City Cruises Washington DC: Buffet Dinner Cruise

Washington DC, USA

High interest

Booked 3 times today.

3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

DC in a Day: 10+ Monuments, Boat Cruise, National Mall, Tickets

Washington DC, USA

4.7

(1,308)

DC in a Day: 10+ Monuments, Boat Cruise, National Mall, Tickets

from $69

VIP Best of DC with US Capitol + National Archives Reserved Entry

Washington DC, USA

4.6

(2,526)

VIP Best of DC with US Capitol + National Archives Reserved Entry

from $129

DC Bus Tour with 10+ Stops & Potomac Cruise, Optional US Capitol

Washington DC, USA

5.0

(6)

DC Bus Tour with 10+ Stops & Potomac Cruise, Optional US Capitol

from $87

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Admire the city skyline from a fresh perspective during a sunset cruise in Washington DC, which comes with an all-you-can-eat buffet. Board a luxury boat for a sightseeing cruise on the Potomac River with dinner and dancing while a DJ spins your favorite tunes. Pass by illuminated landmarks such as the Washington Monument and maximize your time in the capital by combining dinner and sightseeing.

Dinner, dancing, and sightseeing cruise on the Potomac River
Enjoy views of the Washington DC skyline and waterfront
Escape the crowds on land and admire attractions from the water
Dance party with live DJ to keep you entertained

What's Included

Buffet Dinner
DJ Entertainment

Additional beverages (available for purchase)
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

580 Water St SW, Washington, DC 20024, USA
Boarding: Pier 4 The Wharf DC. Parking: City Cruises does not own or operate any parking lots in the area. Local parking is available at The Wharf Parking Garage. Please arrive at the meeting point early – boarding begins one hour prior to departure.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

During this dinner buffet cruise, watch the sunset in Washington DC from one of the five decks on your luxury cruise boat. Be sure to bring your camera to capture not-to-be-missed views of DC landmarks while your captain journeys down the Potomac River.

Enjoy a relaxing evening of sightseeing, fine dining, and dancing. Fill your plate full of sumptuous dishes from the all-you-can-eat buffet and take a seat in the elegant dining room while the DJ entertains with dance tunes and comedy.

After dinner, spin your partner around the dance floor as the DJ plays your favorites. Or take a romantic stroll around the ship’s decks and soak up the illuminated DC landmarks, including the Washington Monument, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the Admiral’s Row colonial townhomes, and more.

For dinner, take your pick from a wide variety of buffet items, including salads, vegetables, pasta, fish, chicken, meat, and dessert.

City Experiences By Hornblower

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Potomac River

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Washington Monument

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible

Most travelers can participate
Boarding begins one hour prior to departure. Guests must arrive early, as late arrivals will likely miss the boat.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Elijah_M

Our server Dewayne was awesome and met every one of our needs. The music was great, the atmosphere was wonderful and it left a very memorable impression on my wife and I. We will definitely be back for another experience.

Reviews

3.6

based on 161 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Fun cruise..I was more interested in the tour guide parts than the dj part..but both entertaining

Steve_T, Mar 2026

Dinner was great. Very entertaining.. ran out of the best desserts. They need Pepsi products as options.

Not the best use of our money

Julie_R, Dec 2025

The food was not great. The staff were good. For us this was a waste of money. I will probably not book another dinner cruise. Also paid extra for soda. It was not included.

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thank you for your feedback. We’re pleased you found our staff to be good, though we’re sorry the food and overall experience didn’t meet your expectations. Your comments are appreciated and help us improve.

Could be good

anthony_g, Nov 2025

Nice vessel, signage could be better to locate the entry point. Unfortunately due to weather our trip didn't sail as expected as such we ere served a nice meal by a friendly staff. Little or no communication on status of the boat ever leaving the dock which was disappointing. Subsequently we asked company for a refund and were provided a fair partial refund for the trip with little hassle and prompt attention to our request and claim, as such I would us this company again.

Dinner Cruise

Katherine_D, Nov 2025

Tables are assigned so there is no need come super early to get a seat. Food was tasty. Views were very nice.

Great experience

Debbie_C, Oct 2025

The staff was amazing and the music was perfect. I was not impressed with the food, but the 5 star rating is necessary.

Good food, Nice...

Jen_B, Sep 2025

Good food, Nice atmosphere, Nice Boat ride and dinner for the cost! Will recommend! Huuby & I traveled to Washington for our 21st anniversary. Good trip!

Don’t be late due DC traffic because Viator does not care

Sara_P, Jul 2025

We were not able to attend because the 20 minutes it was supposed to take to get to the pier was 60 minutes and we missed the cruise. Viator did nothing to help, no credits, no refund even though we were not able to attend due to unforeseen circumstances. They should at least provide a credit for another cruise since we literally did not attend. Very disappointing.

nightmare

Vincent_R, Jul 2025

The boat had engine trouble and never left the dock. They did not cancel and the band kept on playing. It was far from a romantic dinner cruise. It was a party boat. Loud dance music I requested to leave the boat and get assurances of a full refund. A manager came back with a response from the captain. "we are cruising" No money back. We took this cruise for the promised night time views of DC. The manager with an attitude took my phone number and said we will seen can do. I am still trying to get over how we treated.

Cruising on the Potomac River

Sabrina_B, Jul 2025

Relaxing and soothing fun ride on the Potomac River. Great view of the Potomac River. Pleasant, professional staff. Great music and pleasant people to be around.

Amazing

India_C, Jun 2025

The experience was really wonderful, we had an awesome time. It was clean and the food was amazing.. I just wish the ride was a little longer.

Better Communications on Location and Change of Boats

Kenneth_D, Jun 2025

From the email "Click for Details," I was taken to your website. On the website, it states that the location is "Washington DC, District of Columbia, United States” and the “How to Get There” states "Boarding: The Wharf DC” and the "Get Directions" link took me to the "United States Capitol Washington, DC 20003”. So we went with the "The Wharf DC" location at 760 Maine Ave SW Washington, DC 20024. This is where we were dropped by our Uber driver only to find out by a local waiter-on-break that the place we needed to go was a half mile away at 580 Water St SW Washington, DC 20024. This walk in our evening formal attire in the heat and humidity was no fun. Then we got there only to find out there is a long line outside just to take pictures at the bottom of the ramp. In the heat, this should be moved inside. The cruise itself was fine and the food was okay. Thank goodness for good AC on the one-level boat — not the "five decks on your luxury cruise boat” that we booked.

The service was decent....

Paul_F, Jun 2025

The service was decent. Buffet was not worth the steep cost and drinks at cash bar were average at best.

Extremely Disappointing Experience with Washington DC Signature Dinner Cruise

Elvis_V, Jun 2025

I recently booked a cruise with the "Washington DC Signature Dinner Cruise" for two passengers, and I have to say, I was thoroughly disappointed with the lack of flexibility from this company. The check-in was at 6 PM, and the ship was scheduled to depart at 7 PM. I was driving from Virginia to DC, and with the parking situation being such a headache, I arrived just five minutes late, at 7:05 PM. While I completely understand that being late is my responsibility, I genuinely hoped that the company would show some understanding and offer options to reschedule or at least refund a portion of the nearly $500 we spent. Unfortunately, they did neither, leaving us feeling disregarded as customers. I highly recommend that anyone considering this cruise exercise extreme caution. While I respect the importance of punctuality, I believe a reputable service should also demonstrate some flexibility and customer care in unforeseen situations. Save yourself the trouble and look elsewhere if you value your time and money!

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thank you for notifying us regarding this situation. We’re incredibly sorry to hear about your experience and would like to investigate the situation further. To connect with a team member, please contact us at 800-459-8105 or chat with us on https://www.cityexperiences.com/. Thank you for your time, and we hope to hear from you to resolve this issue soon.

Potomac River Cruise

Dennis_H, May 2025

The ship was very nice. Several decks and well kept. The crew was very friendly. Dinner was served buffet style and was ok... Typical banquet style food. Baked chicken, a couple of salads, fish, a really good macaroni and cheese and desserts. I expected the route to take us through some of the Washington DC landmarks on the Potomac but instead we went down towards Alexandria and back.

Experience is good but we...

Mike_O, Mar 2025

Experience is good but we almost missed the cruise. The confirmartion email did not have the correct meeting point. Instead it took us to a different address when i click on the 'get directions' button/link. Thankfully i was able to do a google search to get the correct location and we got there last minute before departure.

The crew made the experience great

Chad_F, Nov 2024

We had a wonderful time celebrating out anniversary and would recommend this evening on the Potomac to anyone.

Staff could be a little bit more professional

William_E, Nov 2024

Boat was nice the Music was nice. The food was so so could have a little bit more choices.staff was not very well trained

Bad experience

Joseph_A, Oct 2024

3rd party times and operator times did not align. I was “late” getting there at 6. (Which is the time given to me by Viator to board). We got there and there was no one. We did not make the cruise.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback. Your experience is important to us, and we’ll work on improving communication with our partners to ensure better alignment in the future. If you’d like, please reach out to our customer service team so we can assist you further. Thank you for your understanding.

Best anniversary ever

Elijah_M, Oct 2024

Increasing our happiness

George_V, Sep 2024

We missed the first opportunity to be in the Spirit of Washington due to super heavy traffic in DC. But, Maya and I never give up! We booked the trip for last night! Wow! From the photo at the entrance to the table, we were warmly welcomed. Our server, "Chilee" (Sp?) was superb. The food and desserts were delicious and freshly prepared. Thanks for the cruise, the great time, for allowing Maya and I to create new and wonderful memories.

Beautiful Cruise

Calvin_P, Aug 2024

The food was good although a buffet. Seconds were offered. Don’t buy dessert. They were these tiny paper cups filled with chocolate you could buy at Publix for $1.29 a bag. The D.J. was the best. His play list was top notch and had music for all generations. The best part of the cruise was the view. We floated by the Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials and the Kennedy Center. On the return we sailed by Reagan National airport with planes taking off and landing against the sunset. Just a beautiful cruise on the Potomac.

Mostly good

Thomas_G, Aug 2024

Bathrooms dirty and stall doors weould not close (female)..aft seating got rolls for dinner...forward seating mostly average

Anniversaries cruise

Scott_W, Jul 2024

A outstanding time celebrating our 1st anniversary. Very relaxing evening. Crew and staff were top notch.

I'll take a once, but not twice.

lucy_S, Jul 2024

The food wasn't good, and it smelled like gutter. It wasn't as good as I thought. But the view from the ship was good.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. Please know it is never our intention to provide a less than exceptional experience, and it’s reviews like yours that help us continually improve. Again, we truly appreciate your feedback and thank you for your time.

Horrible experience

Reham_A, Jul 2024

Where do I begin, the ship was dirty, the bathroom were filthy, the AC was broken. I’m not sure what we paid for. They had to turn around because in the middle of the cruise because a passenger couldn’t tolerate the heat, which I don’t blame her, we got off as soon as we got the chance. NEVER AGAIN.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Pittsburgh in DC

John_T, Jul 2024

Staff were great. We ate, danced, had fun with staff went on top deck to watch sunset, it was a great night.

A fun evening

Elizabeth_F, Jun 2024

Food was decent. People working were super nice but service was chaotic at first. Took a long time to get our initial drink. They made it up to us and we had great views and overall a good time.

A must do experience

Mike_B, Jun 2024

The DJ was awesome! He played great music and interacted with the guests. Our server Kimi was great. Loved the ease of going out on the deck to take pictures and the crew was very professional.

Dinner cruise- park early!

Michael_M, Jun 2024

My complaint is about parking, We planned to park at the Wharf Garage as suggested by the description. The website showed 3 garages with spaces available, when we got to each garage (3), they were full. The area was in gridlock and no time to find an alternative. 3 of us went, the 4th drove home. Disappointing. I don't know if this was a one off night, but park elsewhere and uber over or come very early. The booking information should address this. The food was good overall, roast beef-great, salmon-slightly over cooked and dry, but good, that happens with a warmer, chicken- alright. Heat was spotty under the warmers so some food was cold. Others had fun with the music/dancing, it wasn't my style but that's ok, I enjoyed the sunset and views from the deck.