Tours/Portland/2-hour Lunch Cruise on Willamette River
Viator · group up to 280 pax

2-hour Lunch Cruise on Willamette River

4.6(315)Portland1 hour
VIATOR4.6(247)TRIPADVISOR4.5(68)

Description

Delicious Northwest cuisine and beautiful river views provide the perfect ingredients for a Portland lunch to remember. This two-hour cruise on the Willamette River is perfect for Portland natives and newcomers alike. Boarding: 11 am Cruising: 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Tour Options

2-hour Lunch Cruise on Willamette River

Itinerary

Pass by

We'll pass under the Hawthorne, constructed in 1910, is the oldest vertical lift bridge in operation in America. In a typical year, daily traffic on the Hawthorne Bridge averages 30,000 vehicles and 5,000 cyclists.

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Travel under the Interstate 5 bridge also known as Marquam Bridge. Marquam bridge’s main span is 440 feet long and the two side spans are each 301 feet long.

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Cruise by OMSI and see the USS Blueback, a barbel class submarine in the United States Navy.

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Tilikum Crossing, Portland’s newest bridge, opened in 2015 for foot, bicycle, and public transportation traffic only. The bridge features 178 LED lights that are set to change color and speed according to the temperature of the water, the direction of the tide and speed of the river.

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You'll pass under the Ross Island Bridge, designed by famed engineer Gustav Lindernthal. Gustav designed bridges over the Hudson River in Ohio and dozens of other rivers in the United States.

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You'll pass under the Sellwood Bridge, Portland's southernmost bridge. The bridge is the busiest two-lane crossing in Oregon, carrying about 30,000 vehicles a day. It replaced a two-lane bridge originally built in 1925 that stood for more than 90 years.

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This 7-acre park is a haven for dog lovers with its off-leash dog area and sandy beaches.

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Cruise by the oldest continually operating amusement park in the country. Oaks Amusement Park opened in May 1905 and is just 3.5 miles south of Downtown Portland.

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Cruise by Waverley Country Club, one of the first golf clubs in the west, established in 1896. Fifty years before the construction of Waverley Country Club on the current site, its history can be traced back to Henderson Luelling, known as the Johnny Appleseed of the West. It is believed by many that the presentation of the green jacket at the Masters started at Waverley.

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The Island represents part of an ancient volcano that erupted about 40 million years ago. The large, jagged rocks found throughout the area are Waverly Heights Basalt that were formed by lava flows and may be the oldest exposed rocks in the Portland area.

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Cruise under the Morrison Bridge, named after a Scottish immigrant, John L. Morrison, who built the first home on Morrison Street.

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Cruise under the Burnside Bridge, distinctive for its Italian Renaissance-style towers and was made famous by its architect Joseph Straus, who was also the architect for the famed Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

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The Burnside Bridge is a great spot to view the "Portland Oregon" sign also known as the "White Stag" sign, which we’ll pass on the port side of the vessel.

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The Rose Quarter campus includes the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and Moda Center. The Moda Center has a seating capacity of nearly 20,000 for NBA basketball games and is the current home of the Portland Trailblazers.

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The Steel Bridge is quite remarkable for all its design characteristics. It is the world's only double deck bridge with independent lifts.

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The Oregon Convention Center is easy to recognize from the water due to its two blue-green glass spires.

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Cruise by much of Tom McCall Waterfront Park which has 36 acres of open space and is host to a variety of events throughout the year.

Highlights

Historical narration available on outer decks (or bring headphones for your cell phone)
Private reserved table (Window seating not guaranteed)
Live piano music
Fresh prepared Northwest lunch with choice of entrée

What's included

Included
Historical narration available on outer decks (or bring headphones for your cell phone)
Private reserved table (Window seating not guaranteed)
Live piano music
Fresh prepared Northwest lunch with choice of entrée
Not included
Salad, appetizer or dessert (available for purchase)
Beverages (available for purchase)
Service gratuity
Souvenir photo

Traveller Ratings

4.6
315 reviews
5
231
4
47
3
27
2
7
1
3

Important Information

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Gluten Free options available
  • Vegan Options available
  • This is a Non-Smoking Vessel
  • Wheelchairs are able to come aboard the enclosed lower deck — please notify us when booking. Stairs are required to venture to the upper decks.
  • Boarding photo required as part of our safety & security plan

Reviews(315)

A
Antoinette_Y
August 5, 2026
The crew and food were...

The crew and food were fantastic! Learned a few things about the Willamette river, and had a great time doing it!

J
jenn
August 5, 2026
Pleasant cruise

Cruise was delightful. The staff was very friendly and the food was great. Options for everyone, including vegetarian. It lasted about 2 hours, which was the perfect amount of time.

N
Neri_C
August 2, 2026
Meaningful

This trip meant a lot to me. Going with a friend, we had a great conversation.The best lunch and dessert, lots of pictures. It was a relaxing moment even though I had to wear bracelets for my nausea, but we enjoyed it. Me and my friend have been trying to keep in touch. And travel as much as we can and enjoy life.We've been friends for more than thirty five years..

Operator response

Thank you for such a heartfelt review. We're honored that you chose to spend this special time with a friend of more than 35 years aboard our Portland Spirit Lunch Cruise. It means so much to know you were able to relax, enjoy great conversation, delicious food and create lasting memories together. Thank you for letting us be a small part of your friendship, and we hope to welcome you both aboard again in the future.

V
Virgnia_M
July 28, 2026
Great experience on the...

Great experience on the Spirit! All of the staff and crew were welcoming and nice. Our server Lucas did a great job!

Operator response

Thank you for your kind review! We're so glad you had a great experience aboard the Portland Spirit and that our crew made you feel welcome. We'll be sure to share your compliments with Lucas. He'll be delighted to know his service helped make your cruise memorable. We hope to welcome you back again soon!

L
Luis_J
July 25, 2026
Unforgettable!

Wonderful experience, excellent food and great service. Wish it had been longer. The views are fantastic!

Operator response

Thank you for your kind words! We're delighted you enjoyed the food, service, and beautiful river views. We especially love hearing that you wished the cruise had been longer. We appreciate your recommendation and hope you'll join us again, perhaps on a dinner cruise which is a bit longer.

M
Michele_T
July 17, 2026
Family time

It was a pleasant experience and we enjoyed great food. The staff was friendly and helpful. The audio narration was not in the dining floor.

Operator response

Thank you for joining us on the Portland Spirit Lunch Cruise! We're so glad you enjoyed the delicious food and friendly service. We also appreciate your feedback regarding the narration. While live narration is available on the outdoor decks, guests dining inside can enjoy live piano music, or listen to the tour guide through our narration app, borrow one of our pre-loaded iPods, or use one of our printed narration booklets. We hope to welcome you back aboard again soon!

S
SANDRAS12630
July 17, 2026
That’s two hours I’ll never get back!

Food was okay, wine was crap, and the view was less than spectacular (terrific if you like the under bellies of bridges) all in all a great way to waste your time and money. That’s two hours I’ll never get back!

Operator response

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're sorry to hear the cruise didn't meet your expectations. While we're glad you found the food to be okay, we're disappointed you didn't love the overall experience. We offer a wide variety of wines to suit different tastes, so without knowing which selection you ordered, it's difficult for us to evaluate your comments or make improvements. We appreciate your feedback nonetheless and wish you all the best in your future travels.

B
Beth_M
July 15, 2026
Food was fabulous,...

Food was fabulous, service great and servers very knowledgeable of the history and filled in extra tidbits outsides of recording. weather was perfect. Nice historical narrative regarding the river.

T
teresapW5300ZW
July 2, 2026
Wonderful Experience

It was a great relaxing experience. Would be great with friends and family or to celebrate birthdays, anniversary, etc.

Operator response

Thank you for joining us on the Portland Spirit Lunch Cruise! We're so glad you had a relaxing experience. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back aboard for another outing with friends, family, or a special celebration!

R
Roberta_F
June 25, 2026
A very pleasant afternoon

The cruise was delightful with interesting information about the bridges and other landmarks along the Willamette River in Portland. The food was delicious. Our group ordered a variety of entrées and all of them were quite good, as was the cheesecake for the included dessert in the lunch. The staff were very pleasant and helpful as well. My adult daughter, 97-year-old father and I all had a very nice time.

Operator response

Thank you for joining us on the Portland Spirit Lunch Cruise! We're so pleased your family enjoyed the historical narration, delicious lunch, and friendly service. It means a lot to hear that three generations were able to share such a memorable afternoon together. We hope to welcome you all back aboard again in the future!

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