Savannah Dinner Cruise vs Sunset Cruise

For an evening on the water, Savannah gives you two strong choices: the Riverboat Sunset Cruise and the Buffet Dinner Cruise with Live Entertainment. Both sail the same historic Savannah river after the heat of the day, both are popular with couples — but they are built for different kinds of evening. This guide compares them head to head so you can book with confidence.

The Quick Answer

• Choose the Sunset Cruise if you want golden-hour views, fresh air on an open deck, and a lighter, lower-cost outing — and you will eat dinner elsewhere afterward.
• Choose the Dinner Cruise if you want the meal to be the event: a full buffet dinner, a live entertainer, and a self-contained evening you do not have to plan around.

Both run two hours and both depart River Street downtown.

Side-by-Side Comparison

All prices are starting prices per person, and both cruises are operated by Savannah Riverboat Cruises with free cancellation up to 24 hours before sailing.

The Sunset Cruise in Detail

The Riverboat Sunset Cruise (2 hours, from $55) is the breezier, more casual of the two. The draw is the open-air top-deck patio, where you watch the historic Savannah waterfront slide past as the light turns. There are live entertainers playing music on board, and you can stay seated and relax or get up and dance.

It is not a dinner cruise — there is no included meal — but there is an onboard bar and grill where you can buy a drink or something to eat. That keeps the price and the commitment lighter: think of it as the scenic, golden-hour option, with dinner to follow on River Street if you want it.

Best for: couples and groups who want the view and the breeze without committing to a full sit-down meal on board, and anyone who would rather choose their own restaurant for dinner afterward.

The Buffet Dinner Cruise in Detail

The Buffet Dinner Cruise with Live Entertainment (2 hours, from $93) turns the evening into a complete event. You are seated in a climate-controlled ballroom for a buffet dinner made with fresh local ingredients. The menu includes the signature Savannah shrimp and grits, a beef carving station, fresh catch of the day, lemon and artichoke chicken, potatoes au gratin, squash casserole, seasonal vegetables, and garden greens.

After dinner, a riverboat entertainer performs music from the 1950s through today’s hits, and there is room to dance. You can also head up to the top deck for the calm evening air and the lit-up waterfront. It sails year-round Sunday through Friday, with a fixed schedule — boarding at 6:00 PM, sailing at 7:00 PM, and returning at 9:00 PM.

Best for: anniversaries, birthdays, and special occasions, and travelers who want a self-contained evening — dinner, music, and a cruise in one booking — without planning a separate restaurant reservation.

Which Is the Better Value?

The two are not really competing on price — they are different products. The Sunset Cruise at $55 buys you the cruise and the view; you would add the cost of dinner elsewhere. The Dinner Cruise at $93 buys you the cruise, a full buffet, and live entertainment in one. Once you factor a comparable downtown dinner into the sunset option, the gap narrows considerably. The honest way to choose is by the evening you want, not the sticker price.

A Third Option: The Monday Gospel Dinner Cruise

If your trip includes a Monday, there is a third evening cruise worth knowing about. The Monday Gospel Dinner Cruise (2 hours, from $77) pairs a southern buffet — fried chicken, pulled pork, barbecue, southern sides, and desserts — with live gospel music entertainers. It is the highest-rated cruise in the section at 4.8/5, though with a smaller review base (90 reviews) and a Monday-only schedule. For travelers who want the dinner-cruise format with a distinctly Savannah soundtrack, it is a memorable alternative.

Matching the Cruise to the Occasion

Both cruises are popular romantic choices, but the occasion often points clearly to one or the other.

A practical detail worth weighing: the Buffet Dinner Cruise runs a fixed schedule — boarding 6:00 PM, sailing 7:00 PM, returning 9:00 PM — so it anchors your whole evening. The Sunset Cruise is timed to golden hour, which shifts through the year, leaving the rest of the night open for whatever you want to do on River Street.

What Both Cruises Share

Whichever you choose, you get the same fundamentals. Both are two-hour cruises operated by Savannah Riverboat Cruises, both depart from River Street in downtown Savannah, and both sail the same historic stretch of the Savannah River past the waterfront and downtown skyline. Both have an open-air top deck — on the sunset cruise it is the main event, and on the dinner cruise it is where you go between courses for the evening air. And both include free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, so you can book early to lock in a popular weekend slot without risk.

Ready to Book?

Sunset views or a full buffet dinner with live music — both are excellent ways to spend an evening on the Savannah River. Compare timings, menus, and prices on our Savannah river cruises page and book the one that suits your night, with free cancellation either way.