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Reservations can be made online or by phone at 888-467-6256 with a major credit card. Seats are not held without payment. If you would like to pay in cash, reservations must be made in person at these locations:
We accept most major credit cards. If necessary, you can pay with a personal check or money order by mail. Please call our reservations department at 888-467-6256 for more information. You may pay cash at all port locations (see "How do I make a reservation?").
We do not hold reservations without payment.
All gift certificates, coupons and discount offers must be mentioned at the time of booking in order to be honored. Please bring your gift certificate, promotional card or coupon with you on the night of your cruise and present it to the host/hostess on board.
We use a ticketless reservations system. Please follow the instructions on your confirmation for checking in on the night of your cruise. When you arrive, introduce yourself to the Host/Hostess and they will show you to your table. Be sure to get a confirmation number at time of booking.
No. Once payment is received cruises are non-refundable. With a 48-hour or better notice we will be happy to reschedule your cruise date or issue a gift certificate for the amount paid. Cruises are non- refundable and non-transferable within 48 hours of your cruise. We do not compensate for no-shows or late arrivals.
A service charge is collected at the time of reservation, related to the cruise and the service included in the ticket. If you wish to purchase additional beverages or food enhancements onboard, we recommend you leave a gratuity onboard based on the quality of service provided to you by your server.
The Landing Fee offsets a wide range of costs unique to a maritime business operation in a California port. These may include specialize Port facility repairs, percentage payment, employee health care obligations and other fees, licenses, regulatory, environmental and maritime security costs.
In addition to sales tax, we are assessed taxes by some of our local governments for use of the harbor. They are paid directly and in full to the local government of the appropriate city.
Hornblower sails rain or shine. In the case of severe weather conditions or upon the direction of the U.S. Coast Guard, we will remain dockside, but provide the full dining service.
There are no age restrictions for most of our cruises. All minors require adult supervision. Please call with questions about any of our special event cruises, as minors are not restricted, but the cruise may not be appropriate for all age groups.
Children under 4 are complimentary. Children 4 to 12 are 40 - 50% off, depending on cruise type and port location.
You can find us at the following locations:
Port maps are available on each port's main page of this site. These maps also include parking information. We do not validate at any of our ports, except for Marina del Rey, where we validate for the first two hours.
River, Harbor & Whale Watching Tours: Casual attire, such as shorts and t-shirts are appropriate. We recommend bringing along a light jacket or wrap as it may get breezy on board, especially for those cruises that occur out on the open ocean.
Lunch and Brunch Cruises: We recommend California casual attire, such as khaki pants and collared shirts. We request no shorts, tank tops, flip flops, or gym shoes. Dinner Cruises: Business casual to dressy casual attire is recommended. For men, slacks or khaki pants, and a collared shirt with or without a jacket; for women slacks or skirt, with a collared shirt, or dress. We request no jeans, shorts ,tank tops,flip-flops, or gym shoes on these cruises.
You may find that some guests are dressed more formally, especially those celebrating special occasions. However, attire varies from comfortable shorts to the more formal. Bring along a light jacket or wrap as it may get a bit breezy on the outer decks.
Boarding time is usually 30 minutes prior to departure for all cruises. Please check your boarding time when making your reservation.
Smoking is allowed on the outside decks only with the exception of Harbor Tours and Whale Watching Cruises. Please dispose of all refuse in proper receptacles. Do not throw anything into the water. Please help us keep our harbors clean.
As you board, our captain and marine crew will direct you to your deck. From there the host/hostess will show your party to your assigned table(s). Decks are never guaranteed to non-private groups. We assign seats based on needs and capacity for each cruise.
On the majority of our cruises, we assign private tables to the individual parties. However, on some of our cruises, we do have cruise-style seating, where we will ask you to share a table with other parties. If this is the case, you will be told if this is the case at the time you make your reservation.
Hornblower offers inviting dance floors and a variety of music, from the dance hits of the 40's through today as well as a variety of jazz, standards and popular favorites. Depending on the cruise, it may be
background music, a DJ or a live band. Please check online or ask one of our reservations agents for more details about the planned entertainment for your specific cruise.
Yes. Guests are welcome to come and meet the Captain and the First Officer. However, for safety and security reasons, we ask that you check with our staff onboard before visiting the pilot house. We want to ensure that all passengers and crew are kept safe and that the captain is not distracted while performing essential duties.
Yes, vegetarian meals are available and can be arranged at the time of booking. If you have a group with many vegetarians or if you have vegans please notify a reservations agent at the time of booking.
If you have food allergies or other dietary restrictions, please let your reservations agent know at the time of booking. We can also accommodate most other special dietary needs with advance notice.
We offer a variety of special enhancements to add to your dining experience. Please ask your reservations agent about our celebration packages, food enhancements, balloon or flower bouquets, and our drink passports. These options are also available when booking online.
In addition to purchasing enhancements, we are happy to acknowledge all special occasions onboard. Please let us know what your celebrating and the name(s) of those being honored, and our entertainment will be happy to make an announcement during the cruise.
Dinner service begins immediately upon embarking.
No, you do not need to pre-select your menu. Some of our cruises have multiple entrée options and we
have a menu that you will chose from onboard. For our other cruises, we either have a preset menu or offer a buffet with a variety of options available. Please ask your reservations agent for more details about your specific cruise.
Small groups without private space can bring table decorations but early boarding is not allowed. Please do not use confetti or tape any items to the walls of our yachts.
All Hornblower yachts are decorated with linens, votive centerpieces, silver and china.
Cakes may be brought on board, however you will be charged a $1.50 per person cake cutting fee. Cake cutting fee for wedding or tiered cakes is $3.00/per guest. Small flower bouquets are also permitted. Please keep in mind you are on a ship, so top heavy arrangements will not be stable. Unfortunately, an early boarding is not available.
Our vessels are all subject to inspections by the U.S. Coast Guards and our crew are all properly licensed. We also follow Marsec security guidelines. Should the Marsec security level be elevated, we may opt to increase security measures onboard our vessels to insure everyone’s safety. The U.S. Coast Guard requires all passengers over 18 years of age to have valid photo identification. Please make sure to have your photo id available at boarding.
Each vessel is 100% Coast Guard certified with life preservers and all required life saving equipment, including child life vests.
Hornblower does have accessible yachts in the fleet. However, not all yachts and decks are accessible. Please call 888-467-6256 to ensure handicap accessibility for the date you are planning to cruise.
The vast majority of our guests experience no discomfort at all as we do not leave the calm waters of the harbor. If you tend to have a problem with motion sickness, you may experience seasickness. If you are sailing on one of our whale watching cruises, we do go out into the open ocean and as a result, the chance of getting seasick increases. For these cruises, we recommend that if you are prone to motion sickness that you take advantage of a number of preventative measures that are available to you.
Hornblower does not have phones for guests' use. Most cellular services are available on the water as we do not cruise beyond one mile off shore.
