| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is your guest capacity?
Can all my guests be seated in the same room on one level?
Are you handicapped accessible?
Do you have air conditioning and heating?
What is the cost of a private charter?
Can we provide our own caterer?
Can we provide our own bar?
When are final guest count and payments due?
What kind of music and entertainment do you provide?
Can we have our wedding ceremony on The Black-Eyed Susan?
Can the Captain perform the ceremony?
What do I need to wear?
How does weather affect the cruise schedule?
Can we sail from locations other than the Baltimore Marine Center?
Can you sail to other ports such as Annapolis?
Is smoking permitted on board?
Q. What is your guest capacity?
A. We are US Coast Guard approved to carry 149 passenger and up to 20 additional person consisting of crew, catering staff, and vendors, a maximum of 169 persons.
Q. Can all my guests be seated in the same room on one level?
A. Yes, of course, on our main deck. In addition, the bar is on this deck. There are restrooms on both decks. Q. Are you handicapped accessible?
A. Yes, but only on our main deck. Q. Do you have air conditioning and heating?
A. Our main deck is serviced by 3 independent air conditioning systems, guaranteeing comfort in the heat of the summer. Heat, when required, is more than amply provided by 2 commercial furnaces. The upper deck is winterized and heated in the colder months. Q. What is the cost of a private charter?
A. The Black-Eyed Susan is primarily a charter dinner boat. There are three different prices to consider, charter fee, menu price and beverage service price. Q. Can we provide our own caterer?
A. Cameo Caterers is the preferred caterer to The Black-Eyed Susan. Both Cameo Caterers and The Black-Eyed Susan are owned by the Schleider family, who have been providing fine catering for over five decades. We are "food people" with a boat, not a boat with food. We are approved to serve off premise sites that include such prestigious locations as The Blatimore Museum of Art, Walters Art Museum, The World Trade Center and many more prominent sites. Under special circumstances circumstances, we do allow licensed and insured caterers to provide their services. When required, we can arrange for Kosher meals, or suggest a Kosher caterer.
We also accept ethnic caterers. Q. Can we provide our own bar?
A. Maryland State Law prohibits this. This would be a violation of our Alcoholic Beverage License. Q. When are final guest count and payments due?
A. Final guest count is due 6 days in advance of your charter. You may increase the number slightly after that day up intil 72 hours prior to your scheduled cruise. We will not accept any other reductions after this time. Payment is required three days prior to your event. We do not accept credit cards for final payment. Q. What kind of music and entertainment do you provide?
A. The Black-Eyed Susan has a state-of-the-art CD and amplification system, available at no additional cost. For most events where music and dancing is a part of the planning, both DJs and small live groups are appropriate. You can provide your own musicians, or we can offer recommendations. Q. What do I need to wear?
A. The preferred attire is often suggested by the host, or type of event you are attending. For women, comfortable shoes are suggested, and seasonal garments are always appropriate. For public evening cruises, business attire and sportswear work well. Q. How does weather affect the cruise schedule?
A. It would be nice if we could control the weather. We sail rain or shine. We can safely operate in all weather and water conditions. On extremely rare occasions, (3 times since the year 2000), when wind gusts have been 35 mph or higher, we have remained dockside. The celebrations continued as planned. Q. Can we sail from locations other than your home port at the Baltimore Marine Center in Canton?
A. Yes. With advanced planning we can arrange dockage at the Maryland Science Center, Pier 5 Hotel, and Broadway Pier in Fells Point. There are additional docking fees for boarding at these locations.
Q. Can you sail to other ports such as Annapolis?
A. Yes. We can sail from Baltimore and back, if you plan a full day. We can also arrange to originate the charter from other ports, such as Annapolis. Q. Is smoking permitted on board?
A. Yes, but only outside on the lower front deck. WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR WEDDING... Q. Can we have our wedding ceremony on The Black-Eyed Susan?
A. Yes, our upper deck is ideal for a wedding ceremony. There is sufficient chapel seating for all your guests. Q. Can the Captain perform the ceremony?
A. Yes, our captains are ordained, meeting all the requirements. You may also provide your own clergy, if you prefer. Q. Can we hold a rehearsal aboard The Black-Eyed Susan in advance of our wedding day?
A. Yes Q. Can the ceremony take place while the boat is tied up at the pier, or when sailing?
A. You can choose...it's a matter of your preference. Having your ceremony dockside eliminates the possibility of missing latecomers. Having you ceremony while sailing, you can create your own backdrop. Either choice still guarantees a beautiful picture. JUST FOR CRUISES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Q. When do you have cruises open to the public?
A. The Black-Eyed Susan is primarily a charter dinner boat. We do offer "themed" cruises open to the public throughout the season. Our schedule is posted on the public cruise section of our website. New cruises are also added throughout the season. All of our public cruises board at our home port, the Baltimore Marine Center in Canton.
Q. How do I make a reservation for a public cruise?
A. You can make reservations online through our website anytime, or by calling our office at 410-342-6960. Our office is opne Monday thru Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Payment is due at the time of making your reservation. Q. Do you have group rates?
A. Call us for discounts for groups of 20 or more people. Q. How are guests seated?
A. Seating is assigned in advance by The Black-Eyed Susan. Our tables seat up to 8 guests each. For larger parties, we assign adjacent tables. Q. What is your cancellation policy?
A. There are no refunds if you chose to cancel your reservation. Q. Do you sell gift certificates for your public cruises?
A. We sell gift certificates for all of our public cruises. They are a great gift for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or Christmas. | 