Dinner cruise · Charleston Harbor
Four courses made to order and live music aboard the Spirit of Carolina, sailing past Fort Sumter and the Battery.
Likely to sell out. In the summer months the sun goes down over the harbor while you eat.
The cruise in four numbers
The harbor
Charleston Harbor forms where the Ashley and Cooper rivers meet, an inlet of about eight square miles with Morris and Sullivan's islands sheltering its mouth. The dinner cruise stays inside that water, so the city is never far off, and the skyline is the backdrop for the whole evening.
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge opened in 2005. Its two diamond-shaped towers stand 575 feet high, and its main span, at 1,546 feet, is one of the longest cable-stayed spans in the Western Hemisphere. The boat passes under it, and the open upper deck is the place to stand for that.
Fort Sumter is a five-sided brick fort at the harbor mouth, begun in 1829. Confederate guns opened fire on it on 12 April 1861, the first shots of the Civil War. The cruise sails past it and does not land; the fort itself is reached only by the National Park Service's tour boat.
Four courses are made to order on board, live music plays through the meal and a full-service bar is open. The dining decks are climate controlled, and the open deck is there for the view. Tables seat four to six, so the evening suits a group, a family or a couple who do not mind a neighbor.
What you sail past
The cruise is sold on what it sails past. The order can shift with the tide, the traffic and the captain, so read this as a list of sights, not a timetable.
The boat leaves from the museum waterfront in Mount Pleasant, where the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown has been moored since the museum opened in 1976. You collect a boarding pass at the ticket window and walk down to the dock.
A 90-foot boat with two enclosed, air-conditioned dining decks, an open-air observation deck, ten-foot ceilings and two mahogany bars. Dinner is served at tables of four to six while the live music plays.
Opened in 2005, with towers 575 feet high and a roadway that clears the river by 186 feet. The boat sails beneath it, and it is the moment to head for the open deck.
The five-sided brick fort on its artificial island at the harbor mouth, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired on 12 April 1861. The cruise passes it and does not stop.
The seawall and promenade at the tip of the Charleston peninsula, lined with antebellum houses, where the Ashley and Cooper rivers meet to form the harbor.
From mid-March to early October the sun sets after the boat leaves the dock, so the last course can arrive in dusk light. In other months the whole sailing is after dark and the lit city replaces the sunset.
Boarding and sailing times appear on your booking confirmation; the route depends on conditions on the night.
The harbor and the peninsula
Photographs of the harbor, the bridge and the peninsula, taken by others; none of them shows a particular sailing.
Which cruise
| Cruise | On board | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury dinner cruise on the Spirit of Carolina | Two and a half hours from Patriots Point: a four-course dinner made to order, live music and a full-service bar, with drinks extra. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later. | Anniversaries, birthdays and groups who want dinner and the harbor in one evening. |
| Sunset harbor cruise on a power catamaran | Two hours on a 45-foot power catamaran from the Charleston Maritime Center, 10 Wharfside Street. No dinner: drinks and snacks are bought at the onboard bar, and food and drinks from outside are not allowed. Smart casual dress; not suitable for wheelchair users. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. | Visitors who want the skyline lights at dusk, from downtown, for a shorter time and without a meal. |
| Daytime or sunset historic harbor cruise on the Carolina Belle | Ninety minutes from the Charleston Maritime Center on a replica 1920s bay steamer with live narration past more than 75 landmarks, an enclosed observatory and a partly covered upper deck. Food and drinks are sold on board. Wheelchair accessible; non-refundable once booked. | First-time visitors who want the harbor's history explained, by day or at sunset. |
Check dates and seats for the dinner cruise on the same GetYourGuide listing ↗
Three ways onto the harbor
One cruise serves dinner, and two shorter ones do not. Each card shows what the boat sells, where it leaves from and how cancellation works.
Two and a half hours from Patriots Point: a four-course dinner made to order, live music and a full-service bar, with drinks extra. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later.
Check dates for this cruise ↗Two hours on a 45-foot power catamaran from the Charleston Maritime Center, 10 Wharfside Street. No dinner: drinks and snacks are bought at the onboard bar, and food and drinks from outside are not allowed. Smart casual dress; not suitable for wheelchair users. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for this cruise ↗Ninety minutes from the Charleston Maritime Center on a replica 1920s bay steamer with live narration past more than 75 landmarks, an enclosed observatory and a partly covered upper deck. Food and drinks are sold on board. Wheelchair accessible; non-refundable once booked.
Check dates for this cruise ↗More to do in Charleston
Before you go
Patriots Point, 40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, across the harbor from downtown Charleston. The dinner cruise does not leave from the downtown waterfront.
The Patriots Point lot is run by a separate company, takes cards only and is a fee on top of the cruise. Allow time to park before you walk to the dock.
You collect a boarding pass at the ticket window before you board. Your booking confirmation gives the boarding and sailing times for your date.
Resort casual, with flat or low-heeled shoes for the boat and a light jacket in cooler months. The dining decks are climate controlled; the upper deck is open air.
Access is limited and steps are part of boarding, and strollers are not allowed on board. Ask the operator before booking if a wheelchair or a stroller matters to your party.
The kitchen is not free of nuts, shellfish or gluten. A vegetarian main course is on the sample menu. Tell your server about any allergy when you order.
Notes from a Lowcountry food writer
Which Charleston harbor cruise serves dinner, what the four-course sailing includes and leaves out, and how it compares with two cruises without dinner.
Read the full guide → The dock, the dress code and the lightWhere the Charleston dinner cruise boards at Patriots Point, how to park and find the ticket window, what to wear, and when the sun sets during the sailing.
Read the full guide →The four courses on the Charleston dinner cruise, from she-crab soup to dessert, plus the vegetarian main and what to tell your server about allergies.
Read the full guide → Anniversaries, birthdays and groupsHow to plan an anniversary, birthday or group evening on the Charleston dinner cruise: tables, drinks, photos, what the operator allows and what to ask first.
Read the full guide → What the boat sails pastFort Sumter, the Battery, the Ravenel Bridge and Patriots Point: what each Charleston dinner cruise landmark is, with dates and figures from park sources.
Read the full guide → Families and kids aboardWhat families should know before taking children on the Charleston dinner cruise: strollers, tickets, the menu, the late finish, steps and the open deck.
Read the full guide →FAQ
Yes. The cruise is sold as a four-course plated dinner made to order from local, seasonal ingredients. Drinks are extra, bought at the full-service bar, and parking is a separate fee.
About two and a half hours on the water. Boarding starts before the boat sails, and your booking confirmation gives the boarding and sailing times for your date.
Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, across the harbor from downtown Charleston. It does not leave from the downtown waterfront, so check the address before you set off.
Possibly. Tables seat four to six, and a party of two is seated with another party unless a private table was bought in advance. Ask the operator first if a private table matters to you.
Resort casual. Flat or low-heeled shoes suit the boat, and a light jacket helps in cooler months because it can be breezy on the water. The dining decks are climate controlled.
Strollers are not allowed on board. Children are charged the same fare as adults. Access is limited and steps are part of boarding, so plan on carrying a baby.
The sample menu includes a vegetarian main course of stuffed acorn squash. The kitchen is not free of nuts, shellfish or gluten, so tell your server about any allergy when you order.
Yes. Booking through this page allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before the cruise, and you can reserve now and pay later. Parking fees are separate and are not refunded by the operator.
Yes. The operator says dinner cruises sail rain or shine. The dining decks are enclosed, but the open upper deck may not be usable in heavy rain.
From about mid-March to early October, yes: the sun sets after the boat leaves the dock. In the other months the whole sailing is after dark, with the city and bridge lit.
Your date and party size set the fare, shown in your own currency before you confirm.