Portland Spirit

Claim
marker

110 SE Caruthers
Portland, OR 97214

marker
(503) 928-3395
Incorrect info? Correct your listing
Photos
Portland Spirit - Portland, OR
Portland Spirit - Portland, OR
Portland Spirit - Portland, OR
Portland Spirit - Portland, OR
Portland Spirit - Portland, OR
Portland Spirit - Portland, OR
Portland Spirit - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 10 )
( 7 )
( 1 )
( 1 )
( 8 )

Best

A family member passed away recently who had stated that he wanted to be cremated. He never liked funerals. He was a sports fisherman until arthritis crippled his hands so he co...

Worst

It was a nice trip down the WIllamette, but don't expect a great meal. The service wasn't typical of a meal of it's price range either. The salad was remarkably bland and uninte...

Disappointed 7/30/2011

It was a lovely day for an excursion on boat. That was about the only redeeming thing about my experience on the Portland Spirit. While the crew was certainly polite, the servers and bartender were overworked and it took considerable time for many members in our group to get their drinks. The most disappointing part was the dinner. We ordered the salmon, but the consensus at the table was that all dishes were completely bland. Cafeteria food in a retirement home. I will say that the cheesecake was decent and that the scenery was enjoyable. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Employees lack customer service!! 6/1/2011

I went on a lunch cruise and frankly, it was very disappointing. The short, chubby red-headed waitress that served us had a bad attitude. She would roll her eyes and take deep breaths when we asked for refills on our drinks. It's your job as a waitress!! We were allowed to enter the captain's wheel house and watch the captain in action. Well, there were a couple other employees up there, most likely deckhands and engineers, and when a passenger crossed a rope he wasn't supposed to cross, the captain (old man river) yelled at one of his employees for not telling the passenger to get back within 3 seconds. What kind of captain yells at his fellow employees in the manner he did? Grumpy old man he was! Shows you the lack of people skills he has. I hope all the other captain's don't act that way....especially in front of at least 5 passengers. Almost felt like I was being punked on the tv show "What would you do?". Management really needs to look at the type of people it hires. This is a cu more
Reply | Report abuse |

My daughter had her wedding here 1/23/2011

You should take a look at it yourself. For some its amazing more
Reply | Report abuse |

Very nice 11/7/2010

What's with all these bad reviews? Unreasonable people in my opinion. You can buy a few packages in advance that involve pre paying for an entree which comes with bread, coffee/tea and water (which is what I did). Alcholic drinks are about 10 dollars and you have to pay for it in addition to the pre paid meal. Desserts and apitizers are extra. The service was average/good and the food was better than average. The coffee was great. The live piano music was soothing and the boat was not "dreary" in fact it was typical of a dining cruise ship. My boyfriend and I had a lovely time. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Food was beyond disappointing and The P. Spirit was below PAR! 9/18/2010

Considering we are from Vancouver, BC, Canada we are use to eating food that is beyond good. The Portland Spirit's food was honestly like eating frozen dinner as one person put it. It is very bland, not fresh, and had tasted as though it was warmed up several hours before the cruise started. The interior was disappointing and the boat inside lacked any type of warmth or upgrade on design. Old, and rusty looking. We would not recommend and will not be coming back. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Celiacs Beware 7/31/2010

I had made a reservation in advance for my wife's birthday. She had never been on the Portland Spirit and was looking forward to a nice meal on a beautiful cruise. Because she is celiac, I requested a gluten free meal. Two days before the dinner, I called to make sure that they could accomodate her dietary needs and was assured that the chef would provide a tasty alternative.\r \r When we arrived we told the bartender/waitress that we had prearranged a gluten free selection. Her response was that there were gluten free options on the meal and eliminated one of the four options, the Spinach and Ricotta stuffed pasta shells. The rice pilaf also had some flour in it, so she had to settle for the chicken with extra veggies which were heated frozen vegetables.\r \r Come dessert time, the standard dessert was a Sara Lee cheescake, which, of course, she could not eat. She was then offered a "fruit plate" as an alternative. A bowl of cut fruit arrived that looked as if it had been sitting more
Reply | Report abuse |

Celiac Sufferers Beware 7/30/2010

I had made a reservation in advance for my wife's birthday. She had never been on the Portland Spirit and was looking forward to a nice meal on a beautiful cruise. Because she is celiac, I requested a gluten free meal. Two days before the dinner, I called to make sure that they could accomodate her dietary needs and was assured that the chef would provide a tasty alternative. Pros: Beautiful scenery Cons: Surly uneducated staff, tasteless banquet food, more
Reply | Report abuse |

Disappointing and not recommended 7/28/2010

We went for a dinner cruise and the only merit for this evening was the pleasure of being out on the River. The boat is dreary and no effort has been made to make it cheerful. The dinner was mediocre, lacked flavor, poorly presented and reminded me of a large TV dinner! Even though dinner was (expensively) prepaid, they nickel and dimed the customer by charging extra for the appetizer and dessert. Apart from the cruise director, the service was surly and almost non-existent: we couldn't get a second drink with dinner and physically had to hunt down a server to bring the dessert. The only good thing was the warm, summer evening and this was outside their control! All in all, a very disappointing experience and I would not recommend wasting your money on the dinner cruise. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Disappointing and NOT recommended 7/28/2010

We went on a dinner cruise and the only merit for the evening was being out on the River. The boat is dreary and no effort has been made to make the dining room more cheerful. The dinner was mediocre, lacked flavor, was poorly presented and reminded me of a large TV dinner! Even though dinner was (expensively) prepaid, they nickel and dimed us by charging extra for the appetizer and dessert. Apart from the cruise director, the service was surly and non-existent: we couldn't get a second drink with dinner and we had to physically hunt down a server to bring the dessert. The only good part was the warm, summer evening and that was outside their control! All in all, a very disappointing evening and I would NOT recommend wasting your money on a dinner cruise. Pros: Out on the River Cons: EVERYTHING else! more
Reply | Report abuse |

Allows floating memorial services and scattering ashes 4/20/2010

A family member passed away recently who had stated that he wanted to be cremated. He never liked funerals. He was a sports fisherman until arthritis crippled his hands so he could no longer hold a fishing pole. With that in mind we were looking for an inexpensive way to scatter his ashes in the river on a cool April day so he could rest near his favorite Willamette fishing spots, and celebrate his life with a few close friends. Pros: Amazingly gracious for our private small event Cons: Boat has stairs so not handicapped accessible more
Reply | Report abuse |

Portland Spirit is a Bad Party Scene 12/14/2009

I just recently went on one of the special cruises for the Portland Spirit, it was pretty much a disaster. Don't be confused, this was not the early escape cruise, just a party boat cruise. It was suppose to be from 10-2am It was freezing outside which didn't help anything. I was there a little before ten and the line was rather long, which actually got me excited that it could be a lot of fun. However the boat didn't get there until about 10:20. There was really no clear leader in charge. Boarding didn't really occur until about 11:25 I would say not everyone was on board until roughly 11:40, the cruise didn't actually start until about 12:00. It was absolutely chaotic whoever was running security needs to resign, to top it off the bar closed about a 12:45 on our way back to the harbor? Yes the boat was back in less then an hour, and everyone was being told to get off, that is until a large fight broke out involving approximately a dozen people. So essentially I paid $20 to wait in th more
Reply | Report abuse |

River Cruise 2/4/2009

A big group of us decided to go on the brunch cruise that the portland spirit offers about a week ago. We agreed that it was a great deal for all of the food and free champagne that they served us. They offered various meats, egg selections, cheeses, and a yummy vegi lasagna, as wells as desert. The service was friendly and surprisingly knowledgeable about river ride. Pros: Food was great, service was friendly and knowledgable Cons: Ask them specifics about parking more
Reply | Report abuse |

We Had a Romantic Time on the Portland Spirit 2/4/2009

I was racking my brain about where to take my wife for her birthday last weekend, and decided that a trip on their boat was a good idea. It was very a very different setting than any resturant you'll find in town (because it takes you up the river, no not to prison), but on the other hand you'll find the type of entertainment you'd expect in a nicer place like Wilfs for instance. The food was great and tasted fresh. I had their beef option and thought that it was tender and well cooked. She had a vegetarian plate and was happy. The singing and piano playing was above par and not too loud, so we were content with the setting. With the cold, but dry weather we were able to spend some of the night outside and found the setting to be a bit of an aphrodisiac. Without getting too long winded; I would recommend this business to you all. Pros: The entire trip was well worth the $ spent. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Portland Spirit is a pirate ship, they get you on and steal your loot! 8/30/2008

It was a nice trip down the WIllamette, but don't expect a great meal. The service wasn't typical of a meal of it's price range either. The salad was remarkably bland and uninteresting. The Salmon was mediocre as well as my GF's beef tenderloin. It was not horrible, but for the price, it could of been much more impressive. The drinks from the bar are pathetic and extremely weak. They use generic everything. The live entertainment was a joke. There was a piano hooked up to an Ipod with a pianist who only played half of the songs and allowed the Ipod to dazzle us with the other half. We feel that the Portland Spirit could put much more effort into dinner and less effort into extracting our loot! Pros: Scenery, trip down the Willamette Cons: Over priced and cut corners everywhere more
Reply | Report abuse |

Great time, great food at a company organized thing. 6/28/2007

We went here with our co. during the NFWP expo in January and it was so good that I came back with my family on a trip this May, which was for the cruise much better when it was warm. Anything involving lamb I would recommend from my two trips and the Jambalaya which was surprisingly good for the great white north. Smooth sailing, remarkable views and service. Just the river views are worth the price of admission. Pros: Delicious food, spectacular scenery. Cons: Room service at our hotel just did not make it after coming home... more
Reply | Report abuse |

Romantic Special Occasion River Cruise 1/2/2007

Having cruised the Columbia and Willamette Rivers for over fifty years, it's so special to have a diverse cruising venue available to the public in Downtown Portland. Whether y'all are celebrating a special occasion or actually taking part in the annual Christmas Ship Parade [www(dot)ChristmasShips(dot)org], one always comes away with wonderful memories. Pros: Portland by boat is like a fine wine with dinner. Enjoy. Cons: Figure out how to get to Caruthers Street in advance. Bit confusing the first time. more
Reply | Report abuse |

Great activity for couples! 9/5/2006

So my boyfriend's birthday was coming up and he had mentioned he had always wanted to go on the Portland Spirit. It was pricey but the perfect present. I enjoyed the part about getting all dressed up and going on the boat. Ladies there is a steep ramp leading to the boat so do not wear too high of heels. People dress differently some dress up and some down but majority do dress nicely. The age ranges were from 20s-80s so it is a nice mix. You are greated by friendly staff who go into song when you are seated. Then you have a hearty meal and drinks if you would like accompanied by some songs and piano. Then you can wonder around the boat's decks in the moonlight for the remainder of the cruise and enjoy the scenery. It was the most romantic activity I have been on. Highly recomended in the romance department. PROS: Romance, fun, good time CONS: High price more
Reply | Report abuse |

Ahoy....... 9/3/2006

This is a very romantic and fun thing to do for an evening. It is especially nice during the summer when the weather is favorable and the stars are visible. The food is above average and the service is good. I was surprised to find that all of the staff was musically talented, as well. They sang requested songs to evening guests throughout the night. Between their musical numbers, one can relax to live piano music on each floor. After dinner, the upper deck is opened and becomes a romantic spot to take in the beautiful scenery along the river. I highly recommend this trip for couples of all ages! PROS: Environment, scenery CONS: Price more
Reply | Report abuse |

Take a cruise! 10/9/2005

The Portland Spirit is a beautiful passenger boat that has sightseeing and dinner cruises along the Williamette River in Portland--it's especially nice around Christmastime to take a cruise on the river with all of the boats decked out in lights! more
Reply | Report abuse |
< Previous 1 2 Next >
Menu for Portland Spirit


Summer SALE!!!:
15% OFF all yearly plans
Use year15 at checkout. Expires 1/1/2021

Short-term cruise offers upscale dining and live entertainment with views of the Willamette River.

Editorial

  • We love the Portland Spirit! An evening tour makes for a family-friendly activity thats restful for parents yet exciting for kids. What...

  • 10/5/2012 Provided by KidScore
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm
  • Payments: American Express, Cash, Discover, Master Card, Visa, Diner's Club
  • Neighborhoods: Hosford - Abernethy, Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Program
badge