North Tahoe Cruises Tahoe Gal

After all these years, I finally got to take a tour on a paddle boat and cruised the shores of North Lake Tahoe.

It was a perfect afternoon with pleasant weather, great visibility and all the sunshine you can soak in.

My accompanying photos should speak for themselves.

Our group of 3 adults and 1 child (age 5) had a good time on Tahoe Gal's 3.5 hour long Emerald Bay Lunch Cruise! The boat was well-maintained, the views were stunning, the Captain's narration was helpful and informative, the food was decent, and the wait staff was kind and helpful.

A few things to keep in mind: (1) seating on the open air top deck fills up fast, so I recommend getting in line early to board if you want a seat there. That said, the downstairs seating area was air-conditioned and very pleasant. (2) The food and drinks are over-priced (for example, $22 for a burger and $19 for a cocktail) and you're not allowed to bring your own food and drinks on board - so if you're on a budget, I'd recommend eating brunch right beforehand. (3) The bathrooms were spacious and clean at the beginning of the cruise, but ran out of water (to both flush toilets and wash hands) towards the end of the cruise, so limit your bathroom usage to early on in the cruise, if you can.

Overall, we had a pleasant experience and would recommend this cruise to those wanting to enjoy the scenic beauty of Lake Tahoe!

We took this trip last summer, it was beautiful. Boat crashed into dock pretty hard upon return. Pilot had red water eyes and looked sketchy.
We called about it that week, no one returned msgs.
Finally spoke to someone in charge who blew it off and practically blamed us ! #badexperience. Unsafe.

The service and the food are amazing. I can't say enough nice things about this little cruise! If you're visiting Tahoe, a trip on the Gal is a must!!!
If J.J. is bartending, you will not be disappointed. He goes above and beyond!!! I think my mom got his number

We took the brunch cruise for my husbands birthday. We enjoyed ourselves very much. The captain gave a lot of informational facts about Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area which we really enjoyed.

My only critique is that I wish there were more breakfast options available.

This was such a cool experience. They took us around the lake to view the homes and the "Godfather" location. The staff was great. Very friendly and inviting. The drinks were on point and the food was awesome. This is highly recommended to anyone wanting a new view and experience at Lake Tahoe.

We did the Wednesday Dinner Cruise. It was better then expected. You are to arrive 30 minutes early to pick up your tickets from the ticket booth. You board 15min early. Seating is first come first serve. The boat wasn't' full so everyone got a window seat. It was great to not be fully booked. It gave more room to move around. First you sit down in the dining area and place your order. Next you are free to walk around. We went upstairs to take in the view, enjoy the mountain air, and take pictures. They call you over the loudspeaker when they have served the salad. The Caesar salad was perfect. As you are finishing up the salad you will cruise by the GodFather House. You can ask and they will announce it. We had the Salmon, which was delicious with the glaze and very fresh. It didn't taste fishy at all and I'm very picky. We also had the prime rib. The portion is huge and delicious. I couldn't finish it all. All meals came with rice pilaf and a mixed cooked veggies. The veggies were not desirable. They reminded me of frozen stir fry veggies with snow peas, cauliflower, broccoli, and peppers. Dessert was also offered. We passed as we were full from the prime rib. We shared both meals. After dinner we went back on deck. The temperature dropped and it was quite chilly. There is an indoor viewing area where you can see the view and keep in a heated sheltered area. We walked around the deck and then seated ourselves in the indoor area. The ride was smooth, the music was pleasant and the company polite. The service was impeccable. If you needed something just ask. One couple had their dessert brought up to the top deck. As a reminder the cost of dinner is separate from the cruise. It does seem pricy, but if you compare it to any restaurant in Tahoe CIty or the surrounding area the meal price is comparable. We found it well worth it to have dinner and a cruise. It was a very memorable evening. The weather was perfect. During the day it was overcast and it sprinkled a little, then it cleared up and we had patches of blue sky.

We did the dinner cruise and the overall experience, while not inexpensive, was really good. I had the prime rib ($52), and I must say it was one of the better ones I've had.
My only comment would be that the safety briefing spent more time talking about stepping over the door sil and they never once mentioned where the life jackets were.

Would definitely do it again sometime.

My husband and I have been enjoying the Tahoe Gal now for 27 years! We just returned from another fantastic trip on the Gal 10/5/23. The Tahoe Gal is by far and away the best cruise on Lake Tahoe in our opinion. It's 3.5 hours long, the narration is great, the beverage and food service is wonderful and you meet lovely people while on the trip.

This is fun for all ages, the only thing to consider if you have small children this may be too long a trip. But other then that, everyone will enjoy this cruise.

Highly recommend, go and enjoy!

A lovely afternoon even with a bit of a sprinkle in the air. The Captain was a skilled tour guide and there was food for just about every dietary need for lunch. The portabello burgers on GF buns are not to be missed! The mushroom caps are grilled in balsamic vinegar and the veggies on the bun with it were fresh and crisp. I'm raving because I wouldn't have expected such fresh and delicious food on a boat ride.

There was a birthday and it was announced and later the birthday of one of the servers was announced as well. The servers were wonderfully cheerful and matched my bubbly outgoing manner with their own.

The atmosphere was fun and relaxed.