We did the morning Harbor Cruise and it was great! The ship was very comfortable , shaded and had a nice snack bar. The captain, crew and guide were all great! Totally worth the time and money!
Kelly B
Wish I didn't waste my money on the dinner cruise. Bought the ticket same day as cruise and unchecked the box for $10/ticket insurance. I still got charged for it! So I paid $125 per ticket after fees and taxes. And then they charge you extra for tea and dessert. Seriously?! Taxes I realize they can't do a thing about that. Charging for alcohol and even soda, pretty standard. No issues. But iced tea. Dessert, when I already dropped so much money. I refused. The crew was nice and the food was ok. The crew/employees are 5 star. Food 3.5 stars. Rip off pricing zero stars. Worth maybe $75/person including taxes and fees and sheesh, include iced tea. I'll never book any other event through this company now. Search for a different option/company or different event.
Nina Carroll
I booked a large party in advance and was not given any notification prior to the event that there were AC issues. We arrived on time for departure and a staff member advised us the vessel had been having AC issues all weekend and luckily they were able to get it to work for the other sailings. This was very concerning because only 2 staff members appeared to be present (and we had to walk around the outside of the building looking for them). If this company was able to alert their staff to issues, they certainly should have alerted patrons. Instead, they did not tell us the vessel was not working until after we showed up, waited, and asked questions. No apologies were offered until I called the office and even then, the staff was more concerned about who told us about the AC issues than the lapse in communication. Anytime a contract is signed for thousands and the money is paid, a phone call and apology should be offered when problems arise. I do not recommend this company for large events or for entertaining out of town friends because there is a lack of professionalism, accountability, and reliability.
William Sheats
Extremely Disappointing Experience – Canceled Last-Minute Without Notice
We booked a Spirit Cruise Lines tour in Charleston to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday with a party of 22 guests. Unfortunately, what should have been a memorable evening turned into a frustrating and disappointing ordeal.
Just 15 minutes before departure, we were informed that the cruise was canceled due to a broken air conditioning system—an issue the company had reportedly known about well in advance. Despite having all our contact information, no one from Spirit Cruise Lines reached out beforehand to notify us of the cancellation, giving us zero time to adjust our plans in advance.
This wasn’t just a casual outing—we had guests of all ages gathered to honor a milestone birthday. We were forced to scramble for last-minute dinner reservations on a busy evening in Charleston, which was stressful and chaotic for such a large group. There was also a wedding reception party booked on the same tour, equally blindsided and left to make alternate plans on the spot.
The lack of communication and poor contingency planning was unacceptable for a company in the hospitality industry. Emergencies happen, but proactive customer service and transparency are the bare minimum when dealing with planned celebrations and large parties.
I strongly caution others considering Spirit Cruise Lines for any event or special occasion. Our experience was not only poorly handled but also incredibly disappointing for everyone involved.
F. L.
I contacted the group bookings team to secure spots for a dinner cruise for the evening of June 21st for my class reunion visiting the area. The communication from the agent was extremely poor. My initial reach out was in March with an urgency to secure seats due to the popularity of the weekend. The agent refused to answer her phone and never returned calls. I left a number of voicemails to no avail. She only communicated via email which was always piece mail and took longer than necessary. The date ended up selling out. I understand keeping a paper trail but many details could have been sorted over the phone due to the urgency of the situation and confirmed via email. We explored an alternative in which when I went to follow up she was quite rude and gave the impression that I was moreso bothering her and that it was a burden for to assist me. When the alternative option fell through I cancelled the reservation and ask that she confirm. She processed the refund and the system sent a confirmation. She never sent a follow up email to confirm that I got the funds nor the email nor responded to my email. Having organized a number events, the level of service from this company was far from what I expected and less than satisfactory…it really gave the impression of “if you want it….you want it…we don’t care if you get it or not”. Very non-chalant attitude and rude. Thankfully I was able to secure a private charter that went above and beyond to accommodate us. Highly recommend saving yourself the trouble and booking elsewhere where or just booking as many tickets via the automated service as you can so that you aren’t inconvenienced and mistreated by these individuals.
Wanda Sheats
For my birthday on July 27, 2025, my children organized a celebration with a party of 22 guests, many of whom traveled from North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, D.C., and Virginia. We were all looking forward to an authentic Charleston experience, but unfortunately, that’s not what we received. When we arrived, the gates were locked, leaving us to figure out where to pick up our booking passes on our own. After waiting for 45 minutes, an employee finally informed my daughter that the air conditioning wasn’t working and that they were attempting to repair it. We also learned that the AC had been malfunctioning for the past three days. It was disappointing—and unprofessional—that no one had reached out to notify us of this issue, so we could have made alternate plans. The lack of communication and courtesy meant our visitors were left with a frustrating and costly experience. The final update we received was simply that “someone will be in touch with us.” This is hardly the service you’d expect from a dinner cruise, especially on one of the hottest days of the year, with 22 guests arriving by party bus. In the end, my guests left Charleston feeling let down, and my birthday celebration was ruined—thanks to Spiritline. My sincere advice: look elsewhere.
Amanda Rodriguez
Beautiful evening on the Spirit line dinner cruise. We enjoyed the salad, She crab soup, and Shrimp and Grits. Drinks were reasonably priced. It got a little warm inside the dining room as the night went on but we just went up to the upper deck to enjoy the nice breeze and scenery.
Dean Hook
Booked this for our 25th anniversary and was severely let down. Earlier in the week got a call about bigger boat had mechanical issues and smaller boat could not accommodate private tables they offered a refund for smaller boat of private table. I kept the booking just for the experience but on day of reservation I received another call that the smaller boat now has mechanical issues and my reservation would be cancelled. Yes I received a refund but now I'm left trying to find something else on the day of anniversary. Sad part of it was I booked over a month ago for this and now left trying to peice it together. No matter how good the views would have been with the memories they've definitely lost a customer now.
Dawn S
Really enjoyable cruise. Such a beautiful area.
Emily Winkeler
Disappointing Experience – Not Worth the Price
I had high hopes for this dinner cruise, but unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations. The food was extremely underwhelming, bland, lacking any real flavor, and definitely not what you’d expect for the price. The ship itself felt outdated and poorly maintained, with a strong mildew smell that made the atmosphere uncomfortable.
The only redeeming quality was the view, which was undeniably beautiful and made the evening somewhat worthwhile. If you’re looking for a scenic ride, this might work, but don’t go in expecting a quality dining experience or a clean, modern environment.
Bland food. Two people is $180 on a Sunday. Drinks and dessert not included. Sweet tea not included. Why? Music belongs in an elderly community. Just take the tour and eat somewhere else. Got to sit with strangers.smh.
Dihanna Fedder
Our group had a marvelous time last night on a dinner tour with Spirit Line Cruises! The service was impeccable, the musician was a delightful surprise, and the views were unforgettable! Have a free night while you’re in Charleston? Put this on your list!
Paul S
Loved this tour so much, we did it again 2 yrs later when visiting Charleston
Thomas Lucadamo
Nobody tells you about the $50 parking ticket you get afterwards. They don’t tell you where to park either. Waste of time and money.
Kyle Downs
This is a tradition for my family every time someone comes to visit my fiancé and I in Charleston. We love the food. We love being able to wander around the boat as we go along. It’s fun, it takes its time on a fantastic route through the harbor and the food is always great, specifically the she crab soup and the salmon!
We did the morning Harbor Cruise and it was great! The ship was very comfortable , shaded and had a nice snack bar. The captain, crew and guide were all great! Totally worth the time and money!
Wish I didn't waste my money on the dinner cruise. Bought the ticket same day as cruise and unchecked the box for $10/ticket insurance. I still got charged for it! So I paid $125 per ticket after fees and taxes. And then they charge you extra for tea and dessert. Seriously?! Taxes I realize they can't do a thing about that. Charging for alcohol and even soda, pretty standard. No issues. But iced tea. Dessert, when I already dropped so much money. I refused. The crew was nice and the food was ok. The crew/employees are 5 star. Food 3.5 stars. Rip off pricing zero stars. Worth maybe $75/person including taxes and fees and sheesh, include iced tea. I'll never book any other event through this company now. Search for a different option/company or different event.
I booked a large party in advance and was not given any notification prior to the event that there were AC issues. We arrived on time for departure and a staff member advised us the vessel had been having AC issues all weekend and luckily they were able to get it to work for the other sailings. This was very concerning because only 2 staff members appeared to be present (and we had to walk around the outside of the building looking for them). If this company was able to alert their staff to issues, they certainly should have alerted patrons. Instead, they did not tell us the vessel was not working until after we showed up, waited, and asked questions. No apologies were offered until I called the office and even then, the staff was more concerned about who told us about the AC issues than the lapse in communication. Anytime a contract is signed for thousands and the money is paid, a phone call and apology should be offered when problems arise. I do not recommend this company for large events or for entertaining out of town friends because there is a lack of professionalism, accountability, and reliability.
Extremely Disappointing Experience – Canceled Last-Minute Without Notice
We booked a Spirit Cruise Lines tour in Charleston to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday with a party of 22 guests. Unfortunately, what should have been a memorable evening turned into a frustrating and disappointing ordeal.
Just 15 minutes before departure, we were informed that the cruise was canceled due to a broken air conditioning system—an issue the company had reportedly known about well in advance. Despite having all our contact information, no one from Spirit Cruise Lines reached out beforehand to notify us of the cancellation, giving us zero time to adjust our plans in advance.
This wasn’t just a casual outing—we had guests of all ages gathered to honor a milestone birthday. We were forced to scramble for last-minute dinner reservations on a busy evening in Charleston, which was stressful and chaotic for such a large group. There was also a wedding reception party booked on the same tour, equally blindsided and left to make alternate plans on the spot.
The lack of communication and poor contingency planning was unacceptable for a company in the hospitality industry. Emergencies happen, but proactive customer service and transparency are the bare minimum when dealing with planned celebrations and large parties.
I strongly caution others considering Spirit Cruise Lines for any event or special occasion. Our experience was not only poorly handled but also incredibly disappointing for everyone involved.
I contacted the group bookings team to secure spots for a dinner cruise for the evening of June 21st for my class reunion visiting the area. The communication from the agent was extremely poor. My initial reach out was in March with an urgency to secure seats due to the popularity of the weekend. The agent refused to answer her phone and never returned calls. I left a number of voicemails to no avail. She only communicated via email which was always piece mail and took longer than necessary. The date ended up selling out. I understand keeping a paper trail but many details could have been sorted over the phone due to the urgency of the situation and confirmed via email. We explored an alternative in which when I went to follow up she was quite rude and gave the impression that I was moreso bothering her and that it was a burden for to assist me. When the alternative option fell through I cancelled the reservation and ask that she confirm. She processed the refund and the system sent a confirmation. She never sent a follow up email to confirm that I got the funds nor the email nor responded to my email. Having organized a number events, the level of service from this company was far from what I expected and less than satisfactory…it really gave the impression of “if you want it….you want it…we don’t care if you get it or not”. Very non-chalant attitude and rude. Thankfully I was able to secure a private charter that went above and beyond to accommodate us. Highly recommend saving yourself the trouble and booking elsewhere where or just booking as many tickets via the automated service as you can so that you aren’t inconvenienced and mistreated by these individuals.
For my birthday on July 27, 2025, my children organized a celebration with a party of 22 guests, many of whom traveled from North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, D.C., and Virginia. We were all looking forward to an authentic Charleston experience, but unfortunately, that’s not what we received.
When we arrived, the gates were locked, leaving us to figure out where to pick up our booking passes on our own. After waiting for 45 minutes, an employee finally informed my daughter that the air conditioning wasn’t working and that they were attempting to repair it. We also learned that the AC had been malfunctioning for the past three days. It was disappointing—and unprofessional—that no one had reached out to notify us of this issue, so we could have made alternate plans.
The lack of communication and courtesy meant our visitors were left with a frustrating and costly experience. The final update we received was simply that “someone will be in touch with us.” This is hardly the service you’d expect from a dinner cruise, especially on one of the hottest days of the year, with 22 guests arriving by party bus.
In the end, my guests left Charleston feeling let down, and my birthday celebration was ruined—thanks to Spiritline. My sincere advice: look elsewhere.
Beautiful evening on the Spirit line dinner cruise. We enjoyed the salad, She crab soup, and Shrimp and Grits. Drinks were reasonably priced. It got a little warm inside the dining room as the night went on but we just went up to the upper deck to enjoy the nice breeze and scenery.
Booked this for our 25th anniversary and was severely let down. Earlier in the week got a call about bigger boat had mechanical issues and smaller boat could not accommodate private tables they offered a refund for smaller boat of private table. I kept the booking just for the experience but on day of reservation I received another call that the smaller boat now has mechanical issues and my reservation would be cancelled. Yes I received a refund but now I'm left trying to find something else on the day of anniversary. Sad part of it was I booked over a month ago for this and now left trying to peice it together. No matter how good the views would have been with the memories they've definitely lost a customer now.
Really enjoyable cruise. Such a beautiful area.
Disappointing Experience – Not Worth the Price
I had high hopes for this dinner cruise, but unfortunately, it fell far short of expectations. The food was extremely underwhelming, bland, lacking any real flavor, and definitely not what you’d expect for the price. The ship itself felt outdated and poorly maintained, with a strong mildew smell that made the atmosphere uncomfortable.
The only redeeming quality was the view, which was undeniably beautiful and made the evening somewhat worthwhile. If you’re looking for a scenic ride, this might work, but don’t go in expecting a quality dining experience or a clean, modern environment.
Restaurantji Recommends
Bland food. Two people is $180 on a Sunday. Drinks and dessert not included. Sweet tea not included. Why? Music belongs in an elderly community. Just take the tour and eat somewhere else. Got to sit with strangers.smh.
Our group had a marvelous time last night on a dinner tour with Spirit Line Cruises! The service was impeccable, the musician was a delightful surprise, and the views were unforgettable! Have a free night while you’re in Charleston? Put this on your list!
Loved this tour so much, we did it again 2 yrs later when visiting Charleston
Nobody tells you about the $50 parking ticket you get afterwards. They don’t tell you where to park either. Waste of time and money.
This is a tradition for my family every time someone comes to visit my fiancé and I in Charleston. We love the food. We love being able to wander around the boat as we go along. It’s fun, it takes its time on a fantastic route through the harbor and the food is always great, specifically the she crab soup and the salmon!
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