Services Offered
Verified by Business
Review Highlights
“With a little pre-planning and some "magic" by our gondolier, my wife found a bottle floating in the harbor.” in 103 reviews
“At the end, we forgot the chocolates on the boat but Roberto caught us in the parking lot and gave them to us!” in 23 reviews
“We had an hour through the canals of Newport at sunset and my wife was so happy, I really enjoyed it too.” in 36 reviews
Location & Hours
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Amenities and More
About the Business
Business owner information
Greg M.
Romantic, relaxing, exclusive... Cruise through spectacular Newport Harbor in one of the world s most beautiful gondolas. Create a memory with that special someone as you glide silently through quaint canals guided by a charming gondolier. Looking for romantic anniversary ideas or a unique date ideas? This is romance at its finest. Tradition dictates that couples kiss under every bridge. Greeting others in Italian as they pass by is encouraged and enjoying life to its fullest is a requirement. The gondolas are stunning... The sunsets on the water breathtaking... The mood perfect... This is the stuff that dreams are made of. Great for: romantic proposals, special celebrations, fun and romantic anniversaries, date nights, special occasions, family gatherings, weddings, unique elopement ideas, or "just because." Gondola Adventures has custom features and specialty enhancements that we have pioneered in the industry. For example, the President of our company developed the "Message in a Bottle" in 1993, wherein a custom love-note is silently dropped in the water by your gondolier, and then spotted and retrieved by your guest. Many companies claim to have "Venetian" gondolas, but often their gondolas are not actually imported from Venice. The Venetians have been making gondolas for nearly 1000 years, and it is truly an art form...
Ask the Community
Q:
Can you bring your own appetizers like meats and cheese?
A:
We don’t allow any outside food on board, but we do have Charcuterie (meat and cheese) options available for purchase.
PJ M., Business Manager4 days agoQ:
What's the pricing for a drone videography package?
A:
Hi Briana, we have a few different options for the drone package. Please give our office a call for pricing information as it relates to your specific cruise and cruise length.
PJ M., Business Manager1 year ago
Recommended Reviews
Overall rating
243 reviews
5 stars
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- Seana R.Tustin, CA03Dec 6, 2020
This was a great night out especially during the Covid time. It was great to get in the Christmas spirit. Romantic, fun, and safe. You don't even have to be with a romantic partner it would be great with family and friends. Kalev the gondolier is the best. He is fun, knowledgeable, and professional.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Ruben P.La Habra, CA11223818Jan 9, 2024Updated review
Let me tell you about gondola adventures....
I had a week to put together my proposal after my original plans got derailed.
Cassandra answered the phone and heard what I had to say and immediately had ideas that would make this day extremely special.
From the moment she asked how she can help to after the cruise was over, she made sure every aspect of the cruise was covered.
The idea behind my proposal was a fake birthday cruise that my now fiancée was planning. Cassandra went out of her way to make sure that my fiancee did not think twice about what was going on.
Cassandra made great recommendation on what would make this day special and even gave me ideas of what to do before and after the cruise. It was truly a great experience.
Now the cruise...
Our Gondolier, Kalev, took a special day and made it even more memorable. From his quick quips to help break the nerves and keep my fiancée thinking it was a birthday cruise to explaining the customs of Gondolas.
Kalev sang beautifully, took photos on my phone for us, and made sure that the song I requested to play during the proposal played at the right moment.
The team at Gondola Adventures went above and beyond for this proposal and I am so grateful.
I will be back.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Business owner information
PJ M.
Dec 26, 2017
So glad you were able to get out during the Christmas Boat Parade this year - it is a wonderful and festive experience. We would love to have you make it an annual tradition, as many of our guests do. Thanks for the great review!
Dec 18, 2017Previous reviewI went out on a Gondola with friends for the 109th Newport Beach Boat Parade and it was a blast. Greg was out gondolier and he had dressed up as captain obvious.
The night began with a quick tour down the canals before the parade got to the Newport harbor. Once the parade got to the harbor, it was all fun and games. Greg got our boat up close and personal with the lights. It was truly a great experience.
After the parade was done, Greg took us back down the canal and gave us a nice history lesson on the houses and the canals.
This was worth every penny. You will love sailing with this company! - Ambrish P.Rancho Santa Margarita, CA112218Nov 22, 2023
The experience was beautiful and the staff good very caring and food was good.
The whole event cost me almost $600 for one hour and a half
The only issue I have is we did not get on the boat till 8:10pm and we were off the boat at 9:15pm. That's not an hour and a half was a little bit upsetting.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Jul 10, 2023
Shoutout to our Gondolier KALEV!
He was simply a joy to have! He took us out on this beautiful electric gondola. He literally gave us the whole package! He gave us a tour, sang the most beautiful Italian music, sprinkled with some humor, and told us the most wonderful stories, and even gave us some valuable life lessons! It felt like my boyfriend and I received a free therapy session all in one!
My boyfriend took me here for my bday and it was one of the best surprises! We came around 5:30pm and it was about an hour long ride. We got some apple cider and some lindor chocolates to enjoy on our ride. The waters were so nice and calming. The weather was great! This is perfect for any celebration or special date!
Thank you again Kalev for the best time! You're so young but you're already changing lives for the better!Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Mimi W.Westminster, CA2466239Feb 12, 2024
I highly recommend this for a fun date adventure. Booked this for my boyfriend and he loved it. We didn't add a bunch of extras but we did add the wine and it was perfect. Jason was great very professional and fun. It was very easy to get to definitely read your email regarding parking/directions to get there instructions and check google maps. It was very memorable and fun!
Helpful 1Thanks 1Love this 1Oh no 0 - 115632Aug 18, 2023
Truly a special sunset cruise on the harbor! Brooks was so friendly, entertaining and made the experience extraordinary! Highly recommend this for an evening you will not forget with someone special. Worth every penny!
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Jul 24, 2022
Opted to do this for a surprise for my significant other! Loved every minute of this. This is very relaxing and romantic. The views are goregous and the gondolier is very knowledgeable. The snacks were great and the beverage was awesome. Everyone you passed when you were on this smiled and waved. The only disappointment would be my gondolier didn't sing , which would of been icing on the cake for us. He played lovely music ; but the singing live would of just put it over the top. I thought this was part of the package??!!
This is a great experience for a special occasion or a date night for sure.Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0Business owner information
PJ M.
Jul 28, 2022
Hi Whit, thanks for your review and we're glad you loved your cruise! To answer your question about singing gondoliers, not all of our gondoliers sing (and some you wouldn't want to!!). We do try to provide a singing gondolier when it is requested, but we can't always guarantee one will be available. If you come back and cruise with us again, please be sure to let us know you would like to have a singer and we will do our best to provide one.
- Will O.Los Angeles, CA1479110Feb 21, 2023
Amazing time! Took my wife on a 1 hour tour of the back bay in Newport Beach. I highly recommend doing this for a date night, first date, proposal, anniversary, etc!
From checkin, everything was smooth! Our gondolier Greg was absolutely amazing! He can really sing! I enjoyed the bottle of martinellis and snacks provided! We did our tour around 7pm and it was nice and romantic! You really get to see some awesome viewpoints and see areas you normally would never see!
Welcome to Italy!Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Krystina E.San Francisco, CA022May 15, 2023
This was the most romantic date of my life! We were on the gondola named Celeste steered by Roberto. Roberto was just the right level of involved without feeling intrusive. He answered questions and pointed out things when appropriate but was an intrusive if we were having a private conversation or moment. The Charcuterie board, chocolates and drinks were wonderful. My husband arranged for a message in a bottle for me that was ex special. They set it up in a way that was aesthetically pleasing, and will make a nice decoration for my home moving forward. Trust me this is worth every penny and will be special memory for the rest of your life!
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - El V.South El Monte, CA042Nov 13, 2023
Extremely disappointing to receive a call a day after our gondola experience to question me about tipping our gondolier. I have to confess I felt extremely embarrassed to receive a phone call at 10:44 am while at work regarding not leaving a tip on our card. The night before we had tipped our gondolier in cash. I was not made aware at booking that tipping was required and had to be added to the card transaction. Make sure you add the tip to your card before the service so that you do not receive a phone call the next morning. Unfortunately a one minute phone call did take away from the experience we had the night before.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 1
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