We took an 11:00 a.m. cruise (not the dinner cruise). This was a very relaxing cruise on a hot late morning. It wasn't an especially information filled cruise, but the captain was knowledgeable about the things he talked about. He was very professional along with his crew. If you are looking for a quiet activity to relax, you can definitely feel yourself relax on this cruise. Plenty of parking available, beverages and snacks are available on board. The gift shop is small but plenty for this boat.
We were on the 4:00 Mark Twain River Boat Cruise on a recent weekday (not the dinner cruise). The staff on the boat were all pretty friendly. We wanted to sit on the top deck, but it was just too hot on this very hot day, so we moved back down to the 2nd level still outside but in a shaded spot. The boat cruise was fun and we saw some neat landmarks that the captain pointed out, but it was only an hour-long tour. We didn't feel that we saw very much, but it was cool being on the mighty Mississippi! We went to the concession stand and thought about getting a drink. When we couldn't decide, the woman working the concessions laughed at us and made a sarcastic comment, which we found to be kind of rude. We decided not to get anything, much to her dismay. My mom got a little "seasick" on this ride for some reason, and she needed to get right off once we docked back in Hannibal. This was an OK boat tour, but I have been on better more informative tours. You really do not have a chance to see much in an hour. I found it fairly worthwhile though.
We enjoyed our cruise on the Mark Twain River boat, including the dinner. The entertainer, and daughter of the boat Pilot, "Princess" was very sweet. The cruise lasted 2 hours. The specialty drinks (you get the glass) are over $10 each, so bring plenty of cash. A glass of wine, on the other hand, was quite reasonable at $4. The food was buffet style, and good (not great). You're going for the "experience." The restrooms on board were clean. The weather was perfect on the evening we took the cruise, so a very nice evening. There is plenty of parking. There is a public playground at the end of the parking lot. We let the boys play there for about a half hour before getting on board; helped get the wiggles out.
OMG =] our family had so much fun sitting inside the airconditioned riverboat and relaxing. We ordered 2 sodie pops, a beer and a water. Then we all headed outside to take in the great weather, take some photos, walk around the deck, people watch, sight see, etc. We had so much fun learning about "Falling Rock" and the legend of Lover's Leap. The captain was very entertaining.
My grandsons and I enjoyed the 11:00 am cruise. The staff was very friendly. The boat was very clean. The announcer had great information regarding the sights as we cruised the Mississippi. My Grandsons were thrilled with the sighting of a bald eagle. I would recommend this trip for young and old.
We signed up for the evening cruise. When I went to order tickets on line, I noticed there was a cruise only on deck without dinner for $25. Since we know what food on these boats tend to be like, we opted for the cruise only. We were happy we did, as we got to sit topside and watch the sun go down, whereas the dinner people were called inside after less than 30 minutes to wait for their table to be called.We enjoyed hearing about the river and the bridges for the short presentation. Would have liked. More.Our evening entertaintment was "Princess Cash." She was dressed as a pirate and sang to taped music. It was hard to believe that Proud Mary, Over the Rainbow, and hit Me With Your Best Shot could all be sung at same tempo and pitch. And there was no where on board to escape this.
We did the 90 minute sightseeing cruise in the early afternoon. Staff was pleasant. Took awhile to get going. Wish it would have been longer-maybe 2 hours?- to cover a bit more of the River. We didn't get to go very far. Captain gave some interesting points. Splurge for the flashy glasses and specialty drinks-pricey but fun and tasty on a warm afternoon on the deck.
Food was good. Entertainment was a wonderful jazz band. Very relaxing trip. We went outside after dinner. The weather was great and fun sailing down the river. Service was friendly and alcohol isn't cheap but good variety.
The weather was just perfect for our cruise and dinner- that made it worth reviewing. There really isn't much to see on the river in this area- they pointed out one site and that was it. Perhaps if we weren't doing the dinner cruise- they would give more local history. But we were to busy eating. The food was ok- plenty of it. My parent would think it was great food. I though it was average bingo night food. But it was ok- no problems. We took some great photos and overall really enjoyed the night out with our friends.
If you have never checked off a ride on the "big river" from your bucket list, here is your chance. This is a one hour trip up and down the river in front of Hannibal on a paddle boat with some interesting facts about the area presented by the Skipper. You can sit inside or out and there are some fairly good photo ops along the way. At least you will be able to say you did it!!