Join Us Aboard the Henrietta!

Sunset Cruises – Corporate Outings – Sight Seeing Tours.

Cape Fear Riverboats is downtown Wilmington’s longest continuously running boat tour. We’ve been offering a wide range of scenic Cape Fear River cruises since 1987. Our offers include narrated history and sightseeing tours, private charters, and exclusive nature tours with local ecologist Andy Wood. Our tours and charters offer downtown Wilmington visitors and locals an exciting yet relaxing option for holiday parties, anniversaries, birthdays, cocktail parties, romantic dates, and family reunions.

Welcome Aboard!

We welcome you aboard the Henrietta for a relaxing, informative and scenic cruise on the Cape Fear River. Upon leaving our dock we will cruise upriver to the forks of two major rivers then head south past Historic Wilmington on your left, the Battleship North Carolina and Eagles Island to your right .Our captains will give you a snapshot of Wilmington’s history from the early explorers to Modern day ships from all over the world.
 
You will enjoy a beautiful sun set on every cruise, and on occasion we have a spectacular moon rise to go along, a double treat for you. A cruise aboard the Henrietta is an experience you don’t want to miss. Bring your special someone and enjoy our open air canopy covered deck, while sipping your favorite beverage from our full bar. On your cruise we will visit the port where ships from around the world will be moored. The SUN Setting over Eagles Island, a MOON RISE over the city or Wilmington’s lights reflecting on the river are memories you will want to preserve so bring your camera.
 
Our boat becomes yours and with 33 years of experience we will make you make your event a memorial experience. We can host a private event aboard the Henrietta whatever occasion you may wish to celebrate. We can accommodate about 100 passengers on private charters. There are two decks for your pleasure so space is plentiful. Our dinning deck is climate controlled for year round comfort and our upper level is canopy covered for your guest enjoyment. You can enjoy a full bar on board and beverages must be purchased on board the Henrietta however food service has many options from which you may choose. Birthdays, family reunions, weddings or cooperate functions are all well suited for this unique setting that will make your event an experience all guest will remember fondly.
 
This tour showcases parts of North Carolina nature that are practically impossible to explore any other way! Experience the beauty and natural history of the Cape Fear region during a narrated nature cruise along these scenic and historic coastal rivers. Cruises are scheduled twice a month from May-October on a Wednesday morning. Since it’s a 4-hour trip, feel free to bring your own food however drinks must be purchased on board from our fully equipped bar.
 
 
Our Story
Cape Fear Riverboats, Inc. began in 1987 through the passion of Captain Carl Marshburn, boat captain, businessman, and strong advocate for tourism and history. Long before Wilmington was named one of TripAdvisor’s ‘Top Destinations on the Rise,’ Capt. Carl envisioned the downtown Wilmington historic district as a major tourist attraction. He knew people would enjoy water views of Wilmington coupled with rich narration highlighting the area’s history, legends, and charm.
 
“I love to entertain people and this seemed like something good for Wilmington,” he said. “I saw the need for family-friendly, fun riverboat cruises departing from downtown on our popular river that would not only be a great adventure for people of all ages, but also to accurately interpret the region’s nautical history, natural beauty and the unique river ecology.”
 
“Captain Carl Marshburn is truly a tourism leader”, states Kim Hufham, past president of North Carolina Travel Industry Association. “Since the early days of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, he has been a strong supporter and advocate of local and state tourism. It is due, in part, to Captain Carl’s efforts that Wilmington’s historic district has become such a popular and thriving tourist attraction.”
 
Our current tour boats, Henrietta and the Captain J.N. Maffitt, run both daytime and evening cruises on the Cape Fear. We encourage you to try our one of our exclusive nature tours to the Black River. Narrated by local ecologist Andy Wood, our twice-monthly nature tours (April-October) take you to some of the oldest forest in North America. Individual tickets can be purchased for friends and families, plus, group charter opportunities also are available for parties up to 48.
 
Our Previous Boats

From 2000 – 2015, we proudly sailed the HENRIETTA III on the Cape Fear River. HENRIETTA III is named for the original HENRIETTA, a trailblazer for steamboats on the Cape Fear River, which enjoyed a long and financially successful life. James Seawell at his plantation at what is now Fayetteville, North Carolina built her in 1817-1818. Seawell named the boat for his daughter, Henrietta.

HENRIETTA was launched April 30, 1818 under the command of Captain Charles Taws. Her first run from Fayetteville to Wilmington was in July 1818. She ran the river between Wilmington and Fayetteville for forty years. When she was retired from service, she had run at least one and one-half million miles on the Cape Fear River and had earned no less than 1.5 million dollars for her owners.

Under the ownership of Cape Fear Riverboats, Inc., construction of HENRIETTA, North Carolina’s only true sternwheel riverboat, began in mid-September 1987 in Greenville, Mississippi. She debuted in Wilmington on April 2, 1988 – almost exactly 170 years after HENRIETTA debuted into Wilmington. HENRIETTA operated as a sightseeing and dinner cruise boat until she was sold on March 23, 2015. She is presently in upstate New York and functions as a dinner riverboat.

Today, Cape Fear Riverboats currently operates a fantastic 2 deck sightseeing and charter vessel, also named the Henrietta!

We offer daily sightseeing river cruises, sunset cruises, black river nature cruises and Private Charters! 

 

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Victory Beach Vacations

Victory Beach Vacations

Visitors who are on the hunt for the postcard-perfect vacation rental in the heart of the Carolina Beach or Kure Beach area will find an enticing selection and plenty of friendly customer service when they rent through Victory Beach Vacations. Based in Carolina Beach in the coastal Cape Fear region, Victory Beach Vacations has more than 100 vacation rentals in all shapes and sizes to ensure that every vacationing family can find their dream home away from home on the beach.   When you book your Cape Fear getaway with Victory Beach Vacations, the fun doesn’t end when you leave the beach, it continues with an array of privately-owned properties outfitted with all of the amenities needed for a fabulous beach vacation.   Jenna Lanier, General Manager, explains that her family first opened the rental and property management business in 2002. At the forefront of Victory Beach operations is Lanier’s mother, Caroline Meeks. Meeks is both the Broker in Charge and co-owner with husband, Buck Meeks, who manages the Field Services team with Lanier’s husband, Scott.   For nearly 20 years, the Victory Beach team has worked tirelessly to establish a network of top-of-the-line rental properties for Cape Fear visitors to enjoy. “As far as our properties go,” explains Lanier, “they are all updated, well-furnished and appointed. “We have always performed post-cleaning inspections and since the pandemic, have put freshly laundered duvets over all of the comforters between rentals.”   Lanier emphasizes how important the guests experience is “we strive to give our guests a relaxing, stress free, memorable vacation.” This emphasis on customer service has led to Victory Beach Vacations having a 4.8 Google rating with over 300 reviews by happy owners and guests.In addition to Victory Beach’s superior sanitation practices, the company offers properties for every type of visitor. Choose from luxury oceanfront houses and condos to more reasonbly priced 2nd row properties with oceanviews. Many properties include pools and hot tubs as well, perfect for outdoor entertaining, and many are dog friendly.   Lanier also notes that all properties are within walking or driving distance to Pleasure Island’s main attractions – Carolina Beach and Kure Beach. The former, as described by Lanier, is the more commercialized of the two destinations and features a boardwalk, outdoor dining options and a plethora of weekly activities including fireworks, live music, amusement park pop-ups, and movies under the stars. Kure Beach offers a more residential feel with its fishing pier, intimate restaurants and family favorite, North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.More water fun awaits, too. “There is a harbor and a canal that feed into the intercoastal. We have several properties on the harbor so guests can bring their boat, kayak, [or jet ski] and travel between islands,” says Lanier.   A stay with Victory Beach Vacations is an annual pilgrimage for most. “A large percentage of guests are previous guests. Some even reserve the same property for the next year as they’re checking out,” Lanier says. “It’s almost like it’s their personal vacation home.”   Even before guests arrive at their vacation destination, the Victory Beach Vacations’ website greets them with a live beach cam and exquisite aerial footage of both Carolina and Kure Beaches. See for yourself by scanning the QR code and call Victory Beach Vacations at 910.458.0868 to book your Cape Fear getaway. Start making your memories today! —Grace Silipigni