If having a great time—drink in hand—with a live Caribbean band sounds like it’s up your alley, then check out Caribbean Harbor Queen Cruise.

You’ve Arrived

We indeed arrived (we were a tad late), parked across the street at Harbor Center, promptly got our tickets, our hands stamped, and hopped on board. We immediately went to the top level of the boat (the Harbor Queen is a double decker boat) and sat down at a table near the front. The weather was absolutely perfect—it was a sunny and beautiful Buffalo summer evening. The rest of the tables quickly filled up with rowdy birthday parties, intimate couples and groups of mildly inebriated senior citizens.

Fun in the Sun

Right on time, the captain of the ship announced we were ready to shove off, and with the Caribbean band playing island favorites on the level below, we started off for the deeper waters of Lake Erie. There were dozens of sailboats, jet-skis, speedboats and fishermen scattered throughout the entire area. With the music blaring and people having a great time around us, it quickly became clear that it was the perfect time for a drink or three.

Put the Lime in the Coconut

The Caribbean Harbor Queen Cruise offers a cash bar with a great Caribbean-themed menu, including Mojitos, Tequila Sunrises, Bloody Marys and a lot more. We opted for a Caribbean Hurricane (which is Flora De Cana Rum, Cream of Coconut, Orange and Pineapple Juice, Topped with Nutmeg Spice), which was absolutely delicious, and a requisite Corona Extra. At this point, pretty much everyone had a drink in hand and was having a great time either upstairs enjoying the view and conversation, or downstairs partying with the live band.

From the Islands

The band is a family of very talented musicians from Trinidad and Tobago and they did an amazing job of both being host to and hyping up the party feel of the entire cruise. By the end of the cruise, between singing Happy Birthday to a couple of passengers, the lead singer had almost everyone doing the Macarena, or singing along to island favorites like Bob Marley.

More Info (and Pro Tips)

We can’t recommend Buffalo River History Tours’ Caribbean Harbor Queen Cruise enough. The cruise is every Wednesday until mid-September, and departs at 7:00 p.m. from the Canalside (near Liberty Hound). Tickets can be purchased online. Depending on the weather, it might get a tad chilly when you’re out on the water (unless you’re all hot and bothered from drinking and dancing, which is more likely!), so grab an extra layer to throw on just in case. Also remember to arrive a half hour early before your departure time!