Memphis Riverboats, Inc

The ride on the river was nice got some great pics the buffet was not good the chicken was under cooked and half seasoned not very much variety on the buffet the band was great they kept us entertained music nonstop it was great but that buffet was very disappointing.

BUYER BEWARE!
we bought two sightseeing tickets to finish out our visit to Memphis the day before we left to go back home to Seattle and on the way we got a flat tire on the freeway, we missed the boat ride. I called to ask for a refund and they said no but did offer us to go another day. Since we were leaving the next day I said I would like to gift our tickets to friends in Memphis. They would not do that either because I bought them online and I had to sign for them. So buyer beware when ordering online. They took my money without providing any service, this companies policies sucks! They do not care about customer satisfaction.

Did a dinner cruise, and although the food wasn’t spectacular the experience was a good time. It was nice to slowly meander down and up the Mississippi taking in views on opposite sides while travelling in each direction.

Took students for a field trip during the day. Thankful I didn’t allow them to buy snacks or they would’ve been in line inside missing the views on the water. It was safe, informative, and quick with a well organized staff. 4 stars because the not-​in-​service docked boats are an eye sore for those of us that live downtown off riverside– I wish this company respected the waters it makes its money off of.

Great experience riding the riverboats! We hadn’t been on such a tour before and I wasn’t sure what to expect. For about a two hour ride, the price was reasonable and the guide was entertaining. I’d recommend doing this once if you’re visiting Memphis, but it doesn’t have repeat visit appeal.

We did an afternoon cruise, not a lunch or dinner cruise. It was 90 minutes long. It probably would have been better if it was maybe like 45 minutes and a little cheaper. It went up the river one way and then back the same route so the scenery was pretty much the same for the entire 90 minutes. Tour guide was slightly corny. Snacks are sold and are reasonably priced. If you get the ice cream, I would suggest vanilla because we all had flavors and it’s actually that thing called flavor burst (?) where the outer edges have a flavored gel like substance. I thought the peanut butter tasted weird and the chocolate looked weird.
I guess if you have extra time in Memphis, then this might be something to do, but I would put it lower on my list as there were other things I did that were much more fun.

We went on a day cruise with family. The boat needs some maintenance. Especially for what they charge for a ticket. I liked that it had the 3 decks, so lots of room and different heights to get beautiful views from. The sweet tea was pretty gross, but the ice cream was good. We had to water our tea down a lot because it was so crazy sweet. The captain was very humorous, and only seemed to get one thing wrong, which my Uncle swiftly corrected. The Memphis Belle was NOT in disrepair when it left the city. The city of Memphis simply didn’t want to pay for it to stay in Memphis, which is why it’s now in Cincinnati. Hoping the captain reflects the try history on future voyages. Shame on bureaucrats for allowing a piece of history like that to be sent anywhere other than where it belongs, in Memphis.

A fun way to cruise the Mississippi River for 90 minutes on a beautiful sunny day. The tour guide offered a rolling narrative with good humor. Highly recommended on any trip to Memphis. The boat offers a wide variety of snacks/​drinks including ice cream, popcorn and nachos with cheese. Purchase tickets inside the new Beale St Landing building on the riverfront street in front of the boat.

It was okay. It’s a boat ride. Nothing spectacular. Not bad either. I went in the afternoon, not night so I’m not sure how the dinner tastes. I won’t do it again, but it’s one of those things that I can say I did.

The quality and enjoyment of your experience will depend on your expectations, the person at the microphone, and the weather.
You must not expect too much from this boat ride. The scenery is no better than what you can see from Tom Lee Park.
The quality of the commentator is crucial. Ours was entertaining, tho I question the accuracy of some of his historical references.
If the weather is not good, everyone will crowd into the enclosed lower deck of the boat, which would not be fun.

This is the 90 min, $ 20+ tax, 2:30pm sight seeing tour review:
I’m from NYC so obviously in my opinion, there was nothing to see here. Lol 97% of the passengers were all over 65! But past all the downtown buildings, there really was nothing else to see. The boat just goes south for 45 min then turns around and goes north for another 45 min. But I couldn’t come to Memphis and not go on Mississippi River! And it’s $ 20 bucks, why the hell not. Plus you get to ride along the Arkansas side, it’s pretty neat. The nice gentleman who narrates the ENTIRE 90 min sounded like he’s been doing this tour a little too long… His monotonic voice had everybody just sitting in silence, chuckling here and there, while going 5 miles an hour. Because there’s absolutely nothing to see, the boat actually has to go 5 miles an hour, otherwise, the tour would be over in 20 minutes! HAHAHAAHAHAHA. It was a weird experience for me, given that I come from crazy fast moving NYC, but overall, it was a feel good experience, people were very nice, I can’t complain.
Snack bar: Serves beer, beverages, $ 3 nachos w/​cheese & jalapeños (toppings at extra 50 cents each), $ 2 hotdogs, and $ 3 cup of 7 – 8 diff flavor ice creams which was REALLY REALLY DELICIOUS!!!
If you’re new to Memphis, for $ 20 bucks, it’s a good way to burn 90 minutes before you stuff yourself with more ribs!

There are too many negatives to list from my experience with holding our work banquet on the Island Queen. I’ve been planning events for almost 10 years and this is BY FAR the worst venue to hold an event. The customer service is horrible, communication is non-​existent and they don’t deliver on the things you paid for (in advance).
Take my advice and for a special event, instead of a cruise from Memphis Riverboats, rent a roof top in downtown Memphis — the view is the same, the food will be better and trust me, the customer service will be WAY better!

Don’t have unrealistic expectations and you’re going to be fine. We took the dinner cruise and it was lots of fun. Great live music and the food was fine — not a culinary delight but it’s barbecue and chicken and baked beans, etc. Think «picnic» and you’ll be fine!
If I had to make one suggestion, it would be with respect to the drinks. Something should be served or easily available with the dinner. You can buy a drink separate but there’s one place to do that and it gets pretty busy — soooo, get your drink immediately when you get on board and get TWO so you have some left when it’s time for dinner!

It’s not terrible, but its also not great. The boat offers great city views you can only get from the water. You can buy beverages and snack foods at reasonable prices, but don’t expect gormet dining. Get on the boat early if you expect to sit on the upper deck in the shaded area.
If you want free parking head a block (or less) north to either the cobblestone by the river or the lot by the monorail.
They advise an early arrival (1:30pm for a 2:30 departure), but we just found ourselves sitting in the bad gift store for an hour. While the tour guide was a really nice guy and very entertaining, the facts presented were pretty boring (i.e which home was once pre-​owned by a minor celebrity from the 80’s).
Smoking is also permitted on the upper deck which can be pretty annoying if you’re a non-​smoker.

It was a nice ride, it probably would have been better if they sold more mix alcohol drinks, less talking from the captain/​presenter of history (his jokes were so lame), I had a seat by the window in which I prefer but my crazy son had to ask me a not important question and lost our got damn seats (angry mom). Therefore, the seats are first come, first serve and if u loose than u weep. Since the boat ride is 1 hour almost than we should at least play bingo to win money or prizes because it did get boring. especially with a toddler. The snacks were fine, cheap… beer, sodas… (They are just snacks, Literally). They also take your picture in front of everybody as u loading the boat in which makes the loading so dreadful especially if it’s during the summer (hot and sweaty). I wouldn’t go again, I like to try things once especially if it’s not a thrill for a repeat.

Ummm I guess this is good for tourists? I hate to say this but I wasn’t that impressed…
But then when I heard everyone’s (i.e. a chatty group of tourists) glowing reviews while getting off the boat I must admit I had to rethink things and wondered what I was missing.
The positives? Awesome, sweet tour guide. A view of downtown Memphis I rarely see. A full bar.
The cons? It is really long and you’re stuck on a boat. My anxiety level kinda went up knowing we were trapped there for the entire time… and I didn’t think the history or stories were that great… neither was the food. What they told us seemed to almost be filler… there is so much awesome Memphis history! I just wonder why they chose not to tell the most entertaining stories…
I’d really like to come back for a dinner cruise where there is dancing. Until next time…

I’m glad I did this dinner cruise with my family. We had fun, but I wouldn’t do it again! If you do the nighttime cruise it’s kind of a waste if you want to see the sights.
If you are handicapped, elderly or have on heels, beware, there is a long hike to get to the boat. The food was not good, but the people were very friendly and fun! Buffet BBQ included pulled pork, beans, coleslaw, and some type of boneless chicken (aweful).
Dessert was a mousse pudding. The band played throughout the 3 hour cruise with dancing the last 30 min. The dancing was the best part of the evening!

Work took us on a dinner cruise. The cruise part was fine. The interior of the boat is a little worn around the edges, which maybe adds to the charm for some nostalgic types? The Mississippi River is something to see, and the musicians (only on the dinner cruise) played their hearts out, but know what you’re walking into.
The dinner buffet was mediocre at best. And forget about it if you’re a vegetarian (think canned corn, a chalky bun, and a pudding cup). For meat-​eaters, the barbecue did not have that delicious smoky smell, and it looked a little dry (though I can’t really speak to that, not having eaten it). The bar line is long, and they were out of a couple of kinds of alcohol — though they do accept credit cards as well as cash. It just didn’t seem like a stellar dinner for upwards of $ 25 more than the sightseeing cruise. I think that the sight seeing tour would probably be a better value — the dinner cruise ticket costs something like $ 50, while the sightseeing cruise is $ 22.

A nice way to burn a couple hours on the Mississippi. Not so much a cruise as a drift and float between the bridges that bracket the landing. Decent amount of history from the tour guide, but nothing you can’t Wiki.
Most of all, totally dependent on the weather. Clear and 85 – 55, you’ll be fine, especially on the middle deck, which is the sweet spot for the afternoon cruises. Outside those windows, seems sketchy to brutal.
Galley serves snacks and beer, but with a tremendous line. Load up at the start.

If regular riverboat rides are too tame, the crew at Memphis Riverboats has something new this year. The jet boat, which is decorated in a Captain America theme, is a small, 11 passenger boat that handles like a jet ski. As for the ride, Captain William Lozier describes it as somewhere between a rollercoaster and a log ride.
When I met Capt. William at the dock last week, he outfitted me with a lifejacket, warned me to hold on to either the boat’s side or front bar, and asked if I got motion sick as he eased the boat out of the harbor.
It was a beautiful day, one of those last few hot-​ish summer days, and a nice breeze was blowing. I was just getting used to the feeling of being in tiny vessel in the middle of the giant, open Mississippi when Capt. William sped the boat up, pointed to the right and then cut a turn so sharp that my side of the boat came rising out of the water.
For the next 20 minutes, the ride was exactly as I had been told it would be — part rollercoaster, part log ride. Captain William would get some speed up, point to either the left or the right and make chilly river water rain down on us. Even though I had been assured that the boat wouldn’t flip, I was white-​knuckling the boat’s side with one arm and the front bar with the other. We were going so fast (and it was so windy) that it was hard to keep my eyes open. I couldn’t stop laughing.
Captain William Lozier, Memphis, Tenn.
Before you go on a jet boat ride, there are a few things to know. First, you’re going to get wet. Depending on where you sit, you’ll get really wet (seats toward the back of the boat get it the worst). Stash a change of clothes in your car and do not, under any circumstances, bring your phone with you. Secondly, if you get motion sick, don’t sit in the front of the boat. Thirdly, go on a hot day — the water splashing into the boat will feel amazing.
The jet boat is operated by Memphis Riverboats. Rides are $ 25 per person for 20 minutes in the water. The rides are appropriate for kids, as long as they’re not super tiny (as in, you probably wouldn’t want to bring your infant or toddler).