Picture this: journey across the Chesapeake Bay on a private yacht, attend Maryland’s premiere wine event in beautiful St. Michaels then continue the fun on the return cruise back to Annapolis. This isn’t a daydream…this cruise is happening! Cruises on the Bay™ by Watermark® is excited to announce its first special event cruise of the 2016 season out of Annapolis: roundtrip cruise and ticket package from Annapolis to the 7th Annual WineFest at St. Michaels on Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24, 2016. Guests on the “St. Michaels Wine Festival Cruise” will travel in luxury across the Chesapeake Bay to St. Michaels where they’ll attend the WineFest at St. Michaels. The food and wine event is a unique streetscape event held throughout the town featuring wine samplings, chef demos, gourmet foods, crafts, jazz music, art displays and more. Building on this special event’s popularity, Watermark just added a second boat for Saturday’s cruise after the first boat sold out.
Debbie Gosselin, president of Watermark says, “Bringing people across the Chesapeake Bay to enjoy St. Michaels is one of our specialties. It’s a perfect trip any day so anytime we have an opportunity to make the experience even more special, we’re in! It’s an easy and enjoyable way to get back and forth to a great festival; traveling by boat on the Chesapeake is the way to go. The Wine Festival cruise has become one of our most popular events and it’s a fun way to celebrate the start of our 45th season.” Watermark’s yachts feature climate controlled enclosed lower levels and an open top deck perfect for enjoying the Bay breeze. The journey to St. Michaels is a familiar one to Watermark’s captains and vessels; the company has offered a “Day on the Bay to St. Michaels” cruise for over 40 years.
The cruise to St. Michaels is an enjoyable two-hour ride. On the morning cruise, guests will enjoy a continental breakfast and on the return trip boxed meals will be served. Guests will have 5 hours of leisure time in St. Michaels to enjoy the WineFest. Arriving by a Watermark boat means skipping long admission lines, and admission to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is also included. This festival is a wonderful way to experience the charm of the Eastern Shore and quaint St. Michaels.
A past WineFest Cruise guest wrote on TripAdvisor, “Watermark Cruises organized an absolutely delightful charter out of Annapolis to the annual Wine Festival in St Michaels, MD. Every detail was beautifully executed, including the online ticket purchase, regular email updates about the cruise, check-in, festival passes, on-board food service, and the on-time arrival and return. The journey could not have been more comfortable. The crew is super friendly and made certain to touch base with each passenger several times throughout the 2-hour cruise to the festival and back. They made us feel welcome and let us know our satisfaction was of paramount importance. The wine festival itself was great fun – can’t wait to take this Watermark trip again next year!”
At the festival, many businesses will offer wine tastings, great food, retail specials, live music and much more. Wine aficionados will experience hundreds of highly rated US, International and Maryland wines. All attendees will be able to walk St. Michaels using their WineFest map as a guide or take shuttle buses provided by WineFest. WineFest is a charity event that supports several local non-profit organizations.
All inclusive tickets for the Saturday, April 23rd cruise are $145/person. All inclusive tickets for the Sunday, April 24th cruise are $129/person. Tickets include the roundtrip cruise, admission to the Wine Festival, continental breakfast and a boxed meal. The trip is a full day from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Boarding begins 15 minutes before cruise time in downtown Annapolis. The cruise departs at 10 a.m. and arrives back in Annapolis at 7 p.m. To make reservations and for more information, visit www.cruisesonthebay.com.
Cruises on the Bay by Watermark has offered a “Day on the Bay to St. Michaels” cruise for over 40 years. Offered every Saturday and on select weekdays from May 21-October 1, guests enjoy a relaxing cruise to St. Michaels, 3 hours of leisure time on land and a return cruise to Annapolis. The cruise includes admission to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum plus a non-alcoholic beverage and doughnut on the morning cruise.
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Photo Enclosed: Guests aboard Lady Sarah cruising to St. Michaels WineFest in 2015. Photo Credit: Sabrina Raymond.
