Public Tours
Our public tours depart from the CambridgeSide Mall, directly outside the back entrance. This is on the opposite side of the mall from The Cheesecake Factory. If you arrive in front of The Cheesecake Factory, enter the mall, walk through the whole first floor and out the doors. We are located directly outside the opposite entrance. If you are parked in the CambridgeSide Mall garage, take the elevator or escalator to the first floor. With the Apple Store on your right side, walk through the mall and out the doors at the canal end of the mall. Validated parking for our public tours and cruises is only available at the CambridgeSide Mall parking garage for $4.00 for up to 8 hours. The address for the main parking garage is 100 CambridgeSide Place, Cambridge, MA 02141. Please bring your garage ticket to our ticketbooth for validation. Please note this location does not apply to all of our private events. If you are coming for a private event, please check your invitation or call our office at 617-621-3001.
- Beverage – All tours offer a full service bar with beverages available for purchase including water, soda, beer, wine and cocktails. Please note, no outside alcoholic beverages are allowed. We ONLY accept debit or credit cards.
- Snacks – We offer small bags of chips available for purchase. Please note that we do not serve meals onboard our public tours.
- Guests are welcome to bring on their own food but please note there is no table space available. We recommend eating either before or after the cruise.
We do not allow pets onboard. Service animals are permitted onboard. Service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered unless these devices interfere with the service animals’ work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices.
Smoking or vaping is not permitted onboard any of our vessels.
Boarding begins 10 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time. Choose any seat – all offer a great view!
All tickets are non-refundable and cruises sail rain or shine. Please note that we cruise rain or shine and do not reschedule due to weather.
We do not require guests to wear a lifejacket onboard but there are lifejackets available onboard for each guest in case of emergency.
Yes, if they have the ability to fold please do that and store it away from the aisle.
Yes, tickets do need to be purchased for all children in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard Regulations. We offer special rates for children 12 and under and children under 3. Please see the individual tour page for cruise rates.
We love having groups on board and would be happy to offer you a group discount on our cruises. We require reserving tickets in advance to receive the group discounted ticket rate, so that we can guarantee availability on the cruise for your whole group. Please call 617-621-3001 or click here for more information!
There are no age restrictions for riding onboard. We offer special rates for children 12 and under and children under 3. Please see the individual tour page for cruise rates. For alcoholic drink purchases, valid ID/license must be presented.
The Henry Longfellow and Charles I which run our public tours are fully wheelchair accessible.
All of our vessels are fully enclosable and sail rain or shine. All reservations occur regardless of weather. Rescheduling of any cruises is only permitted at the discretion of Charles River Boat Company.
All seats onboard offer a great view! There is a bench on the bow of the boat with speakers outside so you can still hear the tour, and the majority of the seats are under the cover of the roof with large glass windows that go up and down depending on the weather. The boat does turn around so no matter which side you sit on, you will get to see both the Boston and Cambridge side of the river.
The Architecture Tour is our only public cruise that goes through the Charles River Lock and Dam System. Please refer to our cruise route maps for more information.
This amount is not a tax, it is a Convention & Facilities Surcharge the state of Massachusetts adds to all land and water based sightseeing tours in Boston. Unfortunately no entity may be exempt from this fee as it is not a tax, but a surcharge.
Yes, gift cards can be purchased online in any denomination by clicking here. These are e-gift cards, there are no physical gift cards.
Private Events
For private events, our boats depart from multiple locations. Please be sure to note your cruise information or event invitation and follow all boarding directions. If you have any questions regarding the boarding location, please call our sales office at 617-621-3001. For directions to our main locations, please visit https://charlesriverboat.com/directions/.
All of our vessels are fully enclosable and sail rain or shine. All reservations occur regardless of weather. Rescheduling of any cruises is only permitted at the discretion of Charles River Boat Company
We do not leave until the point of contact gives the go ahead. Just please notify a manager or crew member and update us when everyone is onboard. With that being said, we do have to be back to the dock at the scheduled dockage time.
We cruise for the entirety of the allotted time and we do not make stops along the way for guests to come and go.
For all private events, the boat is exclusive to your group only.
We recommend a smart casual dress, but appropriate attire often depends on the day. We like to remind guests that the temperature is normally cooler on the water, even on warm summer nights. Please remember sensible shoes on board.The vessels do have heat onboard, but we do not have AC. On a warm day, windows can be opened to enjoy the fresh air!
Most of our guests do not experience any discomfort while onboard. Our riverboats cruise mainly on the Charles River, which is well protected and calm. Our harbor boats cruise within the inner Boston Harbor, which is also well protected. If you or your guests are concerned about motion sickness, please note we do not offer any nausea medicine onboard.
The Henry Longfellow and Charles I are fully wheelchair accessible at the CambridgeSide Mall location, but not at other locations. The bottom level of the Lexington does not have any steps but does not offer handicap accessible restrooms. The Valiant is not wheelchair accessible, as there are stairs to board. Both the Lexington and the Valiant are two level boats with stairs to get to the second level.
All of our boats have surround sound speakers on board which you can plug into using an AUX cord. We partner with Entertainment companies to provide additional services on board. Please ask your sales manager for more information.
Cruise routes vary depending on the timing and departure location. Please ask the Sales Manager for more information regarding cruise routes.
Gratuity is at each individual client’s discretion and is always appreciated but never expected. Our staff are compensated with a wage higher than the current service wage. Should you want to leave gratuity, it can be provided in cash to the manager or captain onboard or you may contact your Sales Manager to process on a credit card. All gratuities are split equally amongst all onboard staff.
You are welcome to bring small decor such as pictures, smaller banners, centerpieces, and custom cocktail napkins. Glitter, confetti, feathers, balloons, and live flames are NOT permitted.
We do not have WiFi onboard, but most cellular services are available on the water.
We do not provide a standard narration onboard for private events. We find that guests enjoy mingling and seeing the sites on their own time while onboard. That said, if you are interested in a narration onboard please let us know and we are happy to discuss options!
Wedding and Mitzvah charter cancellations or date changes that occur within 120 days of actual cruise will result in loss of deposit. Any wedding or Mitzvah charter date change that occurs within 120 days of the original date will result in loss of deposit and require renewal of contract. Any cancellations within 10 business days of the event will result in loss of total payment.
Non-wedding and non-Mitzvah charter cancellations or date changes that occur within 60 days of actual cruise will result in loss of deposit. Any charter date change that occurs within 60 days of the original date will result in loss of deposit and require renewal of contract. Any cancellations or date changes within 10 business days of the event will result in loss of total payment.