Claudia B.
Yelp
My nephew recently got married on the "Just Dreamin" boat from Hornblower Cruises. This was a first for most people in attendance... to be part of a wedding ceremony floating on water... and it was WAY COOL !! Granted, it was a bit cramped, but not overly so. There were about 75 in attendance, and this particular boat holds, I believe, 148 if memory serves correctly. For those who are fearful of getting seasick, calm your fears. The boat travels at a very slow speed, and it only travels on the water within the breakwater, so there aren't really any waves to speak of. I never "felt" like we were on the water, and nor did the boat sway or do anything even remotely like that.
There were 3 levels to this boat. The very top level was used to conduct the ceremony with rows of chairs. It was also used for dining purposes where tables and chairs were then assembled after the ceremony. Last, dancing was eventually held on that same top floor. The second level was held for the cocktail/appetizer hour, and it was also where the food was served buffet style, and the cake was also cut there. On the bottom and 3rd level were the bathrooms and probably where the kitchen was, I'm guessing.
I have no idea how or where they cooked the food, nor where it got heated up, again I'm assuming on the bottom level of the boat. There was a lot of walking up and down the stairs to the various levels, and trust me, if you have health issues in any way involving stairs, it will be a problem. The stairs are VERY steep, and because the various levels to the boat serve as dual and triple functions, one MUST USE THE STAIRS. They make you leave the 3rd floor ceremony level, so they can set the tables and chairs, but then, they make you leave the cocktail hour 2nd level, so you can eat your food with a table and chair. Then they make you go back down after eating, so they can break down the tables and chairs to make room for the dance floor. Then you go back upstairs for eating the wedding cake and/or dancing. At that point, some people never made it back upstairs and just stayed on the 2nd floor. We went wherever they told us to go, but not everyone could. My 93 year old mother-in-law was, as my daughter said, a "rockstar," and with assistance, she went up and down those stairs each time. G-d bless her and her determination... but it was not easy for her. My sister-in-law, just a few weeks post-hip replacement surgery, she was able to do it, too. The point is, just beware, this boat is not without its obstacles.
As for the food, it was fine. I don't know what kind of meal plans are offered, but I'm guessing it can be a lot more, or even a lot less, depending on one's budget. The bar was an open bar, which was very nice. They offered 2-3 appetizers, but I didn't have any. As for the dinner, it was prime rib, chicken, green beans, a potato of some sort (don't recall now), salad and a roll, and it was buffet style. It was average for the event, certainly edible, but nothing amazing, either. I just didn't like having to juggle getting my food on the 2nd level, walking up the steep stairs in a long dress that kept getting caught under my shoes, thus, causing me to trip a time or two.... so it was a bit harrowing at moments. It was fine in the end, but with a juggle.
I would certainly do this again if asked. It really was fun, and it was a novel way to celebrate a wedding if water be your thing !!
