Where to Book Booze Cruises of All Kinds in D.C.

Whitlow’s on Water fits 48 party-goers at a time.

This spring, D.C. docks are home to a surge of drinking vessels designed for every occasion, vibe, and price point. A returning line of retro motor boats are apparently the ticket to getting engaged, with seven proposals out on the water last year. Want to watch dolphins give birth on the Chesapeake this summer? One hotel offers an excursion for that. And a fancy sailboat manned by a fine dining chef pairs tasting menus with French wines.

Soak up monumental views along the Potomac River, drink in tow, with this running list of bookable boats for 2025.

Sea Suite Cruises

Co-founders and Arlington natives Jack Walten and Jack Maher’s first BYOB paddle pub debuted in 2018. Seven years later, their supersized fleet is made up of 18 boats bobbing around Mid-Atlantic waterways (in D.C., Annapolis, and Richmond), plus floating tiki bars and vintage electric Retro Boats. And a landlocked bar born in Clarendon is the muse for one of their hottest new bookings this season:

Whitlow’s on Water

Now the largest boat in Sea Suite Cruises’ fleet, the 47-passenger tiki tour is the product of a fun new partnership with Whitlow’s owner Jon Williams. His iconic Clarendon dive moved to Shaw, but its original tiki rooftop on Wilson is reincarnated as a floating bar. “Whitlow’s on Water has taken the [Potomac] by storm,” says Sea Suite’s Jack Walten, noting it’s pretty much sold out almost every Saturday through the summer. Diehard Whitlow’s regulars, which includes the “Jacks,” have a familiar face on board: a former bartender from its Clarendon days handles the liquid lineup. Standard mixed drinks join beers, wines, High Noon seltzers, orange crushes, and rum punches. There’s also a selection of pub grub (sandwiches, wings, etc.) sourced from Whitlow’s.

Two TVs air “whatever people want to watch,” he says, which has included everything from March Madness to the Bachelorette (bachelorette parties are popular bookings, after all). As are corporate teams, birthdays, Whitlow’s fans, and even 50-year wedding anniversaries. Individual tickets are also available, to “mix and mingle like you would in a normal bar,” he says. New in 2025, the vessel relocates from its original Navy Yard slip to the Wharf — which is right out front of D.C.’s newest Whitlow’s location, which sits next to music venue Anthem. That makes Whitlow’s on Water a prime new pregame option for concerts.

Price: Ticket tiers start at $40 and up for daily options that include individual tickets, sunset cruises, private charters, and corporate events (book online).

Where: Pick-ups and drop-offs from Market Pier at the Wharf right between the Municipal Fish Market and the Anthem (101 Market Square SW)

Retro Boat Rentals

Vintage runabout boats from Sinatra’s time were retro-fitted with electric motors, so having a romantic or intimate conversation is highly possible. It’s no wonder there were multiple (seven) proposals out on the water last year, reports Sea Suite. Each four-top fiberglass beauty sports a different color and name (Gladys, Bonnie, and Violet).

Where: Wharf to the Washington Channel

Potomac Tiki Club

D.C.’s “first tiki cruise” lets patrons buy booze on board, or opt for an $8 corkage fee for wine and Champagne. BYO food or purchase small snacks.

Price: $50-$60 for parties of 8 to 18 out of Georgetown. A smaller thatched-roof sibling, Tikito, out of Navy Yard fits up to six and runs $375-$425. Both last 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Potomac Paddle Club

Sea Suite Cruises’ fleet that started it all are pontoon paddlewheel boats that have all been newly renovated in 2025. They were previously outfitted with 10 cycle stations around the central bar so patrons could pedal if they pleased, but the cycle stations have all been replaced with plush, swiveling barstools so these boats are now all party and no pedals.

Where: Docks from the Wharf, Navy Yard, and Georgetown

Sea Table DC Aboard Cru Classé

Chef and sommelier Troy Knapp makes Michelin-level menus on his luxury sailboat Cru Classé. Back at the Wharf for its fourth year, the detail-oriented captain brings fine dining to the dock with artfully plated courses, decadent floral arrangements, seafaring table settings, and French wines he pours himself.

• Sunset Sail: Set sail for up to three hours while enjoying a communal two-course menu or a personalized five-course option comprised of ingredients from local farms and fishermen. Complemented by prestigious wine pairings. Starting at $325 per guest
• Champagne and Oyster Sails: Enjoy local bivalves, freshly shucked by an oyster expert on board, alongside specialty accompaniments. Paired with Champagne or prestige white wine. Starting at $195 per guest

Where: Docks at the Wharf (650 Wharf Street SW)

Sea Table Annapolis

In 2025, Knapp expands his reach to Annapolis, Maryland for the first time with the newest addition to Sea Table’s fleet: a French-designed Prestige 540 luxury motor yacht. Book one of two options via TOCK:

Sunset Cruise: Cruise for four hours along along local Annapolis waterways and choose from a two-course communal spread or a five-course tasting menu curated by an on-board chef. Champagne, wine, beer and water will be provided a la carte. Starting at $533 per guest

Mid-day Cruise: This sunny, three-hour excursion around Maryland’s picturesque state capital can be upgraded with a connoisseur-led Champagne tasting experience. Oyster, seafood, and cheese-and-charcuterie pairings are also available. Starting at $433 per guest

Where: 1 Dock Street, Annapolis, Maryland

Nautiste

Boat captain and oyster aficionado Hannah Puckett leads a growing fleet of American-made yachts, with seafaring and dockside dining experiences for parties up to 30. The cruise-friendly cuisine is handled by Troy Knapp’s catering company Curated by TPK. Nautiste’s stunning portfolio of vessels includes: the 72-foot, midcentury-era Patriot wrapped in polished mahogany; the New England-styled Independence, built in the 1970s and newly restored in 2024; and the turquoise-toned American Pie — the newest addition to the Nautiste fleet, with room for six.

Baller options — starting at $2,875 and lasting two to four hours — include: Golden Hour cruises, premium dining cruises, dockside receptions, and VIP itineraries.

Where: Home ports at the Wharf (634 Wharf Street SW), with additional pick-up locations in Navy Yard, Alexandria, National Harbor, and Mount Vernon.

Pendry on the Potomac

The Wharf’s luxe Pendry hotel offers guests a captain-chartered Aviara cruise that’s available to the public for the second year. Parked in its own slip right out front of the Southwest Waterfront hotel, onboard food and beverage offerings include Champagne and caviar service supplied by Pendry’s culinary team. Bar selections, beer or wine, and appetizers can be customized, depending on the parties’ preference. Excursions near and far include round trips to Nationals home games, sunset tours, treks around Mt. Vernon and D.C. monuments, and an all-day adventure to the Chesapeake Bay to spot marine life. As it turns out, dolphins use the Potomac and Bay as a nursery to birth their calves — a rare event that happens from mid-June to mid-August when the water is warmest. Kicking it up at full speed (35-40 knots), hat-holding patrons will jet downstream through Old Town, Fort Washington, and Mt. Vernon and (hopefully) see the annual occurrence.

Private Hot Tub Boat

Believe it or not, it’s now possible to bask in a bubbling hot tub with 10 friends, be a DJ, and soak up city sights out on the water — all at once. NYC-based Sea the City expanded its tricked-out party fleet on the Hudson down to the Potomac for the first time last spring. No food is allowed, but 21-and-up passengers are permitted to bring alcohol (beer, wine, bubbly, or hard seltzers only) on board. The company provides complimentary ice, coolers, cups, and water. Up to 20 can fit on the boat at once, and the 10-person tub is outfitted with a Bluetooth-enabled sound system to create your own set list.

There’s a private room onboard for swimsuit costume changes (along with a separate bathroom). BYO towels or rent ones for $3-$6. Party favors include customized marquee boards, and the boat promises “attentive deckhands” at the ready. There’s also VIP “Date Night” experiences available. It’s no surprise Netflix’s Love Is Blind filmed on the hot tub boat in D.C.

Where: The Wharf Marina, 101 Market Square SW