Hornblower Cruises & Events Reviews

We were invited to my cousin Birthday party at the Hornblower . We went for a birthday celebration with a whole family & friends of my cousin . Once we boarded the boat there was a huge crowds of people waiting to get a drink at the Bar . By the way the average price of the bad quality cocktail is $22 plus tax and tip …. The food was very mediocre for the price charged . The service was totally absent . You have to get your food by yourself from the buffet . The food itself was totally bland and not tasty . The only thing was good is the view from the boat . For the first 30 minutes you can see the city of SF from the boat . After that it’s totally dark and can see nothing at all. There was also DJ and they played only R&B style songs and it was extremely lied . It’s too touristy and I would call it tourist trap style ..

I am a Bay Area native and the hornblower cruises are a gem of San Francisco. My husband took me on the dinner cruise for my birthday this year and it was absolutely wonderful! The food is by far the a gastro-tour that truly encompasses the nature of San Francisco! I've been patronizing the cruise for 8 years and it's always a pleasure!

My daughter and I took the Thanksgiving seated dinner cruise. It is indeed a bit pricey but was worth it. The food was quite good. The wine was quite potable but not really stellar. There was soft live mood music. The trip around the Bay was enthralling - passing under Golden Gate Bridge at dusk is unforgettable. The service was paced carefully to be sedate so you are not done too soon which made it seem a little slow at times until I figured it out. Definitely good for a special occasion.

We have had our company party here last December and me and my wife enjoyed it. The boat left wharf at around 8 and I think cruised around the city and below 2 bridges for 3 hours. We have some nice buffet dinner and the food was delicious. There is a bar for drinks and cocktails too and music and a dance floor. The boat was very big and lots of space on top and on front for enjoying the view and taking lots of pictures. The staff was all nice and accommodating. I was not part of the committee who made the planning and paying so could not comment on the price. The site was very nice especially at night and getting some beautiful view around and below the bridges. The view of the city from the Bay was also beautiful. Parking was available on the port in front where the boat leave and arrive so was convenient. I think it was free and $10 for valet or something like that. If I paid for it would it still be 5 stars? Maybe not but as long as you are not the one paying, it is 5 stars :)....

We had our annual outing with my girl friends at Hornblower Cruise in San Francisco. We were able to get to the Christmas brunch cruise. Santa was there with us. Buffet brunch was great. Our server was attentive with our needs. Waters got choppy around the Golden Gate Bridge so we were not able to take pics of the famous bridge from the ship. They have their own parking on site. Starbucks and farmers market is close by.

We took the dinner cruise on the bay and it was a great experience from the ambiance,atmosphere friendly but professional service to the fantastic views of the city at night, going under the Golden Gate Bridge a trip around Algatraz and a short stop in Mc Covey Cove definatly a unique experience,You are welcomed on board with a champagne toast and entertained by live music, the staff very friendly and the waitress at our table did a real nice job, The only negative was the quality of the food which was sub par However! it didn't ruin the great experience, A little pricey but you should try it at least once.

We took the cruise for our anniversary. We live in the Bay Area, but it was still fun to get out and see the area from a different view. The food was good, not excellent. The service was very good...attentive but not overly so. The entertainment was both live and a DJ. The singer was great. The DJ worked hard to get in all the requests. By the last half hour, much of the music was geared to the younger crowd so we sat that out. If you want to park on the pier, you need to get there very early. We were there 30minutes early and it was already full. There is a lot across the street that was a flat rate of $15 which was convenient. It was a very enjoyable evening.

Great time! We did the dinner as we didn't want to do buffet. I'm fourth generation Californian so I read reviews to make sure it wasn't a totally tourist gig Great time! Sunset passing under Golden Gate was beautiful. Cruising so close to Alcatraz. Passing Att ballpark during fireworks(not sure if that always occurs) and then views of the beautiful SF skyline with all its lights The food was very good maybe three star with four star presentation. Dress is up to you .black cocktail to business casual. Some jeans but they probably felt underdressed . Potentially very romantic if you like who you are with . Bring a jacket or wrap to sit on upper deck where it is quiet and take everything in Nice jazz during dinner. After dinner felt a little weddingish with DJ etc for dancing, but it wasn't annoying. Panoramic views. A bit expensive but so worth it!

We booked this up as the final night of our holiday - we opted for a window seat (well worth it). Although the food wasn't the best i've ever had you do have to account for the fact you are on a boat - it was satisfactory and the cruise was sensational - the experience as a whole is well worth it. Only other down side is there aren't really enough toilets to cater for volume of people on the boat so dont wait til you get desperate before you go because you'll be waiting for 10mins or so! On the whole worth doing - sailing under the golden gate bridge isn't something you get to do every day!

Everything was spectacular! The service, food, views, and music were perfection! I was even asked to come up and hang out with the gorgeous captain! I mean I got great views on the inside and the outside. The captain was very informative and had a great personality. Just a wonderful experience to a really crappy vacation in San Francisco.

We thought this would be a different way to have Thanksgiving Dinner. After checking in, we had a complimentary photo taken. They give you one photo for each person in your party which was very nice. Then we proceeded to our assigned table and the buffet. The food was good. Although they did run out of items so you did have to go back up when it was replenished. The buffet lines were short so that made it easy. They had turkey with all the trimmings plus prime rib. The desserts were plentiful so you could try them all with fresh whipped cream or caramel sauce. The best part of the cruise was seeing the sunset behind the Golden Gate bridge. Then passing next to Alcatraz, seeing the San Francisco skyline and ending with sailing under the Bay Bridge. A great experience and a great way to celebrate the holiday.

My friend and I went out to SF for my birthday and our Airbnb host suggested that we buy a ticket for the Hornblower. I was not disappointed at all. We went for the champagne brunch. We took advantage of the brunch buffet and the bottomless mimosas. On top of that, the views that the cruise provides around the Bay are spectacular. It was a clear, sunny day so we were able to see a lot. By the time we got back to the Airbnb, we were so full of food and champagne that we knocked out. Definitely a must-do if you're in the city for a special event (even if it is just for the pictures).

Beautiful food, hospitality and views ! A really nice thing to do with your significant other to top off a fabulous day of sight seeing. We met a lovely couple and swapped details and now chat from one side of the world to the other :) Loved seeing the golden gate bridge all lit up and the baseball stadium. highly recommended !

My wife and family (11 people total) were in town from Florida for my wedding on 12-28 in Napa. We decided on the Hornblower "Belle" ship for a NYE cruise around the San Francisco Bay. It was a great value. Food was good, beer, wine, champagne, and select well style liquor were included in the package for $250 per person. The DJ played great music. Around midnight the ship was right near the display of fireworks off the pier. We all loved it and would do it again in the future of in the area.

We were a group of 22pp. Boarding was easy and quick. We were directed to our table, but thatbwas it. No one told us when we can start eating, or how we got our drink bracelets. I felt lost, and since I organized this holiday trip for our staff, I felt I had no support from Hornblower as we boarded this vessel. I wanted in line at the bar, spoke to a server, not even our server who didn't have a clue, and that server was the only one who went and found a manager who gave us our bracelets. DJ's music was a little dated and didn't balance much between Latin music and other genres. BUT, with all that said, we had a FUN time! My staff had the freedom to hang outside (although no one told us we could; we just had to figure that stuff out. Again, lack of direction and organization from Hornblower personnel). It was nice they could bring their cocktails outside and enjoy the view. For a boat buffet, food was actually pretty good. Chicken and beef were very tender. Salads were tasty. Dessert and cookies tasted store-bought and could be skipped. But the great thing was that they left the food there so people could eat through the cruise, and not just in the beginning. I would definitely do it again, and I think my staff would love the chance for another holiday party aboard the Belle!!

We had a great dinner cruising San Francisco Bay. We were with a large group and they did a great job of accommodating all of us and serving us in a timely manner. The views are beautiful and loved going under the Golden Gate Bridge. Fun evening!

No better way to see/"feel" the Bay, SF, & the Marin side than riding the waves, eating decent food, drinking lotsa wine & soaking-in one of Mother Nature's masterpieces. Check the weather. Try to book on a full moon - you'll hit-a-home-run. Don't go in daytime. Is this "touristy"??? Yep. And, you'll never tire of doing this evening. Never. Note: terrific to go to top decks outside to soak-it-in. But, even in the warmest months, it's real chilly up there. Don't bring a sweater or jacket. Bring a waterproof windbreaker. Also, the upper deck is the place to sober-up, with best views, on the return part of voyage. M