Book Your Newport Harbor Tour with Gansett Cruises

Originally published in August 2014, this blog post may have been edited for clarity and updated with relevant travel information and links.

After spending all of my summers in Narragansett and attending university in Newport for four years, there has been no reason for me to play tourist in Rhode Island.

What else could I possibly want to do besides relaxing at Narragansett Town Beach and enjoying a medium-sized Del’s Lemonade?

Since I have had more time to try different experiences, some of the touristy things are enjoyable for locals, too.

I drive over Narragansett Bay every day—it would never occur to me to go on a boat cruise until I was invited to work on a project with Gansett Cruises before the start of summer.

Why You Should Book a Boat Cruise in Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island is the yachting capital of the world and is located in the Ocean State—it only makes sense to view this New England port city from the water!

A tour of Newport Harbor by boat is ideal during the summer when traffic is slow-moving from Bellevue Avenue to Ocean Drive.

It’s also a beautiful way to see some of the sights that cannot be viewed from the road.

How to Book with Gansett Cruises

You can book your tickets with Gansett Cruises online or visit the Gansett Cruises outdoor kiosk in downtown Newport. Gansett Cruises is located at 2 Bowen’s Landing next to the Black Pearl’s outdoor patio and in the middle of Bowen’s Wharf and Bannister’s Wharf.

In addition to public harbor tours, Gansett Cruises also offers private tours and charters as well as a helicopter tour Sea and Sky package in partnership with Newport Helicopter Tours.

Gansett Cruises in Newport, Rhode Island

Review of Newport Harbor Tour with Gansett Cruises

I went on the 4:30 PM cruise with Gansett Cruises and loved seeing Newport and Jamestown from a different perspective—it helped that the light was perfect for photos.

As a bonus, Gansett Cruises also offers a complimentary Rhode Island treat. For the afternoon cruise, you can choose to either order a Del’s Lemonade or a coffee “cabinet.” I would normally choose Del’s, but I went for the cabinet instead, which was a solid decision. You can also enjoy other beverages from the cash bar, including a Narragansett Beer.

Even though I already knew most of the information the tour guide shared about Newport, I learned some historical tidbits about yachts in the harbor, private summer homes, and inlets in Newport and Jamestown.