We welcome you aboard the Henrietta for a relaxing, informative and scenic cruise on the Cape Fear River. Upon leaving our dock we will cruise upriver to the forks of two major rivers then head south past Historic Wilmington on your left, the Battleship North Carolina and Eagles Island to your right. Our captains will give you a snapshot of Wilmington's history from the early explorers to Modern day ships from all over the world. You will enjoy a beautiful sun set on every cruise, and on occasion we have a spectacular moon rise to go along, a double treat for you.
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Cape Fear Riverboats, Inc. began in 1987 through the passion of Captain Carl Marshburn, boat captain, businessman, and strong advocate for tourism and history. Long before Wilmington was named one of TripAdvisor's 'Top Destinations on the Rise, ' Capt. Carl envisioned the downtown Wilmington historic district as a major tourist attraction.
You will be cruising along downtown Wilmington via the Cape Fear River, a vital lifeline for the South for more than 300 years. Sit back, relax, and enjoy learning about the history of the area from one of our local captains. The importance of the Cape Fear River throughout both North Carolina and Southern history.
Take our newest Henrietta out on the river for a 1 and-a-half hour Saturday sunset cruise! The on-board bar will be open and light snacks will be available. This cruise is all about relaxing and taking in the sites of downtown Wilmington with friends and family. Tickets are $30 ($10 for kids under 12) for a 1 and-a-half hour cruise with air conditioning, handicap access, and on-board restrooms. Hope to have a full boat!
Our Black River Nature Cruise is an opportunity to see a cypress swamp river still preserved almost as it appeared to the early settlers when they visited the river for the first time. This is a Nature Cruise and nature abounds along both banks of the river as we cruise up The Cape Fear River and enter The Black River.
Reviews (40)
Richard Sigouin
Jun 13, 2022
Great Shaggy
Jun 04, 2022
Alli C.
May 13, 2022
My husband and I had an absolutely fantastic time on the Henrietta tour. We stumbled upon this on our way to explore the river walk. It was so relaxing and beautiful towards sunset. Definitely recommend trying to catch the ride so you can see the sunset. It was def worth the money. The bar and snacks made it really fun too. It was also remarkably clean inside and had clean bathrooms. It was nice having the option to wander around above deck or inside. We spent most of the time standing at the bow which made for an incredible view.
Jessica Burnie
May 06, 2022
Rebecca M.
May 05, 2022
I took the sunset river cruise on the Henrietta Riverboat. It had seating on the first level that was air conditioned and open air top level. The boat ride was nice but I was a little disappointed there was no commentary as we went along. The staff was nice enough to answer questions as we were curious to what we were seeing and take photos of us though. It was a nice way to spend the evening while getting another vantage point of Wilmington.
Torie McHone
Dec 26, 2021
Stumbled across the sightseeing tour on a summer vacation so we hopped aboard last minute and really enjoyed our time on the Henrietta. So much that we booked a fall trip to the coast, centered around the Black River nature cruise. It was a delight, with narration by a conservationist, along with an interesting show and tell of some smaller wildlife inhabitants in the area. Will return for a nature cruise again during warmer months.
CeCe Rivera
Dec 07, 2021
Glenn Wells
Nov 05, 2021
Marci Sherman
Nov 02, 2021
Reva Newby
Aug 12, 2021
Ms. Terry R. Rose
Jul 25, 2021
Lee Deskins
Jun 19, 2021
T.
May 22, 2021
John Willis
Mar 28, 2021
Booked the sunset cruise with Cape Fear Riverboats. The Henrietta was a nice boat and well maintained. The crew was friendly and polite. The cruise was 1.5 hrs, going up one side of the port and than the other. There are some cool sights along the river like Battleship North Carolina and all the freight loading docks. That said, overall the scenery is pretty industrial and ugly.
I was a little disappointed with the crew who was letting a guy smoke up on the balcony. Between the smells of diesel and cigarettes it was a bit unpleasant for 15 mins of the trip.
I was a little disappointed with the crew who was letting a guy smoke up on the balcony. Between the smells of diesel and cigarettes it was a bit unpleasant for 15 mins of the trip.
Megan Burley
Jul 27, 2020
Debbie Penland Lawrence
Jul 25, 2020
Nora S.
Jul 20, 2020
Took the Cape Fear riverboat tour today with my family. We had a great time. Sat up top for the first part of the cruise and down stairs for the second half to cool off on a hot day. I felt that Everyone was sitting socially distance and wearing masks when needed to. My children really enjoyed this family friendly tour.
C. Viv
Jun 28, 2020
Frank Chapman
Mar 30, 2020
Very professional and knowledge about the Rivers History and its habitants, including the natural history. Pretty sure to see many birds and including Bald Eagles during certain times of the year. You will see Wilmington's most successful waterfront businesses including Cape Fear Community College and the North Carolina State Ports where large vessels load and unload many kinds of cargo.
Patricia Adams-Van Wy
Nov 03, 2019
Pat Gruber
Sep 17, 2019
Tyneshia S.
Jul 28, 2018
For what it's worth, not bad. The boat tour is only $12, and $6 for kids so you really can't expect a lot. It was a cool trip, that teaches a lot about the history of some of the boats, buildings and houses. They let you bring food and drinks on the boat if you want (non-alcoholic). Overall, it's very relaxing and family friendly of nothing else. They allow you to come up and ask questions on the way back. The captain even came to the back to welcome us to the tour!
Beth M.
Jul 12, 2018
Kori B.
Oct 29, 2017
Anna B.
Jun 19, 2017
We had an awesome time taking the kids out on Father's Day. This is a great way to get some fresh air and learn a little history about Wilmington. They loved cruising under the bridge and looking up to see the bottom of the cars passing overhead. You cannot beat the view of the battleship and it was just nice to get out on the water! Everybody was super friendly and accommodating. Bring your own drinks and snacks. Mom and dad will definitely go back to hang out in their little waterfront bar for live music. Thanks for a fun adventure!
Kara Regan
Mar 13, 2017
We took the sunset boat tour. I was able to get some great pictures from the water of the downtown Wilmington area, bridges, battleship, and sunset. The information given was interesting. Staff was kind and helpful. It was something different and enjoyable to do. We wished the food barge was open in April, or if not that there was something that said so on the website. Seats on the boat are a little hard, bring something to sit on if that bothers you.
Fefe D.
Jul 31, 2016
Jamie M.
Jul 06, 2016
4 stars because they no longer do the Murder Mystery on the boat because it was sold this year so you're on a barge & it's pretty hot & kinda hard to hear the actors. Luckily they turned a fan off so that helped with hearing. They have a show every Tuesday $17 per adult. You can let them know ahead of time what show you watched last time so it's not a repeat.
Should book tickets ahead of time so you can let them know what show you have watched just in case. The 3 actors did really well & got everyone involved. Lots of laughs! & the hour flew by. You can order food from the River Grill. I personally didn't but that's because we had plans after the show.
Should book tickets ahead of time so you can let them know what show you have watched just in case. The 3 actors did really well & got everyone involved. Lots of laughs! & the hour flew by. You can order food from the River Grill. I personally didn't but that's because we had plans after the show.
Jennifer L.
May 30, 2016
I took the one hour tour for $10. It was a very pleasant experience. The boat captain narrated the majority of the trip and I learned a lot about the history of Wilmington. For ultimate comfort, I do recommend bringing a cushion to sit on because the seats are hard. It's okay for an hour but if you take any longer trips it would be very uncomfortable. Overall it's well worth $10 for this enjoyable tour and to get out on the Cape Fear river.
Leslie D.
May 02, 2016
Elaine B.
Jan 06, 2016
We recently booked the Murder Mystery Dinner & Cruise for our wedding anniversary. We had a ball! The food and service was excellent and the show was so much fun. Love the interaction the actors had with the audience during the show. I also love how they topped it off with the fun line dances at the end. We had a great time and I would highly recommend the Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise to anyone looking for a fun evening. I would love to book another one! Thanks Henrietta III crew for a great evening!
Turner P.
Nov 03, 2015
Sara B.
Jun 21, 2015
Joyce W.
Sep 26, 2014
We paid $100 for the dinner cruise. It was the worst time ever! The food was nasty and no where near the price they were charging. They stated proudly the food was fixed aboard by a chef. Yeah. if the chef previously worked at Waffle House. Terribly greasy and nasty. Not one person aboard was a local. I now know why!
Jim R.
Jul 11, 2014
Hank D.
Aug 11, 2013
Went with a group on the dinner cruise. Well, the cruise is good on a hot summer night. The tour guide provide a lot of info. However, I would suggest eating at a local restaurant before or after the boat ride. The food was some kind of baked ziti with ground beef, spaghetti with either a meat sauce or a white sauce, basic salad, bread and a chocolate pudding, graham cracker, cool whip dessert. Pretty much the boat ride as a 4, but the food was a-1, which make 3.
Elizabeth W.
Apr 05, 2013
Riverboats.sigh. Is there anything more romantically Southern? Love 'em. You will catch me in the front of the line for the Disneyland Mark Twain' cruise, and it was no different when we spotted this beauty. Lazy 1.5 hour cruise along Cape Fear with a frosty Corona and our iPhone cameras set to Panorama, we toured the historic riverfront on down to the massive workings of a modern operating port.
This was an afternoon cruise where you could buy sundries and cold drinks at the little bar. I get the suspicion that some of the other reviews were for lunch or dinner cruises, and may have been disappointed with the higher cost and the quality of their food.
This was an afternoon cruise where you could buy sundries and cold drinks at the little bar. I get the suspicion that some of the other reviews were for lunch or dinner cruises, and may have been disappointed with the higher cost and the quality of their food.
Gregory H.
Sep 07, 2011
A lunch river cruise was a good time for all the family, a little historical blurb about local rice paddies, why the river was the color it was, the bridge, shipping, shipyards and naval activity. Henrietta III was a decent boat to ride for the cruise, albeit slow, and the lunch was an okay cold cut buffet on the middle deck after the boat mc finished his commentary.
The dining room had a dance floor, but nobody was cutting a rug, we were just sitting down, enjoying the comfort of the AC. By the time we got back dockside, we were pretty much finished eating - great timing for us to do a little more exploring before going off on the next adventure.
The dining room had a dance floor, but nobody was cutting a rug, we were just sitting down, enjoying the comfort of the AC. By the time we got back dockside, we were pretty much finished eating - great timing for us to do a little more exploring before going off on the next adventure.
John B.
Jun 28, 2011
You can get aboard for about 20 bucks without food, which is what I would recommend. Food was ok, stick to the chicken, fresh veg and potato.its home cooking, worth about 8 bucks max. Beer was reasonable, $4.25 corona. Not much in the way of scenery, but its the Cape Fear River. You are not gonna turn a corner and see the ruins of Pompei!
Noelle H.
Nov 23, 2010
The Henrietta III Riverboat was the kind of experience I might've enjoyed if I were a senior citizen. The food was a buffet of greasy, soggy, country fixings that reminded me of 'Golden Corral' chain food (which I hate). If you want to sit and enjoy slow-paced scenery, this is PERFECT for you. Otherwise? This is not the kind of tour that promotes excitement or even romanticism for dating. However, I did enjoy myself for novelty's sake. There's plenty of places on the boat to explore, and find a private place to be alone if you're with a date, but it all looks the same. By mid-tour, I was so bored I was getting the urge to hide in a closet somewhere and have a quickie. Classy, I know.
