Dinner on the water past the Battery, Fort Sumter and the Ravenel Bridge. Where you
really board, when you actually see the sunset, and which cruise suits your evening, compared honestly.
What's in, what's extraFood, drinks, tips and parking spelled out
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Cruises
Choose your Charleston dinner cruise
In the centre, the Spirit of Carolina: the harbor's plated dinner cruise with live music. Beside it, the
casual Blues & BBQ buffet cruise, and the best rated sunset cruise for couples who would rather eat ashore.
Charleston's classic dinner cruise: a plated three-course meal made to order on board, live music and the Battery, Fort Sumter and the Ravenel Bridge from the water.
What's included
2.5-hour cruise, boarding 6:30 PM, sailing 7:00 to 9:30 PM
Three-course dinner made to order on board, seated 4 to 6 per table
Live music and climate-controlled dining decks
Passes the Battery, Fort Sumter, Patriots Point and the Ravenel Bridge
Not included: drinks (cash bar), parking at Patriots Point
Only two Charleston cruises serve dinner, and they leave from different sides of the river. The
differences that matter: plated or buffet, where you board, and whether the sun sets while you are on board.
On the Spirit of Carolina everyone pays the adult rate and gratuities are included; on the
Blues & BBQ cruise children 11 and under pay about half and tips are extra. Drinks cost extra on every
dinner cruise. The private charter is priced per boat for up to 6. Every option here cancels free up to 24 hours ahead.
What you actually get
Charleston's dinner cruise sails from Mount Pleasant, not downtown.
The Spirit of Carolina is SpiritLine Cruises' 90-foot, three-level dining yacht, back on the harbor in
2026 after a year-long, multi-million-dollar refit with new engines and a new climate-control system. It
boards at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, beside the USS Yorktown, across the Cooper River from
the historic peninsula. From there it loops the harbor for two and a half hours: past the Battery's
mansions, out toward Fort Sumter and under the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
Dinner is plated and made to order on board, three courses served at tables of four to six, with a
live musician and a cash bar. It is a relaxed, dressy-casual evening rather than fine dining, and the
common complaints are slow plates and a "luxury" label that promises a little more than it delivers.
The sunset part is seasonal: with a 7:00 PM departure you watch the sun go down from about mid-March to
late September, and sail under the lit bridge after dark the rest of the year.
6:30 PM
Boarding time at Patriots Point. The cruise sails at 7:00 and
docks at 9:30 PM, after the last water taxi, so plan your ride back.
The BatteryFort SumterRavenel BridgeUSS Yorktown
The Battery's mansions, one of the sights you pass on the cruise.
01
Is dinner a buffet?
Not on the Spirit of Carolina: three plated courses, made to order. The BBQ cruise is the buffet.
02
Are drinks included?
No. There is a cash bar, card only; no outside alcohol and no shots.
03
Will I see the sunset?
From about mid-March to late September. In winter the whole cruise is after dark.
04
Who might skip it?
Foodies after a chef's table, and anyone with limited mobility: there are steps on board.
The evening
How a dinner cruise evening unfolds
About three hours from parking to docking on the Spirit of Carolina. This is the rhythm of the night.
01
Park and board
Park at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant and check in at the dock beside the USS Yorktown.
6:30 PM
02
Cast off
The yacht heads into the harbor as you order your main course and a drink from the bar.
7:00 PM
03
Dinner on the water
Three plated courses pass the Battery, Fort Sumter and the Ravenel Bridge, with live music.
7:15 to 9:00 PM
04
Back to the dock
Step up on deck for the lights of the bridge and the city as you return to Patriots Point.
Getting there, tickets and ages, the rules and what to bring: one tab each.
Spirit of Carolina: Patriots Point, 40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464. Boarding 6:30 PM.
From downtown it is a short drive over the Ravenel Bridge; parking is paid, card only, run by a separate company.
The Charleston Water Taxi ($13 one way) can take you to Patriots Point, but its last boats run around 8 PM: take a taxi or rideshare back.
Blues & BBQ cruise: Seabreeze Marina, 49 Immigration Street, downtown, near the Charleston Maritime Center. Arrive early: guests say it is hard to find.
Sunset catamaran: Charleston Maritime Center, 10 Wharfside Street, downtown.
Spirit of Carolina: from $117 on Viator; direct $100.35 Sunday to Thursday or $111.35 Friday and Saturday, plus a $3 port fee.
Children pay the adult rate on the Spirit of Carolina, no exceptions; strollers are not allowed on board.
Blues & BBQ: from $72, with children 11 and under at about half price.
SpiritLine does not sell dinner cruise tickets after 4 PM on the day, so book ahead.
No outside alcohol; the cash bar takes cards only and does not pour shots.
Parties of two usually share a table of 4 to 6 unless a private table is bought.
The galley is not nut-, shellfish- or gluten-free: tell your server about allergies when you order.
Steps are required on board; service animals only.
Resort casual clothes and flat or low-heeled shoes.
A light jacket or wrap for the open deck, even in summer.
A card for the bar and for parking.
Your booking confirmation on your phone.
Sunglasses for the golden-hour glare on summer cruises.
IncludedPlated dinnerThree courses made to order on board, with a choice of main.
IncludedLive musicA live musician plays through dinner on the Spirit of Carolina.
IncludedGratuitiesSpiritLine includes the tip in its ticket price.
SeasonalSunsetOn board from about mid-March to late September.
Extra costDrinksWine, cocktails, beer and even sodas are sold at the bar.
Extra costParkingPaid parking at Patriots Point, card only.
Where you board
Patriots Point dock
Spirit of Carolina at Patriots Point
40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
The dinner cruise boards on the Mount Pleasant side of the harbor, at the Patriots Point marina beside
the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. From downtown Charleston you cross the Cooper River on the Ravenel
Bridge. Allow time to park and walk to the dock: boarding starts at 6:30 PM and the boat sails at 7:00.
The cruise ends back here at 9:30 PM.
4.1★★★★★ 727 reviews · Spirit of Carolina harbor dinner cruise live Viator & Tripadvisor figure
★★★★★
We celebrated my husband's birthday, and everything was absolutely beautiful. The atmosphere was amazing, the service was outstanding, and the entire experience felt special from start to finish.
★★★★★
Love the intimate setting and atmosphere. The view of the sunset was amazing. The servers were professional and the food was phenomenal.
★★★★★
Glad I found this last minute for date night. The views were incredible and the 3 course meal did not disappoint us at all! The money is definitely worth it!
★★★★★
It was so nice and elegant. The atmosphere was lovely and relaxing. The scenery was breathtaking. I loved every minute of it. The food was delicious.
★★★★★
The staff, food and entertainment were awesome! It was our anniversary. I'm glad we chose this cruise!
★★★★★
The food was excellent. The service was outstanding and the staff was very cordial. The view was fantastic.
★★★★★
Great service, done it multiple times. Experience is always amazing. Excellent service and the vibe is good.
★★★★★
Very nice atmosphere and the food was delicious. The cruise dinner was smooth. The people were nice and respectful. The waiter was very nice.
★★★★★
We had a great time and the food was great!! To the staff, keep up the good work! Thanks for a great time.
By day
Step inside Fort Sumter too
The dinner cruise sails past the fort where the Civil War began. The daytime ferry lands you on
the island for an hour, with a ranger talk and the museum.
Fort Sumter Ticket with Round-Trip Ferry
★ 4.6 · 3,913 reviews · 2.25 hours
On the dinner cruise you only sail past Fort Sumter. To step inside, take the ferry by day: 30 minutes each way from Liberty Square downtown or from Patriots Point (the same dock as the Spirit of Carolina), an hour on the island where the Civil War began, a National Park Ranger talk and the fort museum.
Charleston has one classic sit-down dinner cruise and one casual barbecue cruise, plus a
harbor full of sunset sails. Here is what the dinner cruise really is, what it costs once you add the
extras, and how to time it so you get the evening you are picturing.
What the Charleston dinner cruise is, and what it isn't
The harbor dinner cruise is run by SpiritLine Cruises on the Spirit of Carolina, a 90-foot dining yacht
with three levels and enclosed, climate-controlled dining decks. You sit at a set table, order from a
short seasonal menu, and eat three plated courses while a musician plays and the boat loops Charleston
Harbor for two and a half hours. It is not a party boat and not a buffet, and it is not a restaurant with
a famous chef: think of a good hotel banquet with the best view in town. It also does not leave from
downtown. The dock is at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, across the Cooper River.
Dinner is plated and made to order; the menu changes with the season.
What it really costs
On Viator the cruise is from $117 per person in 2026, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
SpiritLine's own price is $100.35 Sunday to Thursday or $111.35 on Friday and Saturday, plus a $3 port
fee, and the tip is already included. Everyone pays the adult rate, children too. Add drinks from the
bar, which is card only, and paid parking at Patriots Point. A couple with a glass of wine each should
budget roughly $260 to $300 for the evening. For about $72 a head, the Blues & BBQ cruise swaps the
plated meal for a buffet and a band, but tips and drinks are extra there.
The honest small print: the Spirit of Carolina rates 4.1 from 727 reviews, and the
split is clear. Guests love the views, the staff and the celebration feel; the complaints are slow plates,
food some call average, a boat that struggled to stay cool on a hot September night, and a "luxury" label
that oversells a relaxed evening. Go for the harbor and the occasion, not for a gourmet meal.
Timing it for the sunset
The cruise always sails at 7:00 PM, but the sun does not wait. In Charleston it sets around 7:25 PM in
mid-March, 8:10 PM in mid-May, 8:30 PM in late June and 7:05 PM at the end of September, so from spring
to early autumn you watch it go down over the harbor mid-dinner. By mid-October it has set before you
sail, and in winter the whole cruise is a night cruise under the lit Ravenel Bridge. If the sunset is the
point, go between May and August.
From May to August the sun sets mid-dinner.
Making the most of the evening
Book a Sunday to Thursday if you are flexible, arrive at 6:30 PM for a window table, and dress resort
casual with flat shoes. Order your drinks early, then slip out on deck between courses for photos of the
Battery and the bridge. Arrange your ride back to downtown before you board: the water taxi stops running
before the cruise docks. If a sit-down dinner is not essential, the downtown sunset catamaran rates 4.8
and leaves you free to eat at a Charleston restaurant afterwards.
Resort casual and flat shoes: the dinner cruise dress code.
Straight answers to what people ask most about dinner cruises on Charleston Harbor.
How much is the Charleston Harbor dinner cruise?
The Spirit of Carolina dinner cruise is from $117 per person on Viator in 2026. SpiritLine's own site lists $100.35 Sunday to Thursday and $111.35 on Friday and Saturday, plus a $3 port fee, with gratuities included. Children pay the adult rate. Drinks and parking are extra. See the price guide.
Where does the Charleston dinner cruise leave from?
From Patriots Point, 40 Patriots Point Road in Mount Pleasant, across the Cooper River from downtown Charleston, next to the USS Yorktown. Boarding is at 6:30 PM. It does not leave from the downtown peninsula, so plan how you will get back after 9:30 PM. Read getting to Patriots Point.
Is the Charleston dinner cruise a sunset cruise?
Only part of the year. The cruise sails 7:00 to 9:30 PM, and Charleston's sunset falls inside that window from about mid-March to late September (around 8:30 PM in June). By mid-October the sun has set before you sail, and from November to February the whole cruise is after dark. See sunset times by month.
What food is served on the Charleston dinner cruise?
A plated three-course dinner (SpiritLine also mentions four-course menus), made to order on board from local seasonal ingredients, with a choice of main course. It is table service, not a buffet. The menu changes with the season, so tell your server about allergies: the galley is not nut-, shellfish- or gluten-free.
Are drinks included on the dinner cruise?
No. There is a full cash bar on board (card only), and sodas, coffee and tea are also sold. Outside alcohol is not allowed and the bar does not serve shots.
What should I wear on a Charleston dinner cruise?
Resort casual: a sundress, nice slacks or chinos and a collared shirt. SpiritLine recommends flat or low shoes because of the steps, and a light jacket in the cooler months. See what to wear.
Is the Charleston Harbor dinner cruise worth it?
For a birthday, anniversary or first evening in Charleston, most guests say yes: it rates 4.1 from 727 reviews, with praise for the views, the staff and the live music. The complaints are slow plates, food that some call average, and a "luxury" label that oversells it. Read the honest verdict.
Do you tip on the Spirit of Carolina dinner cruise?
SpiritLine says gratuities are included in the ticket price. On the Blues & BBQ cruise, gratuities are not included, so bring a little extra for the crew and the bar.
Can kids go on the Charleston dinner cruise?
Yes, but on the Spirit of Carolina children pay the full adult price and strollers are not allowed. The Blues & BBQ cruise charges about half for children 11 and under, which makes it the better family pick.
Does the dinner cruise run in the rain?
Yes. SpiritLine sails rain or shine, and the dining decks are enclosed and climate controlled. Cancellations need 24 hours' notice; on Viator you get a full refund up to 24 hours before.
Will I be seated with strangers?
Often, yes. Tables seat 4 to 6, so parties of two usually share with another couple unless they buy a private table. Many guests enjoy it; if you want a table to yourselves, book the private table directly with SpiritLine.
Is the dinner cruise wheelchair accessible?
Only partly. The Viator listing says wheelchair accessible, but SpiritLine's own page warns of very limited accessibility and required steps. Call SpiritLine before you book if anyone in your party has limited mobility.
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