What a lovely and inexpensive way to spend a couple of hours taking in the beautiful sites of the water and the Burlington area! For $50 you can board the Spirit of Ethan Allen for a 1 1/2 hour boat tour. The price includes a buffet style brunch (which was absolutely fantastic!), a complimentary beverage (non-alcoholic or adult style lol) and very pretty scenery. If you're not from the area, (such as myself and my friend whom I travel with) I suggest venturing to the very top of the boat as the tour of the surrounding area is narrated over a loud speaker. It's informative and interesting! We had a great time!!
Great time and fabulous meal!
I've ridden the Spirit of Ethan Allen twice; Once during my first week of college, and again during my last. Both times were equally memorable. The staff here are friendly and accommodating, and our captain was a smooth operator. There's always something special about seeing the city from the lake, and there's no better way than taking a ride on the Spirit of Ethan Allen.
We would not recommend this cruise. We visited from California. Bought the tickets in advance. Planned our day in Burlington around our 4:00 pm cruise. It was a beautiful day. 70 degrees. Very calm lake. We arrived at the designated time to find a sign in the ticket booth saying the cruise was cancelled. We had received no phone call, no text message, no email about this cancellation. Fought construction in the area to find a parking space (for which we paid $12). Called this outfit and all they could give as an excuse was "our schedule changed". No apology for not telling us in advance. To add insult to injury, we were standing there when the boat pulled in and dropped off the previous load of passengers. The only good thing is that they hadn't charged our credit card yet so we didn't have to go thru the process of trying to get a refund. Interesting that they didn't charge. Makes us think this might be a common occurrence of last minute cancellations. A young local mother was there after rushing to get her son to the boat after school. He was one disappointed little boy. It's really too bad because it would have been lovely. Don't do it unless you don't mind wasting your time.
It was excellent, had to get sea legs but I had a wonderful day. Food was great, service was great.
Beautiful cruise but this might be a dry boat. They allegedly offer cocktails but despite my best efforts I am still sober. I've seen other people with drinks, and most have finished their meals, but the server has reassured me on several occasions that they are in fact working on my order as well. I'm ready to start drinking lake water. Pretty sure this poor girl is the only waitress on the boat.
We had some friends visiting so decided to take them on the scenic cruise- great idea! The staff was friendly and attentive, the boat was clean, and the views were amazing. Ordered the picnic basket and was very pleased with it.Highly recommended whether a Vermont resident or just passing through.
Food was greatService was also. If you go in the fall, take your pictures early as it gets dark quickly.
10 years ago today my husband and I said “I do” on this beautiful ship! The wedding was beautiful, the staff were wonderful and the entire experience was amazing! I would (and have) recommend the spirit to anyone!
The tour was a perfect day for us, great fall weather. We had lunch, the food is not super great, but the staff makes up for it. They are very helpful and the information you gain about the area is lovely.