BB Riverboats
BB Riverboats
3.9
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Full view
About
Sightseeing cruises on the Ohio River.
Newport, Kentucky
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
3.9
568 reviews
Excellent
216
Very good
186
Average
88
Poor
44
Terrible
34
saustin1960
Orleans, MI60 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
This was a fun evening and a good value.
There was quite a line of people waiting to get in but the line moved pretty fast. It didn’t seem hard to find a place to sit outside the dining room but the chairs aren’t real comfortable (hard plastic) and not great for larger people. There was an elevator to the top floor (the stairs are steep and narrow).
If you want the buffet you must reserve a table. There’s also an open bar (again long lines but moved through pretty fast). Drinks in the pricey side ($10 for a glass of white wine in a tasting size glass).
The ride was enjoyable , we had excellent weather and the Captain turned the boat at exactly the right time to see the sunset without it being directly in your eyes. We sat at the very front of the boat and could see all views.
There was quite a line of people waiting to get in but the line moved pretty fast. It didn’t seem hard to find a place to sit outside the dining room but the chairs aren’t real comfortable (hard plastic) and not great for larger people. There was an elevator to the top floor (the stairs are steep and narrow).
If you want the buffet you must reserve a table. There’s also an open bar (again long lines but moved through pretty fast). Drinks in the pricey side ($10 for a glass of white wine in a tasting size glass).
The ride was enjoyable , we had excellent weather and the Captain turned the boat at exactly the right time to see the sunset without it being directly in your eyes. We sat at the very front of the boat and could see all views.
Written May 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelDiva001
Knoxville, TN1,938 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
The cruise part was lots of fun, well done, good music. I wanted to know more about what we were seeing. The DJ had some commentary, it was difficult for me to hear. My husband said the men’s restroom was clean. I did not try the ladies. I took lots of nice photographs. The highlight was being passed by a tugboat pushing 8 barges all lashed together!
Not so great was the lunch. The food fed me, but did not wow me. The staff in the lower dining room where we ate were nice. If I did it again I would purchase the cruise only.
Not so great was the lunch. The food fed me, but did not wow me. The staff in the lower dining room where we ate were nice. If I did it again I would purchase the cruise only.
Written April 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RedRocky1002
Woburn, MA52 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
We did the 7PM "sightseeing cruise" and paid extra for a cheese tray with two drink tickets. All in all I felt like it was a good value. There was a DJ and dancing on the top deck where we sat. My only disappointment was that there was no narrative about the "sites" we were passing. I believe if we had done an earlier cruise we would have had that narrative.
Written June 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BILLB47
Charlotte, NC354 contributions
Oct 2024 • Friends
My wife and I signed up for a 7 day tour for River Ranblings with Christian tours out of Newton, NC. With a trip of 24 fellow passengers. Our trip ended in Cincinnati with a dinner cruice on the Ohio River. There were less than 60 people on the boat making it most enjoyable. Buffet dinner was delicious! On the upper deck, music was provided by two dj's playing oldies but goodies. Many of the guest danced the night away. Fantstic view of downtown Cincinnati. A trip to remember!
Written October 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robin M
Brookville, PA793 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
One of our stops on our bus trip was a riverboat cruise of the Ohio River. We were there for an afternoon sightseeing cruise on the Belle of Cincinnati which lasted about 1.5 hours. This cruise took us up and down the Ohio River. The narrator pointed out buildings on both the Kentucky and Ohio sides. He gave us a lot of history of the area.
The cruise was very relaxing, just what we needed after three days of touring museums. The narrator was informative. He could be heard both inside and outside on the boat.
The cruise was very relaxing, just what we needed after three days of touring museums. The narrator was informative. He could be heard both inside and outside on the boat.
Written May 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeannette P
Eastlake, OH13 contributions
Sep 2024 • Family
#BBRiverboatswas a great way to spend the evening and see spectacular fireworks! We did the Labor Day & Riverfest Fireworks cruise. Dinner was good. It is a buffet, serving many people, so we weren't expecting much. It was better than we expected. Our server was Deasia. She was the best! She answered our questions, got our beverages, and was very friendly and thoughtful!
Written September 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Idrivealotmaine
38 contributions
May 2024 • Family
If I could give the crew a rating higher than a 5, I would. I'd give them a 10 for sure. The crew were fantastic. They made sure that the trip was fun for everyone. We were on the River Queen. I would have preferred to have been on the Belle of Cincinnati of course, since they race the Belle of Louisville each year (I have to admit, my favorite bet). The one thing that bothered me was that even though I know the paddle wheel is not actually an operational paddle wheel on the River Queen (if it is, please correct me for I did not see means of propulsion), I wish they would have lowered it into the water so it at least looked like it was the driving element for the boat. We were disappointed to see it just sitting idle while the modern engines propelled the boat. I know, it doesn't really do anything, but most members of our 9 person group were sad that the paddlewheel just sat there. Of course, if maintenance was being done then that's understandable. Other than that, we had a real fun trip. I will do it again, but only on the Belle of Cincinnati.
Written May 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judy E
1 contribution
May 2024 • Family
Saturday May 11, 2024, we took the B&B Riverboat cruise. This is the second time I have taken this dinner cruise. Both times the food was terrible. On the first cruise the vegetables were hard and uncooked. It was kind of funny because my mother bit down on one of the carrots and her teeth got stuck in it and she pulled them both out of her mouth at the same time. The chicken and beef were overdone and dry, not to mention the food was cold. The salad was what I call weeds! There was no romaine lettuce or spinach or even iceberg lettuce, just stick weeds. They had one dessert and it had chocolate in it so because of being allergic to the coco bean we couldn’t touch it. The waiters were wonderful and did a really good job. Now to get to the current cruise. NOTHING HAS CHANGED! The vegetables were done but cold and the chicken and beef were dry and chewy. They ran out of everything before some of our tables were sent to the food bar and we had to stand there for over 30 minutes waiting for them to just bring replacements. The salad was the same as before, all weeds and tomatoes. The Waiters were still verry wonderful and apologize a lot for the food and the wait. This time they had the AC on so high it was freezing inside, and you could not see out the windows because they were all fogged up. The temperature outside was around 60 degrees so it was not an overly worm day to have the AC on so high. I have been on numerous riverboat dinner cruises and this one must be the worst. If I have a bad experience I always go back and give it another try. I will not take this dinner cruise again because it is a waste of money.
Written May 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alice C
2 contributions
Jul 2024 • Solo
Luncheon was horrible - buffet ran out of certain foods as well as deserts and were not replenished. Some paying customers were not even through the line. One waitress for one entire room so it took more than 30 minutes for her to come to our table for a drink order (some were already done eating their lunch). Lacked overall cleanliness - I would never recommend this cruise to anyone.
Written August 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cynthia D
5 contributions
Sep 2024 • Family
Horrible experience. We purchased only the cruise because we didn’t expect the buffet to be good and ate before boarding. As we arrived the host explained ice cream, snacks and beer was on level 3 and a full bar on 1 -and 2 but we could hear entertainment on all levels. This was not a good thing. When we initially heard the “entertainment” we assumed it was a warm up. We were wrong. Turns out the “entertainment” was a bass guitar. We would have been happy to go to any level to avoid the “entertainment”. Food was appalling and a health concern. While we didn’t participate in the buffet, my granddaughter wanted water dispenser. I agreed until we discovered something unidentified in the water. That was after ordering ice cream that left all of us traumatized, including the staff. There was something in the strawberry swirl and the server said that she didn’t feel comfortable with it. Neither did we. So I agreed to let my granddaughter purchase a soft drink if it was in a can. It was not so she settled for packaged Cheetos. The Health Department needs to visit B and B but you shouldn’t.
Written September 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the Ice Cream Cruise, narrated as the afternoon Historic Cruise is narrated,and is it mostly for kids?
Written June 7, 2023
🥳 🎉 🥳 Keep Life Simple 🥳🎉🥳
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
For best replies you need to contact BB Riverboats directly as these questions are rarely answered by the venues themselves
Written June 14, 2023
randy c
Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Did the cruise with our 4 yr old granddaughter and she loved it...still has her treasures at 8 yr old.
Written July 15, 2020
Sonworshipper
Niceville, Florida
I kind of doubt it as that is simply a way they can make more $ off passengers. Unfortunately, we found the service very poor...took FOREVER to even get drinks in the beginning. My husband and I stood in a VERY long line at the bar and then were told that our table server would take care of it :( . Pop/Soda was something like $2 a glass/can. This and the smoking issue on outside decks was some of our biggest complaints.
Written September 23, 2019
Katrina S
New Haven, Indiana
It all depends on the length of your cruise. A typical lunch or dinner cruise will go 5-7 miles up the river and back. A sightseeing cruise will stay mostly in the downtown area. All of our cruises provide the best viewing possible of the Cincinnati area.
Written September 23, 2019
Did you know there was smoking. I find nothing in the marketing material and no attempt made to control it
Written September 9, 2019
Katrina S
New Haven, Indiana
Yes, smoking is allowed, but only on the outside decks. No smoking is allowed anywhere on the interior cabin of the boat.
Written September 23, 2019
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.