The view on the deck.
Dinner Cruise aboard the Odyssey
Run by City Cruises Boston
Rowes Wharf behind the Boston Harbor Hotel
60 Rowes Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
Follow the walkway to the docks past Foster’s Pavilion
Duration: 2 to 3 hours
Full-bar: available, cash
Onboard DJ entertainment
Dress code: semi-formal attire (casual clothing not allowed)
More Info HERE
Review by Kitty Drexel
BOSTON — I and my hawt date were invited to attend a Boston City Cruise on the Odyssey. The invitation got me passage on the cruise, access to an open bar (excluding gratuity), food including appetizers, dinner, and desserts, and musical entertainment. On August 21, the Odyssey stayed at the dock in Rowes Wharf from 5 – 7 PM. It cruised Boston Harbor from 7 – 9:30 PM.
Our City Cruise was pleasant. Experience has told me I get seasick so I popped a Benadryl to combat my seasickness at 4 PM, an hour before we boarded the boat. I took another Benadryl around 8 PM. I did not feel queasy while we were on the ship.
As with many touristy attractions, patrons were lined up on the dock before the ship for a good while before we were allowed onboard. There was a healthy crowd of us: not so many that we couldn’t find a seat but not so few that it felt like a trap in a B-horror movie.
We checked in with cruise representatives three times before we boarded: first to ensure we were in the correct line, to give our name and organization affiliation, lastly to get our drink and meal coupons. The reps were organized and polite. Immediately after the third check-in, a photographer took our photo in front of a City Cruise lifesaver prop. Photos are available to purchase after the cruise.
Dinner was okay. It had been sitting on the burners a little too long so it was mushy.
Once on board, passengers were ushered to the rooftop bar where there was outdoor seating, a full-service bar at the front and back of the ship, and a large crudite platter. Waitstaff walked the ship to take drink orders. A vocalist with an electric guitar provided musical entertainment.
Seagulls also offered onboard entertainment. Two passengers left their cheese and fruit plates unattended on their table. A small flock of brazen seagulls helped themselves to leftovers. What seagulls lack in shame, they make up for in aim and speed. Mind your plates when you’re on the roof deck.
Do not trust this birb. He is suspish.
At 7 PM, the ship set sail to cruise the harbor. Patrons who run late will be left behind. A man was on the phone with a friend who couldn’t find the ship. The friend had a ticket. The boat left without him. Patrons who don’t watch the clock or are too tipsy to hear the departure announcement will be forced to stay on the ship when it leaves. Shortly after we departed, dinner was announced.
Dinner was fine: pasta, salads, beef and chicken options, and rolls. The open bar was better. The City Cruise mentions a cash bar on its site leading me to believe the open bar was for the benefit of the influencers onboard. It is atypical of the dinner cruise experience for non-influencers. (Mom, I made it! I’m influencing!)
Remember to tip your bar staff! The staff was generous, kind, and polite despite having nowhere to run when passengers got needy.
DJ Lefty started his set at 7:30 PM (but had been at his DJ station the entire cruise). Lefty read the room well; he never played a song longer than his dancers enjoyed it; he switched up the tunes before dancers lost interest in a song or mix. Lefty blended one song into the next for a continuous dance experience. This tells us Lefty has some Western music theory education; he wasn’t forcing dissimilar songs together and disrupting the flow. His mashups sounded natural and his transitions felt seamless. By the end of the evening, DJ Lefty had even the most reluctant dancers shaking what their mama gave them.
The bottom level had a separate DJ. I’m sure they were great too. Passengers were welcome to walk the decks if they wanted fresh air. We wanted to dance.
Dessert was served around 8 PM while people were dancing. The bar closed at 9 PM. The DJs stopped around 9:20. Passengers were rounded up and ushered off the boat around 9:30.
We had a blast! We cruise again if invited (but, I don’t know how fun it would have been if we had to pay for all of our drinks).
Cost for adults: $100 – $300
Base ticket cost is currently $102.00 on website.
Additional packages for food, drink, and merchandise are available. Check website for details.
