Savannah Riverboat Cruise

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I learned something about Melissa on this adventure; she can get motion sick just looking at a boat.
The Savannah River Cruise was part of our package tour when we purchased our tickets for the Savannah Trolley Tour. At the time I didn’t know how easily she got motion sick since she handled our boat ride to the reef for snorkeling in Jamaica pretty well. But despite nausea, she handled it like a trooper, granted she was inside the boat with her head down if not asleep. In all, she said she had a good time, although I’m not sure if that was to appease me since I was so excited about it, or that she had a good nap on the cruise.
For me, the River Cruise was vastly different. I love boats, so I was extremely excited about this portion of our trip along with the fact that it was part of the package deal for a great price. My only disappointment was that there were so many bugs on the top deck, granted it was extremely humid and hot so it made great for the breeding season. The views, however, gave me some great ideas for our next trip to Savannah.

 The Design of the Boat

Deck 2

The River Cruise offers you three decks to sit on.

Deck 4

The top deck is outside where you can see great views all around the boat as you travel down the river. This deck also has a snack bar where you can purchase drinks and food for the duration of the trip. On each side of the top deck are built in benches where many passengers sit to enjoy the views. In the middle of the deck are small tables and chairs that allow you to enjoy a small meal, or in Melissa’s case, attempt to sleep.
One of the biggest issues with the top deck is you have to battle with bugs and most likely the reason on why I think many of the passengers decided to head back downstairs into the dining hall of Deck 3.

Deck 3

This deck is one of three dining halls for the boat. Melissa went down into this location, where a lot of parents were with their kids to get away from the bugs and heat. This deck offered passengers a similar snack bar as the top deck, but we noticed there were waiters walking around delivering food versus the top deck where passengers waited in line for their food to be ready. The advantage of this deck is that it has lots of room for children to run around and was extremely cold thanks to some amazing air conditioning.
This deck was a fine dining room, that seemed to be used for weddings and special events. We did not get a chance to experience this deck as it was closed for our tour, but you could pass through it for the elevator or indoor stairs.

How was the ride?

For Melissa, it was not so great, but not everyone deals with motion sickness so we aren’t going to let that persuade the overall ride review. The ride starts off slow as you leave the dock. You compete with large cargo ships that move in and out of Savannah daily as you head on down the river.
Since there is an elevator those in wheelchairs or strollers can get as far up as Deck 3. From there you do have to climb stairs to reach the top open deck. But that doesn’t mean your view isn’t any less than that from up top. There are walkways around the deck that let you move about to see each side as the tour guide explains each location. The enclosed decks offer ample seating with tables. The top deck offers benches along with table and chairs for passengers.

What did you see?

As you make your way up and down the river you learn about the history of riverboats, how they helped the economy in Savannah then and now, the people who worked and lived on the docks as well as the history of Savannah and the surrounding area.
It was mentioned that on some cruises you can see cargo ships passing through, which we got the privilege of experiencing. We also passed Fort Jackson, where there was a reenactment going on. While we did not have the time to visit the Fort, there was a brief overview of the history related to it and Savannah.

The Portly Passengers provides plus size inclusive travel tips and advice for anyone who is looking to explore the world. From seat sizes on airplanes to exploring museums, restaurants, and nature Melissa & Peter have the experience and stories to help guide you through it.