General
- How many people can each boat hold?
- Our larger boat, The Commodore, has a capacity of 250. The smaller boat, The Pup, has a capacity of 125. For groups larger than 250 we have used both boats at the same time.
- Route-wise, does the cruise allow guests to see the bats emerge?
- The bats are on Lady Bird Lake. Our operation is on Lake Austin. Lake Austin is more or less a 21 mile lake in the shape of a river. Our cruise is a slow meander 5-7 miles up the lake and back. Starting near Hula Hut and Tom Miller dam we cruise upriver with notable sights along the cruise consisting of stunning 8 figure estates, Mt Bonnell, Austin Country Club, Pennybacker Bridge and some great views of the Texas Hill Country. The boarding location is a short 3 miles / 10 minutes West of downtown.
- My Aunt uses a wheelchair, can she get on the boat?
- Both boats are wheelchair accessible; however, once onboard there is no ramp or lift to access another level. Depending on which boat and boarding location, access can be made available to either level on either boat.
- At what point would you need to know final numbers?
- Food/Bar & Headcount: Ideally one week before your event I need to receive confirmation of all details of your booking including current headcount. Three days before your event, you must provide us with a firm guarantee of the number of guests. You may increase that number, but once the three day guarantee is given, the number cannot be lowered. Your final bill is based on that guaranteed number, unless you have additional guests, in which case you will be billed for the number of guests on board.
- What is included?
- Complimentary items: tables, chairs, ice, soft drinks, club soda, tonic water, plates, napkins, cups, and forks. If catering has been ordered from us, then you will get ice tea as well.
- Can I buy 4 tickets for brunch?
- Unfortunately, we are private charter only and do not offer individual tickets. We would be happy to take out a group of your size, but our minimum is $2,500, so we may or may not work out for your plans. We are basically a privately chartered event space for brunch, afternoon, and evening cruises. This could include any sort of gathering from business meetings to weddings. Right now, we are not offering cruises via individual seats.
Parking
- Is there a fee for parking near either of the pickup locations?
- It depends on what time of day. No Parking At Oyster Landing (Hula Hut - Quince - Mozarts) Towing is enforced. At all times, parking is available along the street or in the COA metered lot at 1501 Scenic Drive. Weekends and after 5:30 p.m. weekdays, parking is available in the LCRA Headquarters visitor parking across the street at 3700 Lake Austin Blvd.(garage available)
Decorating
- I saw we are allowed 15 minutes to board and 15 minutes to deboard as well as the 2.5 hour cruise. Would it be possible to allow a wedding coordinator to come 30 minutes or so before the cruise time to add some decorations while the boat is docked in addition to this time allotted?
- Decorating can be done 30 minutes before boarding at your boarding location or if more time is needed you can make plans with us to do so 2.5 hours before boarding at the marina if the boat is available.
- Do the tables have tablecloths?
- We do not have tablecloths for the dining or cocktail tables. They are designed to be used linenless; however, you are more than welcome to bring your own. The food serving tables will have black tablecloths.
Pricing
- Is the pricing online for the Commodore or the Commodore's Pup? Could we get pricing for both (if that's an option)? We are technically inviting 150 people to our wedding and I think it's unlikely we would have more than 125 RSVP.
- Our pricing is for either boat, with the larger boat having a 75 person minimum.
- What is the charge per child for food given smaller appetites?
- Kids 12 and under are free for the cruise portion, but you may want to include them in the headcount for food. If you have a couple of kiddos that will not each much, you can count them as one.
- How do I send my deposit?
- The $1,500 deposit secures the date and goes towards your final invoice. Payment Methods: Check, Zelle transfer, ACH payment, or Credit Card
- When do you need the deposit?
- To book the event and put together a confirmation letter for you, I need the reservation information filled out and receive a $1,500 deposit.
- When is balance due?
- Final payment is based on your guaranteed headcount and can be made before or at the time of your event. Headcount - ideally a week in advance and no later than 3 days before your event.
Weather
- About weather - It is mentioned - "In the event of extreme weather, such as high winds or thunderstorms, we reserve the right to cancel an event to avoid putting the safety of people and property in danger." I totally understand and support this, but I wanted to make sure that if this occurred we would receive a full-refund?
- We go out rain or shine. Both boats have an inside cabin and eves that cover a good portion of the deck. The Pup has room for about 30-50 people to escape the rain. The Commodore has room for about 100. In the event of extreme weather, such as high winds or thunderstorms, we reserve the right to cancel an event to avoid putting the safety of people and property in danger. If we are able, we will move the boat to the boarding location in advance of the weather and will plan to host your event while tied safely at the dock. If during your event the winds taper enough for us to go out, then we will certainly do so. Be sure to tell your guests to dress for the weather. If the threat is lightning, then the expectation is to not have anyone on the boat. The "call" to cancel an event is usually done so just before an event. If your event is canceled, we believe a full refund is the right thing, but the goal is to go ahead with an event if at all safely possible.
- If it rains and we wish to cancel, would we be able to reschedule for a different day or would we lose the deposit (or full contract amount)?
- If it is possible to reschedule your event, we can do that with no fees. If you cancel just because of rain, not extreme weather, and do not reschedule within 90 days, you will lose your deposit.
- If it rains, and we wish to stick it out, is there enough space indoors for everyone to fit and eat? In your opinion would it be worth it to go through with the event or do you recommend rescheduling?
- Events in the rain are very memorable and usually just as fun. While we have 34 tables with 4 chairs each throughout the larger boat, the indoor spaces can accommodate roughly 68 seated. Maximum 52 downstairs without a band and the rest upstairs. As far as how many people can fit inside, obviously the number is more than 68, but the max number is dependent on your guests’ tolerance of personal space. Although we have more than enough seats throughout the boat and you may want everyone to sit and eat at the same time, the "personality" of the boat creates a casual, grab a drink, mingle, grab a plate of food, take in the sights, walk-around atmosphere, even when raining.
Timing
- How far in advance do you recommend booking? How easy is it to add more people on?
- I would say you want to book about a year in advance just to be safe. You never know, that date might never be booked or it could be booked tomorrow. We do not ask that you sign any contract. After we receive your reservation information, we create a confirmation letter for you. A booking deposit is also required to guarantee your reservation. Ideally one week before your event I need to receive all details of your booking including current headcount. Three days before your event you must provide us with a firm guarantee of the number of guests. You may increase that number, but once a guarantee is given, the number cannot be lowered. Your final bill is based on that guaranteed number, unless you have additional guests, in which case you will be billed for the number of guests on board.
- Are there fixed times at which we would depart?
- Event Times: We do not have set times for cruises, you can choose what works best for you. Starting at your chosen boarding time, we allow 15 minutes for boarding and then your cruise begins. Our standard cruise is 2.5 hours. Additional Time: - extra time can be added and billed at $375 per half hour.
- Are the lunches/dinners at a fixed time?
- Normally we open the food up about 20 minutes after departure, but timing is completely up to you.
- What happens if we are late arriving?
- If you are late for your boarding time and also late for your departure, the tardiness just eats into your cruise time.
Food
- Can I bring a small birthday cake?
- Yes, no charge from us. Let me know in advance and the crew will have a table ready. You will need to bring your own cake cutting and serving utensils.
- Some of the guests have food allergies. Could they/we bring a small food item specifically and only for them?
- You are more than welcome to bring items for those guests that have diet restrictions or we can handle it on our end. For vegan folks we can do veggie fajitas. Just let me know how many of your guests will need that option. For gluten free guests, we can offer corn tortillas. Likewise, just let me know how many guests need them.
- Where are the meals served?
- Depending on which boat, it could be in the upper or lower level cabin. The food is serve-yourself buffet style.
- Can we bring our own catering? What if we just bring sandwiches and snacks?
- Yes, timing for outside catering is restricted to weekends and after 6:00 p.m. weekdays. With outside catering, the total will include a $250 off-site catering fee. This fee covers use of our chafers and fuel, hot box, bowls and serving utensils. Please have hot food delivered in disposable pans less than 4 inches tall. If it is food that you have prepared yourself, we do not consider that catering, and you are more than welcome to bring that without incurring an outside catering fee.
Bar
- Are we allowed to bring wine bottles?
- No Alcohol is permitted to be brought directly to the boat.
If BYOB: please plan to drop off the alcohol two business days before the event, at 1600 Fort View Rd, 78704. By appointment only. (No Beer Bottles) May I suggest limiting options as best you can. 2 kinds of beers, a red and white wine and then no more than one brand per spirit is my recommendation. BYOB purchase and delivery assistance if needed - contact Davenport Wine & Spirits (discount for Riverboat clients) Send your request to Info@dws360.com, or give Ricardo a call at 512-732-2900
- How many margaritas does a single batch prepare and do we have to provide our own liquor for that?
- The margarita machine is $180 for the machine and the first batch of mix. Each batch is approximately 60 drinks. If your bar is BYOB then you provide the tequila and triple sec for all batches (At least 3 Liters of tequila and 1 liter of triple sec) If you are having a host bar, then we provide the alcohol. It is $45 every additional batch.
Music
- Is there a Mic/sound system for speeches? A sound system that we could hook into for a playlist? If we brought a DJ/singer, would they need to bring their own sound equipment?
- We have a sound system that plays throughout most of the boat that plugs into your phone or laptop just like headphones. DJs and live bands are also allowed. Let me know if you would like recommendations. We have a short corded microphone at the bar and if we can keep all the pieces a wireless mic as well. Musicians and DJs would need to bring all of their own equipment.
