Cape Fear Riverboats

Cape Fear Riverboats offers a fantastic way to experience Wilmington from the water. The ride is smooth, relaxing, and full of beautiful views along the river. The narration is engaging and informative, sharing interesting history and fun facts about the area without feeling overwhelming. The crew is friendly, welcoming, and makes the entire experience enjoyable from start to finish. It’s perfect for families, couples, or anyone looking for a laid-back sightseeing adventure. A wonderful experience and a must-do when visiting the Cape Fear area!

I never do tourist stuff but it was my birthday and I wanted to make sure I spent as much time on the water as possible. I picked Cape Fear because it was definitely the most affordable offering within the city. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the experience, so I went in with no expectations. The staff to board was very polite and welcoming. The boat offered a small bar, I am not sure what the full offering was because I’m not a huge drinker so but it was busy. The boat itself is a bit older so downstairs it’s a very older classic brown entire design. It has tables and chairs that you can sit and enough the view from the inside. I did the sunset session and it was beautiful 🤩 The captain even told a story about the gullah geechee tribe and how Wilmington would not be what it is without BLACK people. How the Cypress trees were all forged and that’s why the area only has a few left. With the history lesson, the breathtaking sunset, the Full Moon and the birds it was just perfect. It was pretty windy so I’d definitely suggest a coat on that sunset ride but it’s worth the price! I will definitely do it again.

I was in Wilmington to enjoy some fall craft markets and browse some antique stores. The weather was beautiful and I had a feeling sunset was going to be beautiful. I decided to stay and do the sunset cruise and am so glad I did. My experience is definitely influenced by the fact that sunset was absolutely spectacular on the evening I went. By the end, the sky was glowing with bright pink and red. I enjoyed the narrated parts of the ride and liked learning more about the area. Some parts were not narrated and we could just enjoy some music while taking in the scenery. When the sun set, the boat stopped for a few minutes and staff came around to ask if you wanted your picture taken on your phone or camera. There are bathrooms on the boat and drinks were available for purchase. The ride was 90 minutes so I thought the price was average. While my favorite is still the sunset sail in Newport, Rhode Island, this was definitely a great time for me. I love taking photos and sunsets, ... and like I said, the sunset on the evening I went was so colorful and dramatic. I included a picture I took walking back to my car to show the range of colors. I wish the ride had been maybe 10-15 minutes longer (or started a few minutes later) to fully enjoy the view of the post-sunset glow.

The sunset cruise aboard the Osprey was very enjoyable. The captain gave some information about the waterfront and the area, but I had to stand close to one of the speakers to hear well. The next time I'm in the area I will have to go on the nature cruise.

The Cape Fear River in historic Wilmington, North Carolina, is highly praised and scenic historical area to experience. It is the the last stop of a walking tour from the Cape Fear Museum to the Riverwalk. You can also take riverboat tours and dining at waterfront restaurants. It's a popular spot for both locals and tourists alike for its historical significance and diverse activities as key attractions.  Restaurants offer river views, allowing diners to enjoy their meals while taking in the scenery. It is a "great place to be".

What a phenomenal experience. Staff was so lovely and most accommodating. I was going to have a problem stepping onto the boat. Without hesitation they got a ramp and made certain I boarded and disembarked with ease. The historian was brilliant but made certain he did not inundate us with a lot of trivia. It was a wonderful learning experience. He truly expanded my already vast love of nature, the water and its amazing inhabitants. I was disappointed to find out this was their last tour of the ‘25 season. I can’t wait for their first one of ‘26 so I can return.

We used Henriette cruise for Cape Fear River Cruise, it costs $70 per person for one hour cruise. The cruise is very nice with 70s music, fun and informative captain. It was a very hot day (100F), luckily the top floor is covered and we had nice breeze so it was nice. Plenty of public parking around the area, the closest one is on 2nd street, just across the street where the boat parked and the price is reasonable (we paid $4 for 3 hours). Very clean public restroom on the river walk, near to the ticket booth where we checked in. We took off one star because we weren’t happy with the drinks we bought, I had piña colada, my husband bought a beer but the server pour only half of the beer can to half of the plastic cup, he wasn’t happy but since he is a non confrontational person, he walked away and complained with me haha.$30 worthless of 2 drinks, lesson learned (he should take the can and the cup and pour it himself). Overall it was a nice experience on the one hour cruise.