Interested in travelling to Hornblower Niagara Cruises? Working in the office, I had the chance to experience what its like visiting the brand new attraction from a visitors perspective and this is what I found…

The journey began after walking an approximate 4-minute walk from the Administration office to the grand white sails. Did I mention I had 3-inch heels on?

I first approached the Hornblower Ticket Plaza. They may not be McDonald’s yellow arches, however I was still swayed in and not by the aromas of greasy fries and cheeseburgers, but the welcoming and friendly faces who greeted me. So I did what anyone would do and walked closer to see what it was all about.

As I continued the smiling and energetic employees directed me to the grey ticket booths that sell not only tickets for daytime boat tours and evening cruises but also Souvenir Audio Guides. The bonus? They are available in 8 languages so if you prefer to listen in  your language of choice, you now can.

When maneuvering around the grounds at Hornblower Niagara Cruises, you will sure to find a ton of directional signage leading you the most excitement of it all…our boat ride! Don’t worry if English isn’t your first language as all of our signage is available is multiple languages. When I headed down towards what is referred to as ‘the Hornblower Landing’ I found a spot elevated between the Niagara Gorge where I spotted the state-of-the-art built catamarans, only from afar they looked as small as an olive.  After I marveled for a bit, I continued my workout walk down a little more to the elevators.  The staff is extremely friendly and will direct you to your line where I waited not much longer than 1 minute for the elevator.  I even pulled out my phone and took a picture of my mint turquoise heels and hashtagged it to #niagaracruises.  Once in the elevator it was light, fast and took me down 189 feet in a jiffy.

After the doors to my amazing experience opened I was greeted with a cool refreshing breeze that ran through the tunnel and awakened my senses. Walking to the Hornblower Landing is a sight to not be missed as hues from the baby blue sky showcased off the pearly white Visitor Pavilion tent. This tent is spacious that covers a wide selection of Mist Gear Retail items. Weddings you might ask? Of course! The tent serves as a multi purpose tent for weddings and large events.

At this point I felt moments of the mist that sprayed my skin giving me a dewy supermodel glow.  At this point I galloped to receive my red poncho (that’s right I was excited and who wouldn’t be?) After being given a folded poncho that looked to almost fit in my pocket I had to first learn how to open it, once the 2minutes of opening completed I attempted three times to place it over my head and sunglasses. SUCCESS! The poncho was on and I was all thumbs up and ready to go.

NOTE TO  READERS: Highly recommend the poncho as you WILL get wet!

Here I was facing the Falls and oh how small I seemed to them as they stand 157 ft tall. It is no wonder Niagara Falls sees 1 – 8 million visitors a year.  As I waited in line, I met some friendly folks from Scotland who were touring Niagara only for a few days. As I hid my nametag, I got to learn about their experience at Hornblower Niagara Cruises thus far and without a doubt it was a sight they have been waiting to see. The boat ride was the cherry on top for their visit.

As the 700-passenger boat approached, I saw its colours of white and blue glisten from the sparking waters as its spacious look and is elegant glide made its way back to the docks. As soon as passenger disembarked, they embarked and soon as you know it I was on the boat ride of my life!

Out came the camera and a few selfies (okay a lot of selfies #lovinglife #inthemist).

As soon as I could even press ‘click’ my mascara poured down my face making me look like an 80s rock star.  NOTE TO LADIES: WEAR WATERPROOF MASCARA or none at all! Putting the makeup aside, the exhilarating thrill from the rumble of the falls and the amounts of mist is immeasurable to any experience you will have in your lifetime. As I looked up, I saw the amounts of water rush making it appear white before it hit the turquoise waters. Standing in front of Niagara Falls, made me seem as if I were a frog compared to size it stood in front of me. As my camera kept hitting click, I was bound to get one that was amazing, but really every picture captured was beyond amazing.

As the boat pulled away from the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, it made me smile from ear to ear to know that I am incredibly happy to market Niagara’s newest attraction on an international level. As for a few pointers, all I would say is leave your worries aside and let the air, the mist and beauty reveal itself to you as it truly is a once in a lifetime experience like no other in the world.

View more of the images from the Blog

Joanna,

Hornblower Niagara Du thuyền