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A Perfect Night Out in San Diego

Okay, I’ll admit it; my idea of “perfect” has changed a bit since my twenty somethings. But for me now, a few years later, I’d say our latest evening out was about as close to perfect as it gets. My GF and I had recently enjoyed an afternoon site-seeing tour with Hornblower Cruises & Events so much that we decided to try one of their Nightly Sunset Dinner Cruises the next time we were in San Diego. Why, you might ask, does everything seem more fun while cruising around on a ship? I don’t have the faintest idea, but a fabulous sunset cruise sounded like just the ticket for the two of us to get in some quality time together. Our normal routine for visiting San Diego is usually a bit more intense, to be honest. We’re usually very much on-the-go, with shorts, walking shoes, and sunscreen, ready to hit SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, or any of the other sites with the full intention of seeing every bit until we’re pretty much wiped out. So this time around, a nice, relaxing dinner cruise sounded ideal.

We booked an evening on the fabulous Inspiration Hornblower, which is one of many ships in the Hornblower fleet that is ideally suited for the specific type of events that they provide. They have a variety of dining cruises available, including a Champagne Brunch Cruise, a Sights and Sips Sunset Cruise, and numerous dinner and special event evening cruises. We chose the 3-hour Nightly Dinner Cruise, which seemed to have everything we were looking for, already included in the package. I was really looking forward to the evening, and although I’m not really much of a suit and tie person, I do like to go out for at least a semi-dressed up evening once in a while. There is no official dress code, but because there are people and groups on board for special occasions, I’d say generally “Dress Casual” or “Business Casual” would be the most appropriate.

I can tell you, though, that as impressed as I was with the ship from the outside, I was doubly impressed as soon as we boarded. The crew was great and greeted us at the entrance like we were VIPs at a fine hotel, and got us seated at our own reserved window table. We were served complimentary chilled champagne, which we sipped while taking in the fabulous interior. It was really elegant and had a large dance floor area in the middle, which not only made it feel more open and spacious, but also gave us a strong hint as to what might be in store for later. After enjoying our champagne, we moved up to the top viewing deck to take in the sunset as the ship started it’s slow cruise through the harbor.

After spending a little time together out on the deck, the sun had set and it was time for dinner, so we headed back in. I figured that the crucial part of any dinner cruise would be the quality of the meal, so I was very curious to see if it was going to live up to the rest of the evening so far. We watched the city lights slowly drifting by and were treated to a fantastic three-course dinner, which included their signature salad, a duet entrée, and a decadent dessert. The dinner and view were so enjoyable that I hardly noticed the ship’s DJ had started playing music and people were already dancing out on the dance floor.

Unbeknownst to us, a couple on board had their wedding on the deck below us, earlier in the evening, and had moved their reception up with us to celebrate. It was really great to have the sunset and quiet dinner, then afterwards be part of a super fun, wedding reception party. There was even a 90+-year-old couple dancing away, celebrating their honeymoon!

Everyone was having a great time, and I seriously could go on and on about all the fun things and people that night. I can honestly say, though, that we truly had one of the best nights out that I can remember. If you would like a romantic evening out, want to celebrate a special event with friends or family, or are just longing to enjoy a fun and unique dinner experience, then definitely, definitely, definitely, check out the Hornblower Dinner Cruises while you are in San Diego. Did I mention that you should definitely do that?

For us, everything was absolutely first rate. The ship was incredible, the service was spot on and friendly, the food excellent, the DJ and dancing were really, really fun. And all that while gently sailing alongside an amazing sunset and the city lights of San Diego Bay. That is certainly my idea of a perfect night out, and I hope it will be for you, too!

Hornblower Cruises & Events is located at 1066 N. Harbor Dr., San Diego.

For more info, check out hornblower.com or call 619-686-8715.

Click here to get your exclusive coupon package for Hornblower Cruises & Events.

For a different perspective, click here to read about a harbor cruise with Hornblower Crusies & Events.