07/20/09

AWFUL Business Conduct

by TP6616

I would NOT recommend the Gondola Romantica to anyone looking for a little romance on the beautiful lakes of Minnesota. The Gondola Romantica advertises it's services in a very misleading and unprofessional manner.

I attended an AIDS benefit at the Graves 601 Hotel Minneapolis in November of 2008 and made a very nice ($150) contribution to the cause in exchange for a beautiful Stillwater getaway package. Included in this package was a night stay at a historic hotel in downtown Stillwater and...you guessed it...a gondola ride sponsored by the Gondola Romantica. To my disgust, I realized when opening the envelope that the certificate was for the Centennial Lakes location (read half the value of a St. Croix ride)...not for the St. Croix. I was told by a Gondola Romantica sales person that I would need to pay an additional amount of money ($50) for the ride that was advertised.

Long story short.....HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!

• Pros: Supposedly romantic
• Cons: Horribly deceptive and unprofessionally run company

09/08/07

Best Gondala Ride outside of Italy!

by ashleytmorgan

I highly recommend gondola romantica. Its great for any and all ages. My husband and I are in our twenties and we loved it. Normally my husband gets sea sick but he didnt this time- the ride was not bumpy at all. The gondala seems like a big canoe but its much more relaxing! We got the $95 package at night. The gondalier was so nice!! He even had citranella candles to keep mosquitos away. The highlight, you can bring your own food and drinks if you want. So I brought champagne and chocolate covered strawberry's. It was sort of hard pouring the drinks into little champagne glasses so bring big wine glasses.The gondalier was open to answering any questions. He was a very ineresting person! Ask about where the gondala came from and how he got started. Its a cool story. The weather was beautiful too, so that helped make it a great night. Things to consider: sometimes (mostly on holidays) the stillwater area can be noisy with all the drinkers. People defintely go there to party. There were times when we were close enough to the shore and we could hear all the drunk people yelling stupid things at eachother and laughing hysterically. But that took only about 5 minutes at the most (just long enough for the boat to pull away from the shore and then pull in when we were returning). Going during the week or during the day will eliminate most of that. Also, make sure your really clear about where to get on the gondola ride because there are a lot of docks in stillwater and it is easy to get confused, plus there are not a lot of signs directing you where to go. One thig I really liked was that you can see the stars perfectly out there. Being in the city you migh see one,every couple days but these stars were brilliant and bold. All in all, it was a very romantic, fun evening. We will be going again on our next anniversary. Tip: go on a regular boat ride/cruise on the fourth of July- they have great fireworks and it's so pretty when your on the water!

• Pros: romantic, hours (open late), local attractions
• Cons: parking, a bit pricey, noisy party-goers, lot of smoking

09/17/06

Fantastic!

by harris11235

I had a wonderful experience on the ride. I chose the 'Romancing the St. Croix' tour ($95). I scheduled the ride online while planning an anniversary weekend. I was a bit worried about the weather, since there turned out to be a good chance of storms on the day I booked. The staff was great about keeping in contact with me about the chance of rain at the time the ride was scheduled and the possibility of rescheduling. We left the dock at 8:45, right on time and enjoyed a very relaxing night tour of the St. Croix river. The lights of Stillwater were a great site from our comfortable seats - and the gondolier even thought ahead enough to bring an umbrella and blanket for us just in case. I'm very happy with the tour and the service and would highly reccomend this business for anyone looking for a unique, romantic experience.

• Pros: service, tour, ambiance
• Cons: dependent on weather

08/05/06

Truly a Romantic Gem!

by twincities_review

There is nothing like a Gondola ride on the St. Criox at sunset! My husband and I decided that a quick Stillwater getaway would be the best way to celebrate our 5th anniversary (and our first night away from the kids). We booked (and highly recommend) the Mid-Week Venetian Cruise which includes dinner overlooking the river at the Dock Cafe and a 45 minute cruise on the St. Croix for $159. We arrived at the busy restaurant at 7:00, and although there was a wait, we were brought our table immediately. They gave us a special menu, outlining our courses (appetizer, entree, and wine selections), There were 4 choices of entrees (Salmon, Shitake Chicken, Chicken & Vegetable Ziti, and another which I have forgotten). Service was good, and the food was better! After finishing our meal, we walked down the riverbank to the docks where we met our gondolier, John, in traditional garb. Just seeing the boat - authentic and straight from Venice - we knew this would be a magical night. John helped us into the Gondola, and quietly began to navigate the river. As we watched the sunset and listened to quiet music, my husband and I were mesmerized by the slow motion of the boat and the sounds of the water. John was the perfect guide, and was a wealth of knowledge about the rich history of Venice and Gondolas. As we headed back to the dock, the moon reflected on the water, it was something out of a movie!

Our night was no less than perfect.

• Pros: Romantic, original, ambiance

Editorial Review by Citysearch Editors

by Contributor

Lovebirds celebrating special occasions rent chartered gondola rides down the scenic St. Croix River. Packages and walk-up rates available.