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Washington DC Tours
Washington DC Signature Dinner Cruise
4

Washington DC Signature Dinner Cruise

By City Experiences By Hornblower
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See Washington DC from a new perspective on an evening cruise along the Potomac River. From the deck, enjoy unparalleled sunset views of the city skyline, which looks completely different when lit up. Indulge in a buffet dinner as you pass iconic landmarks illuminated at night. Plus, a live DJ ensures an enjoyable evening for larger parties and intimate dates alike.
Lowest price guarantee

Ages 0-99, max of 19 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More

Highlights
  • Enjoy views of illuminated Washington landmarks
  • Tasty buffet dinner: Fresh salads, entrees, and desserts
  • Hit the dance floor or sit back and enjoy the music

  • Buffet Dinner
  • DJ Entertainment
  • Entry/Admission - City Experiences By Hornblower
What's not included
  • Additional beverages (available for purchase)
  • Gratuities

After boarding your vessel, grab a refreshing drink from the bar (own expense) before heading out onto the deck for sunset photos. In the dining room, choose from a selection of freshly prepared appetizers, salads, and entrees served at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Once the sun goes down, spot famous landmarks, including the Washington Monument and Woodrow Wilson Bridge, illuminated under the night sky. Enjoy a variety of sweet treats for dessert, and then join the DJ on the dance floor to finish off the night. Crowded bars in downtown DC can’t compare to dancing on the Potomac behind views of the cityscape. If dancing isn’t your cup of tea, relax at your table or step out onto the deck for a cool breeze with a view of the city skyline. For dinner, take your pick from a wide variety of buffet items. including salads, vegetables, pasta, fish, chicken, meat, and dessert.

Start:
  • Washington DC, Washington DC, District of Columbia
    Boarding: The Wharf DC. Parking: City Cruises does not own or operate any parking lots in the area. Local parking is available at The Wharf Parking Garage.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Pushchair accessible
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5042WASHSUN

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Most travellers can participate
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travellers

    • All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5042WASHSUN

    From
    £100.98
    per adult
    Select date and travellers
    Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • City Experiences By Hornblower
      675
      United States
      Joined in February 2011
    • V4783JSjessicaa
      0 contributions
      2.0 of 5 bubbles
      No thank you
      Music was so loud, conversing with our family was nearly impossible. The amount of raunchy songs and dancing was very uncomfortable for such an expensive experience. Was looking for a fun, classy time and sadly, we didn’t get that. Drinks and appetizers took 45 mins to receive. Also, the temperature inside the boat was excessively hot. Couldn’t see out of the windows due to the condensation. Won’t be attending with my parents, spouse, and children ever again.
      Written 28 December 2024
    • michellewI5439YL
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Food was good, music was obnoxious
      The buffet was plentiful and delicious. There’s something for everyone. Drinks from the bar were overpriced, overall the ship was clean. Tables are too close together and wait staff bump diners as they walk by. After dinner the DJ encouraged people to get up and dance. In the beginning it was fun but then the music changed to old line style dances geared to 14 year olds. Would have been nice to hear more diverse music that everyone could enjoy. While we were glad for the experience we wouldn’t go again.
      Written 30 November 2024
    • 679beverlym
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Nice buffet lunch with limited shore sights.
      Staff courteous and the ship clean . The Buffet food was very good but seating was tight. We had hoped the cruise would have gone closer to DC.
      Written 23 November 2024
    • C4791VOroberth
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      A total ripoff!
      We went on the Signature Dinner Cruise on a beautiful Saturday night. Parking ($20) and Boarding was a snap. The view of Philadelphia from the Delaware River was breathtaking. The music was good. The wait service was awful. We saw our drink server twice. We had to wait until almost one hour into the 2 1/2 hour cruise to be allowed to eat at the buffet. The food selection was terrible. The quality even worse. When we finally got to the serving station with only lettuce on my plate as they did not offer tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, mushrooms and just Caesar salad dressing we were allowed just 2 slices of well done meat 2 inches long and a 1/2 inch thick. It was beyond awful. We were not allowed seconds. Your other choices were fish, chicken and pulled pork if you want to call it that. At $200 per person for a window table for four it's outrageous. My advice is to eat before you come and buy the cheapest seats and sit outside on the deck. If you're looking for narration there isn't any.
      Written 13 October 2024
    • brendaeZ5031BA
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Most enjoyable 👍👍👍
      Had a very enjoyable 2 1/2 hr cruise NOT 3 hrs as advertised BUT IT WAS FUN, food & drinks DELICIOUS! Service was great. Thanks for a fun time with out of state friends. Would definitely do it again!!!! THANKS
      Written 12 October 2024
    • wendeb129
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      10/10 Recommend
      My daughter and I went on the lunch cruise. It was fantastic. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. 10/10 recommend. Ask for Luther.
      Written 11 October 2024
    • Compass810357
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      A fun two hour lunch cruise out on the Potomac
      Very pleasant cruise on a very comfortable vessel (Spirit of Baltimore II) - the friendly staff were the best part of the experience for our group - the young lady who helped us, Justice, was particularly friendly and helpful, and made our family visiting from the UK feel right at home. Food was pretty good (better than expected, though the kitchen was out of lemonade early on, so our visitors didn't get their first choice.). Would have liked to have seen a few more landmarks, but I think that was a trade-off for the very comfortable ride on this much larger ship (I think with other cruise options you see more?). Our visitor really had fun with the dancing after lunch. A big thank you (especially to Justice!)
      Written 6 October 2024
    • cj10001
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Waste of time and money
      For a nearly $400 price tag, this was awful and there was not one thing that made us want to come back and do it again. On the contrary, shortly after we got our food we said we would never come back. It was severely overpriced, the food was awful you could get better quality at your local fast food joint, the music sucked as confirmed since there was maybe 4-5 people on the dance floor the majority of the night except for maybe 2-3 songs. The parking situation was atrocious. I know it may sound cool to say you're going on a dinner cruise but trust me SAVE YOUR MONEY don't make the same mistake we did...
      Written 1 October 2024
    • 981dillonw
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wonderful experience Great staff
      Went for an anniversary and it was made an incredible experience by our waiter Maurice and his trainee! They went above and beyond to make our day even more special. The food views and the rest of the staff were amazing
      Written 29 September 2024
    • lizzy1983
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Don’t waste your money!
      At the outset of this review, for context it is important to share that we paid $310 for 2 people for the Sunset Dinner Cruise. Arriving at the dock was very pleasant – we were met at the entrance and directed to the correct boat for us. Upon boarding the boat we were shown to a table in the middle of the boat, not by a window and sat behind us was a group of 40 high school children. They had apparently been booked on to the wrong boat so our dinner cruise suddenly turned into being in the middle of a school party event full of very excited and energetic children. We were dressed in smart/cocktail wear and were amongst a group of children in matching polo shirts and shorts. Given that other tables by the window were available, we asked the manager (who seated us) whether we could move to a different table, but were told that this was not possible as it was not in our package. When making the booking there was no option to choose a window table. We also asked what drinks were included in our package, to which we were told only water. We ordered a bottle of pinot noir that was on the menu for $52. Once boarding was completed, there were still window tables empty and the school group were extremely loud and encroaching into us as they were moving around their tables. In fairness one of the teachers did come and apologies to us for them being on the boat. We advised our hostess that we would be moving to one of the window tables, on the other side of the boat given the negative situation we were experiencing. She said she would go and check with her manager, but we moved before this conversation was had. In terms of the food, we both had a cheese and charcuterie for a starter. When this arrived one of the plates was missing one of the cheeses, which was surprising as they were all set plates yet somehow the one delivered to our table was not complete. When we raised this we were then given another additional plate without explanation or comment – just forcibly put down on our table. The main course of chicken was fine, but the food is all pre-cooked and then just heated up on the boat and brought to your table. Between courses we were able to go outside off the boat and walk around and look at some of the bridges and flights coming into Ronald Reagan airport. There was a DJ on the boat, but this could not be described as a guide. They pointed out maybe 4 or 5 sights during the 3 hour cruise but didn’t give any details or explanations about them or information regarding the City. The DJ was mainly providing entertainment to school group with pop and dance songs and co-ordinating group dances for them. We had advised that we made the booking to celebrate a 40th birthday however this was covered through an announcement of wishing ‘everyone celebrating a birthday or anniversary a great time.’ As we arrived back at the dock we were asked to pay for our wine, which was now $54 (an increase of $2 from ordering) and when we questioned this we were told all the menus had been packed away and this was the price. Overall, it was a deeply disappointing experience, made even more so by the initial price that we had paid and then to have to pay even more once onboard. Presumably the company is happy only having one time visitors as the experience for the price was hugely sub optimal and we would be amazed if anyone recommended this or returned to do it again.
      Written 25 September 2024
    • Chris K
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      My son's engagement celebration
      Had a wonderful experience. They are not kidding when they say bottomless mimosas, they were flowing. Food was great & staff was incredible. Highly recommend this trip!
      Written 2 September 2024
    • Sayless D
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      So much fun
      Loved it really enjoyed myself definitely will be returning for sure I loved everything about the amazing experience 10/10
      Written 2 September 2024
    • Z3350KOjamesr
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      There’s ignorance everywhere
      Everything was good until we got back to the car and she wanted something out of her bag and Descover someone tried to break into it.
      Written 5 August 2024
    • Trek30462644962
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Good but not great
      The scenery was good, and the narration was interesting. The ship was relatively clean, and the food was good, for a buffet. The weight staff was not particularly attentive. The DJ and dancing were very much enjoyed by everyone.
      Written 3 August 2024
    • leod546
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      relaxing, could have used more views of Washington DC monuments
      Decent food, nice crew, should have read fine print, I thought we were going to get close to monuments (Jefferson Memorial etc.) for photo ops, but ship is too big to under many bridges.. sailed down river instead
      Written 30 July 2024
    See all 675 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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    4.0
    4.0 of 5 bubbles59 reviews
    Excellent
    27
    Very good
    13
    Average
    6
    Poor
    8
    Terrible
    5

    Fabien
    150 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jun 2024 • Couples
    My wife didn't think this was very good value for the money. The quality of the food at the buffet was mediocre at best. Our waiter only showed up for drink orders 40 minutes or so in. He was not very nice and didn't hide his disappointment when we didn't want any overpriced alcoholic drink. The boat ride was alright, but again this was not worth the $100+/person we paid for this. We won't do this again.
    Written 14 July 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Merianne H
    Antioch, TN8 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2023 • Family
    We had so much fun on this dinner cruise! The staff were absolutely amazing and worked very hard to answer our questions and meet any needs we had with our food service. They were all very friendly & professional and helped make the cruise enjoyable. The food was very enjoyable with a nice variety to choose. Though we didn't directly participate with the dancing, the music provided was very upbeat and fun! We had a great time watching others grooving to the beat! The only thing I can add that was a little disappointing were the views. While it was great being out on the water with the fresh air, we thought we would have opportunity to see more monuments and buildings closer for pictures we couldn't get onshore. What we got was some offshore city pictures but the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, The Capital Wheel and The MGM Casino views were nice! Just wish they had been viewed a bit closer.
    Written 29 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    linda1744
    DC3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oct 2023 • Family
    My family celebrated a birthday on the Spirit of Washington. We enjoyed the food and had a good time. The buffet was a little disorganized, for example, one side was out of plates and empty chafing dishes were not quickly replenished. The service staff seemed to be working really hard, so perhaps this was not the norm. Shea, who is part of the security team, was extremely helpful with retrieving a wheelchair and escorting an elderly family member to the entrance gate.
    Written 14 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Christa S
    1 contribution
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2021
    Do not book any of these cruises from Expedia and make sure you get what you pay for if you book directly from City Experiences. I booked a cruise in July when I traveled to Washington, D.C. I paid $146 online with Expedia, then I received a crazy message from City Experiences stating that the cruise was cancelled. For a week I was stressed trying to communicate with Expedia and City Experiences about my reservation. No one knew who sent me the email and I was back and forth on the phone trying to figure out if the dinner cruise was cancelled or not. They took my money. Finally, one hour before the dinner cruise, someone emailed me from City Experiences stating that they put me on a lesser cruise because the one I paid for was cancelled. It was so frustrating. I didn't have time to put on makeup because they let me know at the last minute. Then, when I arrived, they put me at a back table next to the kitchen. It was my birthday dinner. The food was blah, but the bartenders saved the night for me by being extra nice. I was promised a refund on the difference because they gave me the $69.99 cruise, but now I can't get anyone from Expedia or City Experiences to help me. I keep getting transferred from department to department. Just frustrated!
    Written 16 September 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Nancy M
    Washington DC, DC54 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2022
    First, this doesn’t go any closer to the monuments than if you driving in Alexandria. Yes you can see Washington Monument and the dome of the Capitol but you can from most places.
    Second, food was very disappointing for the money. Especially one of our guests is vegan so we noted that on the booking, and there was nothing but kale salad and broccoli. Which is outrageous for the cost of the meal.
    Third, we bought the drinks package, total ripoff as only covers the first round for 52.00 no bargain at all.
    Fourth the photographer took our picture them tried to see it to us for $37 for 1 copy (there were 4 of us)

    The boat just sat in the river a lot so that people could dance, we hadn’t realized this was more of a party boat as we had wanted a nice dinner cruise seeing the sights. Evening cost us 700 for 4 people, one hardly ate, drinks were very expensive and felt ripped off as didn’t see much of the sights. Don’t waste your time/money
    Written 28 March 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    N S
    2 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2022 • Friends
    Took over an hour to have our table released to get food while others were getting seconds. Food was barely edible. Humidity inside was at 100%. The music was awful and you couldn't hear anything. We didn't leave port because of winds that didn't exist. There was also multiple health code violations including including dirty plates and cross contamination. Feels like a waste of my time and money.
    Written 28 March 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    FellowTraveler444527
    1 contribution
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2024 • Family
    Me and my family had very high expectations for the amount of money we paid. The food wasn’t up to par in my opinion and the food was not labeled. My wife has a seafood allergy and if she would’ve eaten the salmon it wouldn’t have been very good. I will say the staff was very attentive and the dj was very good .
    Also the air conditioner did not work on this particular day. It was almost 100 degrees outside and it felt like a sauna on the ship. Everyone was complaining so they decided to turn the boat around early and leave it docked at the port. In my opinion they should give refunds for the inconvenience but they did offer another cruise experience for free.
    Written 7 July 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Lori E
    17 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2024 • Couples
    Nightclub atmosphere as soon as we stepped aboard. We expected lovely dinner music during the meal but this is better suited for loud club/dance floor vibe; the 40 or so middle schoolers seated near us had a blast. My husband and I retreated to the top level outdoor space as soon as we could. This was the only part of the cruise that we enjoyed. Was not worth the value we paid for 2 people.
    Written 20 August 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Tam P
    1 contribution
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2022 • Friends
    A disappointment. We saw the Washington Monument at about the same distance as many places in Washington. No other monuments. Few cherry blossoms at a distance. Seemed to circle around an area by National Airport. DJ did a good job. Waitstaff attentive and cheerful. Food acceptable. I would not take this cruise again.
    Written 25 March 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    NonnaA
    15 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2023 • Couples
    The signature dinner cruise was a lovely experience. The night views of the city from the water were gorgeous. We enjoyed watching the planes taking off and landing at Reagan International. The dinner offered a nice variety and the DJ was great fun.
    Written 6 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    Washington DC Signature Dinner Cruise provided by City Experiences By Hornblower

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