We had a wonderful experience on the dinner cruise! The atmosphere was beautiful, the views were breathtaking, and the food was delicious. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made sure everyone had a great time. The entertainment was enjoyable, and the entire evening felt relaxing and well organized. It was the perfect way to spend an evening, and we would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable night out. We look forward to doing it again! 🚢✨

I recently went on the Holiday Dinner Cruise with City Cruises in DC, and it was such a unique and memorable seasonal experience. If you’re looking for something festive that shows off DC in a completely different way, this is worth considering.

Food and Drinks

They offer a holiday dinner menu that may shift depending on whether you go around Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s. Here’s what I tried:

Blue Crab and Potato Chowder - Good.

Pan-Seared Chicken Breast - mambo sauce, a true DC tradition, absolutely slapped.

Orange Olive Oil Cake - flavorful without being overpoweringly citrusy.

Before we set sail, I had the chance to try shrimp wontons and mini beef Wellington bites. I was with a special group, so I don’t know if these are typically offered and I wouldn’t count on it being a standard part of the experience. The bar selection on board was also very good and had plenty of options.

To set expectations, this is not meant to be a fine-dining, award-winning chef situation, though the food is solid and enjoyable. You are not going on this cruise primarily for the food.

Atmosphere and Experience

The real highlight is the atmosphere. The views of DC at night from the water are stunning, with monuments and bridges lit up around you. It feels festive, peaceful, and special, especially during the holiday season.

This is a great option if you have family visiting or you just want to do something unique for the holidays. It’s a fun change of pace from the usual seasonal activities and a memorable way to enjoy the city.

Overall

Good food, great drinks, and truly incredible nighttime views of DC. I highly recommend this experience if you’re looking for something different to do during the holidays.

Pros:

The staff were friendly and attentive.
Being on the water was enjoyable.
The vessel was spacious and comfortable.

Cons:

Price: The Cherry Blossom Premier Dinner Cruise for 2 adults with a guaranteed window table was $250, and after taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges, our total was $321.50. Definitely felt overpriced.

Food Quality: Very inconsistent.
Shrimp-Tomato Bisque: delicious.
Flat-iron steak: 70% gristle and fat.
Cherry Blossom Cheesecake: extremely sweet.
Strawberry & arugula salad: unremarkable.
Crab cake ravioli (pictured): dry, flat, low-quality pasta. Crab meat was frozen and came from a can.
Chocolate toffee crunch: tasty, but overly sweet.
Baked brie plate ($25): missing honey, served with pita instead of crostini, brie too firm. Misleading and disappointing.
Hot items were often served cool/cold, and the butter rolls put on our table were still raw. Dough quality was poor.

Music & Atmosphere: Semi-formal attire was requested, but the music was too loud and not suited for a semi-formal event. Only towards the end did the music become more appropriate.

Advertising vs Reality:
Promised “freshly prepared” dishes, but freshly prepared does not mean quality. Beware.

"Unlimited coffee/tea/water" as drinks, but the server would ask us, in passing, about once every 45 minutes to see if all was well. We didn't even reply back with a yes/no before they already turned their head and walked off.

I paid extra for a guaranteed window. We did get seated at a window. When the boat left the dock, half the boat was still empty.

Overall, this dinner cruise felt more like a cafeteria experience than a premium dinner cruise. A lunch cruise I attended years ago also from City Cruises D.C was more casual and fun, even if the food was back then still subpar—but this experience did not meet expectations. At all. Consider alternative local boat tours for a better experience.

This was an amazing experience! My wife and I celebrated our 17th year anniversary and City Cruises made it even more special than it already was. The service, DJ, and food were all top notch. Definitely recommended.

We did the DC Premiere Bottomless mimosa brunch (10:30-1:30). You are able to board 45 minutes early prior to departure (so more time to drink and find a good window seat). Our tickets were $115 a piece and it’s well worth the price. In the beginning on departure they do a mini tour of the attractions and monuments you sail by. It’s very kid friendly, babies and toddlers were on board for our cruise. It was such a memorable experience. The food was amazing, and fresh (every 10 minutes fresh food was replaced on the buffet). We had a server who would refill our water and bring us more champagne, napkins etc. So I definitely recommend bringing some cash so you can leave a tip. We were also able to ask for a bottle to leave on the table in a chiller so we didn’t have to track our server down for refills. *They do not skimp on the bottomless*. They had a fun DJ on board, and a dance floor. It does get loud though, but you can step outside and find a seat or walk around the boat. Such beautiful views of DC and lovely weather when we went. Highly recommend and we will be back!