although buffet was decent, nothing to write home about but tasty enough. The biggest problem was dessert. We all wanted fruit, they had one platter and then said they had run out and didn't have any more. Seems with all their experience they should have been able to better judge the amount they needed. The desserts were not very good so we skipped them. I think for a special occasion, it would be perfect and for us watching the Blue Angeles do their thing, it was perfect read more

Waterways Cruises - Blue Angeles linch cruise - Boat Charters Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We had a lovely time on the Thanksgiving dinner cruise with Waterways Cruises. They were on time, everything was set up perfectly, the food was delicious and they managed the line extremely well. There was great communication from the staff and cruise director throughout. They even put out a little card for you to fill out what you are thankful for. read more

beautiful dinner cruise. Food was amazing and so was the service. Do the 630 to 9 cruise around lake Union . Windows were foggy but beside that amazing time read more

Exceptional service, delicious food and fabulous view. I definitely recommend and continue cruising with Waterways. read more

Really enjoyed our Waterways dinner cruise. We left Kirkland Marina on a rainy Saturday night to motor around Lake Washington and Lake Union. The whole trip was great! The service, the food and, of course, the views. Highly recommended for a nice, romantic evening and overall great scenery. read more

It was a rainy Seattle day but the cruise was still quite fun. We did the brunch cruise, the food was amazing and was very easy to get through the lines with a full boat. We had a goat cheese omelette, Mac n cheese, potatoes, bacon, assorted breads etc. fresh berry cobbler was served for dessert and the home made whipped cream was delightful. The crew was top notch and we never had to ask for anything. I meant to take more photos but only have the one of my Bloody Mary as far as food goes. The parking is limited in the lot but there's plenty across the street. The minus one star was for the bathrooms, they were clean but smelled horrible which I'm guessing is hard to control on some boats but I've been on many and have never experienced that. read more

See all

This is something you have to do at least once in Seattle. You get food, views, and a chance to be on the water in a nice big boat - what more could you ask for? A bar? They have one! Clean restrooms? You bet! Informative and helpful captain? Definitely! I've done the brunch cruise twice now and the Christmas boat extravaganza once. Every time I have felt it was a good value for the money and I have enjoyed my time on the boat. Next on the list is the sunset cruise! read more

Would not recommend for the price payed. Drinks were terrible, ordered steak and it was literally cube sized. If you decide to try this place, go with the pork chop or salmon. Also not sure if they change their menu as pictures of the steak dinners from other reviews look amazing! So not sure why it wasn't the same this night. Folks my steak was 3 X's smaller than the steak photos from previous reviews so beware when ordering. Even the side mashed potato and broccoli was enough to feed a toddler. Also dinner was served very late..The cruise on the lake was wonderful but when you're inside you can't see out which would have been nice. The servers were very professional and attentive. Sadly will never do this again read more

We used Waterways on 9/27/2023 for an evening dinner cruise for our clients and some of our employees. After they receive your deposit, they are non-responsive until just a few days prior to your event - no matter how many times you email or call trying to confirm your food/alcohol choices. The cruise arrived 30 minutes late - just at the time our clients were arriving to board. I tried contacting Waterways to find out where our cruise was since I was told I could get on the boat 30 minutes early and set up flowers and seating arrangements. Again - non-responsive. Nobody answers the phone after business hours. What? You have boats on the water that people have hired and if there is an issue, you cannot contact anyone? So I literally had no idea if the boat was going to show up or not. Once I got on board, at the same time as our clients, I noticed that the roof was leaking. Yes - fully dripping out of the speaker on the ceiling just behind my dinner seat. The solution was to have a bucket on the floor for the duration of our cruise. This wasn't the look I wanted to portray to our clients. It was almost laughable - "don't trip on the bucket in the middle of the floor. Just overlook the water dripping from the ceiling!" Waterways was fully aware of the late arrival of the boat. The email I got the next day basically said, "sorry the boat was late. We're going to charge your credit card on file for the remaining balance tomorrow unless you have any questions." I then responded to Waterways about the debacle of being late boat arrival and the leaking roof. Again, there is a common theme, no response four days later. Reserve Waterways at your own risk. read more

This was one of the best cruises I've been on in Seattle! Views are amazing, drinks are good, small bites to eat and soaking up some sun rays.. literally what could be better!!? It's a hidden gem because it's not on the main pier with all the tourists. I suggest doing this tour anytime it's available. Karen is the best!! read more

Waterways Cruises - One of the great views from Waterways Cruises!!! - Boat Charters Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

On a recent trip to the PNW we were fortunate to enjoy one of their awesome dinner cruises. I was a little flustered after our long drive and forgot which day our dinner cruise was. After fighting the crazy Seattle traffic we finally arrived at the dock, only to find that I had shown up one day early for the cruise. The crew were super accommodating and said we could just use our ticket on that night instead, no questions asked. I really appreciated that and they made us feel welcome. Dinner was amazing as well as the sights. We had the salmon with cous cous which came with bread. Everything tasted great. We ordered an austrailan GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre) wine. So good! The crème brulee desert was great as well. The service was excellent by Mario and crew. I certainly recommend this Seattle cruise. read more

I had a 5 star experience on this cruise, with a 4 star meal. We had great weather this day, and the views were absolutely fantastic. The boat felt clean, professional, and accommodating. I went with a tour group and the wait staff and captain were incredibly catering to all of our needs, and we all could not have asked for a better time out on the water. read more

We really would want to give them a four-star review, but there were several things that were underwhelming and slightly disappointing. I don't think the experience was poor for everyone on the cruise (or even us... all in all, we had a pretty nice time), I think we just got unlucky. First let's start with the good: everyone was very welcoming on the cruise, even the other guests were friendly with each other. The atmosphere was relaxed, enjoyable, the view was great, the weather couldn't have been better, and the food was pretty good (I really enjoyed the flank steak, and the red potatoes.) We should note though, as it is a buffet, if you don't go right away, you might not get to eat everything that you'd like. We thought we were being smart by waiting and not having to stand in line with the crowd, but we ended up having to wait a long time for more food to come out, and there wasn't even butter for the rolls because they ran out of butter. We unfortunately made the same mistake for dessert, and by the time we got downstairs for dessert, they were only Lemon bars left. We were really enjoying the view, so we thought we just wait until the crowd died down, but I wouldn't do that if you're wanting to sample a little bit of everything in the buffet. What was a little disappointing was that my husband and I were celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary. When we booked the reservation, we noted on the form that we were celebrating our anniversary when the form asked us if there was a special occasion. There were several couples celebrating their anniversary on the boat, and it was really fun to exchange stories with them. However, those couples got little signs on their table that said happy anniversary, the couple sitting behind us was offered the first round of drinks on the bartender because it was their anniversary, and we weren't offered those same things. We didn't purchase the rose petals or anything, but still it would've been nice to have been recognized the way the other couples were. At least if my husband's cokes would've been comped or something. While we don't expect anything for free, it was just disappointing to see other couples get special treatment for their special day, while ours was kind of ignored. We even told them on our way in that it was our anniversary, and it was funny that we got the table number 13, it was our 13th anniversary, and we were married on August 13th/ We had pre-ordered a bottle of champagne, and eventually we had to ask for it because we saw the other couples having their champagne uncorked, and we were still sitting with an empty table. When we brought it up to the bartender that we would like our bottle that we pre-ordered, they said sorry, there was a mistake, and they needed to chill a bottle. While I didn't mind waiting, by the time we got the bottle, it still wasn't chilled. What was even more frustrating was while we were waiting for our bottle to arrive, I watched the bartender uncork a new chilled bottle for someone who had ordered a glass two tables behind us. I wondered why I couldn't have gotten that one. It was delicious when I did get it, (putting ice in my glass helped chill it) and it was so nice to enjoy time with my husband out on the beautiful deck with champagne, but it would've been nice to have felt the treatment that the other couples got. I think we might try this cruise again for a special occasion, but if you are celebrating something like a wedding anniversary, make sure that you let them know a couple of times. It was nice to see them pay special attention to the other couples and know that they will go out of their way to make your day special if they know that it's a celebration. We tried telling them, but it seems that if you don't order the date night package, you won't get recognized. (I think something must've gone wrong with the website, because they didn't know it was our anniversary, and they didn't know about the pre-ordered champagne, I had to show them our confirmation email.) read more

We booked this dinner cruise months ago and were really looking forward to it for my birthday celebration but it was unfortunately the worst birthday dinner in my experience. We were seated in the back next to the bathroom (women's bathroom out of order). The window view was dirty, picture attached. There is a current heat wave and the ac was not flowing towards the back (ac was significantly cooler towards the front). When asked if it could be lowered they said no, it's one system- fair but they didn't make an effort to accommodate us with a better table or solution. Crew was friendly but the service was poor, went to refill my own water three times. Was hoping the food might compensate but both the steak and salmon were dry. We wish we would have read further into the reviews to warn us before booking. Would not recommend if you're looking to celebrate a special occasion as they did not even acknowledge a birthday celebration with dessert or better seating. Thanks for reaching out to adress our concerns and acknowledge our experience. We truly appreciate it. read more

Waterways Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Celebrated my friend's birthday on their Wine Pairing Dinner Cruise and she absolutely loved it. The crew was friendly. The food, views, and wine were amazing! read more

Went on the Ugly Christmas Sweater party, which in all was a lot of fun. It was festive, there was a DJ for music and dancing, and even at night, the views were fantastic with lights all over the shores and on the boats passing by. The crew and staff were pretty friendly and helpful. I didn't think the price was that bad for everything it included; but then I was disappointed in the food. The chicken satay and meatballs were kind of the main hitters in the lineup, and they weren't well received by many people there. The meat in both items were something like convenience meat. Both tasted like something out of the freezer section of the grocery. I was also a little disappointed that desserts were cookies. Just your basic oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, sugar cookie, and lemon bars like something out of the grocery bakery. The contest for the ugly sweater was somewhat random and haphazard. Considering there are prizes, the orchestration of it could have been a little more organized. The view, the drinks, the music, and the festivity were a good experience, but there is room for improvement. read more

Waterways Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

One of my local bucket list items was to take a Waterways cruise and I'm so happy I finally got to go last Saturday evening. We lucked out and had a gorgeous sunny day which made the cruise even more enjoyable as there were many boats out on the water to see. Our meals were delicious-short ribs, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables along with a salad and yummy cheesecake. The captain pointed out a few interesting sights along the way including a bald eagle perched high in a tree along the water bank. All in all, a wonderful memorable evening! read more

It was very nice and the food was great! Service was not great. Need to announce protocol for releasing tables to the buffet. Overall good experience! read more

You can't beat these views.I had a great experience at waterways cruises!! Good windows along the water boat, and all the other boats and seaplanes and such. The location here makes this place cool The staff are super nice, and they get you your drinks quickly. It's a solid choice to hang out and watch the water, I'm sure. The menu was better than other places, by far this place is one of my favorites. Overall, if you're looking for a place to watch a the ocean in a nice setting is a solid basic choice. read more

I want to be fair to Waterway cruises so I am rating it a 3 star as our first experience with them was great but the second one horrible. Celebrated Father's day 2 years in a row with Waterways, firs onet out of Renton onto Lake Washington and the experience was great! Great food, great ambiance, great narration of places we were passing by and great music. Decided to do it again this year and what a disappointment! This time we took the cruise out of Lake Union and the experience was totally different. I understand that it was Father's Day and children will be onboard but they were around 15 kids between the ages of 6 months to 5 or 6 years and it was a 2 hours of nonstop screaming experience. The boat is a 2 deck one, and they were 3 or 4 tables upstairs that could have been designated to couples or adults only and that would have made the difference between enjoying the cruise rather than wanting to end the 2 hour torture not fast enough. They should also consider limiting the number of infants on a cruise as it was horrible to listen to the crying and screaming non stop during the 2 hours. The food was not as good as on the first cruise also. The presentation and selections were short of what I experienced the year before and the food in general was not as good. I still recommend this cruise to anybody coming to the Seattle Area wanting to tour around Lake Union and Lake Washington, the views of the city, Space Needle, and Mount Rainier are magnificent as are the views of the University of WA and the floating bridges. read more

Waterways Cruises - Lake Union - Boat Charters Near Me - Seattle, Washington

A must for tourists and locals alike! Due to a flight delay, we did not have time to check into our hotel before arrival and we had to meet our boat with our luggage. The Captain was gracious enough to store our things in the companies office and we didn't stress about bringing it with us. This cruise shows you a view of Seattle you would not see driving or walking around. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and the Captain drives you by some photo worthy spots including Bill Gates house, the Sleepless in Seattle house and the Industrial Factory turned into a park. The food was excellent! We were very satisfied with what was served and found it to be a well planned course meal. The negatives I have to list include the smell from the bathroom being absolutely terrible. I think the boat has some plumbing issues, as the smell carried out through the entire boat and made for an unappealing journey. There were bugs on the boat. I saw two spiders and several nats. I also wished our Captain would have given us more history and information about Seattle, however I can understand they limit the conversation to patrons can enjoy their cruise. Our service was great, and the sunset was a beautiful experience. read more

Waterways Cruises - The beginning of our cruise. - Boat Charters Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Pick the marina that departs from Kirkland, you won't regret it. I bought a groupon for a waterways cruise the departs from the Kirkland Marina, and the boat named Emerald Star. Even had we paid full price, I think it's a real treat to get table cloth service and enjoy a pristine view of Lake Washington into Lake Union and back. Excellent service, better than average food (including salad and delicious fresh fruit at the brunch cruise), and good ambient music. As for the docking place in Kirkland, wow, I didn't realize downtown Kirkland had so much to offer while we we arrived early (free parking) to wait for the departure. Oh yeah, nice clean bathrooms -- for the win. read more