bavarian belle riverboat

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Bavarian Belle Riverboat

925 South Main Street, D-3 Frankenmuth, MI 48734

• Accepts Pets
• Handicap Accessible

Enjoy a fabulous narrated tour of Frankenmuth on the Cass River aboard our family owned 150 passenger authentic paddlewheel riverboat, the Bavarian Belle. Boat has ramp access and the dock is handicap accessible as well! Restroom and on-board snacks available. Find us "At the Waterfall." Visit Thunder Bay Mining, next to the boat dock. Fun for Families! Open early May thru Mid October. Rates are $16 for Adults, $5 for Children 12-5, Children 4 and under are free.

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Bavarian Belle Riverboat

Review Highlights

“ The Bavarian Belle was a reasonably priced pleasant way to spend a little time on the Cass River in Frankenmuth. ” in 11 reviews

“ The boat ride lasts an hour and includes an engaging narration by the lead captain and patriarch of the family that owns and runs the boat company. ” in 3 reviews

“ Worth the price that seems a little high at first but the riverboat is owned and operated independently by a father and son team. ” in 3 reviews

Location & Hours

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925 S Main St

Frankenmuth, MI 48734

About the Business

Business owner information

Mitchell Q.

Business Owner

Thank you for visiting Frankenmuth. Our family operates the Bavarian Belle riverboat, an authentic Stern Driven Paddlewheel riverboat. We offer a 1-hour historical narrated tour of the Frankenmuth area on our fully restored 150-passenger vessel. The Bavarian Belle is open air canopied on the upper deck and has a fully enclosed lower salon with restrooms. We offer a snack bar and soft drinks on board. The Bavarian Belle is located in the River Place Shopping village, docking at the waterfall. Our dock and lower level are handicap accessible. One hour trips are offered Monday - Saturday 11am till Dusk, (departing every 90min), and Sunday 12:30 till 6:30, (departing every 90min) Early May to Mid-October. Please call for pre-Memorial Day and post-Labor Day hours. Extended hours are available for Group Tours and Special Events (Weddings, Reunions, etc.). Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $4 for children 10 and under. Adult tickets are discounted to $9.00 for groups of 20 or more …

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Overall rating

A flat bottom 2 story paddle boat. The ticket cost $16 and the ride lasted 50 minutes. The ride goes down the Cass river approximately a mile before turning around. The Captain was funny and gave some interesting information. The scenery was great and we got to see some 11 day old ducklings and a hawk. They say sometimes you can see large and apparently fast turtles and the 2nd largest owl in the states. Neither one made an appearance today though, nor did the Bald Eagle! Apparently this riverboat was built in 1981 and floated down the Mississippi River to the Ohio River in Indiana and then the Arkansas River in Little Rock Arkansas. Then came up here in 1999/2000. It is privately owned and Captain by a father and his 2 sons, so very cool. Overall a highly recommended 5 star review. Would I return? Absolutely!

See all photos from Chris H. for Bavarian Belle Riverboat

I love this riverboat that takes you up and down the river from the heart of downtown Frankenmuth! They have an interior downstairs space and the upstairs is covered, but open air and it gives you such a lovely view of the Frankenmuth area. Both times that I've ridden on this riverboat have been during the Dog Bowl, when they do special riverboat rides for you and your furry friends! I believe that even outside of the Dog Bowl, they are dog friendly as well, so it's something you and your pets can enjoy together! The riverboat is so gentle and a very slow ride, so it will hopefully not be too difficult or anxiety-inducing for your pups as well! As you ride up and down the river, they patch through the speakers some history of the Frankenmuth area and the riverboat itself. It's educational, the views are great, and it's a wonderful time to share with your friends and family alike! For the price of your ticket (~$15 for an adult), this is more than worth it!! A ride is roughly around an hour, they sell concessions including freshly popped popcorn, and it's just an absolute delight! Definitely more than worth it to be a part of your trip to explore the Frankenmuth area!

See all photos from Amanda L. for Bavarian Belle Riverboat

Do you want to just sit and relax for an hour, this rides for you. Not a lot of scenery, but the gentleman running it was very knowledgeable

This was a great little River tour in Frankenmuth. Run by a family there was a lot of info and a cool boat to take a relaxed ride on. My kids loved that you could buy a bag of popcorn to feed the ducks and watch them race to the boat for the treats.

We brought Jasper the Adventure dog ( http://www.jaspertheadventuredog.com/) to take a trip with us on this riverboat. They are a dog friendly venue. A wonderful employee named Evy sold us our tickets. The trip was amazing. Jasper walked up front, watching the ducks, the water and wildlife along the bank of the river. Pictures from this event will end up on a another future book. I highly recommend this activity for anyone and especially for those with well behaved dogs.

The boat ride was nice. The owners were wonderful. It was informational and relaxing. We enjoyed feeding the ducks. We got to see baby ducks, turtles and even some deer.

See all photos from Allison W. for Bavarian Belle Riverboat

Nice relaxing boat ride. They point out things of interest on both sides and give some history of the town and the boat. There's a small snack bar on the lower level, I recommend the pop corn.

Very relaxing fun! The tidbits that the crew shared were quite interesting along with the recorded information about the area. A nice smooth ride and a chance to chill out after a lot of walking about. Also, very clean and tidy despite serving popcorn and soft pretzels. Worth the price that seems a little high at first but the riverboat is owned and operated independently by a father and son team. Happy to support a family-owned business. Give it a go and you won't regret it.

We had a lot of fun on this boat tour. We caught the first one of the day and it was a gorgeous day. The host of the tour, also the owner of the boat, was friendly and shared some of the great history of Frankenmuth. In addition, you get to see lots of animal life along the ride; turtles, ducks (you should totally buy the popcorn to feed the ducks!), etc. It was a nice break away from the hustle and bustle of town. Note, tickets are cash or check only.

Upon departing you get this amazing view!

Awesome boat ride !! Great service, my boyfriend and our 2 boys went on this boat and my oldest son has some issues with heights and new places in general so while boarding we bought waters and pretzels for the ride and my oldest dropped in the water and with out hesitation the conductor was quick to replace it with no charge and quickly calmed my son and it was just the best experience! We will definitely be back !!

3 other reviews that are not currently recommended

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Bavarian Belle Riverboat Ticket Price, Hours, Address and Reviews

• North America
• United States
• Frankenmuth
• Things To Do In Frankenmuth

Bavarian Belle Riverboat

• Address: 925 S Main St D3, Frankenmuth, MI 48734, USA, United States
• Timings: 24-hrs Details
• Phone: +1-8668082628

Bavarian Belle Riverboat Reviews & Ratings

Attractions Nearby

• Flint River Trail
• Wilderness Trails Zoo
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How much is the cruise and how long does it last? what are the hours

The tickets of Bavarian Belle Riverboat are priced at 12 USD per adult and 4 USD per child (aged 5-12). It is a 1-hour tour available at noon, 2 pm, and 4 pm. The schedule of tours may change. To know the updated schedule, I suggest you visit the official website of Bavarian Belle Riverboat. 

Is the river cruise open February 14th?

Yes, it will mostly remain open on 14th February. You can confirm by calling them at Bavarian Belle Riverboat contact number 1 866-808-2628. 

• River Cruising

Viking Moscow to St. Petersburg: Safety??

By uilleann , September 20, 2018 in River Cruising

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We are looking at doing the Viking Moscow to St. Petersburg river cruise in 2020. When I checked the US State Dept. They classify Russia as a “Consider another location” due to increased terrorism against American Tourists. I would love to hear peoples thoughts as I have never been to Russia and this cruise looks like fun?

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I can't answer your question specifically. I have done a similar cruise (another line) and I have done a land trip there. If I was to advise people, I would tell people to find a land company and just do St. Petersburg and Moscow. Stay downtown and not clear out where the river boats stay. I was bored with the ports between and wish I had spent more time in Moscow on the river boat (like I did when I was on the land trip.

Again, not the answer to the question you were asking. I personally would have no hesitations going back.

My sister-in-law just did the Viking trip, St, Pete to Moscow, with no problem at all. She reacted as I did -- greatly enjoyed the longer day time sailing of this itinerary, which she found relaxing and peaceful, and the ports quite interesting. (I was on another line, too, a few years ago). I've seen the State Dept. warning but think the cruise lines put a premium on the safety of their PAX and would withdraw their tours if safety was a concern, such as when river cruises on the Nile were shut down. We did a cruise there after they were reinstated and were a bit apprehensive, but we felt safe with the security provided there and had a great time as well.

We did this trip five years ago. We found St. Petersburg and Moscow extremely interesting, but we really enjoyed the ports during the cruising part of the trip. We loved sailing through the countryside and seeing the smaller towns. President Obama was actually in St. Petersburg for a summit the same time we were there, so Americans were treated fine. However, this was all only a few months before the Sochi winter olympics and Putin was on his best behavior. We all know what happened immediately following the olympics. But then we went to Egypt this past January and we're going to Cuba this coming winter, so we're not easily put off by state department warnings.

chicchic325

That area is generally safe. That said, there is no love lost between Russians and Americans. Most of your everyday people will be fine. You will stand out as an American, good/bad/indifferent. Most of the terrorism problems in Russia are further south than Moscow

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... there is no love lost between Russians and Americans.

I don't find it to be the case.... While the governments do indeed have a hard time finding any kind of common ground to start talking, this has not - in my experience - translated into any kind of problems on a person-to-person level.

If anything, I'd encourage the OP to extend their stay on both ends of the trip, via Viking extension or otherwise and explore both cities on their own.

There aren't too many reviews of Vikings Russian River tours here on CC, but to get a general understanding of overall safety and other issues you might also want to check reviews of other cruise companies (AMA, Scenic, Uniworld, Vodohod) and aggregators (Gate 1 cruises, etc) offering the same route - the itineraries are virtually identical.

As far as State Dept warnings go - they have unfortunately become a political tool rather than a useful resourse for travelers.

Host Jazzbeau

I don't find it to be the case.... While the governments do indeed have a hard time finding any kind of common ground to start talking, this has not - in my experience - translated into any kind of problems on a person-to-person level. If anything, I'd encourage the OP to extend their stay on both ends of the trip, via Viking extension or otherwise and explore both cities on their own. There aren't too many reviews of Vikings Russian River tours here on CC, but to get a general understanding of overall safety and other issues you might also want to check reviews of other cruise companies (AMA, Scenic, Uniworld, Vodohod) and aggregators (Gate 1 cruises, etc) offering the same route - the itineraries are virtually identical.   As far as State Dept warnings go - they have unfortunately become a political tool rather than a useful resourse for travelers.

AMA stopped offering cruises in Russia, reportedly because they couldn't deliver the quality of their European and other itineraries.

AMA stopped offering cruises in Russia

Very true, but past reviews should still be available - and could be helpful in overall assessment of things to expect on that route. Like I said, the itineraries are virtually the same (coincidentally, stern State Dept warnings haven't changed much over the years, either).

OnTheJourney

Would love to go to Moscow....and so I've looked at the "Waterways of the Tsars" Viking cruise quite often. When we arrived in SPB, that morning you could just feel the tension onboard the ship. Everyone just seemed keyed up and slightly nervous. NOT the usual feeling like in the Windjammer down in the Caribbean! Anyway, one of the days we went through border patrol they left my wife go right through, but I was questioned rather sternly and at length about why I'm arriving so early before my tour excursion started and what I intended to do. It was a bit uncomfortable. After a bit of jabbering in Russian among the border patrol agents, they finally let me through. Telling them that I was going to go shopping with the extra time before the excursion started seemed to win some points :)

This is because they never really tried. Ours had 2 AMA employees - the rest were Vodohod employees. It was a Vodohod cruise.

Relax & ignore uptight fellow passengers.

Viking Ocean Day One at St Pete we go to the border officer. Stares & glowers at us for something like 2-3 minutes. Then stamps our passports forcefully and bruskly waves us thru.

Day 2 at St Pete. We arrive and are promptly waived thru right away. But no smile.

Two very elderly folks on our same tour were held up at least 15 minutes as we all waited for them. Talked to them and they were both ex-military and had worked at the Pentagon. They surmised that the Rooskies knew this and had some concerns. They were laughing and thought the entire experience was a hoot. Day 2, no problems.

Yeah...we had no problems the next day we went through.

My sister and BIL just returned from the Viking trip from St. Pete. to Moscow. They said the onboard experience wasn't as good as on the European Longships but they thoroughly enjoyed the trip. They too reported the local people they met were a very warm and friendly.

We arrive and are promptly waived thru right away. But no smile.

Just out of pure curiosity (plus in the interest of identifying cultural differences) - why do you think a smile would be in order?

From my point of view: tourism is an economic plus for any country, so officials involved should be customer-focused.

The scowling old Babushkas monitoring in the Russian museums are apparently not in order.

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Suggest you try the Sampsan from Moscow to St Petes.

There is a four seat compartment at the very front of the train, excellent service, and great views.

Very safe even for Americans !

The scowling old Babushkas monitoring in the Russian museums are apparently not in order

Indeed, wouldn't we all prefer the cheerful young babushkas!

In fact, having spent a bit of time in SPB over the summer, I have a new appreciation for the scowling old type - the only time I've seen them spring back to life, in a soccer-goalie pounce, was to stop a fellow tourist from touching the private parts of a marble statue or leaning against the tapestry-adorned wall in the Hermitage :-)

When I was a Russian History major in the late '60s there was a wonderful story from the days of Stalin about an old Babushka who used to take the subway to Red Square every morning, trudge painfully across the square to the wall of the Kremlin where the front page of Pravda was posted in a glass case, look briefly at the paper and sigh, and then trudge back to the subway. One day the guard asked, "Grandma, why don't you just buy the paper? It only costs a penny." She said, "I don't want to read all of it. I'm just looking for an obituary." The guard said, "But the obituaries aren't printed on the front page!" She answered, " This one will be."

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