Al & Alma's Supper Club and Charter Cruises — Attraction in Mound

I worked with Al & Almas on a private sunset cruise birthday party event. I was planning on having 25 guests and we rode on the yacht Avenir. Here are the pros and cons of the whole experience:

PROS: The captain (Captain Luke) and bartender were superb. They allowed me to get on board a few minutes early to set up balloons and drop the goodie bags in the fridge. The lady bartender was super proactive - she kept checking on people, brought out waters, took plates, etc. The captain was really professional, knowledgeable and fun to be around. I was seriously impressed with the two of them. They both offered to help carry out stuff, answered questions, and were really approachable. They asked when I'd like the food and dessert to get served, whether I'd like them to pause at times to give a brief tour/interesting facts of the houses on the lake. I can't say enough kind things about the both of them - everyone was impressed with them two.

Their speaker system was nice. I was able to connect with a Spotify account and a bluetooth connector. Most of the music was in the downstairs area and it didn't overpower any conversations people were having on the top area.

The view was beautiful on Lake Minnetonka. Most people chose to sit upstairs - the cushions were comfortable and the breeze was lovely. We went at the perfect speed.

There was a young man in the parking lot who confirmed which event we were here for and directed us to the parking spot. My guests or I did not have any problems parking.

CONS: I was misquoted the price during the event planning process. Initially they quoted 1170 for the boat w/about 20-25 guests. This price does not involve the gas surcharge, state tax and 18% fee. This bumped up the price to 1600+. The 18% service fee also does not directly go to the captain and the bartender - they only get 1/4 of that. I wish my event planner was more clear about the variation in price.

There was no AC. It was a really hot day so I sweat quite a bit. It would have been nice to have an area to cool down in.

The 2 bathrooms are tiny. The stairs are very narrow and I advised my guests to use the bathroom at the restaurant before departing.

I also was really dissatisfied with the qualify of the food, especially because I paid extra for the herb crusted chicken + BBQ Ribs. That was probably the worst chicken I've had in my life (too "well done", mushy). You could also tell that the salad was not fresh - croutons were mushy, the baked potato was OK. I would recommend choosing a daytime private cruise because you don't need to select a dinner menu then. I was expecting the food to be way better.

All in all, my guests did have a lot of fun and a big part of that is due to the Captain and the bartender that enhanced the experience. If it wasn't for them, I would be rating this...

A friend and I were lucky enough to attend the "Deadliest Catch Cruise" aboard the Bella Vista at Al & Alma's on Lake Minnetonka. I didn't know what to expect going into this two and a half hour cruise, but my first step on board said it all. The first thing that I saw was a live musician who was very talented and was blown away that Al & Alma's would hire someone to come out and play for a public cruise. The boat was absolutely beautiful and was CLEARLY very well maintained. In my opinion, there is no boat that can compete with the Bella Vista. After having a couple of reasonably priced drinks (we were on a boat after all!) the captain announced that there were appetizers on the buffet line, so we went down to get a plate and I was presently surprised with the quality AND quantity of APPETIZERS (this could have been enough for a meal!). After enjoying our teriyaki chicken wings and mini hamburger sliders, they announced that the main meal was ready, once again all buffet style. The meal was composed of crab legs, halibut, a fantastic shrimp salad, among other options...I didn't expect there to be much left with the amount of people on the boat. To my surprise, my friend and I were able to make it through the line twice after everyone had gone and could have made it a third if we weren't so full! The crab legs were phenomenal, especially for being on a boat; I don't know how they do it! After picking up a few "crab pots" during our tour, eating a fantastic meal with appetizers, there was still more...DESSERT. One of the boat hostesses came around and offered apple crisp which was also very delicious. To say the least, the crew members, food preps, and maintenance crew went above and beyond. I would recommend Al & Alma's to any one of my closest friends and family--the professionalism of the crew members and the elegance of the Bella Vista made it a night...

✨️FIRST TIME CRUISER REVIEW✨️

• Ship: Bella Vista (Port of Mound) • Crew: Captain Nate & Co. • Itinerary: Father's Day Signature Lake Minnetonka Sunset Dinner Cruise. • Menu: Surf & Turf (rolls, mixed salad, walleye, ribs, wild rice pilaf, crackers, assorted dessert bars)

✅️ Exceptional Services: • FREE parking (easy access to pier). • FRIENDLY & KNOWLEDGEABLE staff. • AMPLE SEATING w/GREAT VIEWS from all indoor & outdoor table options. • DELICIOUS food & beverage options. • CLEAN restrooms. • GOOD VALUE for the cost of admission/enhancements.

❌️ Improvements to Consider: • AFT TOP-DECK, OPEN-AIR SEATING AREA felt extremely crowded with 8 tables and multiple parties of 6+ people. Would suggest removing the middle table to allow for more ease of mobility/personal space. • MUSIC SELECTION was low-brow/questionable (Country-Rock with debauchery heavy lyrics). Would suggest family-friendly curated playlist of Yacht Rock classics or Smooth Jazz. • RESTRICTED "BUFFET STYLE" food service. Even though the galley ended up with a surplus of food - allowing guests to take second helpings at their leisure - and the designated "serving size" (3 bones of ribs + 1 walleye filet + 1 roll + 1 scoop of sides) was sufficient, it would've been a nicer experience to be served a pre-plated meal with 2 fish filets and 4-5 ribs, than having to leave the comfort and company of our table twice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Overall Experience: We enjoyed mild weather and smooth sailing aboard this evening's voyage. The ship didn't feel overcrowded/oversold and we thoroughly enjoyed Captain Nate's informative narrations! We would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this dinner cruise experience to family & friends, less the few points of consideration we ultimately docked 1⭐️ for. We would certainly consider booking again...