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The MV Skansonia
Categories: Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Event Planning & Services Party & Event Planning Venues & Event Spaces, Party & Event Planning [Edit]
205 N Northlake Way(between N 2nd Ave & N Latona Ave)
Seattle, WA 98105
Neighborhood: Wallingford
(206) 545-9109
- Hours:
Mon 9 am - 7 pm
Tue-Wed 10 am - 5 pm
Thu 10 am - 7 pm
Fri 10 am - 4 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
19 reviews for The MV Skansonia
19 reviews in English
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Review from Tom B.
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
When I heard where my friends had chosen to get married, this place was absolutely news to me. I figured it was a place with a lot of funky charm to it. It turns out to be a really nice place with all the amenities--and enough quirk to it to be memorable. I can certainly see why they picked it.
It's appropriate for a reasonably traditional ceremony, though obviously it's a purely secular structure. I believe your officiant can be of any denomination, though, if you want a ceremony within a faith. They set up everything for the ceremony and reception to be familiar and comfortable for the older relatives, so they can be comfortable. The bow (or "end #1," as they call it in ferry boating) hosts the ceremony. You can see in the photos--this gives you a stunning view of downtown, the Needle, Queen Anne, and Lake Union. The sun goes down, the lights twinkle, the water glows. The staff breaks down the chairs and sets up a few tables after the ceremony.
There's a posh upstairs with private spaces for changing and staging, and a staircase leading down to the bow for the wedding party and the happy couple to make an entrance. There's a fan up there, and a head.
Downstairs, what used to be the car decks now serve as the bar, dance floor, and dining area. There's gorgeous antique furniture lining the walls--hutches, sideboards, lowboys, creating the effect of a grand old mansion. The bartenders worked overtime at this particular reception, offering fully 25 different kegs from homebrewers and pro brewers in town. (The mazer himself poured from the Methuselah of orange blossom honey mead). This kind of flexibility with special requests speaks highly of them for sure.
The decking itself inside is gorgeous--battered old hardwood brought back to a high shine through, no doubt, countless hours of grueling labor done by somebody. There are roll-up garage doors to protect the interior from the elements, or to create ventilation. That was the one thing about this place that could be seen as a demerit...the ventilation. It was hot and humid in Seattle last night, but it was particularly hot and humid inside the boat. Not even close to cutting a star, though, since it was a genuinely remarkably muggy day (Cliff Mass explained this at length on the radio yesterday morning).
Bottom line, this place is now a treasured memory for me, but really only applies to others if they're looking for a wedding or banquet facility. In that case, speaking only as a wedding guest, I can't recommend it highly enough. -
Review from Meagan O.
Tustin, CA
12/12/2011
We had our wedding on the Skansonia on July 31, 2010. It was the only venue we looked at physically, and it is definitely the best deal financially. There is no venue fee, just food, you can provide your own beer/wine (wine bought from Trader Joe's, beer kegs purchased from Big Star) and only pay for the bartenders. Whatever our hearts desired the Skansonia was able to accommodate. You can't beat the vintage look and feel and the view of the Seattle skyline, beautiful and for my husband and I it was the perfect place to start our new life together.
Our ceremony was outside on the deck, and fit everyone easily enough, but the float planes overhead made hearing the ceremony difficult for our guests, despite the large speakers at the back.
The food lines moved fast and everyone RAVED about the food. We were told numerous times, and still to this day, that it is the best food anyone has had at a wedding. I would agree if I would have eaten more. We had tons of food leftover, so bear that in mine when planning your meal.
As for the staff, they were very accommodating prior to receiving our deposit. After that we really had to harass them. No one called us to schedule our rehearsal time which I found slightly irritating as I had so many other things going on it would have been nice to have help with that. Shawna was very friendly and available on the day-of, Tanya (I believe that is her name?) lacks some interpersonal skills after the deal is signed.
When we returned from our honeymoon we had a letter waiting for us from the staff with one of our wedding cards. Apparently someone had taken the card from the card box, took out the money, and shoved the card into the drawer in the downstairs bathroom vanity. Because of this, they were going to institute a new policy, making a locked card box available to clients. At first I was hearing mixed messages from my guests about the waitstaff being in areas where they should not have been, including upstairs in the closet where our items were sitting, coupled with a guest's phone disappearing off the table, I believed the wait staff to be somewhat sketchy because who would want to believe that one of their own guests would steal from them on their wedding day. I am glad I waited over a year to post a review as opposed to posting an utterly nasty one post honeymoon as I now believe it was one of my family members. I would advise anyone having an event here to be mindful of your items and perhaps store them in a locked area of the vessel.
Despite the small negatives, I am so glad we got married here, it was perfect for us. I wouldn't change the venue for anything in the world! -
Review from Agnes K.
Seattle, WA
7/25/2011
Beautiful Setting
Water, downtown, Space Needle
Good Food, Good Service
We got married in late May at Skansonia and were very happy with our choice. Shauna was our point person and she is responsive, professional, warm, and diplomatic in working with couples. She also worked very well with our other service providers, who all noted how easy it was to work with her. We wanted something quirky, original, and reasonably priced and Skansonia was all of that and more. Although the food is not stellar, it's also not bad....it's good enough, especially given the price that you pay. The service on the big night was also amazing. Everyone was helpful and the night ran very smoothly. The staff were so sweet at the end of the night; they packed us some food and cake, knowing that we likely did not have a lot to eat and would get hungry later on. They were right!
Some pros/cons/tips:
Pros:
-You can be outside if the weeather is nice and inside if it's raining
-Food is good
-Staff is competent and efficient
-Great view! Space needle, downtown....sailboats, kayakers...you got it all!
-Lots of parking in the evening
-You can bring your own alcohol and they don't charge you a corkage fee
-Great sound system you can just plug your ipod or other music device into for music
-Reasonably priced
Cons:
-You can't use open flames anywhere
-It can get pretty warm on a hot day
-The shape is a little long so some guests feel quite distant from others
-You have to get more items of food in order to get their dinner plates and linens
-They have no high chairs or booster seats
-Upper level is not wheelchair accessible
-The walkway to the boat is not the most attractive as there are a lot of rusted old boats/barges beside the Skansonia
Other tips:
-Have your service folks talk to and coordinate with Shauna
-Check with everyone about your sound system needs and get a sense from Shauna what the limitations of Skansonia are
-Be prepared to pay for an extra hour or two as time passes by quickly! -
Review from Heidi P.
12/4/2010
I just had my wedding on the Skansonia on July 22nd 2010. The venue is beautiful. The boat itself has a magical feel about it. The floors are all original hardwood and there's lots of antique lighting and other touches that make it special. We had minimal flower arrangements because the place is so gorgeous on it's own, and doesn't need much added.
The Skansonia was the only venue we looked at the we loved and could afford. They charge a min of 100 people, but it includes pretty much everything but alcohol. Some people don't like the alcohol policy here, but for us it saved us a ton of money. They do not provide alcohol, but will serve anything you bring. They also charge $300 extra an hour, if you want to go more than the 5 hours that is included in the price. I personally think 5 hours is too short of time when it's for both wedding ceremony and reception.
For dinner, a buffet is included, in which an entree, two sides can be chosen, plus cheese, fruit, and rolls. Additional entrees or side can be added for more money of course. We stuck with one entree and there was tons of food, in fact we ended up taking a ton home with us. We did opt for passed hors d'oeuvres, which was a very reasonable add on. We chose pistachio enrusted pork tenderloin with merlot jelly, spiced nut and pear salad, and garlic leek potatoes. All of the food was excellent and we received a ton of praise on how good the food was.
One recent upgrade that they've made is white padded folding chairs. Previously they had ugly, tacky white lawn chairs for the ceremony. I was ecstatic that I found out they replaced those ugly chairs (which we thought we would have to have), a couple weeks before our wedding.
I would recommend if getting married and having a reception here, to have a friend or someone coordinate the evening as it goes along, meaning when to enter after signing the guest book, cut the cake, dances and other such things to keep the night moving. The staff is supposed to do that, but seemed to disappear after a while. I had a good friend do this for me, so it all worked out OK. They did set up a nice plate of cheese and fruit and champagne upstairs for when the ceremony ended and we signed our wedding certificate. I thought this was a nice touch.
Overall, if you're looking for a beautiful, budget friendly wedding, this is the spot for you. Your guests will think you spent way more than you actually did on this gem of a venue. I could go on and on about lots of small details and such, but message me if you have any questions! -
Review from Faith Y.
10/3/2010 2 photos
View of Lake Union? Check
Breathtaking sunset on the water? Check
A historic venue that makes you feel like you're attending a Disney princess's wedding? Double Check
How can such a wonderfully romantic wedding venue be tucked away next to Ivar's Salmon House and a bunch of random little boats? I attended a friend's wedding here yesterday evening and although it was October, the weather was perfection and the MV Skansonia has an indoor/outdoor portion ready for just about anything (except maybe typhoons).
The ceremony portion was held at the bow of the boat and the seating room is rather limited but perfect for more intimate weddings. There's a dining area as well as a dance floor to boogie down to Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys (okay, that was closer to the end of the evening). The staff was courteous, the wine glasses were never empty, the buffet was fresh and in the end, it all came down to ambiance. The only hiccup was when I almost fell off my chair because the vessel was slightly slanted - how embarrassing would that have been?
But all you future brides, definitely consider this location if you plan to have a wedding with just a few dozen of your nearest and dearest. You'll get the most gorgeous views of the Seattle skyline, a chance to celebrate your special day on a vessel boasting with local history ... and HELLO, you're getting married on a boat! Cheers! -
Review from Betsey S.
8/4/2006
We had our wedding reception on the Skansonia Ferryboat, which my parents had been to a wedding at the previous summer and reported that is was wonderful - 'very conducive to partying' is what they said exactly. And that sounded like exactly what we were looking for. Plus, it's a historic ferryboat docked on the north end of Lake Union - doesn't get much more 'Seattle' than that. Beautiful views of Capitol Hill, the skyline, and Queen Anne from the decks. And finally, it's no hotel banquet room!
From the first time you call, there's someone assigned to work with you, and we had Tamara. She was fabulous - she took care of everything, answered all our questions, answered all our parents' questions, made the million little changes we asked for as our planning process went on, and was there guiding us around on our wedding day, making things were running as they should at the reception. And it was flawless.
The boat is a little funky, but it is way more charming that it is funky. The only drawback is that, being an antique wooden ship, they do not allow candles of any kind. Small price to pay, I say. Get a couple extra flowers in your centerpieces instead. There is a beautiful, carved wood bar on the boat, and we draped a swag of flowers on it which looked gorgeous.
I'll always remember gorging on the snack boxes Tamara sent us off with to our hotel. They were full of all our wedding food, and tied with a flower plucked from our arrangements. The Skansonia was key to our wedding day being so memorable and perfect.Listed in: Only Thing Missing Was the…
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Review from Carrie H.
Seattle, WA
6/25/2007 3 photos
I attended a wedding here yesterday night. I had driven along North Lake many many times, and had never seen this place until Saturday when my brother (the groom) needed help unloading some stuff onto the boat.
Probably the best thing about this place is the view. Since it's at the north end of Lake Union, you get a gorgeous view of downtown and a nice view looking down the cut. I took probably too many photos of it (soon to be posted to my flickr account, FYI), but I can't help mahself!
The ceremony is at the front of the boat, outdoors, and very limited seating. Many guests stood for the ceremony which in this case was not too bad, as the weather kind of sucked so the officiant cut out a lot to get people back inside.
The people who worked here also made it seamless. I hardly noticed them at all, which for a wedding, that's the way it should be!
I enjoyed my time there, a little cold, but happy.Listed in: Wedding, and wedding…
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Review from Tanya S.
Edmonds, WA
9/18/2007 3 photos
A week ago I was the Maid of Honor/ObligatoryWedding Planner at my sister's wedding on the Skansonia. The wedding was absolutely perfect, sunset ceremony (see pictures) at 7:30 PM followed by a buffet dinner and reception on the boat.
The staff at the Skansonia are lifesavers! We met with them several times before the wedding and felt very welcomed and taken care of. Like the wedding experts that they are, they take care of all the details that first-time wedding planners like us forget, recommendations, when to cut the cake, when to do the first dance, etc.
Ceremony was on the deck, we lucked out on the weather but if not there's enough space inside as a back-up. About 40 guests were seated and the rest stood in back or on the upper deck looking down which worked out fine. We had a harpist play the wedding music and it was lovely!
We opted for the buffet dinner, the salmon is DELICIOUS (I recommend going to one of the few tasting days during the year... ) and my mom brought a signature dish, summer noodles. One of the pro's for the Skansonia is that they allow you to bring your own beer and wine - a huge cash saver, other venues charge you an arm and leg for their house wine. The Skansonia staff recommended only one keg - we thought our friends and families were bigger drinkers and bought 3 kegs... we didn't even finish 2.
Highlight of the night: Not sure if this is a Skansonia first but it's a story worth sharing! Despite finishing all the alcohol we had one friend make the groom's night by jumping overboard from the top deck! Wouldn't recommend it (who knows what's in the murky Lake Union waters??) but definitely a story to remember. -
Review from Madge K.
4/28/2009
My sister got married here last July. It was WONDERFUL.
The sun was shining, the lake was sparkling, the space needle was standing regally in the distance (great photo-op).
The food was perfect and the staff were very diligent and discrete.
What a magical place for a wedding reception. Absolutely perfect for a summer Seattle wedding! -
Review from A.G. W.
Seattle, WA
3/19/2010
This place gets a lot of good reviews - but I don't understand how anyone got far enough to actually book an event here.
My Fiance and I looked at it and really wanted to have our wedding & reception here and started the process of selecting a date. We were told our date was open and placed a 72 hr hold on it.
When we called to confirm it, the primary contact person started a string of three of the most unprofessional and unhelpful interactions I've ever had. In the first - she said "I thought that date was open because there was someone interested in it, but I didn't think I had received his contract and deposit - But then I found it in the mess on my desk! So that date isn't available.'
Really? I don't need to know your desk is messy or anything more than 'I'm sorry - there was an error. That date is not available.'
In another phone conversation discussing dates, she said 'This date is open now - the couple who had it booked broke up and he moved out. But he called today to see if he could still book the weekend. So I'm not actually sure if it is available. I think he patched things up.'
?? Discussing other people's relationship status?
There was one other statement that was extremely inappropriate - I think it was something about price per head when breaking down ceremony/dinner guests and reception guests. She said something like, 'The food is really nothing when we set this fee.' Really? So every other place we talked to has it wrong? The place we settled at charges $65 per dinner guest and $25 per dessert/reception guest, which we found to be more common. She was either trying to deceive me or didn't know what she was talking about.
This is all too bad - because we really really liked the space and setting. We just didn't want to deal w/ unprofessional staff and/or risk our personal business being shared with other clients. -
Review from Jody N.
Seattle, WA
7/28/2008
I went to a wedding reception here last Thursday night for one of my oldest friends Francie and her new husband Bobby. It was an absolutely beautiful evening, and the view from this hidden gem of a private reception facility was breathtaking. I have never had the joy of basking at the beauty of the Seattle skyline like that before.
The boat was very quaint, with just enough space for our group of Rowdy Americans and foreigners (half the wedding party was from Ireland, and boy did it make for one fun night).
Beautiful view, perfect seating and spacing, wonderful food, and a fabulous wait staff. Overall one of the most charming, fun and whimsical receptions I have ever been to. -
Review from Otto R.
10/26/2008
What a wonderful little spot. I have been up in and around the Udistrict many times, but have never run into this place.
The Skansonia is a very old ferry, it is docked and can't go anywhere else. The view was just great, you could see all of Seattle in its glory. They did not have much seating, but that was okay too, since the actual vows took less than 2-3 minutes.
The rest of the evening was spent eating, drinking, eating again and drinking again. The bartenders were very nice. The DJ sucked, but that was not the Skansonia fault. It was a great time had by many! -
Review from Gene D.
9/20/2007
Attended a very nice wedding event here last month and the day was perfect. I really liked how they set up the interior rooms for any potential changes in weather. Quite over the top. There were also several bars and three buffets. The acoustics for band, speeches, were great.
I would give it a five star except this can't be called a charter, as the vessel is permanently moored to the dock. You really wouldn't want this thing on the open water anyway. Still, I mistakenly thought this was going to be a seaworthy event! -
Review from Randy K.
San Francisco, CA
4/1/2010
Attended/help setup a wedding here. What a great venue for hosting a wedding. The seattle skyline and the space needle make for a great backdrop for an outdoor wedding. BUT, being craptastic weather seattle, the inside of the boat is also a very nice setting for a wedding.
The staff is very helpful and accomodating and the upper level of the boat has an area for the wedding party to get dressed. The food was also good! Can you believe that? Good wedding food? On a boat?
I'm on a boat! -
Review from Susan A.
Seattle, WA
8/15/2011
Quintessential Seattle and the perfect setting for a casual yet elegant wedding (our daughter's was in early June 2011)! With the Seattle skyline and the Space Needle in the background, surrounded by boats and water, both the wedding ceremony at 7:30 pm and the reception/dinner/dancing afterwards were magical and such fun. Both Shauna and Tamara were extremely accommodating, careful to make sure that everything was as we wanted it. Shauna's tally of expenses as we made final decisions a couple of days before the wedding was exactly what I had calculated...no surprises, very relaxed and so easy. The staff - everyone - was fabulous the evening of the wedding, and we were delighted that we got to bring on board our own wine (no corkage fee) and desserts. All in all...wonderfully unique and special.
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Review from Tammy W.
9/25/2010
Tucked away on the north side of Lake Union, the Skansonia Ferry is the quintessential Seattle locale for an event. The views are lovely, and the space accommodates 175 people very comfortably. The ferry was built in 1929 and operated as a ferry until retirement in 1971. The interior is lushly appointed, and there are private rooms for the bride and groom. If you have the good fortune for cooperative weather, a ceremony on deck is the way to go.
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Review from Matthew H.
Bellevue, WA
2/10/2010
Atmosphere, Atmosphere, Atmosphere. I have had the chance to attend several events on the Skansonia Ferry Boat and honestly this is one place that I would get married at just to see how nice the pictures turned out. While at the Skansonia the staff was cordial and delightful. They seemed to handle everything professionally and in a quick and direct manner. I have a buddy who got married here several years ago. When I told him that I attended an event here, he had nothing but shining compliments about his own wedding, and he could still remember the bartenders name (that takes some talent). Overall this is a great place with stunning scenery and a professional staff.
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Review from Eva-Lise C.
Seattle, WA
1/15/2010
Just had my wedding & reception here, and we were very happy with it. Wonderful ambience: permanently moored antique ferryboat, full of gorgeous old furniture. Lights hanging in the portholes and strings of lights like large Christmas lights spangling the ceiling of the room we used for ceremony and dancing. They asked about our wedding colors, and decorated tables to match. They provide the food, which was absolutely delicious. Some notes: You cannot have candles or any kind of scattered stuff (confetti, rice, flower petals). They do have LED tea lights, and we had our flower girl hand out whole flowers as she processed, which was a charming effect. Also, be sure to read through all their charges carefully so you are not surprised by anything; for instance, their bartender service is required even if you don't have any alcohol. They have a sound system which is very easy to plug a laptop or iPod into--but no Internet access, so don't set up your music in a way that requires it! Indoor seating for ceremony is limited to 50, so if you have more, some will need to stand. Our ceremony was in January, so we didn't have the option of having the wedding on the deck, which may allow more seats. There is more seating in the dining space. Our wedding was about $5000, planning for 65 guests, including space, service, & food, but not drinks or cake, which we brought ourselves.
Listed in: Nuptial Bliss
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Review from M W.
King, WA
3/5/2010
Most of the positive reviews for the Skansonia are from those who have attended events on the boat, but from a bride's standpoint, the Skansonia was not a place that I would recommend holding an event that you are going to cherish for the rest of your life. Of course the scenery is beautiful, it's on Lake Union with a view of downtown. But when it comes to actual service, the Skansonia is lacking- they disappeared for the cake cutting, (so I cut my own wedding cake) disconnected the music after we had set it up, (so my guests stood around in silence) served cold cuts of roast beef when we paid for, ordered, and announced that we would be having prime rib, (which looked and tasted like trash) and I have to say, Tamara was less than cordial about the whole thing, although Shauna was helpful. Overall, maybe a great place for a Christmas party, but I would never recommend this place to a bride. Huge disappointment.
