1000 Islands Lunch & Brunch Cruises from Kingston: Prices, Menus & Which Is Best

2. Islands Brunch Cruise

The Brunch Cruise follows the same three-hour Admiralty Islands route as the Lunch Cruise but serves breakfast-style dishes instead. The operator’s own listing describes it running Wednesday through Sunday in July and August, with departures around 10:30 AM.

How much does it cost?

Pricing matches the Lunch Cruise: C$92.50 for an adult, C$80.50 for a child and C$5 for an infant, plus HST and surcharge — so price shouldn’t be the thing that decides between them.

What’s included?

Three hours of sightseeing, narration, open-deck access, live entertainment, a three-course brunch, reserved seating and a licensed bar.

The menu

A typical structure opens with a yogurt parfait — fruit and granola, with a vegan fruit alternative — followed by a choice of strawberries-and-cream waffles, a garden frittata, or tofu shakshuka. Optional breakfast add-ons may be available for an extra charge.

Lunch vs brunch menu

Choose lunch if you prefer beef, chicken or a more substantial savoury meal in the traditional midday style. Choose brunch if waffles, eggs and shakshuka sound better than a sit-down lunch. For families with children, brunch can have a slight edge if breakfast food is the easier sell.

What route do they take?

Both follow Kingston’s Heart of the Islands route into the Admiralty Islands — Napoleon’s Hat, Wanderer’s Channel, Mandalay Mansion, a run of small cottage islands, and the historic Kingston waterfront on the way out. You’re not paying simply to eat while circling the harbour; it’s the same substantial three-hour route as the Kingston Heart of the Islands sightseeing cruise, with a meal built in.

Do they go to Boldt Castle?

No. Kingston’s cruises explore the western section of the 1000 Islands. If Boldt Castle matters to your trip, choose Gananoque, Ivy Lea or Rockport instead — our three-hour cruise comparison covers the routes that reach it.

Do you need a passport?

No passport is required on the regular Kingston dining routes; they stay in Canadian waters throughout.

Lunch vs sightseeing-only

The plain Heart of the Islands sightseeing cruise gives you the same general three-hour scenery without the meal. Dining adds a reserved table, the three-course meal, live entertainment and a more restaurant-style feel to the afternoon.

Choose dining if the meal is genuinely part of the attraction for you. Choose sightseeing-only if you’re on a budget, photography is the priority, you’d rather eat in Kingston itself, or you want maximum freedom to move around the boat.

Is the meal upgrade worth it?

Often, yes. If you were going to buy a C$25–C$40 restaurant meal anyway, the effective premium over the plain sightseeing cruise is smaller than the headline ticket difference suggests.

Lunch vs dinner

Lunch saves C$31.50 per adult before tax compared with the Sunset Dinner Cruise’s base fare, and in pure financial terms it’s the better value: you still get the three-hour route, three courses, entertainment, narration and reserved dining. Dinner’s premium is mostly justified by the evening atmosphere, sunset potential and special-occasion positioning rather than by more scenery or more food.

Brunch is also considerably cheaper for a family than dinner, especially since the dinner cruise charges children the same base fare as adults — a gap that matters more the more people you’re bringing.

Best for families

My ranking, in order: brunch first, lunch second, dinner third. Brunch is especially useful if your children prefer breakfast-style food and you want the afternoon free for something else.

Best for couples

Lunch works well for a relaxed daytime date, especially on a Wine Tasting Wednesday. Brunch is a casual summer option. For anniversaries and romance specifically, the Sunset Dinner Cruise is the stronger choice.

Which boat will you be on?

Vessel assignment depends on the season. The operator’s own schedule has the Lunch Cruise typically sailing on the Island Queen in spring and fall; in July and August it runs on the Island Queen Mondays and Tuesdays, and on the Island Star Wednesday through Sunday. Your vessel may be subject to change due to capacity and season, and the operator has noted it’s fine to contact them directly if the specific boat matters to your booking. The Brunch Cruise runs on the Island Queen throughout its Wednesday-to-Sunday July–August season.

If which boat you get matters to you — for accessibility, for the glass canopy, or just out of curiosity — our Island Queen vs Island Star comparison covers what’s actually published about each vessel. One thing worth flagging here directly: neither boat has a documented accessibility or air-conditioning advantage over the other in anything the operator publishes, whatever you might read elsewhere — the vessel-comparison guide explains exactly what is and isn’t confirmed.

Premium table

A paid premium table upgrade can include a guaranteed window table and a specialty appetizer. For two people, it can add around C$50 before HST.

Is a window table worth it?

Yes for anniversaries, special occasions, or if you’re planning to stay seated for most of the trip. Skip it if budget matters or you expect to spend a lot of time out on the open deck instead.

Are drinks included?

Generally no — alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are purchased separately from the onboard bar.

Can you bring your own food?

No. Outside food and drink is not permitted on either dining cruise.

Departure point

Crawford Wharf, 1 Brock Street, Kingston, Ontario. Ticket pickup is nearby, downtown. Arrive around 30 minutes early, and use downtown Kingston parking — walking is easiest if you’re staying centrally.

What should you wear?

Comfortable shoes, a light jacket, sunglasses, sunscreen and ID for alcohol service. If you’re booking into the shoulder season, our fall foliage cruises guide has more on what to expect from the weather on a cooler sailing.

Rain

Cruises normally operate rain or shine unless conditions are judged unsafe. Dining is a genuinely useful poor-weather option, since you can spend part of the trip indoors rather than committed to the open deck the whole way.

Cancellation

Both the Lunch and Brunch Cruises are listed by the operator as final sale and non-refundable, so check your dates carefully before paying — this is worth knowing before you commit a family or group to a specific sailing.

Accessibility

Accessibility depends on which vessel you’re assigned. The Island Queen vs Island Star comparison sets out exactly what the operator publishes for each boat — the short version is that documented detail exists for the Queen (first-deck boarding, a washroom that isn’t fully accessible, and dining seating up a flight of stairs) but not for the Star. If wheelchair access or step-free dining seating is a requirement, confirm your exact sailing and vessel with the operator before booking.

Family of four cost

For two adults and two children: 2 × C$92.50 = C$185, plus 2 × C$80.50 = C$161, for a total of C$346 before HST — approximately C$390.98 after 13% HST, before the surcharge, drinks and gratuity. This isn’t a budget family activity, but it does combine a three-hour attraction with a full restaurant-style meal in one ticket.

Lunch Cruise vs Ivy Lea

Kingston’s Lunch Cruise runs three hours with a full meal through the Admiralty Islands from a downtown dock. Ivy Lea is much shorter, reaches Boldt Castle and the central islands, and suits a road-trip itinerary. They serve genuinely different needs rather than competing head to head.

Lunch vs Gananoque 3-hour

Gananoque is best for Boldt Castle, Millionaire’s Row and pure sightseeing — see our three-hour cruise comparison. Kingston’s Lunch Cruise is best when the meal, the reserved table, downtown convenience and entertainment matter as much as the route itself.

Who should book lunch?

Couples, seniors, families, small groups, visitors spending a full day in Kingston, and travellers who enjoy a slower, less rushed pace of sightseeing.

Who should book brunch?

Anyone visiting in summer who’d rather have breakfast-style food, wants the afternoon free afterward, or is travelling with children who find brunch food the easier sell — bearing in mind it needs to be booked directly with the operator.

Who should skip both?

Choose the plain sightseeing cruise instead if your budget is strict, food doesn’t matter to you, Boldt Castle is the priority, you’d rather eat at your own choice of restaurant, or three hours already feels like a long cruise for your trip.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a lunch cruise in Kingston?

Yes — a three-hour Islands Lunch Cruise through the Admiralty Islands.

How much is it?

About C$92.50 + HST per adult.

How long does it run?

About three hours.

What time does it leave?

Typically around 12:30 PM.

Is food included?

Yes, a three-course meal.

Is there a brunch cruise too?

Yes, in summer — but it’s not currently bookable through GetYourGuide, so you’ll need to book it directly with the operator.

How much is brunch?

About C$92.50 + HST per adult, the same as lunch.

Are vegetarian options available?

Yes, on both cruises.

Does the lunch cruise go to Boldt Castle?

No.

Do you need a passport?

No.

Is there a window-table upgrade?

Yes, on both dining products, for an additional fee.

Is lunch cheaper than dinner?

Yes — C$31.50 per adult before tax.

Final verdict

Best overall dining value: the Islands Lunch Cruise. Best summer morning: the Brunch Cruise, if you’re comfortable booking direct. Best for families: brunch. Best substantial menu: lunch. Best romantic option: the Sunset Dinner Cruise. Best on a budget: the plain Heart of the Islands sightseeing cruise.

If you were going to spend money on lunch in Kingston anyway, the Islands Lunch Cruise is one of the easiest upgrades to justify: instead of eating in a stationary restaurant, your table spends three hours travelling through the 1000 Islands.

Ready to book?

Check live dates and prices for the Kingston Lunch Cruise, or compare every cruise on this site side by side before you choose.