The Ben Franklin
The Ben Franklin
3.5
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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.
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3.5
32 reviews
Excellent
9
Very good
12
Average
3
Poor
5
Terrible
3
Lydia W
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Friends
I went with a group to celebrate a birthday. It was a first come first serve situation so if you have a large group someone should get there early so you all can sit together. The decor is terribly outdated. The carpet for sure needed a good cleaning. The air wasn’t working on the first level where the buffet is and also in the bathrooms. The brunch spread was not good. The waffles were burnt, pancakes paper thin, the omelets were half raw with watery wet veggies, home fried potatoes and ziti was so bland. The DJ was great and the drinks were solid and cheap which is why they got a 3. If you go eat before and just enjoy the cheap drinks and music. I won’t be back again.
Written August 7, 2023
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.
DMMcGW
Collingswood, NJ244 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
We used a groupon for four on a recent Sunday afternoon. The boat boarded at 3:30. They have several tables of eight on the first floor. There are a few tables upstairs and a small dance floor. A simple buffet is set out and included in the price. Drinks are extra and most are $5. Food is so so but it is nice to have something to nibble on. Food was available for most of the cruise. We had sailed before and they had also put out sweets which they did not do or announce on this trip. We did sit near the buffet. When we were leaving I did see one small plate of brownies which were good. The music was upbeat. They offered information about local sights at the beginning of the sail. They had a music trivia contest. It was a fun afternoon.
Written October 20, 2015
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.
Lisa S
Punta Gorda, Belize26 contributions
Jul 2012 • Friends
We did this trip Sunday afternoon with a family group ranging from 20 to 80s, and a good time was had by all. The food was adequate and plentiful--many people made several trips thru the first buffet because the plates were small, but after the initial rush there wasn't a big wait. Later came pastries, then ice cream. The first floor with long tables, food, and bar was a bit crowded, and not so air conditioned, and some of the windows didn't open so some folks complained about the heat. Second floor had a private party. Top floor was shaded but open on the sides, so too hot for some in our party. On the way south, the narrator surprised those of us who live in Philly with some fun facts, like there's a plant turning trash into steam energy on the NJ side. Unfortunately, his narration was consistently about things ahead of us, so we'd be looking at what he'd finished talking about and trying to listen to the current info. On the way north, a DJ played a variety of fun & sometimes water-related music. I loved the different view of so many Philly sights, and look forward to my next chance to do it with a group. From something the narrator said, I'm not sure, but this may have been a special Groupon trip. I think it was worth the full price, though.
Written July 10, 2012
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.
caralily1
North Carolina17 contributions
Jul 2022
While I did not enjoy this ride at all, in all fairness, it appeared that many on the boat did.
What made it so uncomfortable was the painfully loud music. I asked the DJ if it could be turned down. He said no, I would have to go to a lower deck. That left me the choice of being inside with lots of other folks during a covid peak or sitting outside in one of the few chairs on a lower deck, which are in full sun. I chose the latter. Six other people who were also trying to escape the very loud music joined me.
If you are looking for a boat ride that has a loud, party atmosphere, you might enjoy this. If you are looking for an opportunity to enjoy nature and the scenery peacefully, you will not.
What made it so uncomfortable was the painfully loud music. I asked the DJ if it could be turned down. He said no, I would have to go to a lower deck. That left me the choice of being inside with lots of other folks during a covid peak or sitting outside in one of the few chairs on a lower deck, which are in full sun. I chose the latter. Six other people who were also trying to escape the very loud music joined me.
If you are looking for a boat ride that has a loud, party atmosphere, you might enjoy this. If you are looking for an opportunity to enjoy nature and the scenery peacefully, you will not.
Written July 23, 2022
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.
erica
Philadelphia, PA1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Friends
This place wasn’t what I expected at all. The yacht definitely can use some remodeling & the food was really horrible. The only thing that was good on the menu was the dressing on the salad (not even the salad) & the butter rolls. Drinks were pretty good & at a reasonable price but the lines for drinks were ridiculously long. Overall it was fun because the group I came with but would I ever go again… DEFINITELY NOT!
Written July 24, 2021
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.
Jennie W
Edison, NJ6 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
I was very disappointed with my experience on this boat tour. While not tiny, the boat was certainly not large enough to comfortably accommodate all 214 guests plus crew (I overheard a crew member doing a head count when it was time to dock, because everyone was shuttled back inside, off the front deck). The outdoor spaces, in total, could fit no more than 30 people across all 3 decks, which is a very small amount of people when you consider the fact that there were more than 200 guests on board. The buffet was set up so that it was right as you entered the boat, there was a very long line to get food and so every single person entering the boat had to squeeze between the line for food and the tables before they could get to stairs to get to a different deck. The food was mediocre, at best, and poorly laid out (e.g. the salad dressings were at the beginning, between forks and raw veggies, then came the cheese and fruit tray, then the salad) so people were cutting back and forth in line and it took what felt like forever to get food. And when we finally got food, it (the meatballs and penne) had gone cold. Drink prices were cheap enough ($5 for a bottle of beer and $5 for a glass of wine). All decks were hot and stuffy. I don't know why the crew did not take down the zippered window panels on the 3rd floor. It was a rare 80 degree day in October. My husband and I have done several different dinner cruises around Manhattan and quite enjoyed them, so we expected this to be a similar experience, but were greatly stunned by how dramatically different and underwhelming this experience was. I did appreciate the crew dressing up for Halloween, but overall, I did not enjoy this experience. I would not recommend it to others and I would not go back.I bought a deal for this trip because our friends had gone, liked it and wanted to go back with us. They ended up not coming because they couldn't find a sitter. So now we're out the cost of their tickets, as well as feeling like we didn't get our money's worth for ourselves (my husband and me). I bought the deal thru a social website, so I can't even complain to the cruise company for a refund, though I did send my above comments to them when they asked me to rate my experience. If I could get a refund somehow, I would. This trip was not worth the money or the hour's drive each way.
Written October 30, 2016
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.
katie618420
Philadelphia, PA13 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
I had wanted to take a tour on The Ben Franklin for awhile but it is always offered early Friday night or Sunday and it's a ninety minute tour. So when I saw they were doing a booze cruise with all you can eat and drink (beer and wine) on a Saturday night. I jumped at the chance, and it was a three hour tour. The food was okay nothing special the view was hands down the best part. We mainly hung outside getting to see my city in a whole new light. You could dance on the third floor with a DJ or sit and eat on the first and second floor with windows throughout so even when you sit to eat you still have the view all around. I would definitely do it again.
Written August 29, 2017
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.
Tiffany D
Philadelphia, PA34 contributions
Aug 2017 • Friends
I went on this yacht for a bachelorette party. I was so disappointed in the extremely dated decor from the 1980's, the musty smell and the severe lack of food! The "appetizers" literally consist of boxed crackers, cheese, fruit and one vegetable tray!!! I did not expect a full meal as I undersrood it would be appetizers but I defintely expected more then what they had! The soda was also flat so I was starving and thirsty. The only positive was the amazing views of the city line and the bridges.
They need to do some severe updating before I would ever consider going on this yacht again.
They need to do some severe updating before I would ever consider going on this yacht again.
Written August 24, 2017
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.
Scott S
10 contributions
Sep 2016 • Couples
Wife and I bought tickets from Groupon awhile back, we had an awesome time! We didn't know what to expect since it was our first time. They had a nice spread of light food, vegetables and fruit. The third (party) deck was fun with the cash bar, lights and dancing. If my memory serves me, I wanna say the Ben Franklin is family owned and operated which I can definitely appreciate. They also talked about the history of the Delaware river banks, ships, etc, on the loud speaker was cool too. Wasn't a party boat per say, but we went drank, ate, danced and absolutely enjoyed ourselves!
Written August 9, 2017
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.
Sherry M
West Chester, PA188 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
First I did not know it was a "booze cruise". I'm ok with those but I wish I knew beforehand.
Staff - all were very pleasant, attentive and actively working throughout.
Food - we were the first on the boat and were not aware that the food was to be set up just inside the entry. We headed out to second level and didn't know the food was flowing until we saw people coming up with plates. There was cheese, pepperoni, olives, watermelon and salad when we went down. Later we saw people with other food but we didn't go back down.
Tour information - On the trip down the river information was given over the speaker about the shorelines but if you are on the back open air deck area it was difficult to hear.
Layout - Two lower decks enclosed and set up with tables banquet style. Minimal open air deck space (level 1 has some open air seats in the front) (level 2 had 2 tables at the rear and several chairs in the front.) Deck 3 is covered with open sides with minimal out of cover space at rear. Level 3 is the dance/dj deck.
Parking - good, right at the boat. We were told $12 but on arrival it was $20 (with parking attendant, another review said no attendant so maybe they are only there during concerts). We were told parking goes up when there is a concert just to the left of the dock. When the concert is going on the "noise" and base will vibrate the boat while you are in dock and make it difficult to hear. Very unpleasant, you might want to check on that before you book.
Surroundings - restaurants located adjacent both sides if you want to have a meal before/after your ride.
Price - I used a Groupon for two and felt it was a good value. I would recommend the ride with giving the information regarding the food set up, that it is more of a party boat, and the parking fee. Party boat is fine but for some people its not. Better to be informed than disappointed or leave a bad review.
Staff - all were very pleasant, attentive and actively working throughout.
Food - we were the first on the boat and were not aware that the food was to be set up just inside the entry. We headed out to second level and didn't know the food was flowing until we saw people coming up with plates. There was cheese, pepperoni, olives, watermelon and salad when we went down. Later we saw people with other food but we didn't go back down.
Tour information - On the trip down the river information was given over the speaker about the shorelines but if you are on the back open air deck area it was difficult to hear.
Layout - Two lower decks enclosed and set up with tables banquet style. Minimal open air deck space (level 1 has some open air seats in the front) (level 2 had 2 tables at the rear and several chairs in the front.) Deck 3 is covered with open sides with minimal out of cover space at rear. Level 3 is the dance/dj deck.
Parking - good, right at the boat. We were told $12 but on arrival it was $20 (with parking attendant, another review said no attendant so maybe they are only there during concerts). We were told parking goes up when there is a concert just to the left of the dock. When the concert is going on the "noise" and base will vibrate the boat while you are in dock and make it difficult to hear. Very unpleasant, you might want to check on that before you book.
Surroundings - restaurants located adjacent both sides if you want to have a meal before/after your ride.
Price - I used a Groupon for two and felt it was a good value. I would recommend the ride with giving the information regarding the food set up, that it is more of a party boat, and the parking fee. Party boat is fine but for some people its not. Better to be informed than disappointed or leave a bad review.
Written July 8, 2017
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.
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