Gondola Adventures®, Inc. - Est. 1993
Gondola Adventures®, Inc. provides the finest gondola cruises in Newport Beach, CA, and Irving, TX.
Gondola Adventures began in Newport Beach in 1993, when the owner proposed to his wife on a gondola and fell in love with these beautiful boats. Since then, the operation has expanded to Irving, Texas and the company has consulted on numerous gondola operations around the United States and beyond.
Company highlights
Gondola Adventures operates 15 gondolas in California and 12 gondolas in Texas.
Our company is frequently asked to consult on start-up and existing gondola operations.
Our owner, affectionately known as “Gondola Greg,” is the President of the Gondola Society of America, and the foremost authority on gondolas and Venice in the English-speaking world.
Our company has been featured on the cover of American Way (American Airlines’ in-flight magazine), on numerous television shows and Hollywood movies, in commercials, in print advertising, and in local and national newspapers. Gondola Greg has been interviewed for organizations such as National Geographic, The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, and for articles in the New York Times, Associated Press, and the Wall Street Journal.
Our boats
Gondola Adventures operates three types of gondolas: authentic Venetian gondolas (imported from Venice), neo-Venetian electric gondolas with canopy covers, and American-built rowing gondolas. The flagship vessels are the authentic Venetian gondolas – the Venetians have been making gondolas for nearly 1,000 years, and it is truly an art form. These vessels are propelled by oar and oarlock (“remo e’ forcola”) in the manner that gondolas are traditionally rowed in Venice, Italy.
Gondola Adventures has the only operating wedding gondolas west of the Mississippi. Wedding gondolas have carved decks and the most ornate decorations. One of our wedding gondolas, the Lucia, has a canopy cover (available upon request).
Our neo-Venetian gondolas have silent electric motors, so the gondoliers steer rather than row. Some gondolas are all black, while others are mahogany and black with inlaid roses and beautiful canopy covers. The elegant and distinctive interiors surround you in comfort. These more contemporary crafts have a little more range and can, if requested in advance, travel further (which is nice in a harbor that is six miles long from end to end).
Our American-built rowing gondolas are a recent addition to the fleet, acquired in 2016 when Gondola Adventures merged with Gondola Company of Newport. They were built in Southern California and mimic the style of the Venetian gondolas. While all of our gondolas are authorized to carry up to six passengers, the American-built gondolas excel in that department – with wider seating areas and excellent stability.
Our services, gondolas, and attention to detail are unparalleled.
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- Wedding Officiants in Southern California
If you are looking for a wedding officiant, You May Kiss the Bride is the company we recommend. They perform all of our weddings in our gondola wedding packages.
- Gondola Greg’s blog
Gondola Greg maintains a daily blog of all things gondola. He is the foremost authority on gondolas and Venice in the English-speaking world.
- Wedding Officiants in Southern California
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Local Accommodations:
- Newport Beach Vacation Rentals
- The Island Hotel
The Island Hotel is in the iconic Fashion Island in Newport Beach
Local Attractions:
- Roger’s Gardens
A lovely place to wander, relax, and enjoy the gardens. Spectacular at Christmas time. - Fashion Island
An iconic outdoor mall with shops, restaurants, fountains, a koi pond, movie theaters, and more.
AirBNB in Venice, Italy
Looking for a great place to stay while on vacation in Venice? Check out this beautiful AirBNB. Click here for information; click here to book.
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All cruises and gift certificates are non-refundable.
The gondola cruises during the scheduled time. If the guests arrive late, the gondolier does his best to accommodate the group, depending on his schedule. If the guests do not arrive for their scheduled cruise, they are responsible for the full amount of the cruise. Late guests do not receive a full or partial refund. In the event of inclement weather, please contact Gondola Adventures®, Inc. for rescheduling or gift certificate options.
In the unlikely event of any issue with your cruise, we would appreciate the opportunity to resolve it prior to involving the credit card company. Therefore, if you dispute any charges to your credit card, there will be an automatic dispute fee of $25.00 charged to your credit card account.
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If you are interested in starting a gondola operation or receiving consulting services, please email Greg Mohr with your information and the best time to reach you. Greg is the President of the Gondola Society of America and the foremost authority on gondolas in the English-speaking world, and he maintains a daily blog of all things gondola.
In your email, please include some details about your needs, such as the waterway you are wanting to start an operation in, whether it is fresh or salt water, when you are looking to start, how many gondolas you think you want to purchase, etc.
You can also visit www.GondolaBuilders.com for general information about the gondolas we build.
We often have a variety of new and used gondolas available for sale. We have provided gondolas and consulting services for gondola operations throughout the country.
