Schooners Alliance & Serenity

Very relaxing, can participate in raising schooner sails or just ease back. Captain/ crew knowledgable about local history to make the experience interesting

The captain and crew of the Schooner Alliance were just wonderful. Especially Sarah. She is a wealth of information, and very personable. Don't miss your chance to help raise the sails!!! SO FUN!!! I'm not so sure I would call it "Romantic." There were people all over the deck of the boat. Some were couples. Many (like us) had teen-age children with them, and some had grandparents, too. No little ones - which was nice (no crying or running about). There were a few refreshments to be purchased in the galley, but somehow wine in a plastic cup just doesn't say romantic. Despite those little "less than romantic" details, the evening was pleasant and the ship is a marvel. It's just wonderful to watch the sails being raised, and see them catch the wind. Beautiful. We did not travel far in our 2 hours. The winds were light, and the captain ran the engine for a while. But, looking at the sunset under and through the sails was very special. In summary ... don't expect a great romantic moment, but sailing on an authentic schooner with sails raised and a cool crew is very much worth the price of admission. It will be a nice memory for us.

Great sunset cruise. Relaxing. Beautiful sunset!! Looking forward to going again next year!

The ride as wounderful as it gets / not only for Kids but for a nice late afternoon with your wife. The sun was starting to go down and the ship made it's way through the waves. As me and my wife sat as the air blew through and across our face's , The trip was about two HRs , and with every min, it was just the best for both of us and the rest of the gest. Thought the activity was a bit costy$ / but on the other hand, best money I have spent in a long time / thanks to the Capt/ an Crew .

We were hoping to view more than just what we could see from standing on Yorktown beach! Basically, we never went past the refinery, there wasn't much history given on the 2 hours cruise and it would have been helpful if some accomodation (like a tent) was provided for shelter from the sun...it was extremely hot, and we had to stand out in the sun for almost 20 minutes before boarding.

We had a great time with the crew. Our children were interacting with them and we practically had the whole boat to ourselves. Would definitely recommend

I loved it! It was wonderful and relaxing.The only thing missing was a bottle of wine and soft music. Have always wanted to go out for a sail on the schooner. Maybe next time, I will take the evening sail. The Captain was friendly and cute!

This was our third sail on the schooner Alliance. We have always found it to be an enjoyable time. We usually take the 2:00 sail. There is shade on the boat if you need it, and it's a great way to cool down on those hot, humid Virginia days.

The ship is well maintained, and very clean. The crew is friendly, knowledgeable and experienced. They are willing and able to answer questions about sailing in general and their ship in particular. We only wish the range of the cruise had been longer.

Took the evening sail July 20, 2011 after an incredibly HOT day. The trip was a wonderful way to end a summer day. The crew was friendly and shared information about the area. The captain gave a history lecture during the ride that my father completely enjoyed. (He's a History Channel junkie, so it says a lot that Dad was impressed with the lecture.) I would have liked there to be more benches or seats to sit in instead of finding a random place on the deck, but the boat has been designed to look like an 18th century schooner and I guess they didn't worry about the comfort of the crew back then. Overall, it was worth the $37.00 each. The only other thing I would say is make sure you are aware of the cancellation policy - there is none - and make sure you have time to reschedule in case there is bad weather and the captain cancels the trip. They only offer rescheduling - absolutely no refunds. A little scary for a group of 9.

Boat was clean and well maintained. Crew was awesome and informative, personable. Being able to be involved was fun, otherwise the trip was boring. Weather was hot. We sat for long periods of time. Sails were up, but boat was being moved by a motor. Seating was very uncomfortable. View of electrical plant was unimpressive. Sunset was beautiful, but could have been seen anywhere and it would have been as nice. Sorry, the 4 of us were not impressed and would not do this again.

Very nicely run.. great guides

Good trip, interesting information, friendly crew and on schedule sailing sums up the experience. Reasonable price and a beautiful sunset made it great.

We really enjoyed the day cruise we went on (Alliance, 2pm). Both my husband and my 6 year old helped hoist sails. Staff was pleasant and very knowledgeable of the area where we sailed. I think we might have enjoyed it more if our schedule had been able to accomodate a more child-friendly tour later in the week (the science or pirate themes), as the regular Alliance tour really is just about relaxing on the river for a while. But it was a nice break from the typical, overcrowded vacation attractions.

I took several older girl scouts on the cruise as part of their last trip together before graduation. We all loved it. The staff was great to talk to about the ship, the coastline, and general chit-chat. Great fun.