Is smoking allowed on the boat?
Our inside decks are non-smoking but Smoking is allowed on the outside decks.

If we are from NY can you pick our group up?
We have picked up people in NY if you rent the entire boat and also pay for the transportation cost to get there.

Is the boat handicapped accessible?
Our first deck is handicapped accessible. Our other two decks have 13 stairs to each level.

Can I get a tour of the boat for a special event?
Please call our office at 802.862.8300 to schedule a tour of our boat, Our Director of Sales can answer questions and provide you with a customized event estimate for your next event.

Can we rent the whole boat?
You can rent the entire boat for an event, if interested please contact our Director of Sales.

Do we have weddings on Sundays?
We cruise April-October, 7 days a week and are happy to schedule your next event any day of the week.

Can I hire outside entertainment, baker, caterer etc?
You can hire your own entertainment and wedding cake baker. We do not allow any outside caterers, because are a licensed Restaurant with an Executive Chef.

Can we have a band?
You can hire a band to play at your event.

Where do my guests park?
Please click this link to see all the parking available at the Waterfront. Most people park in the city lots or at the Hiltons parking garage.

If you are having an evening event (after 5:00 pm) and are looking to purchase parking spaces for your guests you can contact Tina at Echo to inquire about Echo’s parking Lot. 1-877-324-6386 or email her at tlecours@echovermont.org for pricing.

What times are available for wedding cruises?
We offer many different times for our special event cruises:

• 12:00 pm – 3:30 pm
• 12:00 pm – 5:30 pm
• 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm
• 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm

Can I have an event that is longer then 4 hours for an evening cruise?
You are welcome to extend your cruise, for as long you would like. We have an hourly rental rate. Please contact our Director of Sales for more information.

Can we come on early and set up the decorations for our event?
Our trained staff is happy to do all your decorating for you. We usually have you drop off your decorations, favors, assigned seating list, cake knife, chair covers, candles, etc at the final event coordination meeting a few days before your cruise. You will meet with our event team to go through all event expectations, to unsure your event is a huge success!

Can we put gift baskets in the bathroom?
You are allowed to put gift baskets in the bathrooms, but keep in mind there may other passengers on the boat that might use the items you have provided.

How wide are the tables?
The tables are 24 inches wide.

How long are the tables?
We reserve one foot of space per person, for example a table of 10 is 10 feet long, or a table of 12 is 12 feet long.

Can we have round tables?
Our long rectangular tables on the ship are designed especially for our decks. Traditional round tables do not fit on our decks.

What is the height to the ceiling?
The ceiling is 7 1/2 feet tall.

What is the size of the dance floors?

• Admiral Deck – 14 x 20
• Horizon Deck – 14 x 16
• Sky Deck – 8 x 14

Will other passengers go through my deck?
The deck you reserve is yours for your cruise; other guests will not need to walk through your deck to get anywhere. Each deck has it’s own entrance, inside area and outside area.

Will I hear noise from other events on other decks?
Our decks are completely separate and noise between decks is rarely an issue.

What if I want to wrap decorations around the stanchions?
We would be happy to decorate the stanchions for you with decorations you provide. Our stanchions are 4 in by 4 in square and 7 1/2 feet tall on the Admiral deck and Horizon Deck. The Admiral Deck has 3 stanchions and the Horizon deck has 2. The sky deck has four stanchions but not as wide. The Admiral Deck and Horizon deck have electrical outlets on the stanchions so you are welcome to bring lights to add to the décor.

Can we bring candles on the boat?
Candles can be used as long as they are in a container with no open flames. Votives and tea lights are the most popular.

What Deck will my event be on?
We (the Spirit of Ethan Allen) reserve the right to make the determination of Decks for events. We will look at each events guest counts and menu to determine which event is most appropriate for our decks. On Friday and Saturday evenings we have deck food minimums that will help make the determination:

• Admiral Deck 150 people
• Horizon Deck 125 people
• Sky Deck 75 people

How many guests will be at each table?
This depends on the deck your event is on and the number of guests attending. Tables are usually set for groups of 6, 8, 10, or 12.

Do you have an arch that we can use for our ceremony?
Our arch can be rented at a fee of 50.00. Our Staff will decorate the arch if you provide decorations.

How do ceremonies work on board?
We have many ceremonies on board. We do not charge extra for ceremonies all you need to do is bring whom ever is officiating your ceremony. Our Captains do not marry people.

If our ceremony is on board, how do we have a rehearsal the night before?
Usually we schedule rehearsals at 5:30 pm on Friday evenings on the boat.

What happens to my decorations at the end of the event?
We would suggest that you have a Rubbermaid container, with you name on it so we can put all the decorations you will like to keep afterward. We will put all of your decorations in the container at the end of your event. We recommend that you ask someone to be responsible for take the decorations at the end of the event along with any gifts.

We will not store decorations after your event. All items you would like to keep will need to be taken with you at the end of your event.

Who is included in our guest list?
Your guest list should include all guests attending the event along with the photographers, entertainment, Dj’s and other vendors.

What if I don’t know exactly how many people are come to my event?
Your final guest count is due 5 business days before your event. You final guest count is the minimum number of guests for your event, if more arrive you will pay for additional guests before departure.

When is final payment due?
For weddings, a final payment is due at the final meeting a few days before your event. Other events payment is due before departure of the cruise.

What type of payments do you take?
We take cash, credit cards (MasterCard, VISA, Discover Card and American Express) and checks. Checks can be made payable to SOEA.

What is the deposit amount required?

• A deposit is required on all groups of 20 or more.
• For Public Dinners a deposit of 400.00 is required.
• For Lunch and Scenic Cruises a deposit of 200.00 is required.
• For Charter events a deposit of 1000.00 is required.

Deposits are rolled into your final balance.

What is your cancellation policy for chartered events?
You have up to 60 days prior to your event to notify us of you cancellation and we will issue a full refund.

Who will the refund be returned to?
If a check was written, the refund will be returned the person who’s name is on the check. Credit Cards we will reverse the charges on the credit card.

How do the final meetings work?
Usually the final meeting is scheduled a few days before your event. At this time you will meet with the event coordinator who will be assisting you the day of your event. Our event coordinator will make sure your entire event is finalized and have you bring your decorations and assigned seating at that meeting.

How does assigned seating work?
When your guests arrive the day of the event, our crew will assist the guests in finding their seats in a timely manner. We ask that you make an alphabetized guest list with assigned tables next to their name.

Are chair covers and sashes available for the chairs?
You can rent white chair covers and colored sashes at additional cost of 5.00-8.00 per chair.
Please see our color chart on the Planning Resources.

Does the boat dock the night of our event?
Depending on the timing and what other events are on the boat, we may come in for 10 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour to let off guests and then cruise again. Your event coordinator will let you know exactly the times the boat will return to dock, so you can inform your guests.

Where does the boat go?
During the day the boat starts north to Lone Rock Point, loops around Juniper Island, past Rock Dunder into Shelburne Bay and then up the shoreline back to Burlington. In the evening, our cruises are Captain’s choice.

What happens during bad weather?
Our boat still goes out in all types of weather since our decks are fully enclosed with heat and air conditioning. If the captain suggestes we not cruise, we will hold your event at dock and refund 25% of your charter fee.

Is there only one event on at a time?
There could be three different events on the boat at a given time. We also operate our Full Service Restaurant on Board.

Can we buy a keg?
Unfortunately, our kegs connect into every deck so we cannot supply you with a keg but we can do open beer and wine based on consumption. Please ask us for bar options.

What color linen is provided?
Our Chartered events include: white linen table clothes and colored napkins of your choice (18 different colors, see Linen Colors on our Cruise Planning Resources page)

If you would like different colored table clothes, we can rent linens for an additional cost.

How do drink tickets work?
You can select how many tickets you would like to give to each of your guests. We can provide you with our tickets or you can supply a theme appropriate "ticket" for your guests.

What types of bar options are there?
You can have drink tickets for your guests on consumption basis, open bar, or cash bar. Please discuss this with your event coordinator for more information.

Can my aunt provide the wedding cake for our event?
Spirit of Ethan Allen requires all cakes to come from a licensed baker.

Will you store my wedding cake?
We cannot store your wedding cake as we have very little storage on the boat.

Can we bring our own food?
We do not allow outside food or beverages to be brought onto the boat.

Can we take home food we don't eat?
Only wedding and birthday cakes are boxed up to take home.

If we have children under 12, can we get a special menu for them?
If you have a few children at your event, they can order off our deli menu. We have items like personal pizza’s, hotdogs or wraps for children. The night of the event, servers will bring out menus for children to order from. If you have more than 20 children, we would suggest offering a kid's buffet for them.

Can we make modifications to a menu?
We can always make changes to a menu to better suit your needs. An increase in price might occur if the items are more in cost than the current menu item. We can assist you in making sure you have the menu you desire.