Schooners Alliance & Serenity

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.

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.

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.

The tour guide did not have a microphone, so only those seated at the back of the boat could hear his commentary as we sailed past historic places.

What a great way to spend the evening! The crew was wonderful, and interacted with all of the "sailors" on board. We recommend the sunset cruise, although I'm sure the day trips are also great.

It was just too hot the day we went: heat index 109 degrees and no wind. Other than that it was a nice trip. The crew was very friendly and accomodating (and cute)!

We absolutely loved the sail. My husband helped lift the sails and get the trip started. Being able to just sit and chat with the crew as we sailed was wonderful. They were willing to answer all types of questions about sailing as well as the historical and physical facts of the Yorktowne area. A marvelous place to catch a photo of the sunset. A very relaxed atmosphere to just sit back, visit and enjoy a beautiful evening. Having drinks and snacks available (at a very nominal fee) was a fun benefit. The crew was happy to take our group's photo with the boat. A wonderful experience. I highly recommend this sail to begin your stay.

This is the second time we've taken the sunset cruise at Yorktown and each time has been tremendous. The staff is friendly, informed, and historically accurate in their descriptions of what one views. The only tiny glitch was that the U. S. Coast Guard Center, in addition to Search and Rescue operations, operates a Leadership School for junior and senior officers. I know, I worked there. Keep up the terrific job, it is definitely a pleasing and pleasant experience.

I signed up for the 2 hour ride on the Schooner Alliance with the misguided idea that I could experience a sense of history on the York. However, the area is so built up and commercialized, and the river is large enough to feel more like a lake or bay, that that wasn't the case. That said, it was a unique activity for the 4th of July, perfect to be on the water on a hot, hazy day, and we got to see dolphins, and jellyfish, the crew fired the small cannon at a "pirate" ship, had volunteers help to raise and lower the sails, and shared their knowledge on the history and local landmarks. I just had a real nice time with the other guests.

We had to miss our trip because there was absolutely no place to park. It was awful. Our entire trip was a dissapointment due to traffic. And we were there in plenty of time or we thought. We were there an hour ahead of time. We called and asked for a refund and were told no.

My husband and I love history and the Yorktown area. This was an attraction we wanted to experience. The employees were interesting and imformative. They exhibited "people personalities" which encouraged more questions and interaction among the passengers. The ride was 2 hours long so I don't recommend small children. If you do plan to bring them, be aware that they will need to wear a life vest and be with an adult at all times. We had a small child 2 or 3 years old and the child was miserable most of the trip since he/she wasn't able to freely run about on the ship. There were other children 6 and above though who thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The ride was smooth and some of the passengers were able to assist with setting the sails. We had hoped to sail more using only the sails but due to limited time and low winds, the motors had to be used. Overall, It was a great experience.

In as much as I would like to give more stars, the screaming child's voice is still ringing in my ears. My husband and I are from the Richmond area and decided that dinner and a sail would be perfect to celebrate our 33rd anniversary. It was a beautiful evening even though the wind was not cooperating. The mates on board were great and full of conversation. They were really enjoyable. Even though the breeze was barely blowing, the motor used was extreemly quiet. It could have been a very romantic trip had it not been for the screaming little girl. Maybe there should be an age limit of a toddler who seems to make her own rules and was very mad at the fact she could not get down and run around. I would, though, love to try this again as I could see that it could be a very relaxing trip!!

A nice afternoon on the water.