There is no better seat for the Detroit skyline than a deck chair on the Detroit River. Aboard the Detroit Princess Riverboat — celebrating its 20th year cruising the river — visitors glide past the Renaissance Center, the Ambassador Bridge and the Windsor shoreline, with two countries in a single panoramic sweep.
The riverboat’s signature public sailings are its Motown Revue cruises: lunch and dinner cruises with live tribute performances of Detroit’s own Motown songbook. Upcoming dates this fall include the Motown Revue Lunch on Thursday, October 15, 2026 (boarding 11:15 a.m., cruising noon–2:00 p.m., from $69 per adult) and additional lunch, dinner and moonlight cruises on Saturday, October 17. Dinner cruises feature a full buffet — think salmon filets, carved prime rib, baked chicken and chef’s-choice desserts — plus dancing and a sunset over the river.
Cruise details
- Vessel: Detroit Princess Riverboat, celebrating 20 years on the Detroit River
- Dock: 1 Civic Center Drive, Detroit, MI 48226
- Upcoming public cruises: Motown Revue Lunch, October 15, 2026; lunch, dinner and moonlight cruises, October 17, 2026
- Entertainment: live Motown tribute by the “Prolifics” on Motown Revue sailings
- Reservations: (313) 631-2628 or (877) 338-2628 — see the full cruise calendar
The Detroit River itself is the attraction: an international waterway where freighters still pass beneath the skyline, Belle Isle drifts by to the east, and the glowing Detroit RiverWalk frames the downtown shore. Daytime lunch cruises are ideal for first-time visitors and families; the evening dinner cruises lean romantic, with the city lights reflecting off the water.
Happy City News tip: book early for the Motown-themed sailings — they are the most popular dates of the fall season, and prices rise as the cruise date approaches. No passport needed, just a camera and an appetite.
