American Rover

Just did the sunset harbor tour over the weekend. I booked it kind of last minute, so didn't know what to expect, but here's what we experienced. The boat is beautiful and super clean and feels like a transport in time or like going on a boat ride in the 1920's. There are plenty of places to chose from to sit, whether you're on a date or in a group. As the boat took off, the crew invited anyone who wanted to help raise the sails to help & learn. It was fun to watch this and experience it up close. The Captain narrated the first part of the trip pointing out a bunch of history and current military ships & projects. You're able to get up and walk around the boat, so we checked things out from all sides, plus under the main deck there is a kind of snack shop with a bar. We got lemonade and it was refreshing & reasonably priced. At the turnaround, there was a live musician who went around the boat playing guitar & singing. This liven up the ride & again felt old fashioned in a good way. Sunset was beautiful & it was peaceful to be on the boat. A very pleasant experience. Now that said, if you want a party boat or high energy experience, this is not for you. The ship is slow. It was a very quiet ride and the 2 hours did feel long (but I'm an adventurous person). My husband and I both agreed that it was nice to almost force ourselves to slow down and just be :)The crew was great, it's easy to book, easy to find at the Marina & a fun activity for the right crowd!

Was very disappointed in the harbor sailing tour. We circled the harbor and came right back, the 2 hour tour lasted 1.5 hours and that seemed like it was dragged out, the boat barely moved. I want expecting high speed boating but expected a bit more. I understand they cut it short due to an impending storm which never came, even when we were on the boat weather.com showed the storm missing the area. Other than that, crew was vey friendly and informative. Boat was clean and orderly.

"A 3 hour tour, a 3 hour tour!" But seriously, it's the perfect pass-time on the Elizabeth River with scenic views of Norfolk and Portsmouth amid chill tunes, attentive staff and good food/drink. It's great for locals and visitors alike; I go as part of an annually recurring corporate team building event but it's equally suited for singles, couples, families, friends and anyone that wants to earn sea legs for 2-3 hours.Smaller group attendees should check out Groupon or the Rover website for specials/deals. From the event standpoint, they're fairly easy to deal with when planning and executing things. FYI, there are no refunds. We saw inclement weather a few years in a row: 1 we couldn't sail so we got 80 individual passes for our attendees to return a better weather day (on their own, sans food/bevs); other year it sprinkled so we basically hosted a still/floating social where we boarded to eat/drink/chat/be merry. The owners are community-minded people with a passion to deliver a sound experience for all who board; it shows in who they employ as a captain. He's a nice guy with a priority on safety, though he did let my boys take a turn at driving the boat - cool, right. Speaking of safety, they have railing and life jackets BUT it's a boat, so if you have children or "inebriated friends" in tote, for heaven's sakes keep vigilant watch over them.

My wife and I enjoyed a very fun and informative sailing cruise aboard the American Rover on April 11, 2022. The captain and crew were welcoming and helpful. The ship was beautiful and handled well under both sail and power. I would highly recommend this harbor tour for anyone but especially for ship lovers and students of naval history. The families aboard seemed to have a very good time.

We had an excellent experience on the Rover this past weekend! We attended the Moonlight Party Cruise -- for $15 each, we were able to climb on board and enjoy the beautiful full moon and scenic views as we sailed around the bay. They had a bar available that served decent wine, the staff was super friendly and attentive throughout, and they had a DJ on board to provide some upbeat party music. The entire experience was a ton a fun and I'd definitely repeat it in the future!

Very relaxing cruise aboard the American Rover. Some good music but the singer was better at some genres. He kept the group entertained. A dj would be fine also. It was a bit cloudy but we had beautiful views. The navigator provided a history lesson and information on the Elizabeth River area. I highly recommend this cruise. Take your spouse or partner for a romantic evening. Drinks and bar is available onboard.

We came here for a company event. Luckily, we had sunny, warm weather that day, although if you weren't in the shade, the heat was brutal. About 50 of us were in our group, and because we didn't reserve the entire ship, we shared it with other paying guests as well. The ship is a pretty nice size, and can accommodate up to 129 guests. Our 2-hour cruise departed at Waterside and we sailed through the Elizabeth River and Hampton Roads Harbor. The captain of the ship did a great job narrating the cruise and going over the history of different landmarks as we passed by. The staff of the American Rover was also very welcoming and frequently walked throughout the ship to make sure everyone was okay, and we were even lucky to have a musician on board with his guitar, performing some well-known songs.As far as food and drink, fortunately our company event had Gourmet Gang to cater and we were provided drink tickets to redeem for anything in the bar. The ship does offer snacks and drinks for purchase, and you are welcome to bring your own food to the ship (but no alcohol).

Last night I was treated to the evening sunset cruise aboard the Rover. AND it was a TREAT! Right out of the gate, we got to see a pod of dolphins. I was super stoked on this- I work in Dominion Tower and have been bummed that I haven't seen any in the river this year. Needless to say, the trip started on a high point... and there it remained. Another surprise treat- being able to see my home from the cruise!!! Although the sky was a bit cloudy, the sunset views were still stunning. The Captain was very informative in pointing out the diverse sights and shared some cool historical facts. The entertainment was light and fun- a guy with a guitar singing familiar tunes. Another thing to take note of is the raising of the sails. It's pretty impressive and the crew did it with ease- even offering folks the opportunity to join in the pulling of ropes. It was nice that the ship size and crowd size offered the opportunity to be socially distanced and that safety measures were in place. If you get the chance to take a trip aboard, I suggest you do- it was awesome!

Fun adventure .very easy and casual . We had fun but the chairs were uncomfortable .the musician was constantly looking for tips

Crew was great and very engaging, it was a nice peaceful afternoon cruise. Drinks on board were very reasonable. Boat was spotless.