Vancouver Cruises

They are not 1st class boats and service, but the food is delicious and the crew and staff work hard to give you good service, making it an enjoyable experience for being on a boat. I noticed that in a relatively short period of time they serve hundreds of passengers. The meal service is down to art, serving everyone at almost the same time! it's amazing that they even have time to smile and be so pleasant. I have never seen that done in any restaurant I have dined at. Having been on a few of their dinner cruises, such as the summertime annual fireworks and the Christmas season's carol ship parade of lights, I loved them all! Perhaps I'm partial to living on the West Coast by saying this - but if you love being on the water, you will love being on these boats! The Abitibi boat is my favorite! It glides so smoothly through the water, it's like sliding a knife through soft butter. Combined with the great atmosphere provided on these boats and the great local site and scenery, I rate this company as giving good value for a good time.

We started off the night on the Queen of Diamonds by being seated in a cramped table meant for 4 (we had 6 guests). Thankfully there was additional space in the middle where we could sit, we asked. Then we were served food that was mediocre and they ran out of salmon for second round. Water, tea and coffee was “help yourself” style. There was no dedicated DJ present to play music. They were short staffed tonight. And lastly the captain was having difficulties parking the boat to dock. He came back twice and hit the wooden platform on the final try. This resulted in a delay in getting off the boat. Not professional. The positive was seeing the Canada Day fireworks at the top deck.

We bought tickets to see the Croatia fireworks show on Saturday August 3rd. We were entertaining out-of-town relatives who had never seen the fireworks show before. The reason we wanted to see fireworks from a boat was to avoid the crowds on the beach, and have a clear view of the show, without being squeezed elbow to elbow with strangers. Unfortunately, this happened anyway on the top deck of the boat. When the show was about the begin, the captain pointed the boat toward the fireworks, and everyone on the top deck had to squeeze into a very small area at the front. Because the people at the very front were standing, everyone had to stand, tightly packed together. Not the experience I was hoping for after paying $125. In addition to this, the frame from a large tent awning was left in place at the forward part of the top deck, which did not allow for a clear un-interrupted view of the fireworks. The metal framing criss crossed the fireworks display. Had the captain positioned the boat side ways, everyone would have had a clear view, without standing close together, and could have remained at their table. The food was simple roast beef and salmon, nothing fancy, and the service was pretty good. But at the end of the day, we did not come for the food, we came to watch the fireworks in an uncrowded setting, and it should have been very easy to deliver this.

I was hoping after having read the online reviews that the Queen of Diamonds crew would be aware of the feedback that’s out there and would make some adjustments. Doesn’t seem like it yet, which is a shame since we had such a mixed bag of experiences last night. Pros: + we loved the access to the 2 outside decks, some seating was available. The views of the city, English Bay and the Celebration of Light fireworks were spectacular. + The heated portion of the dinner was great, both the beef and salmon were cooked well and flavourful. + The staff were fairly quick to clean the tables. Cons: + Yesterday was a very hot day. As reported, It’s an older boat without windows that open and without A/C or any kind of fan system. Having only 1 portable fan by the bar when it’s easily 30*+ inside just isn’t an enjoyable experience. + I question the FoodSafe knowledge of the kitchen staff when they bring out a caesar salad that isn’t placed on an ice bath, and left in the 30* room for an hour before being available. (It was brought out when we were still in dock). + We were told multiple times we would be called up by table for the buffet service, but in the end it didn’t happen and turned into a long line. Some guests ended up going to different floors to get their meals even though we had been told to stay on ours.. + It seemed like the serving crew were short staffed and were working hard to keep up with everyone, but maybe this is the normal staffing amount. At the moment I would say spend your cash elsewhere when booking a dinner cruise to watch the fireworks this summer. But if Vancouver Cruises makes a couple of changes it would make a world of difference to the service and experience on board.

We booked for New Years on the Queen of Diamonds to ring in 2018. It was my husband and I’s 1st time. We loved it!!! The night flew by! The bar tenders were great. The staff were prompt to clean tables. The DJ was awesome. We were greeted with a smile from every crew member. The salmon and beef were amazing! We were very pleased with dinner and dessert. More than enough food. The views were amazing, waters were calm. I usually get dizzy or anxious but I was at complete ease in this ship. Thank you for a very memorable night! Happy 2018 to all! Elise & Jesse Surrey, BC. ?

worst time spent on a boat. dirty, smelly, cheap food from Costco microwaved on the spot. longest 4 hrs. stay away

I can not speak to the cruises but I am posting this to shine a light on the poor character of the operator, Russel, the crew of the Queen of Diamonds and this company, Vancouver Cruises. The back story: My boat was tied up at the public dock in North Van and this company pulled in with thier massive boat, untied mine and moved it to the end of the dock where they attached it with one small nose line. The crew then unloaded passengers and a bunch of garbage on to the dock with zero respect for those around them and breaking a list of bylaws and rules of the dock. The crew then left the dock with my boat poorly tied to the end by a single nose line. 3 hours and over $10,000 damage to my boat later, I returned to find the boat had been smashing against the ramp and dock pilings causing damage to both the hull and canvas of my boat. When I called to ask them to take responsabolity for the damage they washed their hands of it and refused to do anything. People who act like this should not be allowed to operate a power boat, let-alone a company responsible for the safety and well being of passengers. This action and Russel's response amount to nothing less than bullying. I would not do business with an organization or a person like this, regardless of the value of thier tours or service.

I wish I had taken photos to show how run down and dirty the Queen of Diamonds is. I was on a grad cruise as a volunteer parent and was extremely disappointed with the boat's cleanliness, dated decor, and poor upkeep. Basically, everything looked unhygienic, not well maintained, very dated (80's? 90's?), and screamed "does not meeting building code". I looked down at the carpets and was surpised at how blackened they were with filth, and how badly patched/repaired they were. Each chair I sat on had obvious stains on the fabric. Bathroom tile floors were cracked everywhere, floors were slippery and dirty, electrical cord randomly poking into a toilet stall, vanities were from another era. Electrical wires seemed to be jerryrigged in various places; there were tripping hazards. Makes me concerned about overall safety of the boat. Most of the staff gave off the air that they had no interest in customer service, and were not friendly. There were two exceptions. Only one of the two heat lamps on the upstairs deck was working. Food - chicken wings and pizza rounds - I took one bite of each and based upon how they tasted, I threw out the rest. The other parent volunteers were similarly surprised at how poor was the overall experience. Perhaps the other boats in this company's line are better, but the Queen of Diamonds was truly the worst boat I have ever been on.