Well, summer break is winding down. The kids are probably tired of going swimming. All the camps are over, and school is just around the proverbial corner.

But it’s still too hot to get outside, and everyone’s saying, “I’m bored!”

Here’s one cure for their boredom, and it won’t break the bank: schedule a cruise on the Perdido Queen Riverboat, which is currently moored beside the Arthur Outlaw Convention Center at One Water Street.

You and your family can sit inside in air-conditioned comfort while you revel in beautiful views of the Port of Mobile and Mobile’s downtown cityscape. 

Currently, one of the most popular cruises is to get an up-close view of the old luxury liner, the SS United States. Although she is now being prepared to be made into an artificial reef and sunk off the coast of Destin, Florida, this vessel, which was the largest and fastest ocean liner (having made the transatlantic crossing from New York to England in only three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, a record that remains unbroken today), is an impressive sight. Seeing her up close, you realize how gargantuan a ship that’s 990 feet long, with a 101.5-foot beam (width) and height of 175 feet from keel to funnel, is. Pictures don’t do it justice (although I tried here).

In her heyday, many celebrities were aboard. Four U.S. presidents have been guests aboard the SS United States: Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The ship was withdrawn from service in 1969 and towed to Philadelphia. She was moved from there in February 2025 and towed to the Port of Mobile, where she will probably remain for the next year or so, after which time she will be sunk and made into a reef. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, this artificial reef will be the largest such reef in the entire world.

Besides cruising the port of Mobile, the Perdido Queen Riverboat offers several other cruises. A Sunset Dinner Cruise is a two-hour cruise and includes a sumptuous meal of a dinner salad, Chargrilled Chicken, and a Gulf Shrimp Skewer with wild rice, green beans, and a dinner roll, and the chef's choice for dessert.

They also offer a murder mystery dinner theater cruise called "The Murder Creek Mystery Show" and a two-hour Scenic & City Lights dinner cruise featuring live music. One popular cruise, especially around October, is the Haunted Riverboat Ghost Tours called “Ghostly Tides,” and most Saturdays, you can book a Brunch Cruise.

Besides offering such a great variety of cruises, you can schedule a private cruise for your business or a large gathering. The Riverboat is also available for weddings and special celebrations. The group bookings vary by the number of people in your group and whether you need the entire vessel, the VIP top deck, or the Main Salon. There are minimum requirements for the number of guests.

What are you waiting for? Check out the possibilities for you, your family, friends, and special occasions, having a good time making memories on the water. The website for the Perdido Queen Riverboat is www.PerdidoQueen.com. 

Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Jon Robitaille and Noelle Pee, tour narrators of the Perdido Queen Riverboat, for checking these facts and adding additional information.