Top Cambridge Day Cruises

Peter was great & knowledgeable.

We took the 9:30 am architectural tour today, Saturday, September 12 and it was fantastic. My daughters purchased the tickets for my husband's birthday so I can't speak to the price, but we all enjoyed seeing the city from a different perspective.....the water. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the buildings that he highlighted. He spoke about the type of architecture, the architect who designed it and shared interesting tidbits about each. It didn't hurt that the weather was absolutely beautiful so we were very comfortable as well. We have lived near Boston all of our lives, and have taken several different harbor cruises, but this was by far, the best.

Great tour with good insights and funny anecdotes. The young tour guide was engaging and had a pleasant voice paired with a great wealth of knowledge about the city.Highly recommended

We loved the two-hour tour of the harbor and the Charles River. The captain and crew did a great job (including occasionally taking the mic to let us know about particularly interesting boats that were in sight), and the architecture guide was amazing — incredibly knowledgeable, funny, and happy to answer any and all questions.

Very enjoyable cruise. Not too many people first thing on a Sunday morning which made it better.

The 90 minutes went by too fast! Our narrator was so knowledgeable and every crew member helpful and friendly. We went through the locks, heard history about the skyline, and learned about types of architecture past and current. A wonderful and beautiful trip enhanced by learning something. A highlight of our trip to Boston!

We had a Groupon and there were five of us, including my dad, husband, and kids. They have wine, hard seltzer, beer, soda, and snacks on board. The commentary was interesting and they were personable and friendly. The boat leaves from outside the food court at the Galleria Mall.

When I traveled from Ontario to Boston for my fiftieth birthday this year, I made the decision to purchase a Go Boston Card. The Charles Riverboat Company cruise was one of the many activities to choose from. I love mini-cruises, and this one didn't disappoint. I was afraid that since it was summer, the cruise would sell out. I tried to make a reservation just in case, but if you book using the card, they won't give you one. That, I didn't think was fair. Card customers are paying customers too. You depart from this cruise outside a huge mall. That has its pluses. There is food, drink, a bathroom and shopping if you so desire. You do have to pay for parking as with anything else you choose to do in downtown Boston. I can't remember exactly how much that was, but I believe a pretty good rate like $8-9. You'll need to take the elevator/escalator up to the main floor of the mall and exit out the back. There is a little booth there for the boat company. I went to check in. The girl working there scanned my mobile Go City Card and asked for my last name and told me I was all set. There was a wait to get on the boat, and they won't let you board until it's pretty much time to set sail. When I went to get on, I was asked for a boarding pass, a physical one. Turns out the girl didn't check me in right, so I had to get off the boat and go back to the little kiosk. That was a tad annoying. But the boating company won't get paid if people with the Card aren't checked in right, so I wouldn't want that to happen to them. I can't remember the name of our guide, who was also the bartender, which is a shame. He seemed a little nervous, but he did such a good job and was funny too. There was a full bar on board and it felt so luxurious to enjoy a prosecco while taking in all the sights on the river. Even though it was a hot day, the side windows were open and the cool breeze came in off the water. The seats looked a little hard, but there was a soft cushion across the back with nice big windows, and I was very comfortable there. We learned about the river and why it's coloured brown. Heard about the buildings in Boston's skyline, Harvard and its boathouses, the sailing club on the water, the architecture of the bridges, how the river got its name, MIT and much more. I really loved all the information provided during the cruise. There are lots of beautiful things to see along the way. Very enjoyable activity. If you're looking for something relaxing to do while you learn a lot about Boston, this is the cruise for you.

Came with a bus Group and took the store out of the CambridgeSide Galleria. It was informative and very relaxing. Would recommend this to anyone natives to Boston as well as tourists for all the history and gorgeous scenery that was covered in the 90 minutes.

Did the Architecture Cruise which has a guide from Boston on Foot. Thought we were doing the traditional Charles River but rather go through the lock and up into the harbor. Offered a nice history of the city that is different than a typical foot tour or boat tour. Well worth the money and the guide was great -- enough information without overloading you with a bunch of dates.

Booked this early in the week when the forecast looked better than things turned out. Got a good deal on Goldstar. Tried calling an hour before scheduled to make sure it was on but couldn't get thru to anyone so off we went. Boat left on time, spent some time in the Charles River and then went under the railroad bridge (had to wait for it to lift) and thru the locks and into the harbor, where we had a nice tour. Onboard docent was very knowledgeable, I don't think she took a single break during the cruise. Went as far as Pier 4, then over towards Charlestown, before heading back to the river. Would have liked a bit more of East Boston instead of the very familiar Boston waterfront.Definitely worth the cost.

I booked a sightseeing tour with my 12 yr old, due to personal issue with Captain not being available, we were offered architectural tour of Boston Harbor and Charles River instead. So glad we did!! We learned so much about Boston. The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful with our questions. This is a must visit for native Bostonians and visitors. We will be going back since we also got coupons for inconvenience.

My wife purchased tickets to the architecture boat tour for my birthday. The tour was great!! We went on the 2:30pm tour. We could not have asked for a better speaker/narrator. He was excellent...everyone could hear him loud and clear...extremely knowledgeable...very pleasant guy. I forget his name but he is retired from GE Aviation (I also work for a GE company). I learned so many tidbits of history about the area before we even left the dock. He spoke non-stop for the entire 90 minute trip, and he did not speak just to fill the time...everything was interesting and informative. He spoke about the history of various buildings as well as contrasting/comparing the various architectural themes that are present throughout the tour. We were warned at the beginning of the trip that we could run into some delays at the locks or at the drawbridge...depends upon the boat traffic and how many commuter trains are going over the bridge. We had no delays going out from the Charles towards the harbor, but we did have to wait for the trains/drawbridge on the way back...it was around the start of rush hour...probably waited 15 minutes or so. But he continued to speak during that time, and we were warned in advance. We did not miss too much on the tail end of the tour due to the delay.The staff was very good...Captain did a very good job navigating through the narrow locks, etc...no bumps.This was a really fun thing to do. My wife had gone on one of the Boston By Foot food tours through the North End with her friends and enjoyed it...that is how she found the architecture tour.

Sunday afternoon in July on the Charles River and in Boston Harbor- unbeatable. Boat's engine and transmission noises, plus a primitive sound system, put the narrator at a disadvantage. Although the cruise is sponsored by three organizations, there was no written information about any of them available. Some form of visual handout- maybe a copy of the website's pdf, would be a nice addition. The volunteer narrator was great, and the weather was great. Just looking for some icing on the cake, given that the cruise is $10 more than a Charles River cruise.

I usually get a bit antsy after 30 minutes on boat tours BUT this cruise was fascinating from beginning to end. The guide on board from Boston By Foot was knowledgeable, funny, interesting and made time fly by....strongly recommended!

I was on the Architecture Tour with a group. It was a full boat on a cloudy day. I found it interesting and the man who narrated was very knowledge. I knew nothing about Boston from the water. Everything was bigger than I thought, the river itself, the habor area, the city itself. I learned some general bits about styles of architecture like brutalist, post modern etc. The narrator knew his spiel but I wondered if anyone asked a question what would happen. The boat ride was enjoyable, the seats were not uncomfortable, there was a bar for drinks and restrooms. The boat docks at Cambridgeside Mall which is convenient for food court, restrooms, restaurants. Outside the Mall is a nice area to walk along the river. For a change of pace this seems like a good idea.