Frequently Asked Questions

During these times there is a lot of uncertainty and worry, and we take this seriously. The Chautauqua Belle has sailed on Chautauqua Lake for many years now and is included in the rich history of the area. We are looking forward to having you as a passenger on the vessel again this summer! We are taking extra steps to disinfect the vessel and we always comply with New York State and CDC guidelines.

What we are doing to protect your safety 

Ticketing/ Checking in:

• All passengers will be screened on arrival to determine any illness/sickness. Passengers who have traveled from foreign countries who have not quarantined for a minimum of 14 days or who have a temperature in excess of 100.4 will not be allowed on the vessel.
• If you are sick, (coughing, runny nose, fever, or other symptoms), please email us and we will reschedule your trip to a later date..
• 6 Foot separation is required while passengers wait in line.
• When boarding absolutely no handshaking
•  ALL guests must bring their own masks. At this time, New York State requires that guests wear a mask in all public areas. (The Belle is considered a public area)
• To allow for contactless ticketing/check-in, we ask everyone to please take advantage of our online ticketing service on our website. This also allows for ticketing to go much faster! 
• If you are paying with a credit card at the gangway, you will not be required to sign.

Bar and Food :

• The bar, refrigerator, shelves, and ice cooler are disinfected before the start of the day, throughout the day, and at the end of each day.
• All lunches are prepared and individually wrapped on land in a clean and disinfected kitchen 
• We will not be able to reuse cups or use reusable cups from passengers 
• Gloves are required for all staff when handling food or drink.

On the boat:

• All passengers must wear a face mask at all times 
• We will be allowing for 6-foot separation, unless with your own group.
• Hand sanitizer will be provided throughout the boat for passengers and crew to use.
• Staff will sanitize and disinfect surfaces and handrails throughout the cruise

Staff:

•  All staff will check their temperature before starting a shift. Staff with a temperature in excess of 99 degrees or evidence of ANY illness will be sent home.
• All staff will wear face masks at all times.
• Staff will wash their hands and use sanitizer before and after their shifts and at least every hour throughout the day.

We cannot GUARANTEE your safety but will make every attempt to. Going on a boat ride may increase your risk of contracting COVID-19, respiratory failure, death, and transmitting COVID-19 to family or household members and others who may also suffer these effects. The Belle is an open-air vessel with en environment much like a park. 

Please check our website! On our homepage the message box is updated by 9am daily to make sure you have the most current schedule! If it is on the message box, we are going from that location and that time! No need to call.

We are located at multiple docks through out the summer season. YOU MUST check our schedule or read the message box on our homepage for today’s schedule, times, and port of departure. Our different dock information is as follows:

Chautauqua Institution: We come ashore at the Miller Bell Tower, (yes that’s down on the lake) directly adjacent to the swimming beach. If you are not staying inside the Chautauqua Institution grounds we suggest you board in Mayville or you will have to pay a $30 day pass to enter the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution.

Mayville: We are located at the Lake Side Park/ Steamboat Village (78 Water St. Mayville, NY 14757).

Bemus Point: The Belle leaves from 1 Lakeside Drive Bemus Point NY. The dock is right beside the Bemus Point Ferry next to the Village Casino Restaurant.

Midway State Park: We are located in Midway Park down by the Merry-go-round. (and yes that also is down by the lake, not up in the amusement park) GPS address…4859 NY-430, Bemus Point, NY 14712

Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celeron NY: We are located at 10 Dunham Ave, Celoron, NY 14720.

McCrea Point Park in Jamestown NY: We are located at 14 Jones and Gifford Ave, Jamestown, NY 14701

Reservations are not required however, we suggest online reservations be made if you are coming from any distance OR want to make sure you get on your desired trip OR would like a picnic on the paddle wheel lunch. We strongly suggest making a reservation- it is the ONLY way we can contact you in the unlikely event of a weather cancellation.

Historical and cocktail cruises are approximately 1 hour 30 mins – 1 hour 45 mins long, depending mostly on lake winds.

All Free ticket/gift certificate/coupon questions can be answered HERE!

No! We update the message box on our homepage daily.  Please check there for today’s schedule. If you do not see the date you are interested in going, please check the calendar on our website, www.269belle.com. If you are unclear about when you can use your free tickets please read the free ticket.

Cocktail cruise passengers get the same historical tour, music and fun as any historical cruise.We have a cash bar with beer, wine on ALL  trips.  DRINKS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN ANY TRIP UNLESS YOU PRE-PURCHASE  THEM WHEN MAKING A RESERVATION.

There MAY be some lunches available for purchase on board. We DO NOT have a kitchen on board.  The only way you can guarantee a lunch is by preordering ahead of time by booking online. When booking online be sure to tell us exactly what type of wraps you would like. Options for lunches are: Turkey, Ham, Italian, and Vegetarian. Picnic on the paddle wheel lunch includes the wrap of your choice, chips, a dessert, and a non-alcoholic beverage from our on board bar. Again to reserve a picnic on the paddle wheel lunch please book online ahead of time.

In order to disembark in Chautauqua Institution, all passengers must present a valid Chautauqua Institution Gate Pass before exiting the gangway.  Since each cruise is round-trip, passengers with valid Gate Passes who board in Mayville and disembark in Chautauqua Institution may board the Chautauqua Belle at a regularly scheduled time later in that same day to complete their round-trip fare.  Please check the online calendar in order to ensure later cruises have not been canceled and notify the crew of your intentions to board on a later cruise.  To purchase a Gate Pass, visit the Chautauqua Institution website, found in the Partner Links page. (Approx $30.00)

Yes, we have men’s and women’s restrooms available on-board the Chautauqua Belle, and at our home dock in Mayville.

Yes, we accept all major credit cards.  Please remember that, in the interest of time, we prefer cash payment and ask anyone paying with a credit card to wait until all cash passengers have been boarded  before approaching the gangway.  We take all credit cards through “square” — on our phones –which takes a little bit of time, so we always do credit cards last- thank you for your cooperation in advance.

The steamboat runs at approximately $650 an hour. Therefore a general minimum passenger count of 20 may be required for all trips. The Captain and Owners of the Vessel reserve the right to cancel any trip if a minimum passenger count is not met.  If the Chautauqua Belle cancels your trip due to weather, wind, mechanical issues, repairs, low passenger count etc a full refund will be given for your pre-purchased tickets.  If you cancel/adjust your reservation in whole or part, or miss your departure time, no refunds will be issued. You can use your pre-purchased tickets for any Historical/cocktail cruise in the future.  All coupons still have to be used within the date range on the coupon. Please understand when you make a reservation we are counting on you to fulfill a passenger count so the boat can run.  In the simplest of terms if we cancel it’s on us, if you cancel it’s on you. Please see ‘What is your weather cancellation policy?’ for more about our weather cancellation policy.

Yes, we have group rates available for parties of 20 or more.  Groups of 20 or more receive a discounted rate of $22.50/adult.  Arrangements for your group must be made in advance by sending us an email request, please include a phone number. The group discounted rate must be pad in full by 1 person only, your tickets will then be issued to that person for distribution.  Additional passengers showing up with the group but not having a ticket will need to pay the regular walk up rate of $25.00/person.  Refunds cannot be issued for no-shows.

Yes, The Chautauqua Belle is one of the only tour boats in western NY which is handicapped accessible.  Designated space is available on the main deck for wheelchair passengers and those individuals are generally given priority boarding.

The Chautauqua Belle is an open-air vessel with no air-conditioning.  It is covered to provide shade, often experiences a cool, refreshing breeze across the second deck, and has side curtains in the event of inclement weather.  Most passengers find a ride on the Chautauqua Belle to be very comfortable on warm or hot days and prefer to bring a jacket along on cool days or for most evening/night cruises.  Please dress accordingly.

We offer priority seating & boarding for several reasons. Passengers with disabilities may be offered priority seating on the lower deck to circumvent any stairwells. Bus groups, group reservations, and season ticket holders may request priority reserved seating at the time of their reservation, including access to tables.  We ask that all other passengers please respect crew member instructions and priority seating guidelines. We board and ticket at the gangway in the following order: reservations/ cash customers, coupons or complimentary tickets, and credit cards last.

No, we are licensed by the Chautauqua County board of health. We kindly ask all our guests to refrain from bringing outside food or beverages on-board the Chautauqua Belle.  We have a full-service bar with snacks, water, soft drinks, juices, beer, wine, & mixed drinks on-board and open during every cruise for your convenience.  If you would like a deli lunch, please  reserve a Picnic on the Paddlewheel by booking online.

Yes, we have chips, cookies, pretzels, large deli sandwiches, chicken barbecue dinners, & your favorite soft or hard drinks.  Lunches can only be purchased when booking online.

Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled cruise to allow for ticketing, boarding, and a timely departure.  Remember that passengers with reservations, or those paying in cash are ticketed first and have priority seating, while passengers paying with credit card or check are ticketed and boarded after all cash passengers.

It is our goal to run every trip posted. We occasionally need to delay, postpone or cancel a trip due to weather. We try to rarely do this as we are not making any money just sitting at the dock and it is certainly not very fun, we love and want to be out on the lake just like you!  Please check the weather for Chautauqua before leaving NOT where you live!   In general we do not go out in thunder, lightening, heavy rain, and /or winds forecast up to 20+ MPH.   Safety is a number one priority for us.  PLEASE— ALWAYS,  check our website message box and calendar as we update both regularly!  If you are coming from any distance…PLEASE…check the message box to make sure there are no anticipated weather cancellations.

Children age two (2) and under are free.  Children age 3-12 fall under the children’s rate of $10 per child. Teenagers and seniors fall under the adult rate of $22.50 per person. We do not offer any discounts on individual tickets.

Yes, all specialty cruises require reservations. Please book online using our reservation system.  Payment must be made at the time of reservation before tickets may be issued.

Yes, we have a full-service cash bar available on-board for every cruise with a fine selection of beers, wines, and liquors.  Photo identification required.  No alcohol may be served before noon on Sundays.

You can’t. the Belle runs a timed schedule, it is tight, and every minute is accounted for.  Once the gangway goes up, it is very difficult to put it back down and bring the boat back in without losing 10 or 15 minutes.  Sooo…. If you pull in a little bit late, you very well may have to wait till the next trip.  Your ticket is good for any other historical tour.  Watching the Belle as she pulls away from the dock brings all new meaning to “missed the boat”