Zephyr Cove Resort & Lake Tahoe Cruises Reviews

too pricey and 2 hours cruise to emerald bay and back is a bit too long. you get all excited at the beginning taking pictures then you start feel boring until emerald bay you start taking pictures and all then journey back became so dragging and boring. my husband and his friend slept through the journey back. i think going up the heavenly gondola might be a better experience if you are a first-timer here.

Cruise is amazing... The food is great... A definite must due..

Beautiful and Relaxing. A little pricey but worth it.

The Sipping at Sundown Cruise itself was absolutely lovely - wonderful service, beautiful views, great cocktails and snacks.
The reason I've only given 3 stars is because of the horrible misinformation we were given while booking.
We arrived in South Lake Tahoe in the afternoon, and saw a posting that it was the first night of the cruise for the summer. We called Zephyr Cove to book the cruise with a few questions. For $80/person for what was listed as an hour and a half tour, we wanted to make sure the food and drinks were included, and check the required attire. The man on the other end of the phone didn't have the answers, but put us on hold to check... when he returned, he told us that yes, the food and drink were included in the price, read off a menu of vegetables, fruits, meats, desserts, and more, and said resort casual attire is best.
We booked it, and requested a pick up with the complimentary shuttle service. All was perfect until we got to the bar on board to order our drink and found out that the drinks were indeed NOT included. The food spread was lovely, but certainly not the menu that was read off to us just 2 hours before. Additionally, the captain announced that it would be a 2 hour cruise - granted an extra half hour on the lake was certainly a welcome surprise.
Overall, the evening was wonderful. Our disappointment lies in the poor advertisement of the cruise and misinformation given to our direct questions. A $160 cruise for two became much more expensive with a few $10 cocktails added on top.

I took a tour by boat ... Mrs. Dixie was dinner at sunset tour and was very beautiful picnic ... I took on the roll Lake Tahoe and Emerald Bay

View brillant. Service good. Unique experience. If you don't like crowds this is not the cruise for you.

We took the 2 hour narrated lunch cruise, it was a great experience. We enjoyed breathtaking views of the Lake, Emerald Bay and the Sierra. We learnt a lot about the area by listening to onboard narration about the formation of the bay. We also learnt the history of Fannette Island and Vikingsholm Castle.
The bar serves good cocktails, food is decent and staff is friendly.
We purchased our tickets online, and we arrived somo 30 minutes prior to departure so we were among the firsts in line to aboard and were able to secure good seats inside by the windows.

My wife and I absolutely loved this cruise. Totally worth the cost and would recommend to others.
I would go when the weather is nice. It gets really cold there especially if the wind is blowing on you. There are a couple things that could be improved upon. One of the speakers on the deck was really distorted sounding. It should be replaced if it hasn t been already. The TV/video monitors that were playing a documentary about Lake Tahoe need to be updated. The quality was bad but the documentary was fascinating.
We went for the cruise and it didn t disappoint.
The big paddle wheel was super cool too.

Loved to stay more days at this place. Cool and pleasant location. Not Much crowded.

Beautiful trip around the bay and has great photo opportunities

Enjoyed every moment of the trip, my Fiancee and I had the Salmon Dinner and it was well cooked and very tasty, dessert was Cheesecake and was quite delicious, we were amazing by the views and it was a big day for me so I waited for the live music and quite frankly we both had a unforgettable evening! Will be getting on this cruise again next year!

This was a great one-time experience. My girlfriend loved it. The food was okay and the tour wasn't informative, but was still a unique and enjoyable experience. Live music, a bar, and dinner. Your significant other will thank you. Some of the reviewers are complaining about the price, but I found it reasonable considering the enormous cost of maintaining, operating, and manning a ship that size.

The cruise was fun, informative, and the food for purchase was good. HOWEVER, charging to park with already inflated ticket prices is just asinine. That was pretty upsetting.

It was so nice to be on the cruise.we had so much fun and the food was amazing.

The sunset is beautiful in the evening and the lake from Tahoe is so beautiful.
The meal is not very good.

Excellent cruise, but a little tad expansive. Lake is so beautiful in any case.

It was really nice and relaxing. I had the chicken sandwich and fries it was really good!

The M.S. Dixie dinner cruise is the best! I didn't want it to end! Great dinner, wonderful company and amazing ambiance!

Wonderful experience. Good food. Majestic views. The paddlewheel can be hypnotic

Everything from the start to the end was below average. Thoroughly disappointed. The views were the saving Grace.

Super fun, super worth it, nice trip, kids loved it, very interesting story told about the old castle

Nice but it would be nice to know parking was 25.00

Loved it. We were late on the cruise, the two guys waited almost 5 minutes. On board customer service was excellent. The bar was opened till we got back. People are free to roam with beer in hand.

Absolutely horrible customer service. Being a responsible traveler, I called prior to verify my trip scheduled 9/26/2020 was still a go due to fire concerns in the area. The customer service person told me that all operations had been cancelled until 10/2/2020 an proceeded to cancel my reservation. It turns out the customer service person I spoke to was wrong and operations were to resume 9/25/2020. I called back to reinstate my reservation, I was told when I called back that my reservation had not been cancelled and that there would be several notations made to not cancel my reservation. I was also told to call back on 9/23/2020 to make sure everting was set. I called and after over 90 minutes on hold I was told that my reservation was cancelled and they would not issue an immediate refund telling me it could take 7-10 business days. After another 70 minutes on hold spoke to a supervisor who basically told me the same thing. This issue came about because the company failed to give their employees correct information, and what's worse is they aren't even attempting to rectify the situation.

The cruise was great. The mountain views are breathtaking. The lunch bites on the menu are delicious. A must do when visiting Lake Tahoe. Cruised on the Ms. Dixie paddle wheeler.

Fun little cruise with good food, beautiful views, great service, and fun entertainment. We took our kids and their grandparents and everyone had a great time!

Not a professional company. We had booked for the 6/13/20 dinner cruise, they canceled a few days before for unspecified reasons. Rebooked for 6/20 and they canceled again saying that they overbooked. 45 minute wait to talk to someone on the phone and no call back capability, they want you to wait the entire time. Good luck if you get disconnected, restart that clock. I guess I have higher expectations for a world wide destination. Luckily, I'm local and flexible so I can try again someday but I'd be really upset if I was from out of town. Buyer beware.

Edited in response to below :

Totally understand but why was the risk of cancelation not communicated up front? Why take money and reservations if not approved?
Why not list that the cruises are not yet approved when booking and could be canceled?

I rebooked for a Sunday 6/21 late morning, early afternoon cruise. Received a call on 6/18 from an unknown, unexpected, non local, 602 number with no caller ID name. Went to voicemail since I thought it was spam. Again it was canceled. No followup email until Saturday 6/20, the day before, that it was canceled with refund information. I was charged for everyone of the tickets I purchased. To not be upfront about possible cancelations is unacceptable.

Sharing my experience with others so that they can understand and know what to expect from this company. Since you did actually respond I'll change my review from a 1 star to 2 star. It wasn't an entire black hole of communication after all, more of a raven-messenger. A bit late on the important information there my friends.

We had a great time! We only live in Pollock Pines, and decided it was time to check this out. All of the staff are wonderful, and it's just a beautiful cruise! Highly recommend!

The cruise itself was lovely. We saw beautiful views of the lake, mountains, Emerald Bay, and sunset. The three start rating is due to the dinner. It was mediocre. Those in our party who got steak said they liked it. Those who got salmon said it was tough. I got the vegetarian pasta and it was lame (a jar of tomato sauce over spiral noddles would have been tastier). Lastly, there cheese cake was half frozen and tasted like grocery store variety.

Great relaxing cruise across Lake Tahoe. Wonderfully informative facts along the way to compliment the amazing scenery. A great tour of Lake Tahoe's most popular tourist attraction. Excellent spacious boat with plenty of amenities make this one to remember.

Must do bucket list item for any couple, dinner, live music, star gazing and a little dancing while taking a trip across the lake to Emerald Bay.

Excellent Cruise, great food, music, fun and scenic. Love the sunset cruise to Emerald Bay!

We booked the sunset dinner cruise for our wedding dinner through a third party site called vacations made easy. They advertise it as a five-star dinner cruise. When we arrived they squeeze 6 people into what appeared to be small 4-person tables shoulder to shoulder three people had to get up just so I can sit down.. to say the least we got up and left before the boat left the docks... I asked for a refund and the ticket booth refused and so did the vacations made easy..

We made reservations at 11:30 the day of our cruise, and our entire family was really excited to enjoy this treat on our only full day in Lake Tahoe.

But upon boarding the bus at 1:45, the driver told us that the cruise was cancelled!

Had they told us that the cruise was going to be cancelled (they should have known because we heard from another passenger waiting for the bus, that the 11am cruise was ALSO CANCELLED), they could have informed passengers. But even when I spoke with an agent at 12:45 to change our shuttle location, the agent DID NOT SAY ANYTHING about issues with the boat or risk of cancellation.

By the time we learned that the cruise was cancelled, the other cruises with the same company and others in the area were booked or departed already.

Thanks a lot for ruining our family vacation! I would have given ZERO stars if that was an option.

Great friendly staff. Generic boat ride. Nothing special stands out. Good views. A bit overcrowded.
Overall, just a simple way to be on the water for 2hours or so.

Very nice scenery, a great way to get to know people from different parts of the world. The volume from the ship speaker is best inside.

Well worth the price, excellent customer service. Great views and memories.

Too loud to hear the pre-recorded tour. The outdoor decks got filled up right away so had to sit on the lower indoor decks. Went straight across the lake and back vs around. Staff seemed overwhelmed and forgot a lot of orders. Waited a long time to get on the boat because they wanted to take pictures they d later offer to you for $40. Pay extra for parking, etc.

A wonderful way to see Lake Tahoe. On the way back they give you a bunch of history of the lake which is really cool

What a great way to see Lake Tahoe! We enjoyed our dinner cruise and the views of the lake. I live in Alabama and did all the booking for the cruise online. All information needed was provided regarding parking, ticket pick-up, etc. The dinner was really delicious and quickly served for the large group. Tip: arrive early and get in line to board early for better table selection. There is a snack bar with adult beverages near will call. Excellent bars, live music, and a gift shop are on the boat as well.

Take a dinner cruise aboard the MS Dixie II for dinner. I felt it was well worth it. Dinner was very good and the scenery is obviously fantastic. After dinner roam the decks and mingle as they lead a narrated tour and then relax and enjoy live music.

Fun boat ride to Emerald Bay across the Lake. During part of the ride they have an educational recording of Tahoe history. Neat experience to get on the Lake and see the views!

Wonderful trip across the lake. Very good family memory builder

Nice views, reasonably priced. Drinks were good. Facts about the lake were interesting and informative. Cabin was a little too warm. Servers and crew were very friendly.

My wife and I had one full day to spend in Lake Tahoe (July 5th) and heard great things about Lake Tahoe Cruises at Zephyr Cove. We booked for two (at $60+/ticket it was a bit pricey, but hey, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience right?) and when we arrived they told us the cruise had been canceled! Apparently the MS Dixie was experiencing mechanical issues (understandably out of their control) and were told that a smaller vessel would be departing and we could board that one instead. I was a bit perturbed, as we had to be at the Hard Rock Casino a full 45 minutes early to take a shuttle to Zephyr Cove, so we literally had no way to leave without waiting another 45 minutes for the shuttle to return. When asked if they were discounting our tour in lieu of the short notice, we were told no, but were assured food and drinks would still be available and the tour would run the full time (2.5 hours). We figured we'd roll the dice since this was our only day to see the Lake.

Upon boarding, it became quickly apparent that there was almost no outdoor seating left and were resigned to sitting in the galley. We ordered food early, thinking we could beat the crowd and then get a spot outside, but found out the "menu" consisted of a salad, a PBJ, a fried chicken sandwich, and a black bean burger (for reference the MS Dixie had a full catered menu). We ordered the fried chicken sandwich and while delivered quickly, it was grilled not fried. And the guided "tour" itself was just a recording that was so toned down we could barely make out what was being said. We essentially had to use the limited internet to read up on the history ourselves. Also the tour length? Right around 2 hours (not the 2.5 advertised).

Overall the experience was less than appealing. The only reason I'm giving this one star at all is because Lake Tahoe is GORGEOUS and we got to see parts of the lake that we'd otherwise have to drive around and park. Emerald Bay is majestic and the scenery was breathtaking. But the cruise itself, not worth it IMO. I will say the staff was very friendly (those we interacted with) and it was apparent they were on their toes due to the change in plans. The bartender in particular was very warm and pleasant to talk to. But I stand by my one-star-review because Lake Tahoe Cruises should have notified us of the dilemma BEFORE we arrived, been up-front about the differences between the tour we were promised and the one we experienced, and should have offered to discount us for the trouble.

I'm not usually one to write such a lengthy bad review, but I felt it was worth knowing what to expect before paying $60+/person for a cruise that might not even happen (or give you any options). My recommendation? Charter a boat instead, or spend your money elsewhere. There's other ways to see Lake Tahoe.

Not very nice staff - but beautiful rides across the lake....

We had a great time on our cruise, great food and staff! They even offered a FREE ticket for active duty military!

Fun cruise, friendly staff. Decent food and cocktails at a reasonable price.

A must visiting Lake Tahoe in the Winter. I loved the no boat traffic or waves from water sports. It was the most peaceful tour giving our boys a unforgettable experience of whats under Lake Tahoe and admiring nature from a new view. The only thing is the price is a bit higher than expected and there is no other way of getting cheaper rates. Plan accordingly financially.

We took the dinner tour around Lake Tahoe. The dinner was surprisingly good with beef, fish, chicken and veggie food choices. The beef was cooked to order. All of the food was good. Wine, beer, drinks available for purchase. The tour lasted about 3 hours. After dinner there was a live band that was good and engaged the crowd.

Great tour on the lake, took part in dinner cruise meal was very good. Entertainment on board as well. Made for great start of the night. And the views and history of Lake Tahoe. It is a must do.

The dinner cruise was a lot of fun! The steak was really good. The service however is very slow. The drinks are small and expensive. Other than that it was great.

Very cramped inside the boat, first come seating, and only half the speakers worked making it difficult to hear any announcements

They overload this boat with people. No seats. Too crowded to even walk through. Poor experience. Drinks very watered down. Staff was great though.

It think that this attraction/activity is more enjoyable during the Spring/Summer time. It was very cold, and we couldnt stay on decks for more than a couple of minutes at the time, so we had to sit in their "restaurant" most of the time.
The truth is that it was pretty boring, but their staff was friendly and welcoming

Nice cruise but not worth the price. It should be around $25 per person and should be only half hour or 45 minutes long, not 2 hours. We saw after 1 hour into cruise every body yawning and tired of cruise.

Great tour that includes natural history, tales of local legends, and a great view of Emerald Bay.

My family and I enjoyed the beautiful views on this 3 hour tour on the lake. We did the dinner cruise. The dinner was ok it was not bad for a large feeding of people.

Nice cruise. Could be made more fun on-board with more lively music, activities.

My wife and I really enjoyed the daytime cruise to Emerald Bay and back. Was able to capture some very nice pictures from the water giving a different perspective rather than way up on the roadway looking down. Was able to view the falls better from the boat. While cruising they provided an historic background on the area and bay which was very interesting. We thought it was well worth the price and was one of our top highlights of our trip to Lake Tahoe. Staff was very friendly. Didn't get order any food or drinks so I can't comment on the pricing for them.

Goods in July 2018 on the steamer for dinner.
As Gehbehinderter I was when I could not walk immediately helped with a wheelchair and the captain brought me personally with on board and to the table, in the evening I was then brought to the car in a wheelchair, the food was OK and the table service went like that , The price for the beer was very expensive and unfortunately there was no band on board, the music was only from the CD although a band according to the description should be on board, Without band was the price for the dinner on board but much too expensive. The view of the lake and the countryside was just beautiful.
In summary: a more expensive but still a nice evening.