Passenger Reviews... In their own words
JUN 2011
My wife and I cruised with Captain Chris and First Mate Vic (as I recall the names) to Thunderbird Lodge last Friday. Just wanted to compliment you and them on the professional way they handled themselves – making every effort to inform and entertain while keeping everything shipshape and on schedule. They are both extremely knowledgeable in every aspect of their jobs – the boat, the lake, the history and stories, the places we saw along the way...and the Lodge. They are a great asset to Tahoe Cruises! Thanks, Mike A.
JUN 2011
My wife and I went on the "4th of July – Safari Rose Cruise. We are boaters and regularly bareboat charter up to 50 footers in the San Juans and Channel Islands of Canada. We handle the boat, just the two of us. We want to praise the Safari Rose, her crew (Chris, Frank & J.T.) and your company for offering the best value-for-money on the lake. We were impressed with everything, but especially the crew, even Gayle, the bus driver and the ticket lady at dock-side. Everyone made a great impression on u s. We have already sent emails to our friends and acquaintances regaling them with praise of how good you guys are. We are extremely impressed, pleased and satisfied. As boaters we have high expectations and you guys certainly exceeded our expectations in a BIG way. Great service!
Sincerely, Bill & Katherine T.
JUN 2011
Last night (6/22/11) my husband, my mother and I had the most wonderful time on the Safari Rose. Josh did a great job on his first night, being very attentive to me and the rest of the passengers. The captain was great at letting us know what was going on and the history of the area. The food was excellent and much more than we expected. It was an incredible experience & we will be recommending you to anyone who asks. When we made the reservations we wondered about how pampered we would be. We found out that the crew treated us like the high class executives that would have used the boat when it was in Miami for 3M. If you ever want a passenger testimonials we would be happy to do that. We look forward to cruising with you soon! Robin H.
Tahoe Cruises reviews from Yelp! listed under "Woodwind Cruises"
OCT 2011
Great value for the money. It was a nice, long cruise up and down the lake. Everything that we had hoped for.
JUL 2011
We took the sunset cruise and had a great time! Before you get on the boat the crew explains everything to those coming on board, including the fact that it is a working boat (which means the crew is very active in positioning the sails and rigging). As you come on board they take a picture of your group and then encourage you to grab a drink down below.
There are many options for places to sit and enjoy the cruise. You can stay up front, where many cushions and blankets are available for your comfort (but it's a bit windy there). We spent a lot of time inside so we could be closer to the booze (can you blame us?). You can also stand at the railings along the side and in the back where it is much less windy.
We were out for about an hour and a half and it was the perfect time period... not too short, not too long. There were probably close to 25 people on this cruise, but you never felt like it was crowded. At one point in the cruise the captain stopped the boat so that we could get a good look at Tahoe Tessie who popped her head up to see us. My highest recommendation is that I would not only recommend this cruise to others, but I would definitely do it again... terrific fun!! Kat S.
JUL 2011
What an amazing time on the Safari Rose! My husband and I went for our honeymoon, and couldn't have had a better day. The weather was gorgeous. They have a bar on board and even serve you lunch. Most of the couples on the boat were older, but we still made a few friends.
The narration on the cruise was great. I've been to Tahoe tons of times, and never knew half the facts that were mentioned.
The crew had amazing customer service and I'd recommend this cruise (11 am - 3 pm) to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about the lake in a relaxed, fun setting. Stacie P.
JUN 2011
I remember losing a cap on this cruise due to the high winds.
Nonetheless, great scenery, friendly staff, time with family equates to a great experience. Tim Z.
7/28/2010
Safari Rose yacht was a pleasure to board. Though Woodwind Cruises has a few different yachts and boats offered, we were lucky enough to board the Rose.
Ship has magnificent history. Captain and staff were very knowledgeable and made the 4 hour cruise pleasurable, filled with interesting facts and stats about the Lake. Lunch was served on-board, which I think was pre-cooked and just basically reheated on the ship...not my favorite part of the cruise, but I was hungry so everything went down. Nice little bar on board.
Cruise takes you nearly to Kings Beach on north shore and you get to see many sites and cabin mansions from the water that are not visible from the highway.
A must do if you are new to the Tahoe experience or a returning visitor who wants to see something different.
Steve M.
9/9/2010
I had my wedding reception on The Tahoe out of Marina Keys just this past Saturday, 9/4/10. I worked w/Karen for the arrangements. When we got to the boat (there were 5 adults & 4 children) we were greeted by our Captain Chris, and Vic, our bartender. These guys were AWESOME. They were fantastic with the kids, they were fun, knowledgeable, and professional. I would recommend this in a hot second. It was a beautiful trip, a great night, the kids had a ball & so did the adults.
Fantastic! Dawn G.
7/21/2008
Had a great time on this cruise! They have sailings daily through Zephyr Cove every couple of hours. We went at 3:30 and had the best winds! The winds were blowing at 40 kn and we were traveling about 10 kn. Now I am not a sailor or know anything about sailing....I was told this by my friend who does sail and I guess that is an impressive speed!
Now to get to the stuff I do know about.....the drinks! The boat has a full bar and a great crew that not only kept us afloat but mixed up some yummy cocktails. Rum Runners, Lava Flows, Margaritas.....whatever our hearts desired! And they were soooo friendly and fun. The first mate walked around took drink orders (because a little buzz and a moving catamaran make it a little difficult for those that don't have sea legs!) and offered to take group photos!
Basic info......the cruise was about 2 hours long, $32 for all the cruises but the twilight happy hour cruise ($47 I think), and if you save your ticket stub you can go back and get your next cruise at half price.
Totally worth your time and your money! What more can a person ask for? Good cocktails, great views, wind blowing in your hair, and leisure time with friends! Avon T.
9/21/2009
My perfect day in Tahoe!
We were on the Safari Rose which cruises the west shore of the lake daily starting at 11am for 4 hours. The size of the party we had on Labor Day was perfect, about 22 of us. It wasn't crowded and there were lots of space on the lower and upper deck for everyone to enjoy the beautiful view.
The crew were friendly, helpful and informative. They have a full bar downstairs that you can have an open tab throughout the cruise, and lunch were grilled upstairs, so it tasted good and freshly cooked. Ice tea and lemonade were provided free.
I saw a lot of great views and sceneries that were all new to me. I can't wait to go back to Tahoe and take the cruise to see the east shore!! Florence W.
9/11/2009
A great day on the lake. The water is even more incredibly blue when you are on it. We took the Safari Rose day cruise which leaves from the Tahoe Keys Marina. It was great. The crew were really friendly and did everything they could to make the trip fun and relaxing.
The scenery was really interesting. I haven't spent any time on the west shore at all, so everything was new to me and most of it you can't see from the road. The boat captain did a wonderful job of pointing out all kinds of interesting landmarks. I highly recommend this cruise.
The 4 hour cruise includes lunch which was much better than I expected. One of the crew grilled steak and chicken kabobs. Salad, fruit, and rice were also available. Brownies and cookies for dessert. Iced tea and lemonade are free, cocktails are reasonably priced.
Review from Dave P.
6/3/2009
We first went on Woodwind to celebrate my wife's birthday a couple of years ago and had so much fun we decided to try the 4th of July Fireworks trip. It wasn't cheap but what a fantastic evening. We talked about it so much that some friends and relatives wanted to go so we ended up doing it again. The crew really know how to entertain, we had another fantastic evening.
I would highly recommend this for a splurge night. Review from Jack G.
10/25/2008
We got lucky - only the group I was with (6 of us) and a family of three. Didn't matter for Woodwind as they still treated us great. They were stoked to be there and even better, made good bloody mary's.
The trip length is pretty decent, but it could always be longer (Lake Tahoe is rad).
Anyway, I recommend these guys. Good ride, fun stuff, dope drinks. Review from Latham A.
9/23/2009
I will echo what the previous reviewers have said. We did a 2 hour tour at half the price of typical rides. The service was top notch, the atmosphere was great, would do it again! Review from Robert C.
9/7/2009 6 photos
This was awesome! Paid only 28 dollars for the cruise, we got the $4 off coupon per couple. We went on the happy hour cruise so all cocktails were half off! I've never been on a sail boat but it was really fun and relaxing. They have big cushions that you can sit on. The bartender Tina had so much energy! Everyone was very friendly on the boat. It was so pretty and the view of the lake was amazing! Review from SANDY P.
