Erie Canal Cruises, Inc

08/13/2024

Celebrate your special occasion with us! We had some folks on board recently that were celebrating 25 and 50 year wedding anniversaries! Congratulations!
Captain Jerry likes to tell a little story about anniversaries. In 2025, the Erie Canal will be celebrating it's 200th anniversary! Also in 2025, Captain Jerry will be celebrating 50 years as a US Coast Guard Captain! There is one more anniversary he is celebrating in 2025, and you will have to ask him personally about that one...
Join us on a sight-seeing cruise to celebrate a special event or to learn about the amazing history of the Erie Canal. We cruise through Lock 18 and tell you all about the 100+ year old equipment working just as it did when it was installed.
We are located at Gems Along the Mohawk in Herkimer, also home of the Waterfront Grille (open Wed-Sat). Cruising, shopping and dining all in one location!
Check cruise schedules on our website at www.eriecanalcruises.com

07/02/2024

Erie Canal Cruises, Inc. Recognized as a Traveler-Favorite Tour!

HERKIMER, NY – July 2, 2024 – Erie Canal Cruises, Inc. is pleased to announce today that it has been recognized in Tripadivsor’s® Travelers’ Choice® Awards for 2024. The award honors businesses that consistently earn great reviews, placing them among the top 10% of listings around the world on Tripadvisor.

As the world’s largest travel guidance platform, Tripadvisor has unparalleled authority with travelers and diners. This award is based on genuine feedback from anyone in the community who has visited and left an authentic, first-hand review on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period, making it a valuable and trustworthy designation of great places to visit.

Captain Jerry Gertz, owner of Erie Canal Cruises, Inc., is proud of this Travelers’ Choice designation. “We are honored to be included among travelers’ favorites this year. Our entire staff of Captains, Crew and Support Personnel work very hard everyday to give you a 5-star experience with us!”

“Congratulations to Captain Jerry and the entire Erie Canal Cruises team on its recognition in Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards for 2024,” said John Boris, Chief Growth Officer at Tripadvisor. “Travelers’ Choice honors businesses that consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence. This means you have made such a memorable impact on your visitors that many of them took the time to go online and leave a great review about their experience. People rely on Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice seal to help them navigate the myriad of things to see, eat and do across the globe. We hope this recognition continues to drive business to you in 2024 and beyond.”

Check out all the reviews on TripAdvisor and discover more about Erie Canal Cruises here: www.eriecanalcruises.com

06/13/2024

Did you know this is the 200th consecutive year of navigation on the Erie Canal? Since 1825, Captains have made their way through New York State on the three different Erie Canals.
Take a journey back in time with us on a sight-seeing cruise and learn about the incredible history and the interesting characters that have traveled this waterway for 2 centuries!
Our cruises feature an award-winning narration on the past, present and future of this iconic waterway. The highlight of our journey is a trip through Lock 18, which raises and lowers vessels over 20 feet!
Your USCG licensed Captain will answer all your questions about the Erie Canal and how the locks operate. You may even be entertained by some good jokes and funny stories!
We encourage you to buy your tickets in advance, as cruises do sell out. Check out our website for current cruise schedules and to purchase tickets: www.eriecanalcruises.com

05/16/2024

We are excited to announce our Opening Day this Saturday, May 18th! Join us for a sight-seeing cruise and experience the thrill of traveling through a Lock that raises and lowers boats 20 feet!
With the Erie Canal opening tomorrow to navigation - the annual parade of yachts begins. This time of year, large groups of "Loopers" begin to gather in Waterford, NY in anticipation of the opening of the Erie Canal. Most of these folks are living on their vessels and are traveling the longest circumnavigation in the eastern USA.
Enjoy an award-winning narration on the past, present and future of the Erie Canal and help us welcome all the "Loopers" to the Empire State!
Ticket prices: Adults – $25.00, Children (ages 4-10) – $15.00, Infants 3 and under – FREE.
We encourage you to pre-book your tickets in advance on our website: www.eriecanalcruises.com

04/29/2024

Join the Erie Canal Cruises team!
As we prepare for our 2024 season (May 18 - October 16), we are looking for additional team members to join us for a fun and rewarding seasonal position.
We are looking for:
-United States Coast Guard certified Captain with 25 ton license
-Crew Member
Both positions are part time and seasonal. US Coast Guard regulations require all candidates to successfully pass pre-employment drug screening.
Please email your resume to: [email protected]

04/12/2024

We recently attended the Spring meeting of the New York State Tour Boat Association in Albany. It was a full day of networking and knowledge sharing from vessel safety to invasive species in NY waterways. A great feature of the meeting was a map plotted with our fellow tour boat operators in many different areas of New York State.
We would like to thank the leadership of the NYSTBA for a great meeting!

10/26/2023

Today is a very special day in Erie Canal history. On this day in 1825, the original Erie Canal opened!
An engineering marvel of it's day, the 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide "ditch" would carry vessels from the Hudson River to the Great Lakes. It greatly reduced the cost of transporting goods and people and was an immediate success.
The revenue from tolls collected paid for the construction costs within the first 5 years of operation and led to New York becoming the Empire State!

10/02/2023

Don't Miss the Boat!
Enjoy the fall colors and the fabulous weather as you cruise down the Erie Canal. Hop on board one of our daily sight seeing cruises and hear an award-winning narration along with a "Q and A" session with our Captain about the past, present and future of the Erie Canal. The thrill of your cruise is a trip through Lock 18, which raises and lowers boats over 20 feet!
Cruises sell out on nice days, don't delay and book today! Tickets are available for purchase on our website: www.eriecanalcruises.com
We hope to welcome you on board before the end of the season!

We invite you to join us on one of our fun and historically fascinating narrated Erie Canal cruises in Herkimer, NY. Book a boat tour online today!

09/22/2023

08/23/2023

It was a great day to tour Lock 18, and what a treat to see this beautiful vessel pass through the lock!
The "Evelyn" was on her way to Canada and locked through while we had a great group of folks from Onondaga Coach Tours with us.
We offer our sight-seeing cruises seven days a week, and you never know what you may see...

08/08/2023

What a great article!
Thanks to our friends at Western New York Family Magazine for visiting us.
As always, our very own Captain Kari did a fantastic job of narrating the sight-seeing cruise...she even had a few eagles make an appearance!
Check out the article here:
https://www.wnyfamilymagazine.com/sylvan-beach-at-the-corner-of-beach-canal/

07/14/2023

It was a great day to welcome all the cyclists to Herkimer and Lock 18. There were hundreds of them passing through the Mohawk Valley and we had a chance to meet a few of them as they made their way from Buffalo to Albany.
After spending the night in Rome last night, they were headed to Canajoharie and on to Albany by to complete the 6-day trek.
Congratulations to everyone on the 25th Cycle the Erie tour across New York state. If you want to know more about the event, check it out here: https://www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal/annual-bike-tour

07/13/2023

Tomorrow is the day - we are expecting over 750 cyclists passing through Herkimer!

It will be a great day for a cruise and to witness this spectacular event along the Erie Canalway Trail.

Congratulations to all the participants for making it this far...just a few more days to Albany!

07/11/2023

There is a small number of free tickets now available on our Erie Canal Experience tour taking place on Tuesday, July 18th.
The Erie Canal Experience is a land and sea tour of Lock 18. The tour starts with a bus ride to Lock 18 for a land tour of the lock, including a visit to the historic powerhouse! After a short walk on the Erie Canalway Trail, we will take a look at the original Erie Canal prism before we head back to Gems for the sea portion of the tour. As you board the vessel, you will receive a "Taste of NY snack Pack" with products proudly made in New York.
Enjoy your New York snacks as we cruise to Lock 18, featuring an all new narration with interesting information about the Erie Canal. We will have a Q and A with the Captain on the operation of the lock as we are raised and lowered over 20 feet! We'll take a look at the Fort Herkimer Church and then return to Gems Along the Mohawk.
This tour is made possible by the NYS Canal Corp/NYPA as part of the On the Canals program.
Book your free tickets on our website at: https://eriecanalcruises.com/the-erie-canal-experience/

06/27/2023

Take a journey back in time with us!
Welcome on board our 90-minute sight-seeing cruise on the Erie Canal. Learn about the past, present and future of this iconic waterway from our award-winning narration. Your USCG Certified Captain and Crew are happy to answer any questions you have.
You can see the historic Fort Herkimer Church and a section of the original 1825 Erie Canal towpath where the mules pulled the barges.
Your journey with us includes a trip though Lock 18 twice - once lowering us over 20 feet and then raising us back up 20 feet as we make our return trip to our docks.
All of our cruises depart from Gems Along the Mohawk in Herkimer, NY - a unique shopping experience featuring hundreds of products made in New York. Make a stop at the famous Waterfront Grille - open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Cruising, shopping and dining at one location!
We are conveniently located across from Exit 30 of the NY Thruway I-90. Check out our cruise schedules and purchase tickets online at www.eriecanalcruises.com or call us at 315-717-0350
Cruises depart at 1pm and 3pm daily, and we offer a 10:30am departure on some Saturdays and Sundays and weekdays. Ticket prices: Adults: $25, Children ages 4-10: $15, and no charge for Infants 3 and under.
We look forward to welcoming you on board a cruise soon!

06/21/2023

What a nice day for a cruise on the Erie Canal!
We hosted this great group of folks that visited us for The Erie Canal Experience.
We make learning about the history of the Erie Canal fun and entertaining - and we would love to have you on board an upcoming cruise!

06/01/2023

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with The NYS Canal Corp/NYPA again this season to offer a FREE excursion as part of the On the Canals program!

On select weekdays, we are offering a special Erie Canal Experience - a land and sea tour of Lock 18! This tour starts with a bus ride to Lock 18 for a land tour of the lock, including a visit to the historic powerhouse! After a short walk on the Erie Canalway Trail, we will take a look at the original Erie Canal prism before we head back to Gems for the sea portion of the tour. As you board the vessel, you will receive a "Taste of NY snack Pack" with products proudly made in New York.

Enjoy your New York snacks as we cruise to Lock 18, featuring an all new narration with interesting information about the Erie Canal. We will have a Q and A with the Captain on the operation of the lock as we are raised and lowered over 20 feet! We'll take a look at the Fort Herkimer Church and then return to Gems Along the Mohawk.


Book your free tickets on our website at: https://eriecanalcruises.com/the-erie-canal-experience/

05/18/2023

The countdown is on!
We are thrilled to begin our 21st season on Saturday, May 20th. This year marks the 199th consecutive year of navigation on the Erie Canal, and special thanks go out to our friends at the NYS Canal Corporation for working their magic to open this very special waterway.
The beginning of the season is typically very busy on the Erie Canal as many pleasure boaters are making their way on the Great Loop. We enjoy seeing all the folks passing through and having some other vessels to “lock through” with.
Take a journey back in time with us and you can experience a trip through a liquid elevator, also known as a lock. We cruise through Lock 18, and it raises and lowers boats over 20 feet!
Check out our website for cruise schedule and ticket prices:
eriecanalcruises.com/

We hope to welcome you on board a cruise soon!

We invite you to join us on one of our fun and historically fascinating narrated Erie Canal cruises in Herkimer, NY. Book a boat tour online today!

05/09/2023

Take your students on the most interesting school field trip in all of Central New York!
We enjoy hosting groups from local schools who are eager to learn about the history, science, technology, engineering and math involved in the construction and operation of the Erie Canal.
We offer a special cruise for students with a series of questions to complete the lesson.
Our school field trip slots are filling up fast, book your educational cruise by calling our group sales office at (315) 941-7585.

03/30/2023

We were honored to take part in the NYS Canal Corporation - Erie Canal Lock Pump Out/Winter Maintenance Work Tour - Lock E17 in Little Falls.

Lock 17 is the tallest lift on the Erie Canal, raising and lowering vessels over 40 feet! It has some unique features not found on most locks such as a guillotine gate on the lower end. We started the tour on the upper part of the Lock and were able to see the complete walls all the way to the bottom of the lock. The upper gates have been removed.

From there we made our way down to the lock chamber and went in the tunnels located inside the lock walls. These tunnels are 9’ tall and 8’ wide, and allow the water to pass through that fills and empties the lock. The water is controlled by valves that are mounted vertically in the walls with large wheels. We’ll take an in depth look at the complete Winter Maintenance work in future posts.

We would like to thank all our friends at the NYS Canal Corporation for their wonderful tour. It was great to observe and capture all the hard work that is going on to get this 100+ year old lock prepared for the next navigation season!

11/21/2022

We recently celebrated our 2022 season with an awards banquet at the Waterfront Grille. This banquet has become one of Captain Jerry's favorite events to thank everyone who helps during the season, and to surprise everyone with his creative awards.

This year, the Crew and Support Staff decided to surprise Captain Jerry...by showing up(a little late) in costumes with a ceremonial entrance! To top it off, the banquet was on Captain Jerry's birthday! It was an epic celebration and a lot of fun to turn the surprise around on him.

Congratulations to our Senior Mate Richard Roberts, being awarded "Crew Member of the Year" for 2022. Captain Kari won the "Andiamo" award, and Captain Dave won the "Gorilla Glue" award, for being the glue that keeps our operation running all season.

There were many other awards, some great food and lots of laughs. We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of people on the Erie Canal Cruises team.

Congratulations to all our award winners and thanks to everyone that contributed to a successful season on the Erie Canal.

10/25/2022

Another season is in the books!
We had a fantastic time welcoming everyone on board this year and sharing the history of the most storied Canal in the world! Thank you for taking a journey back in time with us in 2022.
We would like to extend our appreciation to the folks at and the NYS Canal Corporation for their partnership in offering the Erie Canal Experience Tours. Hundreds of folks got a chance to tour Lock 18's historic powerhouse and learn how the lock operates with 100 year old equipment. Special thanks to our friends at Lock 18 that keep it beautifully maintained all year long.
A big thanks to our Captains, Crew and Support Staff at Gems Along the Mohawk and Waterfront Grille. We have a great team of folks that take pride in providing our visitors with a wonderful experience!
We are already counting down the days to next season and we hope you will make some memories with us in 2023!

10/03/2022

Don't miss the boat - we are cruising through Monday, October 10th.

It is a great time to take a journey back in time with us on the "past lane" better know as the Erie Canal.

Along with our award-winning narration, your USCG Certified Captain will give you the details on how the lock operates as you travel in a "liquid elevator" that raises and lowers vessels over 20 feet!

We also pass by the Fort Herkimer Church, one of the oldest standing churches in New York State! We'll point out some stone work from the original 1825 Erie Canal and the towpath where the mules pulled the barges.

Visit our website to check cruise schedules and to purchase tickets: www.eriecanalcruises.com

09/13/2022

Fall is a great time to take a cruise with us on the Erie Canal!

There are many interesting boats passing through this time of year. It's always fun to hear where they are headed and where they came from as they travel across New York on the Erie Canal.

We offer our sight-seeing cruises 7 days a week through October 10th. Check out our website for more details on cruise schedules and to purchase tickets. www.eriecanalcruises.com

We hope to welcome you on board a cruise soon!

09/02/2022

08/04/2022

We just added more dates for the Erie Canal Experience!
After a great response to the first round of tours, we are excited to continue our partnership with The NYS Canal Corp/NYPA to offer a FREE excursion as part of the On the Canals program!
On select weekdays in August, September and October we are offering a special Erie Canal Experience - a land and sea tour of Lock 18! This tour starts with a bus ride to Lock 18 for a land tour of the lock, including a visit to the historic powerhouse! After a short walk on the Erie Canalway Trail, we will take a look at the original Erie Canal prism before we head back to Gems for the sea portion of the tour. As you board the vessel, you will receive a "Taste of NY snack Pack" with products proudly made in New York.
Enjoy your New York snacks as we cruise to Lock 18, featuring an all new narration with interesting information about the Erie Canal. We will have a Q and A with the Captain on the operation of the lock as we are raised and lowered over 20 feet! We'll take a look at the Fort Herkimer Church and then return to Gems Along the Mohawk.
This exciting excursion is again being offered free of charge for additional dates in August, September and October 2022!
Book your free tickets on our website at: https://eriecanalcruises.com/the-erie-canal-experience/

08/01/2022

Recently some folks have inquired about our previous vessel, the two-deck Lil' Diamond III...and wondered what happened to the "big boat." A brief history: she was custom designed by our own Captain Jerry and was built in Albany, NY by Scarano Boat Building. Lil' Diamond III served us for several seasons, offering sight-seeing and party cruises along with private charters. She was a beautiful vessel and was enjoyed by thousands of passengers.
In the fall of 2019, we made the decision to put Lil' Diamond III on the open market and offer her for sale. She was purchased by a water taxi company in Miami Beach, Florida. Two of our Captains took their long, last cruise on Lil' Diamond III from Albany, NY to Miami Beach, Florida.
Although we miss having the "big boat" when we need to accommodate more passengers and larger groups, it is nice to know that she is in good hands and enjoying the salt life down south.
If you are ever in the Miami area and want to take a cruise on Lil' Diamond III, check out Poseidon Ferry LLC.
The next time you are on a sight-seeing cruise with us, be sure to ask Captain Dave and Captain Kari about their exciting trip down the east coast - it was much more than a 3-hour tour!

07/14/2022

It is never the same day twice on the Erie Canal!
On a recent Erie Canal Experience Land and Sea Tour of Lock 18, we had an interesting lock-through...a tug pushing two other tugs! It was a sight to see these impressive working boats traveling as one unit on the Erie Canal passing through Lock 18.
There is another exiting event we are anticipating tomorrow...the 700+ cyclists that are making a 400-mile journey from Buffalo to Albany on the Erie Canalway Trail. The cyclists are scheduled to pass through Herkimer tomorrow!
Make some memories with us this summer on one of our sight seeing cruises that travel through Lock 18! You never really know what you may see on the Erie Canal! You can check cruise availability and purchase tickets on our website at: www.eriecanalcruises.com

07/01/2022

Looking for something fun and interesting to do with the whole family this weekend? Take a journey back in time with us - welcome on board our 90-minute sight-seeing cruises on the Erie Canal! Learn about the past, present and future of this iconic waterway from our award-winning narration and live Q and A with your Captain.
On our cruises, you can see a section of the original Erie Canal towpath where the mules pulled barges. It is now part of the Erie Canalway Trail system and the Empire State Trail.
Your 90-minute journey with us includes a trip though Lock 18 twice - once lowering us over 20 feet and then raising us back up as we return to our docks. All of our cruises depart from Gems Along the Mohawk in Herkimer, NY - a unique shopping experience featuring products made in New York, along with the famous Waterfront Grille - open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Cruising, shopping and dining at one location!
We are conveniently located across from Exit 30 of the NY Thruway I-90. Check out our cruise schedules and purchase tickets online at www.eriecanalcruises.com or call us at 315-717-0350
Cruises depart at 1pm and 3pm daily, and we offer a 10:30am departure on Saturdays and Sundays and select weekdays. Ticket prices: Adults: $25, Children ages 4-10: $15, and no charge for Infants 3 and under.
We look forward to welcoming you on board a cruise soon!

06/06/2022

We are thrilled to announce a partnership with The NYS Canal Corp/NYPA to offer a FREE excursion as part of the On the Canals program!
On select Tuesday and Wednesdays in June and July, we are offering a special Erie Canal Experience - a land and sea tour of Lock 18! This tour starts with a bus ride to Lock 18 for a land tour of the lock, including a visit to the historic powerhouse! After a short walk on the Erie Canalway Trail, we will take a look at the original Erie Canal prism before we head back to Gems for the sea portion of the tour. As you board the vessel, you will receive a "Taste of NY snack Pack" with products proudly made in New York.
Enjoy your New York snacks as we cruise to Lock 18, featuring an all new narration with interesting information about the Erie Canal. We will have a Q and A with the Captain on the operation of the lock as we are raised and lowered over 20 feet! We'll take a look at the Fort Herkimer Church and then return to Gems Along the Mohawk.
This exciting excursion is being offered free of charge for select dates in 2022!
Book your free tickets on our website at: https://eriecanalcruises.com/the-erie-canal-experience/