Showboat Branson Belle — Attraction in Hollister

My spouse and I went on the Branson Belle a few nights ago on the last night of our trip. We were incredibly excited because my spouse really enjoys history on steamboats and we thought it would be awesome to experience. We paid over $150 for the two of us and got a really poor experience. When we arrived, the line was decent moving (but we got there an hour early) and the staff were nice enough. Once you got on the boat, you were pushed into a souvenir photo and then immediately into the gift shop. Staff were present to help you find your seats, which was nice. The problems begin once we get to our seats… we were sat in the literal back (as far as possible) at the top of the seats. It was a 90 degree day outside and that top row felt the same, plus you were thigh to thigh with anyone around you (crushed in like sardines). We spent two and a half hours not being able to see anything from that far up and crazy seating. When the food arrived, the chicken tasted fishy (not sure how) and the pulled pork was so salty it was inedible. The green beans and mashed potatoes were horrible. I felt absolutely horrible for our server who was amazing but was older and had to climb all the stairs any time we needed more water (which was often because it was so hot). He was very kind and I felt, overworked. I felt even worse that we didn’t have any cash and weren’t aware or thought ahead to need some for a tip. It would be really nice if the Showboat corporation would add that as a notice in receipts or ahead of time so servers could be tipped properly. The show itself wasn’t bad. It was just ruined by the fact that we couldn’t see anything that high up as well as they had the music low so it wasn’t to loud for those seated at the bottom that we could hear nothing. The comedy host was mostly focused on selling his book and if you were seated anywhere other than the first 5 rows than he couldn’t care less about audience involvement. My final complaint is that for the two hours we were on the boat, it did one lap and docked. There was a 40 minute intermission between eating and before the show even started that you could get up and see the boat but if you happened to stay seated then you were out of luck because the boat was docked for over half the show. When leaving the boat the dancers and singers were standing in the gift shop waving but were very obviously uninterested in talking or anything else. I wish so badly to have enjoyed our time there but I just can’t say we did. The staff were amazing for what they were given but I absolutely will not step foot back on...

We enjoyed the Branson Belle Showboat.

Today was the second time in 4 years that we’ve went on the Branson Belle Showboat for a dinner and show.

We opted for Captain’s Club seating this time which put us on the second floor in the row facing the stage head-on. It was a really good location with a perfect stage view, comfortable seats and not as crammed in as the main floor seating.

The food portions seemed larger and there were dessert choices. Our server had a smaller number of patrons, so he was by often.

We enjoyed the food and ended up taking over half our food home. They provide to-go containers but you’re not allowed to bring in coolers or soft-sided bags. I did have a plastic bag in my pocket that we were able to put our to-go containers into. Then in the truck, I had a soft-sided cooler with cold packs all ready.

The show was great. There were 13 performers in total (including the Magician/Comedian/MC guy and 3 musicians). Video was not allowed but I snapped a number of still photos with my phone. They didn’t turn out great as I needed to zoom in for the shots, but it’s good enough for a memory.

Between dinner and entertainment, I walked around the 2nd floor outside deck and took pictures of the lake and landmarks on shore. I assume it’s allowed as there were people smoking outside on the decks.

There were bathrooms at the front of the boat on all 3 levels. There’s a large gift shop with lots of Branson Belle, Table Rock Lake branded souvenirs, drinkware, apparel etc.

The parking lot was very large with plenty of spaces for all guests. From the parking lot to the boat, the grounds are lush and beautifully decorated. I got plenty of shots of all that as well.

Near the box office are several gift/apparel/souvenir stores and the box office - plus restrooms.

To get from the box office / stores area, onto the boat, you walk down a ramp. Wheelchairs and walkers can use this ramp and there are wheelchairs available for those that may need one.

As for dinner and sho pricing, here’s what I captured: General Seating: $71 Adult (12+) / $44 Children (4-11) *Captain’s Club: $101 Adult / $64 Children

Captain’s Club includes: Priority Boarding (shorter line - like a fast pass) Premium View Seating Chef’s Menu Selections

I don’t anticipate coming back to the Belle in the future but I’m happy we’ve go...

This was a great night of food and entertainment on beautiful Table Rock Lake near Branson. Our sailing was at 8pm in early May, so we were able to enjoy the end of a lovely sunset over the Ozarks from the upper deck of the ship before the show started. We spent the extra money for the Captains Row (1st row of the balcony), and felt it was worth it for three reasons. 1) Priority boarding. This allowed us to board early without standing in the pressing crowd of sweaty under-dressed masses who we saw queueing up behind us. (Yes, I know how snotty that sounds, and I really don't mean it to be. It's just an accurate description for those who read these reviews when planning their trip.). It also gave us more time to check out the ship. 2). Better view of the stage and performers. 3) Better meal. Not just better, but options. On the main floor it's a preset menu. I had the breaded chicken breasts and my wife had the steak. Both were very good, but we agreed the chicken was a little better. The entertainment was good, but not great. The dancing/tapping/clogging was the most impressive. The male singing group was pretty good, but a few of them need acting lessons - they made us think we were watching a high school musical, overly animated. The female singer is sort of the star of the show, but her vocal range isn't wide enough. She did great in the upper ranges, but couldn't pull off the lower ones. Either because of this, or just because of weak sound mixing skills, they had too much of the low end turned up in the speakers. This sometimes made it hard to understand the singers. The comedian/comic/emcee did a great job. He was good at getting the audience into the show and was very likable. ( I picked up his DVD on magic in the lobby to learn a few tricks for my niece, but haven't seen it yet.) They did a good job of giving us time to go out on the decks and enjoy the view before the main show started. Sadly, they allow smoking on the boat. The rude people who actually smoke are supposed to keep their cigarettes on the 2nd deck (of 4 total decks). But they can stand anywhere from bow to stern. This allows them to equally spread their smoke (which doesn't seem to confine itself to the 2nd deck) to all other levels of the ship. Especially when they stand up wind or...