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Yes! Reservations are necessary, and we do require prepayment at the time the reservation is made. Reservations are always non-refundable but are transferable up to 72 hours prior to the cruise. With a minimum of 72 hours notice, we can transfer the reservation to a different date or give you future credit with us. Once within 72 hours, reservations are non-refundable and non-transferable.
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As soon as you know for sure what date you would like to come, we recommend you make your reservations. Some of our cruises sell out weeks prior to the date, and most do sell out prior to the cruise date. Those who wait for the weather forecast and call last minute are often disappointed.
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Our cruises typically sail rain or shine. Our main deck dining area and upstairs Captain’s Club areas are fully enclosed and equipped with heat and AC, so we can handle just about anything Mother Nature throws at us. In cases of severe weather, the Captain makes a decision at the time of departure on whether or not to sail. No decisions are based on a forecast. If the captain does decide it is too threatening to sail, the meal is served dockside and customers receive a voucher equal in value to the cruise-only portion of the package. For non-meal cruises, event would be rescheduled.
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We sail from 275 Ganson St in Buffalo. This is located next door to Buffalo RiverWorks and across the street from ADM Milling. From the driveway, head straight back towards the water and look for the Grand Lady Cruises banners!
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Please inquire about handicap accessibility at the time your reservation is made to ensure individual needs can be accommodated. In general, we are not able to board those in motorized or oversized wheelchairs. Please be aware that we do board onto the second deck of the vessel, and the main dining area, bar, and restrooms are located down below on the main deck. Guests need to be able to traverse a flight of stairs to access the restroom.
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We do not use tickets. At boarding time, simply come down to the boat and give your name at the gangplank. For larger groups, we may issue boarding passes to the group leader to be distributed to members of the group.
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While we have no formal dress code. We classify how most guests dress as “resort-wear casual” or “dressy casual.” We suggest you bring a light sweater or jacket with you as even the hottest summer days can become cool evenings on the water. For safety, we do not recommend high-heeled shoes.
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No. The Grand Lady is a non-smoking vessel. We ask for all passengers’ cooperation.
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No. All food and beverages consumed aboard must be purchased from Grand Lady Cruises or our approved caterer. The only exception made is for cakes for birthdays or other celebrations. Arrangements for this must be made ahead of time.
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For buffet cruises, the meal is served immediately following departure. For our plated dinner cruises, we wait about 15 minutes after departure to begin serving your meal. This gives you some time to move around the boat, grab a drink (or two) from the bar, and enjoy the live entertainment before being seated for dinner.
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Cruise duration and weather conditions dictate the course taken by the vessel, and the captain will make necessary adjustments to the cruise route in order to stay in calm waters. From our dock on Ganson St., we travel up the Buffalo River first to Elevator Alley. After turning around, we cruise out the Buffalo River to the entrance of Lake Erie. From there, the route includes some of the following: Buffalo Outer Harbor, Erie Basin Marina, and Black Rock Canal near the Peace Bridge, depending on the length of cruise and the wind conditions that particular day.
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We have a seasonal office adjacent to the boat dock. Office hours vary depending on cruise schedules, so please call for office hours or to make an appointment to see the boat. Winter hours vary, so please leave a message and your call will be returned as quickly as possible.
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Seating is assigned in such a way as to accommodate the most number of guests on board. Most tables are meant to seat six to eight people, so we do often ask smaller groups to share tables. Seating assignments are made prior to boarding based on seating requests and the order in which reservations were made. In our opinion, there really isn’t a bad seat on the boat. If there is a group of you with separate reservations, please let us know ahead of time and we can seat you all together. Once we begin boarding a cruise, it is very difficult for us to make seating adjustments.
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Yes. Our caterers are very accommodating for food allergies. Please let us know of any specific allergies at the time the reservation is made. We do not cook on board, so any special meals do have to be ordered ahead of time.
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Yes, parking is provided for the duration of your cruise. When you pull into the driveway at 275 Ganson St., head straight back to the water’s edge and look for the Grand Lady Cruises banners! Tailgating before or after your cruise is not permitted. Grand Lady Cruises and our landlord are not liable for potential damage or theft of vehicles while parked in our lot.
We are adjacent to the overflow parking lot for Buffalo RiverWorks. During large events, RiverWorks operates a parking booth near the entrance to our driveway. If asked by the attendant, simply inform them you are here for Grand Lady Cruises and you may proceed back to our parking area and will not need to pay anything.
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Not usually. For the comfort of all of our guests, we allow only certified service dogs on board the boat. This does not include emotional support animals. Please inquire before making your reservation if you would like more information on this policy.
