Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a list of many frequently asked questions. If you don't see your question listed then please feel free to send an email with your question.

1. Where can we find discount coupons?

You can purchase tickets from our website and save $3 dollars per person. This is the same discount that we offer in most of our advertisements. If you have over 20 passengers then you can receive our group rate of $17 dollars per adult and $11 dollars for children. Keep in mind, that you must have over 20 passengers to receive this discount, 19 passengers doesn’t qualify. So please contact our office at 305.379.5119 ext 201 to sign up for the discount.

2. Do you still go out in bad weather?

We still go out in the rain due to the designs of our boats. Our vessels have two levels, the bottom level is totally enclosed and provides air-conditioning and the top level is completely open except for the awning or roof that protects the passengers from direct sunlight or light rain. Under severe weather conditions, we will cancel reservations and trips based solely upon the safety of our passengers.

3. What are your group rates for the Sightseeing Cruise?

Our group rates begin with groups more than 20 passengers. The regular prices for our sightseeing cruises are $22 dollars for adults and $16 dollars for children. When you have more than 20 passengers the price drops down to $17 dollars for adults and $11 dollars for children. To make a reservation and receive a group rate, you will need to contact our offices at 305.379.5119 ext 201. In order to make a reservation we will need to receive your complete contact information including: company name, contact name, phone number, fax number, address and email address. Plus, we would need to know the day, time and number of passengers you are making reservations for. All non-reservation groups will qualify for a $3 dollar discount for have more than 20 passengers.

4. What are your group rates for the Dance Cruise?

Our group rates begin with groups more than 20 passengers. The regular price for our dance cruises are $15 dollars for adults and $10 dollars for children. When you have more than 20 passengers the price drops down to $12 dollars for adults and $7 dollars for children. To make a reservation and receive a group rate, you will need to contact our offices at 305.379.5119 ext 201. In order to make a reservation, we will need to receive your complete contact information including: company name, contact name, phone number, fax number, address and email address. Plus, we would need to know the day, time and number of passengers you are making reservations for.

5. What are your group rates for the Bayside Blaster?

Our group rates begin with groups more than 20 passengers. The regular prices for our Bayside Blaster cruises are $22 dollars for adults and $16 dollars for children. When you have more than 20 passengers the price drops down to $17 dollars for adults and $11 dollars for children. To make a reservation and receive a group rate, you will need to contact our offices at 305.379.5119 ext 201. In order to make a reservation, we will need to receive your complete contact information including: company name, contact name, phone number, fax number, address and email address. Plus, we would need to know the day, time and number of passengers you are making reservations for. All non-reservation groups will qualify for a $3 dollar discount for have more than 20 passengers.

6. Describe the Sightseeing Cruise?

Our sightseeing cruises are all 1 ½ hours long and depart from Bayside Marketplace, every hour on the hour from 11am to 7pm. On the cruise you will get to see the entire Miami skyline, the Port of Miami with the cruiseship and cargo districts, Fisher Island, Miami Beach and the homes of the rich and famous including Gloria Estefan, Shaquille O’Neal, P Diddy, Rosie O and many more. All of our cruises are narrated in both English and Spanish. Plus, there is a full cash bar onboard so you can buy chips, snacks, soda, beer, wine and Premium liquor.

7. Describe the Dance Cruise?

Our dance cruises are all 1 hour long and depart from Bayside Marketplace, at 9pm daily. The dance cruises depart at 9pm, 10pm, 11pm and 12am on Friday thru Saturday. Each dance cruise has a professional DJ onboard playing a combination of different dance styles including Hip-Hop, Techno, Salsa, and Regaetone, Disco and current dance music. There is a full cash bar to buy chips, snacks, soda, beer, wine and Premium liquor. You need to be 21-years-old in order to consume alcohol. Our cruises are family oriented and all ages are welcomed.

8. Describe the Bayside Blaster?

Our Bayside Blaster cruises are all 1 1/2 hours long and depart from Bayside Marketplace, at 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm and 8:30pm on Saturdays and Sundays only. On this cruise you will get to see the entire Miami skyline, the Port of Miami with the cruiseship and cargo districts, Fisher Island, Miami Beach and the homes of the rich and famous including Gloria Estefan, Shaquille O’Neal, P Diddy, Rosie O and many more. All of our cruises are narrated in both English and Spanish. There are chips, snacks, soda, beer and wine for purchase.

9. How many people does the Sightseeing Cruise hold?

Sightseeing cruises hold up to 140 passengers per boat. The dance cruises hold up to 140 passengers.

10. How do I make reservations?

Reservations are determined by the number of passengers you intend on bringing to Island Queen Cruises. For groups less than 20 passengers you do not need to make a reservation. We suggest either purchasing tickets from our website where you can save $3 dollars per adult ticket or by paying at our dock. Whether you purchase tickets from our website or decide to show up at our dock you will need to arrive 30 minutes prior to the cruise you wish to take. For groups larger than 20 passengers you will need to contact our office and setup a reservation and for us to enter you reservation into our system. We will need to receive you complete contact information including: company name, contact name, phone number, fax number, address and email address. Plus, we will need to know the day, time and number of passengers you intend on making reservations for. You can either pre-pay in advance or pay at the dock.

11. Explain online tickets and reservations?

When you purchase the tickets from our website you can save $3 dollars per adult passenger. The normal price of our sightseeing cruise tickets are $22 dollars per adult and $16 dollars per child. After purchasing tickets, you will need to print out the voucher and bring the voucher to our ticket booth. At our ticket booth you will exchange the vouchers for a boarding pass. The tickets from our website are not time specific. Please arrive 30 minutes to redeem your voucher for a boarding pass prior to the cruise you wish to take.

12. What’s the AAA discount?

All AAA Members are eligible to receive a $3 dollar discount per person. AAA Members must bring their AAA card to our dock and have proper Identification matching the card holder’s name. Each card is good for up to 6 passengers.

13. Do you allow pets?

We allow pets and working dogs on our cruises regularly, however, the decision is made by the manager-on-duty at the time of the cruise. The manager-on-duty will need to view the dog’s temperament in order to determine if the dog will be allowed onboard.

14. Do you allow luggage?

We allow luggage on are cruises regularly, however, the decision is made by the manager-on-duty at the time of the cruise. The manager-on-duty will need to view the size and amount of luggage in order to determine whether the luggage will be allowed onboard. All items brought on board are subject to search.

15. What do I do for online refunds?

Refunds for tickets purchased through our website must be handled by Island Queen’s office. To request a complete refund or partial refund, you must contact our office at 305.379.5119 ext 201. After the request has been made, our reservation’s department will need to check to make sure that the voucher was not used. This usually takes up to 3 to 5 days to verify that the voucher was not used. After this verification process, we will refund the money to the credit card that was used from our website. The entire process takes a week to a week and half. We do not mind that you contact our office during this process.

16. Can you give me directions from Fort Lauderdale?

Take I-95 South to I-395 East, Exit at NE 2nd Ave/Biscayne Boulevard, continue straight. Make a right on Biscayne Boulevard, then left on Port Boulevard (NE 5th street), stay on the right and follow the road into Bayside Marketplace’s parking garage. Bayside Marketplace is an open-air mall located in downtown Miami and Island Queen Cruises is located in the middle of the mall, next to the music stage and a 15-foot hanging shark.

17. Can you give me directions from Miami Beach?

Take Collins Avenue South to 5th Street and make a right on to 5th Street. Head West on 5th Street, which turns into I-395 or Macarthur Causeway. Get off at the Biscayne Boulevard exit. Make a left at the second light on to Biscayne Boulevard. Head South on Biscayne Boulevard until NE 5th Street or Port Boulevard. Make a left and stay to the right, then enter Bayside Marketplace parking garage. Bayside Marketplace is an open-air mall located in downtown Miami and Island Queen Cruises is located in the middle of the mall, next to the music stage and a 15-foot hanging shark.

18. Where in Bayside Marketplace are you located?

Bayside Marketplace is an open-air mall located in downtown Miami. Like many malls, there is a parking garage adjacent to the mall or parking can be found along Biscayne Boulevard. Island Queen Cruises is located in the middle of the mall, next to the music stage and a 15-foot hanging shark.

19. Can you give me directions from Coral Gables or South Miami?

Take I-95 North to I-395 East. Exit at Biscayne Boulevard, continue straight. Make a right on Biscayne Boulevard and continue south until you reach NE 2nd Street. Make a U-turn at NE 2nd Street onto Biscayne Boulevard north. Go one block until NE 3rd Street and make a right into Bayside Marketplace.

20 Can I bring my own food?

We allow passengers to bring their own food as long as the amount is small and personal. We do not allow coolers onboard.

21. Can I bring my own drinks?

We do allow passengers to bring one drink per person on board. We do not allow coolers on board nor drinks in glass. We have a full cash bar so passengers can purchase drinks, sodas, beer, wine and an assortment of liquor.

22. Can I bring my own alcohol?

Unfortunately, you can not bring your own alcohol onboard. Due to our liquor license it doesn’t not allow us to have passengers bringing their own alcohol on to our vessels. We do have a full cash bar with beer, wine, and liquor.

23. Do you offer military discounts?

We offer military discounts of $3 dollars per military passenger. However, we do provide was to receive discounts. You can purchase tickets from our website and you can save $3 dollars per adult passenger. If you have groups of 20 or more you will be eligible to receive a group rate. Our group rates, 20 passengers or more will be $15 dollars for adults and $10 dollars for children. Please contact me on making reservations for a group.

24. Do you offer senior discounts?

We offer senior discounts of $3 dollars per senior passenger. Unfortunately, we do not offer senior discounts. However, we do provide other discounts that seniors can take advantage of. You can purchase tickets from our website and you can save $3 dollars per adult passenger. If you have groups of 20 or more you will be eligible to receive a group rate. Our group rates, 20 passengers or more will be $15 dollars for adults and $10 dollars for children. Please contact me on making reservations for a group.

25. What types of payments do you accept?

Our ticket booth located at Bayside Marketplace only accepts Visa, Master Card, cash and travelers checks. Our office can accept Visa, Master Card, cash, company checks, as well as Amex.

26. Do you offer any other types of cruises?

We do have other cruises besides the Sightseeing Cruise, Dance Cruise and Bayside Blaster. The other public cruises are the Miami River Cruise and the Stiltsville Cruise but they are usually provided through other organizations which work directly with Island Queen Cruises. Private Miami River cruises can be provided by Island Queen Cruises directly. The Historical Museum of South Florida also provides public cruises to these other areas including the Miami River, Stiltsville and North Biscayne Bay. I suggest contacting the Historical Museum of South Florida to find out times and prices of these special public cruises. The Historical Museum of South Florida’s phone number is 305.375.1492.

27. What type of music do you play on the Dance Cruises?

We play a variety of music; this includes salsa, meringue, hip-hop, bachata, and Disco. The DJ will play a variety of these music styles to accommodate everyone onboard. It is his job to make everyone have a good time and enjoy the music equally. Some requests are made and it is up to the DJ to decide which requests to play.

28. Do you have Dinner Cruises?

We have private dinner cruises only. Our Gondola Natalia offers a romantic dinner cruise for up to 4 passengers. We have two other yachts that can provide dinner and hors d’oeuvres for up to 20 passengers. These cruises are private and you would need to contact a Biscayne Lady Yacht Charter Representative to make special arrangements for further information go to www.biscaynelady.com . We do not offer public dinner cruise where passengers can buy tickets and come aboard. However, Bayside Marketplace is a mall and has many restaurants that you can have dinner first then take a cruise.

29. Do you allow smoking on your boats?

Our sightseeing cruises do allow smoking. There is a designated smoking area on our sightseeing cruises located in the bow or front of the vessel on the lower deck. This space is the only place that allows smoking.

30. Do you provide narrations in other languages than English and Spanish?

All our sightseeing cruises provide narrations in both English and Spanish. We do not provide any other languages. However, we allow Tour Guides and translators to translate the tour in the groups’ native language. All such requests are directed to the Captain-on-duty or the manager-on-duty. The extra narrator will be incorporated into the translation process.

31. How far in advance do you need to make reservations?

Our cruises are first come, first serve unless you make reservations for 20 or more passengers. If you have fewer than 20 passengers then you do not need to make reservations. But I suggest arriving 30 minutes prior to departure to purchase your tickets and take the cruise you want. As for groups over 20 passengers, you would need to contact our office at 305.379.5119 ext 201. We would need to receive all your contact information including company name, contact name, address, phone number and email address. Plus, we would need to know the time, date and number of passengers you need to make reservations for. Don’t forget you can visit our website for more information!

32. Is tax included?

All of our public cruises including the sightseeing cruise, dance cruise and speedboat ride includes tax in the price of the ticket. In order to be tax exempt, you would need to send a proper tax exempt form to our office 48-hours prior to the cruise.

33. On a private sightseeing cruise or a private dance cruise, can we decorate the boat?

On private cruises we do allow the clients to decorate but there are limitations as to what is acceptable. All decorations must not use adhesives including tape, glue, staples and other adhesive material that can damage the vessels. We also do not allow glitter or other shiny material that can become hard to pickup or vacuum.

34. Does Island Queen cruises provide transportation?

We do not provide transportation, however, we do work with many transportation companies. Some of the companies we recommend is Safari Tours at 305-956-9922 or you can try Infinity Tours at 305-865-9999.