There are two things I really enjoy, eating food and being on the water. Having dinner with a special someone is a perfect way to spend an evening and a classic date idea. Let’s kick that creativity up a notch and do something different. For a very romantic but expensive date, reserve a place on a yacht for a dinner cruise. Doesn’t that sound like an exciting and romantic place to eat? The amazing scenery along with amazing food and of course your amazing significant other.
You could also combine this idea with a destination cruise. Take a short 2 night 3-day cruise to somewhere exciting. Take advantage of the shore excursions that will be available, or just stay on the boat. That could be a whole idea in an of itself going on a romantic getaway for a long weekend or week aboard a cruise ship. But for now, I am just focusing on the short few hours around the bay/lake style cruises.
Dinner cruises are pretty easy to find. Search for a marina that has a dinner cruise or lunch cruise, whether it’s in the ocean or on a lake. Although they’re usually pretty expensive, they’re quite romantic. It’s totally okay to splurge once in a while. You may want to wait a while before you do this date, but depending on the person, and your budget, this could be a good third or fourth date. That is if you aren’t already married to them or have been in a relationship with them for some time.
Dancing in the moonlight
After dinner, take her to the deck and dance in the moonlight. This is another one of those dates that you see in the movies, except that it doesn’t have to be only done in the movies, it can actually be done in real life. One example of this is a dinner cruise in San Diego. I easily found this online. The cost ranged from $55 to $74 per adult. The cruise is a two-and-a-half-hour ride. This is only one example, but most cities on the coast will have a cruise like this available.
There are even dinner cruises that happen on some of the major rivers and lakes in Canada and the United States, so if you don’t happen to live near the ocean, check to see if there are dinner cruises close to you somewhere else. For example, Lake Tahoe has a twilight dinner cruise available. All you have to do is look around for one. Here in Arizona Lake Pleasant has a sunset dinner cruise. Another example in Arizona is a twilight dinner cruise on the Dolly Steamboat on Canyon Lake.
What you need for this dinner cruise date:
Search online and see if there is a cruise reasonably close to you. Make the reservations ahead of time and show up on time. That is all you need to do to prepare for this date. Dress up nicely as well and asked your date to do so likewise. This could be something that is done for an anniversary, a marriage proposal, or just because you want some extra brownie points. Maybe you want to document your amazing dinner adventure. If so bring a camera or use your phone.
My commentary on this date:
Many years ago, a good friend of mine went to a formal dance on a cruise ship in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city lights were exquisite, the ship was immaculate, and he said it was like being in a movie. That had an incredible surf and turf dinner consisting of crab legs and perfectly cooked steak. After dinner, they danced the night away while cruising under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Needless to say, his fiancée loved it. She must have she went through with the wedding, and they are still happily married today. He was constantly doing cool things like that which scored him major points. Doing something like this would be super romantic, although it might cost a pretty penny. Or maybe an ugly penny—I’m not sure how clean you keep your money.
Check out this video I made for this Dinner Cruise date idea
Do you have experience with this creative date idea? Let me know in the comments how it went and if your date, spouse, significant other liked it. You can buy a copy of the book 101 Creative Dates: ideas, tips, and personal experiences from the life of a hopeless romantic here or visit the shop.
Here are other date and gift ideas you might like: