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Celebration River Cruises

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• Moline, Illinois
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Celebration Belle Starts the Cruising Season

Join the Celebration Belle for their Captain’s Dinner Cruise!

You will enjoy a fabulous dinner including their famous prime rib and baked chicken also. Help welcome the new entertainers… Bloom, onboard!  They will perform your favorite tunes during this 2 1/2 hour cruise set every Thursday.

There is plenty of room for social distancing on this riverboat. Reservations are at a reduced capacity, so please call 800-297-0034 / 309-764-1952 to reserve your space.  This cruise will board from The Isle Marina in Bettendorf , IA, so after our dinner cruise, try your luck in The Isle Casino! What a fun filled evening a Thursday can be!

Cruise times: 

Boarding at 6:00 p.m.

Departs at 6:30 p.m.

Returns at 9:00 pm

Dinner Cruise rates:

Adults: $52.95 per person

Children ages 3-10:  $42.95 per person

Children ages 2 and under: complimentary

For more fun things to do in the Quad Cities this week,  check out the latest issue of  FUN10QC .

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Celebration River Cruises

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Celebration River Cruises - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

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Review Highlights

“ For our anniversary, my wife and I went out on a three hour tour (haha) on the Celebration Belle . ” in 6 reviews

“ The captain is fairly knowledgeable about Quad City history and the history of the Mississippi River (I did hear a couple of wrong statements). ” in 2 reviews

“ Sat outside again and took in the beautiful weather while we waited for the next bit of entertainment . ” in 6 reviews

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2501 River Dr

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I went on this Mississippi River lunch cruise about a month and a half ago, and I was underwhelmed for several reasons. For starters, the ticket lady was rude. She insisted on getting my phone number and home address, which to my way of thinking is not information that they need. She wouldn't tell me why they wanted to know either. Finally I caved in and gave the info, but it definitely set things off on the wrong foot. The lunch was served buffet style, except that you couldn't go up until your table was called. Since I had gone there on the spur of the moment instead of booking in advance, I was at the last table and was therefore the last to get a chance to go up. This wouldn't have bothered me, except that they took down the buffet only 30 minutes into the cruise, and without making any announcement that they were doing so. So I never got a chance to go up for seconds (although maybe it's just as well, the food was passable but not amazing). After the lunch was served (and then taken away), we were treated to a sightseeing tour on the river, with the captain pointing out various landmarks along the ride. This seemed like it would be pretty cool, but it was unfortunately rather hard to hear him. The speakers weren't very loud and I had to strain to hear what was being said, even though the ambient noise from other people's conversations on the boat wasn't really that loud. There was also a bit of information about the boat itself which was a little bit interesting. Eventually I wandered out on deck to take some better photos than I could get from the dining room. It was late April and still kind of chilly outside, so I couldn't stay out there too long, but this was probably the nicest part of the trip. Also, you were allowed to go into the cabin and chat with the captain if you wanted to, but since other people were already in there I decided not to intrude. It wasn't a BAD trip, but I've been on other river and lake lunch cruises before, and some of those were much better. This one would have been better if they made the food available longer, replaced the speakers so you could actually hear the captain's explanations better, and didn't collect unnecessary personal information from people who are just buying a ticket for a 90 minute lunch cruise.

Unfortunately, not a great experience. Music was too loud. Food was disgusting. Deck was dirty and full of bugs. I definitely do not recommend.

Enjoyable boat cruise down the Mighty Mississippi in Quad Cities. Narration had some interesting facts. Crew was friendly. It was really neat seeing the boat in the Tall Stacks articles up on the wall inside before boarding, nice moment to reminisce seeing all them growing up in my hometown. Sadly, the Celebration Belle is pretty tired, and appeared to not have been updated since it was built in the 80s. The gift shop...both gift shops (on the boat, and in the area before boarding) were seriously dated. I felt like I stepped back in an 80s trinket shop. This boat has so much potential, if they would update it.

We had a great time on the lunch. Great staff. Food was pretty good. Will certainly do it again !

Nice boat ride but that's all. The history tour was no tour because the sound system was so bad that no one could hear the speaker. It was obvious that the tour guide was simply reading a script. In fact he lost his place once and repeated the exact same paragraph twice at two different locations on the river (or at least I think he did...I could only catch every fourth word, but there were some unusual repeated words that appeared in the same order). The boat passed a lot of interesting looking features but there was no sound from the guide, not that it would have mattered much anyway, since it was so hard to hear. As I said, just a nice boat ride but don't expect anything else.

The Celebration Belle gets one star for an indisputably awesome view of the Mississippi River. It gets one more star for the lovely and efficient staff. But seriously, what the heck are they even doing? Tickets for our Friday night cruise cost $50. No big deal as the cruise would certainly be lovely, prime rib would be served, there would be live music (my dad reminisced to us about his last trip aboard the CB in the 90's, when The Ellis Kell Band had played), and my sister's boyfriend planned to propose to her in front of our family and the other passengers. All the makings of a fabulous evening were in order. The gift shop was the first clue. I'm talking about the one you must pass through to get your tickets not the one aboard the ship, though both are hawking the same cheap jewelry that's so tacky even my 85 year old grandmother kept walking. It wasn't a small display, it was an entire warehouse. What do acres of bad knickknacks have to do with a river cruise? The ship's interior is moderately out of date. We were shown to our seats and the waitress introduced herself and took our drink order. The QC version of SNL's The Culps sang cover songs poorly. Roughly 35 of the Celebration Belle's vaunted 750 seats were occupied as we set sail. The food was. AWFUL. For a first course, garlic dressing (actually, the best part of the meal) was served over arugula. The buffet consisted of two cold salads, okay potatoes, horrible fettucine, dry chicken, and tough, overcooked prime rib ("The prime rib is one trip, first trip only!" intoned the captain). We weren't equipped with anything sharper than a butter knife. The prime rib was difficult to cut. My grandma got a bite of it lodged in her throat. It was stuck there for the remainder of our trip and afterwards my boyfriend and I had to drive her to the ER. My sister's boyfriend proposed. It was, rightly, the best part of the evening. After the meal ended we hung out on the ship's deck, where my grandmother felt more comfortable dealing with the repercussions of having a hunk of meat stuck in her esophagus. It was kind of nice, despite the hacking, because our whole family was there and the sun setting on the water was a beautiful sight. It would be SO easy to make the Celebration Belle appealing to people under 80. Better music, better food, and more people would come in a heartbeat. Whichever business whiz is behind their current model is tired, stupid, or lazy. I will NOT go back to the Celebration Belle, probably ever.

Such fun! The beginning of October is just a little soon to really enjoy the Fall colors but just seeing the shoreline plantings is amazing. And then going underneath the new bridge (Rte. 74) in Iowa was very interesting. Also being able to view the Rock Island Arsenal from the water was nice. It was very roomy during lunch time. You can stay inside or go up to the second or third level outside. We went for lunch. The four of us enjoyed the buffet. There was a salad with two dressing choices, mashed potatoes, some kind of corn and bean veggie mix, noodles, buns, gravy and pieces of chicken breast. There was just the one protein choice, chicken. And it sure could have been more tender but it was OK. There is a bar where you can get mixed drinks or whatever for a charge. Of course you get to walk through the gift shop on the way on and off. But the people who run the ship are soooo nice. They greet you and talk to you a bit, asking if you had a nice time, etc. Prices were surprisingly reasonable in the gift shop. I think I'd like to try a dinner cruise next time.

Me and a friend went on a Friday night Captain's Dinner Cruise in mid-July. I am on oxygen and cannot walk long distances. I called earlier in the week and they said they have a wheelchair to get handicapped from entrance area onto the boat. Just never said it was like a youth sized wheelchair. I didn't fit so I just had to walk and find resting places along the way. The elevator on the boat was not what I expected either. I figured it was like a hotel or office building, but it was a freight elevator with no handrails. Once to the second floor, our seats weren't far. Just around the corner from the bar. Drinks ranged in $6-$8 range and also offered bottles if wine. As we paid extra for the window seating, it was a wonderful view. We left dock right on time at 6:30. Our server brought water, iced tea, and the plated tossed salad. The menu online states a peach salad dressing. I was excited to see if it was like a vinaigrette style or what. I've never had peach dressing. It turned out the server said, it was just garlic parmesan dressing that has a tint if peach color to it was all. The buffet was set up on the dance floor while the oldies-style mediocre band played music. Online menu stated, plated tossed salad, two additional cold salads, roll with butter, potato, green beans, a chicken breast dish, and one serving only of prime rib. Also au jus and horseradish sauce optional. There was only one cold salad, a corn and black bean salad with a light, slightly sweet vinaigrette. The butter pats were so cold and hard they couldn't be spread on the roll. The green beans and potatoes had no seasoning. I am guessing because of the mostly elderly clientel and blood pressure issues of many. Salt and pepper is on your table. The prime rib was very good, not much fat, and the horseradish sauce was perfect, not too hot. Dessert was a vendor-purchased half inch thick, cheese cake bar drizzled with raspberry sauce. Outside was a beautiful sunset facing downriver looking towards Dam 15. We docked back at 9:00 sharp and disembarked into the gift shop/entrance area and went home. The band played alot if 60's, 70's, and 80's, music, but not really fantastic at it. But overall it was a nice evening. I read some say it needs updated since the ceiling is gold reflective tiles and the carpet looks 80's-ish. But the boat was built in 1986 and probably original, but didn't bother me. The management may consider a remodel to try to attract the younger crowd. I probably wouldn't go again unless the food was elevated and there was a new band for the prices of the tickets.

If you are looking for a dinner and dance venue this is it. Scenic trip up the river with live music and great food

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Our first time on the Mississippi! Enjoyed the relaxing cruise and the panoramic views as we cruised up and down through the 6:30-9 pm dinner cruise. We spent time on the 3rd and 4th deck to avoid the musical entertainment which was dated. The food was buffet and ok for the price. The best part of the cruise, other than the beautiful scenery, was the service. Our waiter, Michael, with the company 14 years, was AMAZING! Be sure to request his table. Despite 3 Star, wouldn't miss this cruise. Would be fun to attend with a big crowd of friends . Suggestion for the company: update the music and have an optional tour guide offering points of interest on upper decks.

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Davenport IA (Iowa, Quad Cities)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Region Canada and USA Rivers

Local Time 2024-04-10 08:16

Port Davenport IA cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Davenport IA, Iowa, Quad Cities. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Davenport IA is a Mississippi River cruise port and city in the USA's Iowa State (Quad Cities Metro Area / Northwest Illinois and Southeast Iowa). The region consists of 4 counties - Iowa's Davenport and Bettendorf, and Illinois' Moline and Rock Island. Quad Cities' metropolis has population around 400,000 and total area approx 170 mi2 (400 km2).

Davenport has population around 105,000 (metro around 185,000). The city is located halfway between Chicago (175 mi / 280 km to the east via HIghway I-88E) and Des Moines (167 mi / 270 km to the west via Highway I-80W). The city is also on the Iowa-Illinois state border (crossing over the Centennial Bridge) and prone to seasonal flooding. Davenport is popular with its annual music festivals and large sports events, the largest of which are the Mississippi Valley Blues- and Fair festivals, the Bix Fest (Beiderbecke Jazz Festival), River Roots Live, Beaux Arts Fair, Bix 7 (road race). The city is a great destination for biking, having 20+ mi (30+ km) of recreational paths.

The city's economy is heavily based on manufacturing, with Davenport Works (plant of John Deere/machinery manufacturer) being the city's largest and Quad Cities' second-largest employer (after Rock Island Arsenal / on Arsenal Island/Rock Island Illinois). Other well-developed industries are healthcare and tourism.

In 2021, the city repaired the seawall and started works to extend the riverwalk and the esplanade that runs the River Heritage Park's entire waterfront length. The extended promenade now features a decorative walkway, benches, new lighting.

For 2022 were scheduled visits by large boats operated by 3 cruise companies ( ACL-American Cruise Lines , AQSC/AQV-American Queen Voyages and Viking ), in some days anchoring simultaneously along the seawall.

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Celebration Belle river cruising season is underway

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) -As the weather warms up and folks gather, taking an Mississippi River excursion with friends and family is always a fun idea. How about a fun Mississippi River cruise with the Quad Cities’ own, Celebration Belle ?

The 40th cruising season for the Quad Cities’ very own, Celebration Belle just got underway. Susan Yarolem, Group Sales & Marketing with Celebration River Cruises, highlights all the details about the many different cruise options.

It is a 750-passenger paddlewheel boat which is specifically designed for cruising the waterways of the great Mississippi River, offering casual sightseeing, luncheon and dinner cruises including narrated events, dancing cruises, themed outings such as “Broadway & Movie Show Tunes” cruises or “Christian Music” cruises, as well as overnight or all-day cruises.

See the comprehensive list of cruising events here.

Celebration River Cruises is a family-owned (and operated) business. The Schadler family is involved in every aspect of the boat’s operations from cooking the food fresh daily, serving guests, keeping the engines in top running order, and even piloting the vessel.

For more information or to make reservations, visit the website at https://www.celebrationbelle.com/ or call 309-764-1952 or 800-297-0034. Celebration Belle is located at 2501 River Drive, Moline, IL.

Copyright 2023 KWQC. All rights reserved.

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Celebration River Cruises

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Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Celebration River Cruises - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Our History

Celebrating our 39th year of cruising.

Celebration River Cruises is a family owned and operated business. The Schadler family is involved in every aspect of the boat’s day to day operations from cooking the food fresh daily, helping serve their guests, keeping the engines running smooth, and even piloting the vessel.

Joe Schadler started the excursion boat business in Davenport, IA in 1984 with the Queen of Hearts, a three deck 400 passenger boat.  Mr Schadler had the boat made to order at Tucker Marine in Cincinnati, OH.

As word got around and the passengers began coming from miles around, Joe saw a need for more space. So in 1986, he purchased river front property in Moline, IL and moved the operation to Moline.

A few years later in 1993 after spending much of his boyhood watching and helping his father on the boat, Joe’s son, Scott became a full partner in the business. With Scott’s business sense and Joe’s knowledge of the industry, the business began to flourish.

As the business grew, the need for a larger vessel became apparent. In 1998, the Schadlers purchased the Celebration Belle, the largest non-gaming excursion riverboat in the Upper Mississippi River. The 750 passenger Celebration Belle was built in 1986 by Patti Shipbuilding of Pensacola, FL.

The larger boat also made way for new and exciting cruises. One such cruise that has become popular is the 100 Mile Day Long Cruise from the Quad Cities to Dubuque, IA. This cruise overwhelms it’s passengers with three homemade meals and live entertainment.

And with the popularity of the 100 Mile Day Long Cruise came other special cruises such as the Big Band Cruise and our Captain’s Prime Rib Dinner & Dance Cruise.  We have also added new ports to include cruises south to Hannibal, Mo and north to Prairie du Chien, WI. We also had an increase interest in  privately chartered cruises for wedding receptions, proms, and corporate outtings.

The Celebration Belle has significantly boosted tourism along the river. Visitors from as far as 1000 miles away come to the area to cruise the Mississippi River.  We have a large number of motorcoach groups that come to the Celebration Belle every year.  The Schadler’s host many international groups, including the King and Queen of Sweden.

In 39 years of business, the Schadlers have been involved in the Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois economy as restaurateurs and boat operators. They have demonstrated that their love of the river equals entrepreneurial success. Their pioneering spirit has been instrumental in making the Mississippi River a major national tourism attraction.

About Celebration Belle

(800) 297-0034 (309) 764-1952

[email protected]

2501 River Drive, Moline, IL 61265

Group Sales and Marketing: Susan Yarolem (800) 297-0034 x 204 (309) 764-1952 x 204

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