Cruises

Sunset Cruise with Live Music every Friday and Saturday through October 25

Looking for a fun way to end your fun day in Wilmington? Look no further! Come aboard The “Wilmington”, our comfortable 49 passenger motor catamaran, for a Sunset Cruise on the Cape Fear River. Our full bar offers refreshments and snacks for all ages.

Whether you are looking for a special setting for a date night or looking to enjoy some quality time with family and friends, our Sunset Cruise is the perfect choice for an evening activity on the Cape Fear River.

This is a one-of-a-kind music venue in Wilmington and this is one of our most popular excursions, so be sure to book early! This is a 90 minute cruise. Boarding 15 minutes prior. Check our Tour Calendar for the featured musicians for each cruise.

The perfect blend of education and relaxation—ideal for locals wanting a fresh perspective or visitors looking to soak up Wilmington’s soul. This scenic 50 minute narrated cruise is very informative about the history and workings of the Cape Fear River and our historic waterfront in downtown Wilmington with close up views of the Battleship. Enjoy 360 degree views of unspoiled nature and a variety of wildlife daily while our Captain will delight you with anecdotes about the Cape Fear River and our historic town. The even hour cruises go North on the River and you see the historic riverfront and then some nature as we go up the Cape Fear River. The odd hour cruises go South to the State Port and you will learn some maritime history of the area. A full cash bar with snacks and refreshments for all ages is available onboard. You can also bring your own snacks if you wish (please, no drinks).

You can stay onboard for the next cruise and do both directions for $36. Just let the office or first mate know and they will hook you up with a ticket.

Cruise on the Cape Fear River with Wilmington Water Tours while enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of the Holidays. We will be cruising Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings starting November 28 through December 30. From your comfortable ride on the river, enjoy the view of the Wilmington cityscape beautifully lit up while listening to our local musicians perform holiday tunes. Relax and enjoy a festive cocktail from our full bar and some tasty sweet treats. Our 49 passenger motor catamaran, The Wilmington, is enclosed and comfortable for your viewing enjoyment.

Whether you’re a novice or a long-time nature lover, you are sure to appreciate the birdlife our area has to offer.  Get out on the Cape Fear River with Wilmington Water Tours for this Specialty Cruise with local bird expert Jill Peleuses from Wild Bird and Garden.  Enjoy a continental breakfast on board.

This is a 90 min. cruise from 10am to 11:30am.

The Wilmington is available for private charters, wedding receptions, dinner cruises, corporate functions, planning committees, birthdays, family reunions, church groups, and tour groups.

Wilmington Water Tours Presents!

In addition to our sold out Wilmington Film History Cruises, Wilmington Water Tours is adding a new Horror Film-themed Cruise just in time for the Fall Halloween Season. This cruise will delve into the stories behind the movies and will take a closer look at projects like “Firestarter”, “Silver Bullet”, “Scream”, “Halloween Kills”, “Sleepy Hollow”, “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, and “The Night Flier”.  

Hunter Ingram, former film reporter for the Star-News, will bring some scary insights into these films shot locally in and around Wilmington. For more than four decades Wilmington and the Cape Fear Region have been seen around the world in hundreds of locally produced film an TV projects, each one a little time capsule of an every-changing community. There is no better place to tell the fascinating stories of those projects than on the Cape Fear River, which has flowed through this Hollywood history. On this lively cruise we may even surprise you with things you never even knew were shot in town. “

If you are a film buff, don’t miss this interesting and exciting cruise.

Join Wilmington Water Tours and Burgwin-Wright House for holiday spirits and a ghost story set on Christmas Eve aboard the Steamer Wilmington. The phrase “apparition on the Cape Fear” likely refers to a ghost story, “A Colonial Apparition” by James Sprunt is set on the Cape Fear River.

This is Wilmington’s only Christmas ghost story that takes place on the Cape Fear River. The story follows a Christmas Eve encounter aboard the Steamer Wilmington, where the crew meet the ghosts of two Scottish Highlanders with ties to the Revolutionary war.

Wilmington Water Tours  and Burgwin-Wright House have partnered to offer this river cruise based on this story. The story was originally written in 1989 by James Sprunt and was published in 1988.