Tickets should be picked up prior to your cruise in the ticket office, half hour before boarding (bring your photo ID) which is the green-and-white vessel beside the Belle.
The vessel is casual; sightseers should dress according to the weather. On Sightseeing Tours, shorts and t-shirts are welcome. For Lunch Cruises, shorts or slacks and t-shirts are fine. On Dinner Cruises, casual attire is suggested. No sleeveless shirts for men, please. The Mary M. Miller is air-conditioned, and the Belle of Louisville has air-conditioning on the ballroom deck.
The Belle is over 100 years old – National Historic Landmark and a much larger vessel. She is original to the steamboat era and a living operating museum. The Belle can accommodate 180 passengers for the buffet, and 650 total per cruise.
The Mary M. Miller is a smaller, newer riverboat. The Mary can accommodate 160 passengers per cruise for the buffet and a total of 250. Mary M. Miller was the first female steamboat Captain in America.
The Parc Wharf parking lot is a pay lot at 131 West River Road (entrance by Joe’s Crab Shack). This lot stretches along the wharf to the Belle area. If this lot is full, the Riverview Parking Garage off of 6th Street is just a walk across the street from the Belle. Mention that you are going on a Belle cruise to get a discounted parking rate if there is an event at the Yum center.
The Belle has an elevator lift to help with wheel chairs and provide access to the Ballroom Deck, however the Texas & Hurricane decks are not accessible. Wheelchairs on the Mary M. Miller can go to the first deck only.
A Sightseeing ticket provides a two-hour sightseeing ride on the Texas Deck (top) of the Belle or Mary M. Miller. Sightseeing passengers can also enjoy a self-guided tour of the boat, a full concession café, and full bar service. After lunch is over for those who purchased meal tickets, Sightseers are welcome to enter the ballroom for dancing and a break from outside.
When calling, state the type of ticket you are interested in and if they are available they will be sold to you; sometimes we sell out for meals because of limited capacity. All meal ticket reservations require a 48-hour advance notice because our caterer requires a final count the day before the cruise. Those with sightseeing passes can upgrade for a flat price posted on the certificate; this needs to be done when you make your reservation.
No food or beverages can be brought onto the vessel.
You will need your confirmation number from your reservation and proper identification to pick up pre-paid tickets. Other than hopefully your sunglasses, nothing else is needed.
Tickets are filed by last name. Be prepared to show a photo ID in order to pick up the ticket.
The vessels go out in the rain unless there is a threatening storm. Should weather dictate that we cannot cruise, dockside lunch/dinner is still served and passes for another sightseeing cruise are given out based on management’s discretion.
Boarding is usually ½ hour before the cruise departure. Cruises depart on time.
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