Music City—home to honky-tonk bars and a hub for bachelorette parties—has long been a place where people love to come together and have a great time. And flowing right past the center of downtown Nashville, Tenn., is the wide and free-flowing Cumberland River, which is simply the perfect place to cruise on the Pontoon Saloon.
For nearly a decade, Nashville resident Andrew Ostrowski thought it was strange that he enjoyed the scenic Music City skyline from the Cumberland River practically by himself. Aside from the river cruises offered by the General Jackson Showboat, the major waterway seemed empty of other water-loving crowds. So in an effort to bring people out on the river admiring the views and having a grand ‘ole time, he launched the Pontoon Saloon, a honky-tonk booze cruise like no other.
When planning his river cruising party business, Andrew said, “I wanted to get people out on the water to appreciate this natural resource and the great skyline. Since Nashville is a party town with an upbeat atmosphere, a booze cruise just fits.”
He approached the metro parks department, which managed the public access to the docks, and presented his plan. They loved it. As a wonderful alternative to land-based businesses that added to congested downtown traffic, they saw that Pontoon Saloon could fill the bar crawl market by having a safe, on-the-water operation. “And they’ve been incredibly happy with it,” Andrew said.
How The Party Got Started
Pontoon Saloon began in 2017 with one party barge, but has since upgraded to two 50-foot-long and 14-foot wide pontoons, which were custom-made by Sightseer Marine of Florida. Each powered with two Mercury Sea Pro 150s, the vessels have a specially-designed teak guitar table, an on board restroom, and a capacity of 45 guests for a truly rock'n party. Both pontoons are inspected yearly by the US Coast Guard to ensure all safety regulations are satisfied. When the second pontoon was added during the pandemic in 2020, it offered another safe outdoor adventure in the fresh air.
The 50-foot-long pontoon is a party on the water, where dozens of guests can mingle, dance, play drinking games, and safely drink since all cruises are staffed with a licensed captain and deckhand. All cruises include a party host, sound system, restroom, plenty of coolers and ice for your choice of beverages, and a BYOB option, or pre-purchase options of alcohol as well. Some chairs and tables are available, but not enough for everyone to be a couch potato—the cruises are lively and entertaining, so guests should expect to be in an energetic bar atmosphere that gets you on your feet.
Cruise Options
With the choice of both public and private cruises, you can mingle with new friends or gather with your own exclusive group. Public tours are a great way to meet new people and are for guests 21 and older. Private tours have the added option of live music, no age limit so even kids can enjoy the fun, and catered appetizers or bring-your-own food options. Cruise coordinators can help guests order the famous Hattie B’s Hot Chicken or arrange for delivery of an array of southern barbecue fare for a one-of-a-kind birthday party or corporate event. The celebratory atmosphere on either cruise is also perfect for holidays, tourist adventures, and, most popularly, bachelor and bachelorette parties.
Cruises run 7 days a week, from March through mid November, though the busiest season encompasses May through September. Timing cruises in the afternoon sunshine and around sunset give perfect opportunities for Instagram-worthy selfies and group photos with the stunning background of the Nashville skyline and the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Successful Mixers
Though the company is run by Andrew, his wife Elizabeth, and a small staff of cruise coordinators and licensed captains, perhaps the hardest working employees are the energetic deckhands. The multi-tasking deckhands are party hosts, Djs, as well as bartenders and each knows how to engage the crowd and keep the party going. Often guests on public cruises will say, “I didn’t expect this to be so much fun!” and they are disappointed when the two-hour cruise ends.
Andrew knows that the entertainment value is key for his business. While many river tours offer a quiet view of skylines, Pontoon Saloon focuses on giving their customers an animated experience on the water. He said, “Our deckhands are entertainers and that’s what sets us apart. We know how to read the room and help our guests have fun. Though we may start a cruise with 9 or 10 separate groups of people, we focus on bringing everyone together. And not surprisingly, everyone is best friends by the end!” Andrew said his favorite thing is when he sees large groups of people who began the tour as strangers exchange numbers at the end, or who even head off together for more fun on Broadway.
The fun party cruises are a delightful antidote to the world of social distance, online hate, and remote Zoom meetings. Many corporate events may begin with standoffish employees who are used to working remotely and signing into Webex, but the deckhands are able to get them on their feet dancing and engaging with one another.
Expanded Offerings
Beyond the booze cruise, Andrew’s business also has an array of pontoons for small groups or families to rent for a day or afternoon on the river. Aloha double-decker pontoons with slides and Crest triple pontoons are both available at Rock Harbor Marina, just minutes from downtown Nashville. Boat rentals have a capacity of 14 passengers and are excellent to savor the day on the water fishing, cruising, and chilling. The company also manages the city dock front, so boat owners can reserve access to the public docks through them as well.
History buffs will love Pontoon Saloon’s newest additional cruise: a narrated Nashville history tour highlighting historic landmarks, insights into developments along the river, and beautiful views of Music City while learning about its history. Great for all ages, this family-friendly tour is a unique way to experience the city while relaxing on a pontoon. Launched just this April, the narrated history tours will bring awareness to the importance of the Cumberland River and hopefully encourage all the good things such as responsible water use and preservation of natural resources like this one.
Uniting The Neighborhood
Gathering the community together seems to be one of Andrew’s greatest passions. One of his favorite unifying experiences on the water was last year’s Fourth of July ‘MERICA cruise. He said, “Everyone dressed in red, white, and blue, and we started the cruise with the Pledge of Allegiance. It was one for the books!”
And since he and his crew spend so much time on the river, they’ve even been able to rescue a few unprepared kayakers not wearing life vests or who were kayaking at night. In this way, Pontoon Saloon has become a go-to resource on the Cumberland River with a warm response from the community—the booze cruise that forges new friendships, offers help whenever possible, and makes life feel like a merry party on the water.
