The Grand Sightseeing Tour on Lake Superior by Vista Fleet is a must-do when visiting Duluth. To fully appreciate the beauty of the city, I feel it’s important to take and learn from this tour. We took the last tour of the season which had the leaves at prime fall colors. Sam was our tour guide and he was cracking dad jokes the whole time. You can park by the Convention Center for $10. Please take this lake cruise!

Very fun cruise around Lake Superior!! Learned a lot of knowledge I never knew before, so was well worth our time. We were on a family vacation with my two foreign exchange girls from Switzerland and Spain, so it was very neat for them to get the experience. The tour guide did a wonderful job of keeping it interesting the entire time and explaining what we were seeing.

This cruise was so much fun. We loved the seeing all the different things. Sam was so good telling everything about Duluth and the water. I would definitely take the cruise again

This cruise was great! The food was amazing, however, I wanted more! The boat situation was sad though. The night of our cruise a private party rented out the boat they use for dinner cruises and my cruise got moved to a smaller boat. It was very crowded and we had to sit with random people. I also feel like if we still paid the same thing, we should have got something in return. The service was good and I loved where we actually cruised. The drinks were awesome. I would do this again, and their other tours.

Had a great time crew was very friendly & professional! Most the crew were kids (young) but you couldnt tell. Captain was great he did a fantastic job. Thank you very much we loved it!

Nice tour & commentary by Sam. Disliked the VERY long line to board. Location is convenient to Canal Park area.Tip: Try for free street parking between DECC & the lake.

We took the coffee and colors boat tour. It went up the St. Louis River. It was very enjoyable. The tour guide was great. He had a lot of information. This ride is definitely worth taking.

A beautiful and informational tour of the Lake Superior coastline at Duluth. We were also lucky to see two cargo ships leave the port via the canal at the aerial bridge! The speaker system on the top deck could use a tweak as we were not always able to understand everything that the tour guide was pointing out. All in all a great time on the water learning about the areas history.

Went on the sightseeing tour, around some of Lake Superior and the harbor. It was very informational, and everyone was nice. Highly recommend! Worth the money!

I cant wait too back and take the longer tour. The tour guide was insanely informative. Learned a lot. If you visit Duluth this is a MUST. And you can save $5 a person by booking online before hand.

Everything you thought it should be. They made it into a romantic reality for anyone couple, single, or group. It was worth every penny that I spend.

This trip is our last hurrah for the summer and our anniversary celebration. The views were amazing, the crew were wonderful especially the captain and 1st mate. The captain even let us drive the boat! It was the cherry on top! We will be doing this again!!!

Enjoyed our cruise very much. The captain talked with everyone in line before boarding. The first mate, Hannah, did a great job keeping everyone in line. Sam was a wonderful narrator and I learned a lot.

We had an awesome guide named Sam! He worked without a pa system and we were all over ran by a group of 3rd graders field trip. He was still able to help keep order with the kids and still give great information about the harbor and history of Duluth! Well done, Sam!

Really enjoyed seeing the sites. The captain did good job talking about what we were seeing. He had goid humor.

Best part about our trip. Loved our ride. And friendly staff too:)

The cruise was nice & we learned a lot about Duluth & Lake Superior.We were able to social distance easily too .Great way to see the lighthouses, Draw Bridge, & port shipping action too.

A fun and relaxing cruise for 75 min on the big lake. They also offer many other styles of tours! We go every year and it never gets old. Tour guides are corny but thats what makes it fun. Hard to hear them sometimes due to rude people talking loudly and screaming kids. Show some respect! If you dont want an actual tour where you listen to the guide then please rent your own boat.

Lovely evening. food was yummy, thank you to all

Cruise was wonderful, even with the high winds and choppy water! Only issue was the speaker was out on the second deck and while the gal tried, she just doesnt have a loud enough voice to be heard so we missed almost all of the guided tour

We sailed on the Vista Star. Had the brat lunch combo. Nice brat. Sam did a great job sharing his knowledge of Duluth. Fun cruise to take.Disappointed in the rest room. No soap and toweling wasnt working.

We had a grate time! We learned a lot about Duluth and enjoyed some very good cocktails

A buddy and I were in Duluth for a few days, so we decided to take the longer daytime tour (1:45 long, I think). Went out into Lake Superior, under that cool flying bridge, but then came back in shortly. Spent the bulk of our time tooling around in the bay / canal area, looking at ships, docks, warehouses, etc. The info and history were cool, but it wouldnt have hurt my feelings to be out on the lake more.Get there way earlier than the 30 minutes they recommend. We got there right at the start of that timeframe, thinking it was more for check-in. No, boatloads ;) of people were already standing in line. Earlier folks in the line get to pick where they sit, and Id shoot for an earlier spot, so that I could enjoy the tour from the top or middle deck.As it was, we sat out front on the lowest deck. That was fine, weather was good - and we could have moved inside if necessary. All the folks were nice. They do provide a bathroom, bar, souvenirs and snacks on board, too.

Delicious dinner! Wonderful boat ride! BEAUTIFUL! Great, friendly staff!

Really neat experience, super fun to see Duluth from a different angle. Ill definitely be going on these again

We took a tour with our kids and grandkids for our 20th anniversary, everyone had a great time. We will definitely be returning.

We enjoyed the trip around the harbor and the information about the boats and harbor was very informative.

Nice cruise around the harbor and a little into the main lake Superior

Relaxing way to learn about the history of the Duluth Harbor (MN) and see the ships that come and go.

We have done several different cruises now and have enjoyed all of them but one. Each tour gives you lots of information and also each one is a different length of time. The best thing to do is go online and make your reservation. They do book up fast and getting tickets same day is impossible. The only thing I would like to see different but doesnt affect my rating is Season Pass holders should be able to have top deck or be able to board first.GRAND SIGHTSEEING TOUR is the one we have been on the most now. The reason we keep going on this one is we enjoy the ride around the harbor. It honestly never get old looking at everything. Also Sam is by far the best first mate/tour guide he funny and informative.Cruise Length: 1 Hour, 45 MinutesVessel: Vista StarTicket Prices: $27.00 (Book online save $5.00)PIZZA SIGHTSEEING CRUISE was ok but the reason we didnt like was the tour lady/first mate talked way to much. Also she sounds like she was just reading all the information off a sheet. It also felt like a class and we had a teacher. It was nice to take a ride still and have some pizza so we could over look that part. If you dont want to do a long tour like the Grand Sightseeing one then you can get the information from this one plus pizza.Cruise Length: 1 Hour, 15 MinutesVessel: Vista Star second deckTicket Prices: $29.95SUNSET DINNER CRUISE BY BELLISIOS by far has been our favorite. We around the whole bay instead of just the harbor. The meal was good and just to be able to relax at the top deck after our meal was wonderful. The sunset was gorgeous! It was beautiful out the day we went on so didnt have to worry about a dark gloomy ride. You have the option of Wild Rice Stuffed Chicken Mornay, 10-ounce Char-Grilled Sirloin Steak, or Four Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce as your entree. That comes with fresh Chopped Caesar Salad, French Bread Rolls, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Seasonal Vegetables. They also offer a kids meal if you choose to bring them which includes Chicken Tenders, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Seasonal Vegetables.Cruise Length: 2 HoursVessel: Vista StarTicket Prices: From $54.95-$59.95

It was a beautiful day to take a boat ride. The boat was clean and roomy. Our guide, Sam, was informative and full of puns. ☺️. He answered questions patiently and interacted with his audience on all decks. Learned a lot about Duluth and got to see the city from a unique boats eye view.

This cruise is a Duluth tradition for my family. I have my own boat, but I do enjoy when a I can just sip a beer carefree and enjoy the ride on another vessel. This is great for families or couples or solo sightseeing trips. The city of Duluth looks amazing from the water. And the bay full of ships is breathtaking.

We had a great time on our boat trip trip on the Vista Star. Our experience exceeded my expectations for the price, the the view during the ride was beautiful. Good amount of time for a cruise and the tour guide Sam was very nice and humorous. 5 stars!

Im on a boat!!! We had brunch yesterday, I was surprised how much food and how good the food was. Also SAM was an great tour guide! Cheers.

We had lots of fun and learned a lot about Duluth! It was interesting to hear about the major exports from the port and learn why these ships are still an excellent supply chain staple. Our tour guide, Sam, was knowledgeable and fun.

The boat ride was a good time. We learned a lot and saw many interesting things. The food was very good. The crew were informative and polite. Instructions were clear and the vessel was clean and I’m good condition. The launch point is located right next to the activities in the park.

We just had our wedding aboard the Vista Star last weekend and everything about it was perfect!!! Colleen was so amazing to work with from start to finish. We promptly responds to any questions we had and never once did we feel like we were being a burden to her. She was so friendly and cheerful to work with and we would highly recommend to the Vista to Fleet to anyone looking for a nautical destination wedding!!!! We loved the simplicity and ease of a destination wedding. Their packages are wonderful- we chose the platinum package which was perfect for what we needed. The vendors they recommended were wonderfully organized-it was minimal effort on our part! Everything was delivered to the ship before we boarded and was a breeze. The ceremony was customized to what we wanted, the weather was perfect, the food and staff amazing, and the sunset was to dream for!!! 5 stars all around!!!! We cant wait to come back to celebrate future anniversaries with them!

Alwasy a great experience, and our 2 toddlers loved it! Just long enough to keep their attention without getting antsy, and yummy snack stand with great soft pretzels 😊

I would give the cruise 5 stars...however, the check-in process was a complete mess! There were 75 or so folks and all had to go through one line being tended by an older gent with an ipad? All while at least three other crew members stood by and watched! Come on...in todays world where we had all paid online ahead of time....there has to be a much faster way to get us all aboard? The boarding process took 25 minutes....no need for this. This has to be addressed in the future! As for the cruise; Sam was excellent and this is our second time out...love the info and all the sights of Duluth!

Excellent staff, both conscience and casual, with very broad and deep knowledge of harbor. Narration was just right - great info and little breaks.Captain and staff of the Star emphasize safety and make for many fun trips. Children of all ages welcome. For accessibility small plank but can board with just few small rises.

Sam was a good tour guide. Very funny and informative. I got my nerd fix learning about the harbors and felt safe the entire time. The only reason for 4 instead of 5 is because the bathroom door is jacked up but it closes and locked so I dont care but I can see how other people might not be thrilled.

Fun activity on Lake Superior. Great way to get out on the water and learn a bit about the harbor, shops, and the lake. Out tour guide did a nice job of explaining things along our path. Couple of tips: top deck has the best view but show up 20 -30 minutes before boarding to claim a spot. First level has open windows and a bar for drinks and snacks. 2nd level does not allow open windows and can be stuffy this time of year.

Really nice cruise tour. Learned a lot about the various areas in Duluth. I thought it would be boring at first as I dont really like narrated cruises, but it was very informative and relaxing at the same time.The address brings you right in front of the boat, but there is a parking lot behind it that charges $5.If you have young toddlers like me, I say do their express tour, the 1hour 15 min one was a bit too long for my daughter.Definitely worth your money.

The tour was well guided, and engaging! It was a perfect activity for a family weekend trip. The crew was kind, and not to mention funny! The Bloody Mary’s are great as well! :)

Always smooth sailing!

Ive enjoyed trips with friends and family as far back as the original King & Queen in the 80s so Im providing this review with a heavy heart.I booked Bluegrass & BBQ for my husbands birthday. Advertised as 1.5 hour dinner & music cruise, specifically Enjoy Bluegrass music by regionally award-winning musicians... along with a specific menu from MidCoast Catering.For $94.86 plus $10 to park, this is the reality:The aforementioned regional Bluegrass musicians was sadly Vista code for speakers 1/2 time tuned to radio feed of ≥1975 country & instrumentals. The remaining time, FANTASTIC NARRATION WAS PROVIDED BY THE OUTSTANDING SAM coupled with silence.The catered meal was missing the chicken (pork was the sole option), also absent was the elote (corn), chips, & cheese.Finally, the reservation form specifically requested to know if we were celebrating anything special. I advised them of my husbands birthday, but I wasnt expecting anything other than maybe a best wishes upon boarding? Nope.Weird. Skip this one, people.

The Vista Stars Captain and Crew are wonderful and the tour was delightful! My issue comes with the maintenance of the vessel. At the time, she was truly in need of a paint job. The interior was pretty beat up (paint chipped, door finish cracked, and ceiling tiles torn or very poorly cut). Pizza was pretty okay. Nothing to write home about. Though, they had IBC root beer which was awesome!

It was a great time cant wait to come back!!

Really informative. Move boat very clean easy to get to.very inexpensive. 🇺🇸🛳

I enjoyed the ride and the employees. I was disappointed that I had to pay for basic coffee and orange juice after spending $200 on 4 tickets for brunch. Food was decent. We had perfect weather and the water was calm. I definitely enjoyed it. Not sure if I would do it again due to the cost.

We did a brunch cruise. The cruise wad great but the food is horrible! If I were Bellisios, I would not admit to being the caterer. The food was horrible. The sausage was microwaved and rubbery. The egg bake had the consistency and flavor of a wet sponge. The biscuits and gravy were basically just a biscuit. We were also not pleased with the fact that after paying for the cruise and brunch, you have to buy coffee and juice separately at the bar! And the coffee was disgusting. I try to only do good reviews, but the only good part was being on the water on a beautiful day and that was really thanks to mother nature.

Fun trip around the harbor and out on the lake. Great seeing Duluth and Superior from a different vantage point

It was a lot if fun! The boat was very clean and easy to navigate. The crew were all efficient, kind, and open for questions. Hand sanitizer was included and the entire crew wore masks as well as encouraged guests to wear them as well. Drinks and chips were offered (although at an extra cost) along with a public bathroom on board. The ride itself was very fun with Sam, our tour guide, being very knowledgeable and having lots of jokes! The lake is beautiful and the lift bridge was fun to go underneath as well as watch it rise. We even got a salute from the Paul R Tregurtha! Overall a pleasant experience and in my opinion a good time of an hour and 15 mins.

Went here for my moms sisters wedding the boat ride was amazing best wedding Ive ever been to by far

The tour was great and quite educational. The whole family had a great time. Would recommend. The captain brought us out to a big ship and we followed it back into the bay.

Could have more, smaller, thus private tables. Gamble on having strange table mates.Dress for cold weather!

Excellent tour! Our tour guide Sam was wonderful. Loved the puns! Captain Ron did a fantastic job maneuvering around the lake and the bay including around a 1000 footer!

It was a nice cruise experience the crew was super friendly. Not the most clean or luxurious cruise but still kid friendly. My 2 year old had a lot of fun on it.

Great tour, beautiful surroundings. Paid service - Captain friendly, our son was at the helm 👍 It was unpleasant from the noisy company who drank too much beer.

Enjoyed a great tour today with Sam as our very informative guide! The weather was beautiful, water was kind, and Sam had just my kind of humor. 😂This tour is definitely worth the cost for the beautiful views you get, a relaxing way to spend a couple hours of your time in Duluth. Ten out of ten recommend!

We took the one hour and 15 minute cruise and found it to be just right. The cruise guide was informative and mildly entertaining with his numerous puns. You will get a different perspective of Lake Superior by being out on the water. Also, it’s really cool having the aerial lift bridge rise just for you as you get to go under it.

We did the 1 hr 15 min tour. This is well worth the price of admission, whether you are visitor from out of town or a Duluth resident. The tour was well narrated with a ton of interesting information. Just the right length of time too. Would highly recommend.

We just went on the Sunday Brunch cruise this last weekend, and have only great things to say! It was the perfect length cruise with a great staff and delicious food! We loved the views and the tour! I didnt realize wed be going under the big lift bridge, so that was a special treat for the whole family! The cruise goes into Lake Superior to begin with, then it goes back into the harbor and does a huge loop through, (which is funny to me, because I hadnt really realized just how big the harbor was)! Lots of fun history to listen to from the funny and knowledgeable tour guide. The food is catered by the Duluth Grille, (one of our favorite restaurants in all of Duluth), and it was every bit as awesome on the water as it is on land! Theres something for everyone: omelettes, carved ham, eggs (done to your preference), biscuits and gravy, caramel apple French toast, scones, muffins, fresh fruit, a pasta dish, Caesar salad, and rolls! Coffee and water are included, but there is a cash bar for anything else you might enjoy! It was fun to go between the levels of the ship (3) to get different views, (and to keep the kids occupied before and after brunch)! From the ticket sales to the wait staff, this experience and team were great! I highly recommend a brunch cruise (or any other cruise, for that matter), with Vista Fleet!Tip: Buy tickets in advance! Tables are pre-sat by reservation!

My son and daughter in law and their family invited me to join them on Mothers Day for the brunch cruise on the Vista Star. What an amazingly wonderful time it was! It was a beautiful catered brunch on a sunny, but cold and windy day. Being in the enclosed area of the Vista, the coldness outside was not even an issue because it was so very confortable.The Attendants on the cruise were all tremendously courteous and efficient! It was hospitality at its max and couldnt have been lovelier.

The meal and the crew were wonderful. Enjoyed the scenery from the bow.

A great cruise, good food and nice views while you dine. Tour guide had great information on the area.

Very pleasant boat ride. The captain was witty and informative and the cocktails were tasty and inexpensive.

The tour guide was great. The cruise was nice and relaxing. Learning about Duluth and its history was fun.

The guide was friendly and gave us a great summary of many points of interest around the harbor and out in Lake Superior. We had a dinner cruise, catered by OMC. That was delicious as well.

Very informative and interesting. Just a long enough cruise for young kids. Pre order any food if you want to eat on board, otherwise there are only snacks and drinks available.

Was a great tour, we had a ton of fun. We have three small children 6,4,10 months and had space to move around. Just a heads up you cant bring a stroller on the boat.

First time on a boat tour of Lake Superior and we loved it. It was 1&1/4 hours and we had a very entertaining tour guide named Laura. The day was beautiful so we were on the top deck getting plenty of sun.

Was a very nice trip. Humorously narrated. Get there early if you want a window or outside seat. Duluth is a phenomenal city and Lake Superior is one of a kind.

Awesome experience. See things you wont see from most areas of town.

Fun, educational tour of the Duluth waterfront. Sasha was a great tour guide. Our 18 month old loved being on a boat!

It was my first time to Duluth. It is beautiful. We did the dinner cruise. We loved learning and seeing everything.

We had a great time with the family. Its a great tour of the area. It was especially fun to go through the lift bridge.

MN Teen Challenge Gala. Beautiful views, great event.

Ok, so, we were gonna ride the train that goes on the shoreline, but reviews were sketchy and price was higher. Then my wife saw this, BOOM, big brain idea! We could look at the lake from the shore OR we could look at the shore FROM the lake! I know right? We carefully avoided the three hour tour (past bad experience unrelated to this place) and went for the 1 hour and 15 min tour (could have been more could have been less, there was alcohol on the boat) Sam was the tour guide and did a great job. Get there early and in line if you want to be guaranteed a spot on the top. The top has some plastic lawn chairs that you can position wherever (apparently wherever isn’t accurate, the captain won’t let you sit with him) so, wherever within reason. Furthermore, our 9 year olds day was made, because we followed a lake freighter in, through the lift bridge. As a whole, the trip in the harbor was a nice break from walking, the bar on the boat was very fairly priced, and the staff was welcoming. A great way to see the Duluth waterfront.

Very nice adventure through the harbor, good tour guide. Good price.well worth it

The crew do a great job facilitating a memorable educational experience.

I went with my wife and two year old daughter. We didnt wanna get out when the ride ended. Friendly staff, excellent customer service and pretty much everyone on board was friendly... pictures and videos will always remind me that today was a special day for my family. Keep up the good work Vista Fleet.

Fun tour, but the indoors of the first deck smelled like puke. Friendly staff too. Forgot the tour guides name but he was good.

Visiting from Texas. Had an awesome afternoon, Sasha and Sam were our guides and they did GREAT!! Very nice cruise, so much history here. Definitely worth checking out!!

The boat broke down and had to be towed back to the dock. The Coast Guard had to assist.But the crew was calm and pleasant, well organized and did the best they could with a bad situation.They refunded the cost and provided vouchers for a future cruise, without is asking for it. I think they did a fine job. But for the equipment failure, 5 stars.

Nice tour of the bay and adjacent lake superior area. Drinks and snacks available on the bottom floor. 😁

Took the pizza tour. Although the actual tour of the bay and experience of being on a boat were great and the staff was extremely nice and accommodating. Dont go on an empty stomach. Its more like a snack rather than a meal, but the price was fair for what you do get. Being from out of town and seeing the sites from the boat still made for a fun trip.

Great tour. Interesting history about the area. Cruises are ok in price if you are a couple people with more than 2, it gets a little expensive, 24 dls. Regular (adults) $ 13 ( kids 3 to 12). You can take nice pictures and the cruise last 1 hr. 15 min. Friendly staff

It was nice. One thing, the diesel smell gives me an instant headache. It sucked because I really wanted to enjoy my time on the lake.

We went on the dinner cruise on 7/15/17 and enjoyed ourselves. It was family friendly. We had a couple two year olds with us but no one seemed to mind them as we tried to limit their ability to run around and their noise production. Staff was friendly. The steak and chicken was good, but Im 99.9% sure the kids mac and cheese was from a box.

Really wonderful tour and very nice boat. Staff is efficient and friendly. Love doing the tour when in the Twin Ports. Also visit the well stocked gift shop.

The tour guide was amazing. She talked for the whole tour and shared facts and place names with us. We got there in plenty of time. Luckily we had a smaller group and there was plenty for room moving around and getting great pictures.

Great experience and staff very good

Boat ride was nice, info during the cruise about historical landmarks was a nice touch, but the boat is in need of some major updating and maintenance!!!!!

Very nice tour and excellent food from belisios :) very quiet and peaceful

Best cruise we ever had. Steak dinner was very dry but we ate before we went so at least we were full. Otherwise we had an awesome time and would definitely recommend it. ♥️ Next time we will get chicken.

Great dinner and the tour guide, Sam, did a wonderful job.

Food was awesome. Would definitely do it again

Informative tour for a very fair price.

Great boat ride. It started from the historic lift bridged, a must to do on the lake Superior.