Overview

The Ohio River starts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, joins up with other rivers such as the Allegheny and Monongahela, and then branches into tributaries including the Muskingum River. The river creates boundaries of the states of Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky and Illinois. The mighty Ohio River is deep enough in many locations for cruises on diverse types of watercraft, from vintage paddle wheels to modern cruise ships. The cruises incorporate music, food and on-board entertainment for day and evening adventure.

Satisfaction Cruises

The Port of Cincinnati, Ohio, is home to Satisfaction Cruises (satisfactioncruises.com). Charter cruises aboard the Satisfaction II leave the dock at Panama Landing in Cincinnati. The yacht, which has three floors and space for 150 guests, offers a hot tub, private dining salon, sun deck and wet bar. Up to 50 guests may view the shoreline from an open observation area on the upper deck. The enclosed middle deck accommodates 100 guests and offers views from the side and rear windows. Dining options include a full-dinner buffet; a picnic buffet; and an hors d'oeuvres-only or dessert-only package.

BB Riverboat Cruises

BB Riverboats (bbriverboats.com) offers regular 90-minute sightseeing cruises on the Ohio River and specialty cruises that include dining as well as holiday celebration cruises. The Belle of Cincinnati, the flagship of the fleet, features Victorian décor. Reservations are recommended for all cruises.

Queen City Riverboats

Another Ohio River cruise company offers trips aboard riverboats from Dayton, Kentucky. Queen City Riverboats (queencityriverboats.com) operates regular shuttle service and public sightseeing cruises that include lunch or dinner. The lunch cruise features narration on local history by the captain. Guests can combine a riverboat cruise with a Cincinnati pro baseball or football event game using the Queen City shuttle service to the stadiums. Reservations are taken seven days in advance for cruises and special-event service, but boat shuttle cruises are on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the event.

Louisville Steamers Cruise

The Belle of Louisville Waterfront Development Corp. (belleoflouisville.org) in Louisville, Kentucky, operates two steamboats, Belle of Louisville and Spirit of Jefferson, that cruise the Ohio River from May through October. The Belle of Louisville, nearly a century old, is a registered National Historic Landmark. Holiday cruises and regular public lunch and dinner cruises, with music and tour narration, are offered. Guests may also purchase cruise-only tickets for either the lunch or the dinner cruise. Reservations are made by calling the tour company.

About the Author

Lee Grayson has worked as a freelance writer since 2000. Her articles have appeared in publications for Oxford and Harvard University presses and research publishers, including Facts On File and ABC-CLIO. Grayson holds certificates from the University of California campuses at Irvine and San Diego.

Photo Credits

  • cincinnati skyline image by Richard Seeney from Fotolia.com
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