Indian River Queen — Attraction in Cocoa

Unfortunately, I have to rate the Indian River Queen as average at best. It just didn't feel like a $60+ experience.

First, the good. The staff could not have been more pleasant. They were nice and helpful and always smiling. Honestly the staff kept this rating this high.

Now the bad: The food was just mediocre. If you have even been to a conference or large group meal in a hotel ballroom, this is it, bland, mostly tasteless, meant to be acceptable to most. On top of that the servings were tiny. The piece of pork I got was sliced like thick deli sandwich meat and just a few inches long. The salad was served in plastic 4oz cocktail cups as were the chips and salsa "appetizer". Lastly, everything except water and coffee is purchased separately at the bar. A soft drink in a can will cost you $3 and it goes up from there. Drinks are nothing special, standard cheap mixers, no fresh fruit, etc. Also something is amiss with the alcohol, I don't like to accuse any establishment of watering down the booze, but a heavy pour definitely doesn't taste it. There is no table service, stand in a buffet line to be served small portions and then stand at the bar to get a watered down overpriced drink, you get the idea.

Additionally, the boat configuration was just okay, it was windy, the band as other reviews have said is loud. The boat has three decks, a top deck that is uncovered and half roped off, it was just too windy and provided no protection from the sun before it set. The second deck is where the band and main bar are. It is loud without many tables and people are always moving around you, and the lower deck which is enclosed and is the dining room. We ended up staying in the dining room after we ate.

Finally, the ride is nothing spectacular. The boat is obviously not a real paddle wheel boat, it is very slow and it essentially takes you south down the inter-coastal waterway remaining dead in the middle of the channel, the turns around and comes right back.

My suggestion for a night out in Coca is to fine a nice restaurant that matches your taste and then walk around Historic Coca Village. There is a nice park there with some public boat slips and nice little shops. You will not only get out cheaper but you will have a better time, and see about as much of the Indian River as you see...

Bookings say there is no need to arrive early, that boarding is at 6:30, but we were there 10 minutes early,-just in case, got checked in and we’re told that there was a big party on the dining level, so there was only a few tables set aside for the other bookings. We found that the two non-reserved 6 chair tables we could sit at already had people at them with only one of the tables having four seats left which meant we’d have to all sit beside each other in a row. We were referred to the second level where there was four-top tables, where we sat. On that level we received no notice when the dinner was ready, so after the 3rd time going downstairs to check, found a line of people getting food, with some in line for second-helpings. By the time we got to the food, there was no salad left and a short supply of some of the other sides. As a person counting on the salad as my main course, this was very disappointing. Needless to say, our 1st experience left us feeling like our 4 bookings were not regarded the same as the large party, since the level we were left sitting in had less heat (one of the portable heaters ran out of propane) our seating was that of being on the partying level and of course the inability of knowing when the buffet was ready. Why wouldn’t large groups be seated on the second level since that is where the DJ is and they all ended up there anyway after dinner to talk and dance to the music? My booking was a gift for one member of our party and I spent most of the evening apologizing to him for what was a negative experience. The date of our cruise was Friday,...

Lovely evening dinner cruise – great staff – excellent band. I am told that this cruise is open to the public only once or twice a month. Our son and daughter-in-law bought us tickets for a birthday. The boat is a 3-story facility with 1 closed deck where dinner is served and 2 open decks. Our cruise was a Saturday with a 6:30 pm departure time. They check you name off the list and you have the option of getting a professional photo taken (for free). We staked out seats at a table inside as it was a chilly night. There is a bar with a variety of choice for those that like to drink. Tea and water were free. We left the dock about 6:45 and traveled south down the river. They had chips and salsa as an appetizer. The dinner was a buffet with pork, fish, pasta and rolls followed by dessert with was a chocolate cake and something that looked like bread pudding. The staff was excellent, helpful and respectful the entire time. The food was good. The band was excellent. On our tour there was not much dancing but the songs were so enjoyable to sit and listen to it did not matter. We went to the upper decks to stretch our legs several times and enjoy the sites on the way. We returned to the dock about 9:30 pm. I definitely thought it was a wonderful experience that I would...