What We Offer Our Charter Cruises
Our crew is here to serve you and make your event a fun and memorable occasion. Our Riverboat is resplendent in the style of the Golden Era of river travel, with a décor of gold Chiavari chairs under a gilded pressed tin ceiling, custom carpet, solid oak rope columns and Royal Blue walls. The Riverboat also has modern amenities, such as air conditioning, handicap access and two restrooms. We can arrange for gourmet meals and special table settings. We provide bud vases, dinner china, linens, glassware and silverware for all food service except as noted. We have many live entertainment choices from a visit with Mark Twain and a Banjo Maestro to the unstumpable Stan’s Piano with Hannah on vocals and sometimes even a circus act. Our Bose sound system also offers you the ability to bring your own CDs or iPod.
1.5 Hour Boat Ride: Charter fee of $600+ Departure time is before 10:00 a.m. or between 1:00-4:00 p.m.. With 50 guests, this is a lot of fun at a cost of only $12 per person.
Enjoy our leisurely scenic cruise of the Des Moines River to the 2nd Ave. Bridge and back. The changing Des Moines skyline looks great from the river and Captain Rex will delight you with tales of the river and interesting facts along the way. Complimentary iced tea, lemonade and soft drinks are available during the cruise.
Our potential lunch and dinner menus are very extensive. The following are only samples. We are happy to assist finding just the right menu for your group. Of course vegetarian and other dietary options are available with advance notice appreciated.
We are happy to offer our wine list for bottle purchase with your meal.
Lunch or Brunch Cruise – 1.5 hours: Charter fee of $500
…plus a minimum meal purchase for 25 people
Bateaux Mouche French Picnic Basket: $18 per person
Brimming with premium Iowa sliced meats and cheeses on baguette bread, pasta salad, fresh fruit, house made chips, gigantic cookie, coffee or iced tea. Add a soft drink for $2.00, or a glass of wine or beer for $5 per person.
Brunch on the River: $28
You’ll be welcomed aboard with complimentary Mimosas. Then enjoy our brunch buffet consisting of assorted quiches, Iowa Applewood Smoked Bacon, Potatoes O’Brien, breakfast pastries, butter, jams & jellies, fresh melons and berries, & hot coffee.
Cocktail Cruise – 1.5 hours: Charter fee of $600+
…plus a minimum meal purchase for 25 people
Hors d ‘Oeuvres Buffet: $20
Our most popular Wine & Cheese Cruise includes live music. Feast with bar snacks, domestic & imported cheese mirror with wafers, summer vegetable platter, margarita pizza, chips and salsa, complimentary lemonade and iced tea. Enjoy a cash bar (set up fee $75) or purchase one of the beverage packages below.
Dinner Cruise Options:
Sunday -Thursday Night Dinner Cruise: Charter Fee of $500+
…plus a minimum meal purchase for 25 people
6:00-8:00 or Sunset 8:30-10:30pm (times may be flexible)
Friday or Saturday Night Dinner Cruise: Charter fee of $600+
…plus a minimum meal purchase for 25 people
6:00-8:00 or Sunset 8:30-10:30pm (times may be flexible)
Buffet Picnic Dinner: $22++
Fresh tossed greens with dressings and toppings; cheese tray; grilled burgers and brats; South Union Bakery breads, Riverboat Cole Slaw, chips; lemon bars & brownies; coffee, iced tea & lemonade.
(Premier Picnic Dinner includes the two meats above plus chicken for an additional $3.00 per person.)
Three-Course Dinner Deluxe: $35.00++
Two passed appetizers, Caesar salad, South Union Bakery bread, dual entrée main course off our charcoal grille of shrimp skewer and either pork or beef tenderloin medallion, (for two tenderloin medallions add $3), Potatoes Dauphinois, summer vegetable. Choose a dessert option of: apple pie with cinnamon crème; dark chocolate Gran Marnier mousse with cookie; or Kahlua crème caramel. Coffee, iced tea & lemonade.
Cape Cod Seafood Feast: Market price, please ask
Two passed appetizers, bucket of mussels and clams, whole boiled 1.5-pound Maine lobsters with lemons and drawn butter, apple and jicama cole slaw, saffron rice and South Union Bakery sourdough bread, coffee, iced tea & lemonade. Dessert- lemon tarte, and coffee, iced tea & lemonade.
Surf and Turf off our charcoal grill: $39.95++
Two passed appetizers, Caesar Salad topped with smoked salmon, South Union Bakery bread, 6 oz grilled choice beef tenderloin filet or 8 oz Berkshire pork chop with pesto grilled shrimp, Dauphinois potatoes and fresh summer vegetables. Dessert options: Crème Caramel, fresh fruit cobbler, or Mississippi Mud Cake, and coffee, iced tea & lemonade.
Bar Options
Cash Bar: Bar set up fee for cash bar is $75+. Bar includes 6-oz. LaValle Brand red & white wines for $7, 16-oz. Anchor Steam & Boulevard Wheat Beers on tap for $5, premium cocktails for $8 and 12-oz. soft drinks for $2.50.
Hosted Wine & Beer Bar: $15++ per adult for the first hour, $7 per person each additional half-hour.
Bar includes Lavalle Brand red & white wines, Anchor Steam & Boulevard Wheat beers on tap, soft drinks & sparkling waters.
Hosted Full Liquor Bar: $20++ per adult for the first hour, $9 per person each additional half-hour
Premium liquors and mixers along with Lavalle Brand Red & White Wines, Anchor Steam & Boulevard Wheat beers on tap, soft drinks & sparkling waters.
Special Requests: If you have special brand liquor that you would like stocked for your party, let us know and for a minimum stocking fee we will add it to our inventory for your cruise.
+ denotes 6% sales tax added onto all non-food and beverage purchases. ++ denotes a 18% service charge and 6% sales tax charge on food and beverage purchases.