Lake Shasta Dinner Cruises — Attraction in California

Very poor experience for those with food allergies. Our party called about 2 months in advance to check if one person's allergy could be accommodated. They checked with the chef & the chef said that the allergy could be accommodated including side and meat options. We would not have made this booking otherwise.

The regular menu included a salad bar, pasta salad, broccoli salad, potato salad, bread & dip, tri tip, bbq chicken, lemon shrimp, fruit, corn on the cob, assorted veggies & various cakes for dessert. Of this, the options that my dad could eat were plain lettuce with no dressing, plain corn, fruit, and plain shrimp.

The chef stated "we could've made more things for you if you'd let us know in time" which was frustrating & untrue because we made the booking and confirmed the allergy accommodation 2 months ago. The chef also said "are you like...deathly allergic?" which was insulting & said the meat didn't have the allergen but the seasoning on the meat did. Which obviously still counts as an allergen.

All of the other staff on board were very kind & tried to do what they could, but unfortunately this lack of communication meant my dad paid a full ticket price for barely any food & left hungry. The rest of our party had a good time & good food, the boat ride and crew and pictures were all great, but it was a real bummer to watch my dad have this experience that was avoidable, with no apology or refund offered. It is so hard to go out to eat with an allergy & bad communication makes it so much worse. Please be honest about what allergies you can and can't accommodate so that people can make an informed decision...

To end our evening after visiting the caverns we decided to book a dinner cruise on Lake Shasta. We walked down the many steps and down a steepish hill to the boat, but they offered a shuttle for those with bad knees or in need of assistance. Once we arrived on the boat we were given table assignments. The tables were set for 4 people on each side with 5 tables I believe, so a nice small group of folks. We were directed by Captain Matt on a quick safety brief and we were under way! We made our way out into the lake before sunset, but the weather cooperated and it was a gorgeous evening! After a while each table was given the direction to go to the back of the boat to start with salad and fruit. The servers had brought us some lovely sweet rolls with a delicious homemade butter! As we were going along I recall thinking, “Where do they keep the hot food?” Well, next thing I knew here comes another boat with grills on it to deliver it to us in the middle of the lake! How cool is that? Once the hot food made it aboard, the same sequence of each table getting up to serve themselves went forward. They had a variety of meat options (garlic shrimp, teriyaki chicken, and tri tip) along with potatoes and veggies. Captain Matt was excited to tell us the history of Lake Shasta and its future plans. Wrapping up the dinner we were offered dessert with several choices. There is no alcohol aboard the ship, but the website indicates that you may bring your own libations should you choose. It was a nice relaxing evening and we both...

I had an incredible time on the dinner cruise! During the lightning renovation of the caverns, I worked with the cave crew. I got to know the chef, Jeff, and let me tell you, he’s a passionate cook! I was one of the electricians, responsible for bringing power to each control cabinet within the cave. Jeff worked with us for a couple of days, and we really put in the effort. We covered over 60 floors and 5 to 7 miles a day, so we were exhausted at the end of each day and grimaced at the sight of the first flight of stairs each morning. Despite his exhaustion, Jeff’s passion for cooking never faded. He genuinely cares about the taste of his food and how his patrons enjoy it. He’s his own worst critic!

I’ve never had tri-tip that tasted so good, and the shrimp was absolutely delicious. The service staff was attentive and efficient, and the boat captain, who we sat right behind, was knowledgeable and funny. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to explore the cave since it’s been completed, but during our time there, I was amazed by its beauty and size. I had the privilege of going in places where normal tourists don’t get to go. It was really great seeing the natural cave entrance. And to know that not too many people get to go there or have been there meant a lot.

If you’re considering taking the dinner cruise or a tour of the cavern, I highly...