Buffet dinner cruise with live entertainment
A two-hour riverboat cruise with a buffet-style dinner and live entertainment, with alcoholic drinks for purchase.
See dates ↗
The evening
Why spend an evening on the Savannah River
A city that began on this bluff
Savannah was established in 1733 on the Savannah River. General James Oglethorpe and the first settlers landed at Yamacraw Bluff, where Tomochichi and the Yamacraws greeted them. The river is tidal at the city, and a cruise shows the waterfront from the water: the bluff above, the old cotton warehouses at its foot and the working port beyond.
A dinner with a dance floor
The ticket is a two-hour riverboat cruise with a buffet-style dinner and live entertainment, with tunes from the 50s through today's hits played by entertainers on the boat. Guests describe a DJ on the top deck, bands on other floors and people dancing. It is closer to a night out than a quiet supper.
One river, three evenings
The same operator runs a Monday gospel dinner cruise and a sunset cruise with no dinner, so the first decision is the kind of evening you want. This guide sets the three side by side, and the guides below cover boarding, the riverfront and the food.
The riverfront ledger
The riverfront, entered line by line
A factor was a trader who received and sold goods on commission, and in Savannah the goods were most often King Cotton. Factors Walk still carries the name. This ledger lists what the waterfront offers the eye from the river, one entry at a time.
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The span
Talmadge Memorial Bridge
A cable-stayed bridge across the Savannah River between downtown Savannah and Hutchinson Island, completed in 1991. It gives 185 feet of vertical navigational clearance for oceangoing vessels.
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The island
Hutchinson Island
A river island formed where the Back River breaks off from the Savannah River. Its land use has been primarily industrial, much of it supporting the Port of Savannah.
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The warehouses
King Cotton's waterfront
River Street's southern side holds terraces of former King Cotton warehouses, the industrial rear portions of the Bay Street frontages. East River Street now consists largely of restaurants, cafés and craft shops.
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The wall
Factors Walk
A ballast-stone retaining wall runs 0.75 miles along the bluff and averages 19 feet in height. It was built to give access to the waterfront and to prevent erosion of the bluff, and ramps run down through it to River Street.
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The promenade
Rousakis Riverfront Plaza
A half-mile-long pedestrian promenade on East River Street, named for Savannah's longest-serving mayor.
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The dome
City Hall
Savannah City Hall is a Renaissance Revival building with a copper dome that has been covered in gold leaf, and River Street runs below City Hall and Yamacraw Bluff.
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The greeter
The Waving Girl
Florence Martus took it upon herself to greet ships entering and leaving the Port of Savannah, waving a handkerchief by day and a lantern by night. A statue of her stands on the historic riverfront.
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The ships
Container ships and tankers
Large tankers and container ships heading to and from the Port of Savannah sometimes pass within yards of the promenade. The port's facilities line both sides of the Savannah River.
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The paddlewheelers
Riverboats at the dock
Riverboats, including the PS Georgia Queen and the PS Savannah River Queen, berth beside River Street, and the free Belles Ferry crosses the river from there. Paddle wheels are still used on some excursion boats and floating restaurants.
Tide, river traffic and the captain all change what you pass and in what order, so this is a ledger of the waterfront and not a schedule. For your own sailing, trust the confirmation and the crew.
Aboard
The boat, the buffet and the band
The ticket is a two-hour cruise with a buffet-style dinner and live entertainment on a riverboat that boards from River Street. Four things shape the evening.
- The buffet
- Dinner is buffet-style and Southern in style, so you choose your own plate. Some travellers say they wanted the dishes hotter, and others call the food very good, so treat it as a convenient dinner on a moving boat.
- The music
- The ticket promises live entertainment, with tunes from the 50s through today's hits performed by the riverboat's entertainers. Guests mention a DJ and music on more than one deck, so expect volume and dancing, not a concert.
- The decks
- Guests describe several decks, a ballroom-style dining space and a top deck where you can step out into the evening air between dinner and dancing.
- The bar
- Alcoholic drinks are available for purchase on board. Tips are not included in the ticket.
From the water and the waterfront
The Savannah riverfront in pictures
A paddlewheel riverboat at its berth, the Talmadge Memorial Bridge at dusk and by day, a tug on the river, the cotton warehouses of River Street, the ramps of Factors Walk, a container ship and a Lowcountry plate of shrimp and grits.
Evenings to compare
Three Savannah riverboat evenings to compare
| Evening | What you get | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Buffet dinner cruise with live entertainment | A two-hour riverboat cruise with a buffet-style dinner and live entertainment, with alcoholic drinks for purchase. | A full evening out with dinner, music and dancing. |
| Monday gospel dinner cruise | A two-hour cruise with a buffet dinner and gospel music, run on Mondays, with extra food and drink and gratuities not included. | Travellers who want gospel music with their dinner. |
| Riverboat sunset cruise | A two-hour sunset cruise with live music, an open-air top deck and an onboard bar and grill for food and drink, with no dinner included. | A lighter evening on the water without a full dinner. |
Riverboat evenings on the Savannah River
Book a Savannah riverboat cruise
The first card opens the buffet dinner cruise described here. The second is a Monday gospel dinner cruise and the third is a sunset cruise without dinner, and all three board from River Street. More Savannah activities sit in the strip below.
Monday gospel dinner cruise
A two-hour cruise with a buffet dinner and gospel music, run on Mondays, with extra food and drink and gratuities not included.
See dates ↗Riverboat sunset cruise
A two-hour sunset cruise with live music, an open-air top deck and an onboard bar and grill for food and drink, with no dinner included.
See dates ↗More to book in Savannah
Before you go
Before you go
- Collect your tickets
- Pick up your tickets at the Riverboat Ticket Office at 9 East River Street, near Olympia Cafe and River Street Sweets. The boat is at the dock across from the ticket office.
- Parking
- Allow an extra 30 to 60 minutes to find parking in downtown Savannah. Public parking is available in the lots on River Street, on Bay Street level and in the Bryan Street Parking Garage.
- Rain or shine
- The cruise operates rain or shine, and you will not be offered a refund if you miss the boat, so arrive with time in hand.
- Bring ID
- Pack a passport or national ID card, the single item the ticket asks for.
- What to wear
- The operator's site says there is no strict dress code, with casual clothes common for sightseeing and more polished outfits common for dinner cruises. It recommends comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.
- Access
- Wheelchair access is marked on the ticket. The operator says both riverboats are accessible on the main decks, that the Georgia Queen has an elevator and accessible restrooms and that the Savannah River Queen has no elevator to its upper levels, so contact the operator in advance.
- Start times
- Each calendar date shows its own start time, which your confirmation repeats.
The river, the boat and the buffet: guides
The river, the boat and the buffet: guides
Which evening to book Savannah dinner cruise: how to pick
How to pick a Savannah dinner cruise: what the buffet cruise includes, how it differs from the gospel and sunset sailings, and what to check before you book.
Read the guide → Boarding and practicalities Savannah riverboat: where to board
Where to board a Savannah riverboat dinner cruise: the ticket office, parking, the ramps down to River Street, dress, weather and access, all in one place.
Read the guide →FAQ
Questions before you board
How long is the Savannah dinner cruise?
The ticket shows two hours. The booking page shows the starting times for your date.
Does the ticket include dinner?
Yes: a buffet-style dinner is part of the booking. Alcoholic drinks are sold on board, and gratuities sit outside the ticket.
What is the live entertainment?
Live entertainment is part of the ticket, with tunes from the 50s through today's hits from the riverboat's entertainers. Guests also mention a DJ and music on several decks, and what plays can differ between nights.
Where do I board?
Collect your tickets at the Riverboat Ticket Office, 9 East River Street, near Olympia Cafe and River Street Sweets. The boat sits at the dock across from the office.
Can I cancel?
Through GetYourGuide the cruise carries free cancellation until 24 hours before, with a full refund, and payment can wait until later. A missed boat is not refunded.
Does the boat sail in the rain?
Yes. The cruise operates rain or shine.
Can wheelchair users board?
Wheelchair access is marked on the ticket, and the operator says both riverboats are accessible on their main decks. One boat has no elevator to the upper levels, so contact the operator first if you need them.
Is this the operator's own site?
No. Savannah River Dinner is an independent guide with no boats of its own. All booking buttons lead to GetYourGuide, which collects payment and manages cancellations.
A Southern-style buffet, live music and the Savannah riverfront sliding past the rail.
Book dinner on the Savannah River ↗Prices are per adult in US dollars; the booking page converts them to your currency.