jimndebbie

Can anyone give us some ideas of which ship / boat is a very nice tour with (or without) dinner? We are going for a special occasion. Looking for a nice ship and ok food.

Thanks

LN

I can't recommend the food but the Bay Lady and the Lady baltimore offer cruises of the Baltimore harbor. Baltimore's harbor is not really large and many people use the Ducks cruise to get around and see the many waterfront sights.

I believe there's also a boat that leaves Baltimore and cruises across the Chesapeake Bay into St Michaels - only problem is that it a whole day cruise.

Enjoy Baltimore and the Inner Harbor - it's got lots going for it.....

fairfax

Tha Bay Lady & Lady Baltimore are both big ships whose decks are mostly enclosed. Clipper City is a sailing ship, with open decks. The do dinner/booze cruises and they have bands on the weekends. They go from the Inner Harbour to the Key Bridge under power and sail.

djkbooks

Also nice is to take the water taxi over to Fells Point where there are some extraordinary restaurants and a few nice cocktail lounges. The pier, with its benches and vintage street lamps ("Sleepless in Seattle", setting of Meg Ryan's apartment) is also a lovely spot in the moonlight, before taking the water taxi back to your hotel or the inner harbor.

internetwiz

I agree with djkbooks and go to a decent restaurant in Fells Point (or there are some really good restaurants around the Inner Harbor, not at the Inner Harbor). I went on the Lady Baltimore a few years ago. It was overpriced with bad food. To make it worse, our party was onboard with a high school class that was on a tour to Baltimore.

jimndebbie

Thanks for all the great ideas !!! any restaurants you can recommend ? Fells point or other areas ?

Thanks again !!

djkbooks

We love Henninger's Tavern (more moderately priced and casual sort of place). Very good food, vintage decor, romantic (but not too fancy a place). Also wonderful (but pricey) are Kali's Court, Black Olive, and the restaurant within the Admiral Fell Inn.

Also spectacular, but "uptown" is The Prime Rib. Gorgeous "fin de siecle" sort of place with the classiest service we've experienced in a long time. Wonderful live jazz combo. Pricey, but huge portions of expertly prepared traditional "comfort" food and seafood (incredible Crab Imperial, huge). Though, if you're under 40 this may not be your sort of place. They have a website. Reservations are essential.

Both of the restaurants at Hampton Court Hotel (I'd recommend selecting one or the other on the appeal of its menu) are magnificent. Absolutely gorgeous and refined (without being stuffy). (You can see the rooms, and the menus too, I think, at their website.) Sort of dining for getting ALL dressed up. The cocktail lounge down the hall, with live music every night, is perfect for an after dinner drink and a bit of dancing (or finding a very quiet and private corner). Beautifully appointed and comfortable.

It's really fun to ride the water taxi around at night, even if you're not getting off anywhere.

fairfax

I agree about Kali's Court and Henningers, which is a bit off the beaten path - about five blocks north of the water in Fells Point.

There are also a lot of good restaurants on the south side of the harbour in Federal Hill. Blue Agave for Mexican and tequila; Banjara for Indian; Vespa for Italian; Nick's for seafood galore; Bandaloops for American, and on and on...

Locust Point, which you can get to via the Tide Point stop on either water taxi, has Hull Street Blues for American, Pazza Luna for Italian and J. Patrick's for bar/Irish and music. Plus, there's the added attraction of $.75 beers at the bars on every corner!

My advice is don't eat on any of the big boats, the food's horrible and you're likely to be stuck on board with a hoard of people you don't know and probably don't want to know.

PS - it is harbor court hotel, not hampton court hotel.

djkbooks

Yup - that's what I meant: Harbor Court Hotel. Hampton's is the name of one of the restaurants within.

internetwiz

I like Joy America, which is in the Woman's Visonary Arts museum, around the harbor near the Science Center.

fairfax

I think it is called the American Visionary Arts Museum, not the Women's... Haven't been to Joy America recently, though.