Colonial Belle Erie Canal Boat Tours

Greetings! A Wonderful Exoerience! Awesome Weather! I took my niece Whom was visiting from NYC and IT was a lovely ride and view! The breeze was so refreshing and juvenating. I am planning a trip this week. I truly enjoyed Everything! This time looking forward to the dinner cruise. Grateful!!! Lissette

I had an amazing experience aboard the Colonial Belle. Our tour guide was almost as amazing as the scenery and I loved being in the floor chamber as we traveled down the Erie Canal. We learned the history of the Belle and the history of the Canal. Our return on the boat was accompanied by a father-son musical duo that played relaxing tunes on our journey. My cruise was back in August. The colonial belle sails until October so there's some amazing opportunity to see the leaves change if you're sailing in autumn.

We did a murder mystery cruise as a birthday date night. Everyone was very nice and the route was gorgeous. The food was also pretty good. We were one of the few younger people there, so we did feel somewhat out of place. While we enjoyed the theatrics of the cast, the murder mystery didn't feel as immersive or fully planned out as it could have been. In all, it was a good experience but I'm not sure we'd do it again.

I think this is definitely worth checking out, but it does have a couple of drawbacks. The biggest issue for me is the temperature. The top deck seating has no cover (bc of the low bridges, I totally get it) so it would be hard to remain at the top the entire trip. The bottom deck is hot. Even with the windows open and fans going, it was a bit much. There was live music which is a nice touch, but not necessary for me. The volume was fine on the top deck but too loud on the bottom. That being said, it's a pretty cool experience to go through the lock and to hear some of the details shared during the trip. I also appreciate that there are drinks and snacks for sale at a reasonable price point. And you could tell the staff works hard. Something to keep in mind before going is that the bathrooms are small so they could be tough for someone who is bigger, disabled, or has a child they need to assist.

The Captain and her crew did a fantastic job. Very informative and entertaining/touching stories narrated by the gracious owner/ Captain herself. (The boat was her fathers boat that she took over when he passed away to continue his dream and journey. Drinks/snacks are way over priced, but you do sort of expect to pay more when it comes to these types of things. You're not allowed to bring your own water aboard which I thought was odd, even if it's sealed (so leave them in the car . Great views, relaxing, fresh air.... Wonderful time! Highly recommend!