Schooners Alliance & Serenity

If you are an experienced sailor, this sail is boring except for the beautiful scenery. It probably would be more exciting when the wind is stronger and the river is rougher. The crew does all the work and the passengers just watch (four people did get to help hoist the sails which took just a couple of minutes each sail, but the rest just sat there). If you were at the rear, where the skipper steers the ship, he did occasionally point out some features on land, but if you were at the front, you wouldn't be able to hear. Highlight was when they fired the canon while under the Colman Bridge and the bang riccocheted several times, sounding almost like a machine gun. Overall, a very pleasant and relaxing couple of hours and the sunset was wonderful.

The afternoon trip on the Alliance was relaxing and enjoyable. The captain was knowledgable about the surroundings of the York River and the historical facts about this area which he shared with us. My only suggestion to would-be customers is take the morning or evening cruise as the mid-afternoon one is very hot on a summer day!

Not very relaxing . Had trouble seeing since you sit facing into the schooner...info about the bridge was interesting. I would choose to spend my money another way.

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My husband took me on the sunset cruise to celebrate my 50th birthday! The crew was friendly and the night that we went, August 16th, was beautiful. Have wonderful pictures to remember the evening!

We enjoyed the two hour trip and the beautiful sunset. Enjoyed helping out putting up the sails. Enjoyed talking with the crew.

Since the sail is two hours, there shoud be more places to sit, especially for older people and a place to sit in the shade would help. Otherwise, the day was beautiful and worthwhile.

The sail was fine but there was little wind so we drifted more than we actually sailed. A storm started coming and the one crew member had to climb up to the top to untangle something which was cool. The crew knew a lot about the history, the river, the buildings we could see from the ship.

We enjoyed the experience. The brief hands on attempt at hoisting the sails for the kids was well received. The explanation of nautical terms and local history was meaningful. The crew were friendly and interactive.

Good time. Personable staff. Good value.

We were fortunate enough to have chosen an evening that was cool when it didn't rain this summer. The wind was not strong enough to sail without the motor but it ran quitely so it almost felt like we were sailing unassisted. It was very relaxing to do nothing but breath the salty air and enjoy the evening with family. We had a very nice time. I felt sorry for the couple who brought the young child who made to wear a life jacket (by policy) and who wanted to take it off and walk around. It wasn't safe for her to do so....She cried most of the time. Food was not allowed to be brought on board but drinks and snack items were sold on board for a reasonable price. Drinks, ice cream, hot dogs,chips, etc. all cost between $1-$2.

It was our wedding anniversary. We enjoyed the sail, the wine, and the conversation.

The evening cruise was very nice. Not too crowded, and the crew was friendly and welcoming. Well worth the money, and I would go again when we return to Yorktown! Try the Downeast Rover if you visit Manteo NC. Similar experience, also very nice.

The sunset sail was very peaceful and enjoyable. It was romantic once my husband and I broke away from the group and watched the sunset together. There was a short time where the sailboat ladies talked about the sights but then its was just quiet sailing. Firing the cannon was a pleasurable moment. it was very cool.

1) A service fee per ticket is my first complaint. 2) Tip jar and sign hinting to tip the crew members seemed out of place. 3) The tour itself was relatively boring. It would seem most people coming to Yorktown would be interested in history, so one would think the boat monologues would be slanted toward history and not other topics, or idle chatter between crew members. 5) Maybe part of the slowness of the trip was because the water was so calm the motor did most of the sailing. 4) I recall the web site mentioned 18th century houses we would see along the way. We were too far away from land to know what we were looking at, and i don't recall any such houses being pointed out. 5) The info about the nearby Navy and CIA training operations was informative. 6) All in all i think the 2 hours in the middle of the day (2pm-4pm) at $128.00 for 4 could have been spent more wisely.