1000 Islands CruisesKingston 1000 Islands Cruises vs the Gananoque Departures
Last reviewed August 2026
Kingston 1000 Islands cruises come down to one gap: none of them reaches Boldt Castle, while the Gananoque and Ivy Lea sailings pass or dock at it every day, as of August 2026. Kingston's own boats are real cruises in their own right, a longer season, three vessels, a dinner sailing, Fort Henry framing the waterfront, but they work the Admiralty group of islands close to the city and never cross into the stretch of river where the castles sit. This guide sets the two departure points side by side: what each actually shows you, what it costs in the currency it is sold in, and which one fits a traveler without a car versus one chasing a specific castle.
Quick answer
Kingston 1000 Islands cruises never leave Canadian waters and never reach Boldt Castle, they circle the Admiralty group closer to the city instead. If a castle is the point of the trip, the Gananoque cruise or the Ivy Lea scenic cruise are the departures that deliver it, both priced from $29 USD. If staying car-free in downtown Kingston matters more, Kingston's own lineup, from $39.50 CAD, is the easier morning.
Key takeaways
- Kingston's cruises never reach Boldt Castle; the Gananoque cruise and its 5-hour stopover option are the nearest departure that does
- Kingston runs a longer season, April 18 through November 1 in 2026, against the Gananoque and Ivy Lea window of May through October
- Kingston's Sunset Dinner Cruise is $124 CAD and final-sale unless Ticket Assurance is added, against free cancellation to 24 hours on the Gananoque and Ivy Lea sightseeing cruises
- No passport is needed on any Kingston sailing; the only compared cruise that does require one is the 5-hour Boldt Castle stopover, full rule at the passport guide
- Traveling with a car and want the full circuit past both castles and the shipwrecks? The Depths and Discovery cruise from Gananoque covers it in three hours
The Five Cruises We Compare
None of these five depart from Kingston. All five sail from Gananoque or the Ivy Lea dock, roughly half an hour east, which is the departure point that actually reaches the castles.
Gananoque 1000 Islands Cruise with Optional Boldt Castle Entry
The flagship departure from the Gananoque town dock, bookable as a 1, 3 or 5-hour route; the 5-hour adds a Boldt Castle landing with admission.
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- City Cruises Gananoque
- Booked via
- GetYourGuide
Ivy Lea 1000 Islands & Boldt Castle Scenic Cruise
One hour from the Ivy Lea dock beside the international bridge: Boldt Castle, Singer Castle and the Zavikon bridge from the water, no passport needed.
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- City Cruises Gananoque
- Booked via
- GetYourGuide
5-Hour 1000 Islands Cruise with Boldt Castle Stopover
The only cruise that docks at Heart Island: two self-guided hours inside Boldt Castle with admission included. Passport or NEXUS required.
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- City Cruises Gananoque
- Booked via
- Viator
3-Hour Depths and Discovery 1000 Islands Cruise
The three-hour classic circuit with shipwreck stories layered over the narration: Seaway channel, international bridge and Millionaire's Row.
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- City Cruises Gananoque
- Booked via
- Viator
1-Hour Heart of the 1000 Islands Cruise
A one-hour loop through the densest island cluster off Gananoque: McDonald and Howe islands and the narrowest cottage channels.
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- City Cruises Gananoque
- Booked via
- Viator
What Kingston Actually Offers
Kingston runs its own cruise company out of the downtown waterfront, separate from the Gananoque and Ivy Lea operators covered elsewhere on this site. Prices are quoted in Canadian dollars, and every fare adds HST plus a fuel surcharge before checkout.
2026 Kingston fares
Three main sailings, one boat each, all departing the same downtown dock.
| Cruise | Length | From (CAD) | Route / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Cruise | 1 hour | $39.50 | Kingston waterfront, Fort Henry, Royal Military College; boat Island Belle |
| Heart of the Islands | 3 hours | $59.50 | Admiralty group: Napoleon's Hat, Wanderer's Channel, Mandalay Mansion; boat Island Queen |
| Sunset Dinner Cruise | 3 hours | $124 | Three-course dinner aboard the glass-topped Island Star; final-sale unless Ticket Assurance is added |
A confusing coincidence: two different "Heart of the Islands" cruises
Kingston sells its own 3-hour Heart of the Islands cruise for $59.50 CAD, touring the Admiralty group aboard Island Queen. Separately, the Gananoque operator we compare elsewhere on this site also runs a Heart of the Islands cruise, a 1-hour sailing priced from $30 USD that loops a different stretch of the river and is not on the route to either castle. Same name, two operators, two boats, two currencies.
Searching just "Heart of the Islands cruise" without the departure city is the fastest way to book the wrong one, so check the dock name on the ticket before paying.
The season and the boats
Kingston's 2026 season runs longer than the Gananoque side, April 18 through November 1, against May through October for the Gananoque and Ivy Lea sailings. That extra month and a half on each end matters for shoulder-season travelers who find the castle-route boats already parked for winter.
Three vessels handle the lineup: Island Belle for the shorter Discovery Cruise, Island Queen (a triple-decker) for the Heart of the Islands sailing, and the glass-topped Island Star for the dinner cruise, with Island Queen occasionally filling in on select dinner nights.
What Each Departure Point Actually Sees
The honest headline first: no Kingston sailing reaches Boldt Castle or Millionaire's Row. The castles sit roughly 60 kilometres east, and Kingston's cruises work the Admiralty group of islands close to the city instead.
Route by departure point
A side-by-side of what each dock actually puts in front of you on the water.
| Departure | Islands covered | Boldt Castle | Singer Castle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston (any cruise) | Admiralty group: Napoleon's Hat, Wanderer's Channel, Mandalay Mansion | Not on the route | Not on the route |
| Gananoque, 1 or 3 hours | Central Thousand Islands channel | 3-hour sails past it | Not on the shorter routes |
| Gananoque, 5 hours | Central channel plus Heart Island | Lands, admission included | Not on this route |
| Ivy Lea, 1 hour | Narrow channels near the international bridge | Sails past both castles | Sails past, no landing |
Why the split exists
Kingston's islands, the Admiralty group, sit at the western end of the archipelago, closer to the city than to the border. The castles, Boldt and Singer, sit further east, past Gananoque and Ivy Lea, in the stretch of river where the international boundary actually runs down the middle of the channel. A cruise built around a downtown Kingston dock simply does not have the running time to cover both ends in one sailing, which is the practical reason the two departure points sell two different rivers rather than two versions of the same trip.
Kingston or Gananoque
Kingston
- Car-free from downtown Kingston hotels, walk to the dock
- Longer season, April 18 through November 1
- A proper dinner cruise on the glass-topped Island Star
- No Boldt or Singer Castle on any route
- Dining cruises are final-sale unless Ticket Assurance is added
Gananoque and Ivy Lea
- Boldt Castle sail-past or landing, Singer Castle sail-past on some routes
- Fares from $29 USD, cheaper entry than most Kingston sailings once the surcharge is added
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
- About a 30-minute drive from Kingston, so a car or a taxi is needed
- Shorter season, May through October
Verdict If a castle is the reason for the trip, Kingston cannot deliver it and the choice is really between the Gananoque and Ivy Lea options, not Kingston at all. If the trip is built around staying in Kingston without a car, and the Admiralty group and a dinner cruise sound like a good evening on their own terms, Kingston's own lineup is worth booking and there is no need to chase the castles at all.
Which One Fits Your Trip
If You are staying in downtown Kingston and want to walk to the dock
Book a Kingston sailing. It will not reach the castles, but it is the only car-free option of the two.
If You want to actually land at a castle
Book the 5-hour Gananoque cruise or the Boldt Castle stopover. Neither Kingston option lands anywhere near a castle.
If Nobody in your group is carrying a passport
Take the Ivy Lea scenic cruise. It passes both castles from the water and never crosses the border.
If You want dinner on the water rather than a daytime sightseeing loop
Kingston's Sunset Dinner Cruise or the Gananoque and Ivy Lea area dinner cruises both work; compare the menu and schedule before booking either.
If You want the fullest daytime circuit, castles and shipwreck narration together
The Depths and Discovery cruise from Gananoque covers the most ground in three hours.
Live Dates for the Gananoque Cruise
The Gananoque departure books out the 5-hour Boldt Castle option first in midsummer, so check dates before locking in the rest of the day.
Logistics: Getting to the Right Dock
Two different systems, two different ways to end up at the wrong dock on the day.
Kingston: ticket office, then a separate dock
Kingston tickets are picked up at 248 Ontario Street, then boarding happens at Crawford Wharf, a short walk away, not at the ticket office itself. Arrive 30 minutes before departure to allow for both stops. Dining cruises are non-refundable unless Ticket Assurance is added at booking, a contrast worth noting against the free 24-hour cancellation on the Gananoque and Ivy Lea sightseeing cruises we compare elsewhere on this site.
Gananoque and Ivy Lea: parking and the address trap
The Gananoque town dock has paid parking rather than a free lot, and check-in runs 30 minutes before departure with unassigned seating, first aboard picks the deck. The Ivy Lea dock sits at 95 Ivy Lea Road in Lansdowne, about 13 kilometres, roughly 10 minutes, east of downtown Gananoque, and it is a different address from the Gananoque town dock, not a shuttle stop from it. Passengers who plug "Gananoque" into a map instead of the Ivy Lea address regularly end up at the wrong dock with a boat leaving without them; confirm the exact address on the ticket, not just the town name.
What to expect once aboard
Both systems run enclosed lower decks, best for the narration audio, and open upper decks, cooler than the shore air even in summer, so bring a layer regardless of which dock you leave from. The Gananoque triple-decker is wheelchair accessible; check the specific listing for accessibility on any other vessel before booking.
Kingston vs Gananoque: Questions Answered
How much is the Kingston 1000 Islands cruise?
From $39.50 CAD for the 1-hour Discovery Cruise, $59.50 CAD for the 3-hour Heart of the Islands sailing, and $124 CAD for the Sunset Dinner Cruise. Every fare adds HST plus a fuel surcharge of $1.75 to $2.75 per person at checkout.
Which cruise is best for the Thousand Islands, Kingston or Gananoque?
If seeing a castle matters, Gananoque or Ivy Lea, since no Kingston sailing reaches Boldt Castle. If staying car-free in downtown Kingston matters more than the castles, Kingston's own lineup is a genuinely good few hours on the Admiralty group, just a different river experience.
What documents do you need for a Kingston 1000 Islands cruise?
None. Kingston cruises stay in Canadian waters the entire route, so no passport is required on any of them. The only compared cruise that does require one is the 5-hour Boldt Castle landing; the full rule is covered in our passport guide.
Where do Kingston 1000 Islands cruises depart from?
Tickets are collected at 248 Ontario Street, and boarding happens at Crawford Wharf on the downtown waterfront, a short walk from the ticket office, not the same building.
When do the Kingston and Gananoque cruise seasons run?
Kingston's 2026 season runs April 18 through November 1. The Gananoque and Ivy Lea sailings run May through October, a shorter window on both ends.
Why don't Kingston cruises stop at Boldt Castle?
Kingston's boats work the Admiralty group, a set of islands closer to the city, while Boldt Castle sits roughly 60 kilometres east near Gananoque and the border. A downtown Kingston sailing does not have the running time to reach that stretch of river and return within its scheduled length.
Kingston and Gananoque are not competing for the same trip, they are answering two different questions. Kingston answers "what can I do without a car, on a longer season, from a downtown dock," and Gananoque and Ivy Lea answer "which cruise actually reaches the castles." Once that's clear, the rest of the planning is arithmetic on price, season and cancellation terms, not guesswork. If the plan is still open, compare the Gananoque and Ivy Lea sailings side by side with the rest of the cruises on this site before booking either one.