Take a cruise with Lake Pleasant Cruises- One of the best Phoenix attractions

Lake Pleasant is the second largest body of water in Arizona and happens to be my favorite lake in the Phoenix area to run off to. Located just under an hour Northwest of downtown Phoenix, Lake Pleasant holds many outdoor recreation activities to choose from.

One of my favorite things to do with friends and family is to take a cruise with Lake Pleasant Cruises! This local business offers a variety of fun cruise experiences to choose from for your next date night, girls day out, or family adventure.

In this post I am going to share with you the different cruise options, what to expect, and my latest cruise experience with them. Let’s go!

ABOUT LAKE PLEASANT CRUISES

Part of what makes Lake Pleasant Cruises so special is that they are family owned and operated. With roots stemming from Iowa, the family came to the Phoenix area and have been running cruise experiences on Lake Pleasant for about 7 years now!

The cruise ship is called ‘The Phoenix’ and its crew is mostly made up of the family members themselves. You can find Matt in the captains quarters, steering the boat, and his wife downstairs bartending and serving snacks. Matt’s sister, Katelyn, also takes part in the business operations with Marketing and bartending too. You can learn more about the crew here!

This post is sponsored by Lake Pleasant Cruises. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are my own. I pride myself in being transparent and always sharing honestly with my readers. For more please see my disclaimer page.

THE DIFFERENT CRUISES

Lake Pleasant Cruises offers a variety of cruises on the lake so you have the option to choose what best suits you. Be sure to pay attention to the operating dates and times for it may be different for each type of cruise.

NARRATION CRUISE

The Lake Pleasant Recreational Area holds a lot of history, and one of the best ways to learn some facts about it is during a Narration Cruise. Lasting a duration of 1.5 hours, this fun, afternoon cruise is available year round and will take you out on the lake to look at some beautiful views and learn a little bit too. If you’re lucky you might even get to see some wildlife in the area!

SUNSET MUSIC CRUISE

If you want to spice things up a bit try out Lake Pleasant Cruise’s Sunset Music Cruise! This is the one I recently went on and it was a blast. It lasts for 1.5 hours and you’ll get to watch the sun go down from the water while enjoying a live local band. The vibe is extremely relaxed and fun so it is perfect for a date night or friends night out.

DJ PARTY CRUISE

Note: Due to current conditions, this type of cruise is temporarily cancelled. I still wanted to cover it as an option for when they resume in the future. You can check their website to see when they’re back up and running!

The 21 and over only option! Lake Pleasant Cruises hosts a local DJ during this super fun 1.5 hour cruise where you can dance, sing, and enjoy a night out on the water. This one usually takes place after dark and is suited for those who really want to have some fun!

SUNSET DINNER CRUISE

If you’d like to add a little romance to your adventure, then the Sunset Dinner Cruise would be a great option. During this Lake Pleasant Cruise you’ll get to take in the beautiful lake views for sunset while enjoying a buffet style dinner. The top deck is lined with lights adding to the ambiance of a romantic evening if you prefer. This one lasts 1.5 hours also, so you’ll have plenty of time to eat, drink, and relax.

Lake Pleasant Cruises also offers holiday themed cruises and private charters for special events. You can learn more here.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR CRUISE

Boarding Lake Pleasant Cruises is a little different, but fun! They’ve made the process as easy as possible for you and will send you directions via. email once you’ve booked your cruise. Make sure you read the directions so you know exactly where to go!

GETTING TO LAKE PLEASANT CRUISES

Lake Pleasant Cruises docks in the Lake Pleasant Harbor area and charges $7 to get into the Marina. If you are a Veteran or Active Military with valid I.D. then the fee is waived for you.

Once you make it through the entrance you’ll continue straight and find the canopy area on your right. It is on the edge of the parking lot where you will park. All you have to do is wait for the golf cart shuttle to come pick you up! Then you’ll get to enjoy a beautiful ride down to the marina, onto the dock, and you’ll be dropped off right by The Phoenix.

If the golf cart isn’t operating for whatever reason you will have to walk down to the docking area yourself, but it is only a 10 minute walk.

NOTE: You’ll want to plan on arriving to the harbor 45 minutes before your cruise departure to allow yourself time to get to the marina!

BOARDING

Boarding The Phoenix is simple! You don’t have to worry about printing your ticket- just show them the tickets that were emailed to you when you booked your cruise. You can bring these up on your phone.

If you arrive early you might get lucky and be one of the first to board and have your choice of seats! When I visited Lake Pleasant Cruises we didn’t have to wait in line. Everyone just showed up and boarded as they arrived, sitting where they pleased.

LAKE PLEASANT CRUISES AMENNITIES

Onboard the Phoenix you’ll find everything needed to make your cruise comfortable-

Life jackets for safety
Climate controlled lower deck
Covered upper deck
Restroom available for use
Plenty of seating options
Drink and snack bar!
Live entertainment (if included)!

PRO TIP: Be sure to have cash on you if you think you may want to purchase snacks and/or beverages during your cruise.

Don’t forget to pack the necessities!

Masks (required when boarding and walking about)
Camera
Sunscreen
Hat
Sunglasses
Cash for drink and snack purchases
Layers incase it is chilly (check the weather)

MY LAKE PLEASANT CRUISES EXPERIENCE

My boyfriend and I booked a Sunset Music Cruise with Lake Pleasant Cruises for a Friday evening date night. It happened to fall on a very rare day where Arizona received some rain. We were a bit worried about the weather cooperating, which is usually something we never have to consider when going out to adventure in the desert.

Luckily, Lake Pleasant Cruises has the lower cabin enclosed and temperature controlled so even if we did get rained on, we’d be comfortable. The rain ended up missing us (yay!) and the storm gave us some rare, dramatic, and stormy skies.

Our live music for the evening was a local band named BOAA (Brothers Of An Art). The band played a variety of music from Ricky Nelson to Lynard Skynard and created great interaction with all the guests from cracking jokes to taking song requests. They truly made the cruise experience that much better!

On The Phoenix we chose to sit at a table in the lower deck since it was chilly outside. Our table was up front, close to the band, and right next to the door so we could step out and get some fresh air as desired. The lower deck is also enclosed with windows so we didn’t miss any of the views!

My usual routine on cruises is to find a table then visit the drink and snack bar to begin the fun! My boyfriend and I ordered a drink each, returned to our table, and sat back to enjoy the music and beautiful mountain views.

But of course I couldn’t sit still for long…not with the upper deck calling my name! We walked to the back of the boat where the stairs are located and carried our drinks to the upper deck. I loved it up there!

The upper deck is covered to provide shade during the sunny days but the sides are open so you get even better views than down below, as well as a taste of that wonderful fresh air. We spent quite some time on the upper deck taking pictures.

After a while the Captain slowed the boat down and brought us close to an island. I never knew that Lake Pleasant had islands since I had never been out on the water before. He pointed out the Blue Herron that usually rest in the area and we were able to spot a couple!

Eventually the sun started going down and the sky began to grow dark. Lake Pleasant Cruises lined The Phoenix’s upper deck with lights to add to the overall ambiance and sunset experience. I loved the upper deck, I didn’t want to leave! But it got even more chilly as the sun started going down so we headed back to our table on the lower deck.

I decided it was time to replenish our drinks so we stopped at the bar before heading back to our table. Since the sun was down and we couldn’t see much outside, we were able to focus our full attention back to the live band, BOAA.

The end of the cruise was a blast! Everyone on board was relaxed, conversating, and throwing song requests at the band. We chatted a little with the table next to us, and enjoyed the rest of our Lake Pleasant Cruise.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON TAKING A CRUISE WITH LAKE PLEASANT CRUISES

I am a big fan of family owned businesses, and this one is definitely worth sharing. Lake Pleasant Cruises is ran extremely well and the crew truly cares about each and every visitor experience.

Taking a cruise is such a quick and easy way to get out on the water and enjoy some mountain views. Since there are multiple cruise options to choose from, you’ll have options for your experience- girls day out, date night, or family reunion, etc.

Sometimes Lake Pleasant Cruises has different themes for holidays or special events such as brunch cruises for Mother’s Day! Don’t forget to keep an eye out for these special offers so you don’t miss out. If you do visit them, be sure to tell the crew I say Hi!

Activities, Arizona, Cities, Travel