Dinner menu and dietary needs

What the ticket covers

The dinner cruise includes a three-course meal: bread, a salad, one entrée chosen from the menu on board and a house dessert. The meal is served at a reserved table, and the cruise adds live piano and historical narration. Appetizers, beverages, the service tip and the souvenir photo are separate. A menu sits at your table when you board, so you choose your entrée on the boat rather than in advance.

A sample dinner menu

The operator publishes a sample dinner menu and says the entrées change daily, so use it as a guide to the style, not a promise of a dish. The sample starts with freshly baked focaccia and a mixed green salad with house dressing. The entrée list follows, and dessert closes the meal. The operator says it buys from local farms and purveyors, and that every menu has a beef, poultry, fish and vegetarian choice.

• Parmesan crusted chicken breast with rustic marinara, rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables
• Oven-baked Northwest steelhead finished with bay shrimp ceviche
• Braised beef short ribs from Pendleton with a salsa roja and mashed potatoes
• Blackened lamb with a balsamic glaze
• Pasta primavera in a garlic cream sauce, marked V for vegan

Dessert

The included dessert on the sample menu is a New York cheesecake with a mixed berry topping. Other cakes are sold separately: a chocolate cake with mousse between its layers, a lemon berry vanilla cake and a cinnamon crunch cake. Those extras are optional, and the cheesecake is part of the ticket. The dessert changes with the menu, so the cheesecake is a sample as well.

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free

Vegetarian options are always available. The operator can modify entrées to be vegan or gluten-free when you ask in advance of the cruise, so mention it when you book or phone the office. The galley on a boat is small, and the operator says that limits what the kitchen can do. Guests who need either diet should treat the advance request as part of booking, not as something to raise at the table.

Severe allergies

For allergies that need ingredients kept strictly apart, the operator asks for detailed notes in the booking and says it will do its best within the limits of a galley on a boat. The kitchen uses extra-virgin olive oil and a canola and olive oil blend. If your party's allergy is severe, decide before you pay whether those limits suit you.

Children's meals

The sample menus include a children's plate of chicken tenders or buttered pasta, served with steamed vegetables and potatoes. Ask your server for crayons and a children's activity sheet if a small child is dining with you. The operator advises that the entertainment on regular meal cruises caters to adults, and that a long dinner cruise often runs past a young child's bedtime, so daytime sightseeing suits families with small children better.

Appetizer platters

Appetizers are not part of the ticket. The operator sells shareable platters, each good for two to four people: a seafood plate with smoked lox, steelhead, seared tuna, mussels and prawns, a plate of local Northwest cheeses with crostini and fruit, and a gluten-free, vegan-friendly hummus plate that is pre-order only. It says the platters may not be available to order on board, so contact the operator before the cruise and ask whether one can be added to your reservation.

Drinks and the bar

Beverages are not part of the dinner ticket. A bar on board sells drinks, and you can order them during the cruise. The operator does not permit outside drinks, and carry-on bags can be inspected at boarding. Service gratuity is not included either, and suggested tip amounts based on your total bill are printed on the onboard receipt, so you can add a tip at the end of the cruise.