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Yacht Rum Runner II

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Enjoy a breathtaking classic motor yacht tour of Newport Harbor aboard the yacht Rum Runner II. Relive the speed and thrill of the chase of the smuggler boats from the days of Prohibition. Yacht RUM RUNNER II was built during the height of Prohibition for use in the rumrunner trade.  Today she now offers the luxury of a classic motor yacht and the intrigue you would imagine of a high-speed bandit with a history all her own. This vessel is 58 feet and can take up to 49 passengers.

Enjoy a sightseeing boat tour aboard Rum Runner II! You will cruise by Newport mansions and former speakeasies, lighthouses, islands, and many other points of interest. This restored Elco motor yacht carries you swiftly and safely through the local waters of Newport. Enjoy an adventurous sightseeing cruise with us! Originally powered with three Liberty aircraft engines, she has been re-powered with twin turbo-charged 350HP Caterpillar Marine Diesels.  This will ensure your Newport Harbor experience is both thrilling and comfortable. Rum Runner II is a comfortable motor yacht with a covered area aft for guests to get out of the sun. Enjoy the tour given by our talkative and friendly crew. They will enlighten you to many of the interesting stories of the houses and the people who occupied them back in the day.

Lighthouse and Coastal Tour

This is the best Newport sightseeing boat tour in town! Join us for a 75-minute narrated tour aboard our motor yacht the Rum Runner II. Rum Runner II is a classic motor yacht similar to the rum running boats of the 1920’s. She is a beautiful boat that will help you explore Newport’s coastal waterfront. Sit back and enjoy as our knowledgeable and informative crew provide narration about scenic estates, the Castle Hill Lighthouse, naval history, as well as Newport’s rich and famous! One of the best things to do in town is this Newport sightseeing boat tour as it is a top rated tour by many! Don’t hesitate to bring an extra layer because weather conditions can change rapidly and temperatures are lower on the water than on shore. Sunscreen and a hat are suggested when sitting on deck. Don’t forget to bring a camera! If you want to be guaranteed a seat on board, please reserve ahead – particularly on weekends. Enjoy a beverage on board after purchasing tickets at our booth before your trip. This cruise is not BYOB.

Scenic Sunset Cruise on yacht Rum Runner II

This is the best Newport scenic sunset cruise in town! Join us aboard our scenic 60-minute motor yacht cruise and enjoy the sunset like never before! Explore the water as we glide past picturesque coastlines, the Castle Hill Lighthouse and the beautiful homes and sites of Narragansett Bay. This Newport scenic sunset cruise is lightly narrated and a great way to spend time with friends and family while experiencing Newport from the water. Don’t hesitate to bring an extra layer because weather conditions can change rapidly and temperatures are lower on the water than on shore. There will be beverages for purchase before you get underway so please check in with the booth staff about buying one or two! This cruise is not BYOB and is for adults (12 and older) only.

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Sail out into Newport Harbor and impress your guests. Step aboard the legendary Schooner Adirondack II or Sloop Eleanor for a private charter. These yachts are perfect for Corporate outings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings, and more. Read more »

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Sail out into NY Harbor and impress your guests. Step aboard one of our classic vessels for a private charter. These yachts are perfect for Corporate outings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings, Team Building and more. Read more »

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Rum Runner II

• 24 Bannister's Wharf, Newport, RI 02840
• (401) 847-0299
• (800) 395-1343

Additional Information

General info, comp policy.

• Group Contact Email [email protected]
• Group Contact Name Kim Paltridge
• Group Contact Phone 401-849-3033
• Group Contact Position Operations Mgr.
• Languages Available English
• Other Seasonality Mid May - Mid October
• Tour Length 2

Seasonality

All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this website, however it is subject to change. Information is updated in an ongoing manner in partnership with local tourism offices, individual businesses and organizations and via a direct feed from goprovidence.com, discovernewport.org, southcountyri.com and Yelp.com.

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Rum Runner II

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Rum Runner II - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Newport Classic Cruises Online Reservations

Buy gift certificates online, reservation / cancellation policy.

All tickets are refundable up to 48 hours prior to your cruise, with a $2.00 cancellation fee for each ticket. You may reschedule your tickets for another cruise (subject to availability) up to 24 hours in advance. No refunds will be awarded to no-shows.  Arriving late to the scheduled departure forfeits your tickets. Thank you. Newport Classic Cruises  401.318.9728

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Alcohol and Tobacco Policy Please abstain from using tobacco products while on our trips and this includes vaping. Please do not bring your own beverages on board the boats. Thanks for your understanding.

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Newport Classic Cruises

Hours updated 2 months ago

Review Highlights

“ Booked " Rum Runner II " which is a restored 1920's boat that originally hauled illegal booty during prohibition. ” in 8 reviews

“ They gave us a great tour of the Newport harbor and did an amazing job of providing us with plenty of beverages. ” in 5 reviews

“ The next thing i knew Captain Jay was circling my bottle and Sara was trying to lure it back near the boat where she could retrieve it for me. ” in 3 reviews

Location & Hours

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24 Bannisters Wharf

Classic Cruises of Newport

Newport, RI 02840

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About the business.

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Kimberly P.

Rum Runner II offers the scenic East Passage Express which is a 75 minute tour through Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay. While on board, we'll cruise by lighthouse, mansions and many other historical point of interest. Since Rum Runner II was an original Rum Runner from the prohibitions era (means she was built for speed), we will open her up and show you how she used to outrun the Coast Guard back in the 1920s and 30s. Rum Runner II - a boat with a lot of history! …

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Overall rating

I had some friends visit from out of state and they wanted to do something different. So, I made the reservation for us, and we went. Luckily, there were just about ten people on the boat and the two ladies managing the cruise were outstanding! They gave us a great tour of the Newport harbor and did an amazing job of providing us with plenty of beverages. I hope to take other friends who come to town on the same cruise.

Cruise experience

While spending a weekend in Newport we decided to do the sunset cruise. This cruise was really nice and it was great to be out in the water especially at this time of the day. Both our captain and bartender were great and made our cruise very enjoyable. Love the flow of rum punches and the sea breeze. I wish the cruise had been a bit longer even if they had to raise their prices since an hour goes by really fast.

I've been on the Rum Runner II twice now and really enjoyed it both times. The first time I went with my co-workers for an afternoon cruise and liked it. This gave me the idea to take my 3 year old daughter during a recent trip to Newport. We live in Arizona now, but she had been talking a lot about seeing lighthouses prior to our trip to RI. When I called the company to inquire, they recommended we do the Lighthouses and Mimosas cruise. It was very lightly narrated, but not too much to be overly boring for kids. On this cruise, she happened to be the only kid on board, but she had a great time being out on the water and of course viewing the lighthouses. The staff was so nice and we had a great time! I would definitely recommend this company if you want to get out there on the water for a nice time in Newport.

We did the sunset cruise this past Friday at 5:30pm and had the best time. It is a perfect little pre dinner ride around the water looking at all of the houses and architecture Newport has to offer. It isn't so much a guided tour, but just a nice boat ride. To make things even better, they serve rum punch and beer on the boat which are constantly flowing and delicious. Highly recommend adding this to your list of things to do in Newport!

I liked this cruise that took you for nice ride around the coast. The staff was very nice and they supplied water and soda for you. Which is was hot so that came in handy. Only problem is when you sit on one side of the boat you have to have a neck that can do a 360 because you can't see otherwise. Being so squished together on the boat it made my neck uncomfortable. I think. They should figure out a way for the views that both sides can see without having a rotating head. Lol. Other than that it was really nice!

My husband and I took a tour of Newport, we've done so many of those so we didn't think much of it... to our right is this and to our left is that etc.... not the case on the Rum Runner II.... Jay was steering us and Nora was keeping us entertained. She checked with us frequently, having conversation, giving water, taking pictures, asking if we had any questions...all in all keeping us entertained. She has the right personality for this job.

On our last day in Newport we decided to do a cruise and boy were we blown away. They were so welcoming, friendly and best of all had great COVID protocols on board. It was an hour and a half of heaven, with drinks and history of the various landmarks. I would recommend this to anyone looking to get out on the water while in town.

Super fun mimosa sail! During COVID , not a full boat, everyone has plenty of space to distance and they have a decent drink/ seltzers/ beer selection

Enjoyed our tour. Water and ginger ale provided on 1:30pm tour. Did not get sea sick. Did not see mansions, I mistakenly assumed we would. Instead we saw summer cottages and a manor. All beautiful and quite impressive in their own right

It's a nice way to see things around Newport. My gripe is they over booked the cruise and I happened to be on a cruise where some people took up two seats (purely because of size). I get it but don't book so many people then. I ended up having to sit with one butt check off the end...it was uncomfortable. Otherwise, if they figure that out, I would do it again because you see a lot.

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Classic Cruises of Newport - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Cruise Tour on the Rum Runner II in Newport, Rhode Island

We did spend a little time wandering around the dock area trying to find the right place to board the Rum Runner II so allow some time before your cruise as there are several docks and it’s a bit of a challenge finding the right one.

Classic Cruises offers a variety of tours throughout the summer on both sailing and power boats including sunset harbor cruises and a number of cruise tours which offer amazing views of Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay.

We decided on a high-speed yacht tour on the classic speedboat Rum Runner II where we would “evoke the intrigue and luxury of her smuggling days along the waterfront” – sounds perfect! It was a gorgeous, sunny summer afternoon when we finally located the right dock and clambered aboard the comfortable speedboat.

Rum Runner II – beautiful!

The boat was built in 1929 during the height of Prohibition when smuggling illegal liquor into harbors was a great, if risky way to make money. Built for two New Jersey mobsters to evade the Coast Guard speedily, she has settled into the life of a quiet tour boat in Newport and we were thrilled to be enjoying the sights from her deck. We eased away from the dock and were immediately impressed with the gorgeous boats which filled the harbor.

Luxurious yacht.

Beautiful sailing ship.

One of the best things about our tour was our lovely tour guide, a young woman who had been raised in Newport and shared all the fascinating history of the area.

Our tour guide.

It didn’t take long to realize that this was a great way to see the famous Newport mansions. This was our first introduction as we had not toured them yet and we were pretty impressed. Hard to imagine a lifestyle that includes these behemoth houses!

Beautiful Newport mansion.

An equally beautiful mansion.

And a third mansion.

Most of the mansions have been preserved and are open for tours but a few have gone through renovations and been repurposed, like this one transformed into condos.

What a great water view!

We headed out of the tranquil harbor into Narragansett Bay past more scenic sights.

Island home.

Tiny lighthouse.

Bridge to Newport.

On the other side of the bay, we cruised by Fort Adams State Park.

Fort Adams State Park.

Then it was time to head back. We relaxed and enjoyed our speedy trip across the harbor and back to the dock where we disembarked to enjoy the Newport mansions from the land side. We wondered how many of the other tourists had experienced the water view of the mansions and felt pretty damn smug that we had.

Full disclosure: Our tour was provided by  Classic Cruises  but as always, we will share our honest opinions about any travel experiences we have

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• Rhode Island

Newport Classic Cruises

24 Bannisters Wharf, Newport , Rhode Island 02840 USA

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Learn more about this business on Yelp .

Enjoy a breathtaking motor boat tour of Newport Harbor and relive the speed and thrill of the chase of the smuggler boats from the days of Prohibition. Motor yacht Rum Runner II, which was originally built for two New Jersey mobsters to elude the Coast Guard offers the luxury of a classic yacht and intrigue you would imagine of a high-speed bandit motor boat with a history all her own while touring Newport Harbor.

Reviewed by Isabel J.

While spending a weekend in Newport we decided to do the sunset cruise. This cruise was really nice and it was great to be out in the water especially at this time of the day. Both our captain... Read more

Reviewed by Will F.

I had some friends visit from out of state and they wanted to do something different. So, I made the reservation for us, and we went. Luckily, there were just about ten people on the boat and... Read more

Reviewed by Melanie B.

I've been on the Rum Runner II twice now and really enjoyed it both times. The first time I went with my co-workers for an afternoon cruise and liked it. This gave me the idea to take my 3 year... Read more

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Rum Runner II

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Rum Runner II (Newport) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Rum Runner II