Gondolas D’ Amore

This has to be one of the best romantic getaways for a couple or even for a double date. An hour or two on the beautiful Marina with bottle or five of wine and an amazing gondolier. It’s a perfect combination of relaxation, love, music, and serenity. It really doesn’t get any better. You get to see the boats, the birds, and even a few seals or sea lions.
The booking was easy and the gondolier really knows his way around and the history of the Marina. He is a perfect host and gentleman
The gondola is comfortable and the set up is perfect with some light snacks and chocolates to make it memorable

This gondola ride is recommended for couples looking to have a romantic experience by the water. The ride was very intimate and relaxing. John the gondolier added a touch of romance by singing Italian songs during the ride and you can’t help but admire the water and the yachts and boats docked on the harbor. Food to munch on was ample and weather was just okay. We went around 12:30pm on a Saturday and it was pretty cloudy but good thing it didn’t rain. I believe the best time to go on this ride is during the evening but since we had somewhere to be afterwards, we just went during lunch time. A couple of notable moments during the ride would be the sea lions on the dock just chilling and responding to John’s singing and then the other notable moment would be the time when a couple of seagulls were trying to land on the gondola and successfully landing the 5^th time they tried. John said that it was a first which was pretty unusual and funny at the same time. We’ve enjoyed our time during the ride so thank you John and Ena for this experience.

If you want to experience an romantic get away but don’t want to go far from LA then this is the place. You have a total privacy with your loved one and you can enjoy the beautiful bay. John sings Italian folk songs and it’s very touching.
Thank you John!

My fiancé took me on a gondola ride as a surprise as a start to our wedding week. We had previously seen the gondola go by in Mother’s Beach before, which is probably what prompted the idea. Our gondolier, John, was excellent. He sang Italian songs and surprised me with a message in a bottle, in which my fiancé put a love note inside. He also provided snacks and made sure to take plenty of pictures for us. My fiancé loved the gondola ride too. What a great experience.

I found this romantic getaway via Unilocal.I wanted to surprise my girlfriend with a gondola ride for our anniversary. Little did she know I was going to pop the question. Ena the owner and John our Gondolier were the best. John made our adventure so amazing with with his talented voice and knowledge of the sea. This hand downs is the best, most romantic,& enjoyable thing you can do for your significant other. I will highly recommend Gondola amore to all my friends. Thanks a million John & Ena. P. S. John also does messages in a bottle which is plus and sealed the deal with my girlfriend saying yes to my proposal. Barnone the best in business.

This was the best choice I have ever made. Took my girlfriend for her birthday and it was perfect. Her eyes were just so amazed at how beautiful it was. I highly recommend it. And the caption John was the perfect touch. He sang in Italian and really set the mood. A nice smooth ride.

My boyfriend and I completely adore this group offpeople. It is so relaxing, cutely decorated, awesome service, delicious cheese platter and sweet people. We highly recommend this — very relaxing and romantic cruise. Captain John rocks and the ladies are sweetie pies

I love this place, the Gondola and the harbor. Had a wonderful time in a Gondola ride with an an amazing singer, we celebrated our 3^rd year Anniversary here. I recommend this for couples in love and want’s some quite and romantic time with a superb view together :).

Best experience ever! This was part of the many surprises my bf had prepared for my 21^st birthday. What I loved about this gondola was that it was actually covered so we had more privacy and it was honestly so romantic. My bf had brought his own wine so we drank that. He had also prepared a «message in a bottle» and told the gondolier to give it to us halfway through the ride. (So romantic, I know! Lol) anyway so halfway through the ride the gondolier goes like oh look what I found and hands the bottle to my bf who hands it to me and I open it and it was basically a letter for me so yeaa. It was nice that he cooperated with my bf :) overall I would definitely go here again.

I was trying to come up with the best way to propose to my girlfriend. I wanted something romantic and something I wanted to surprise her with. I heard of gondolas in various areas in LA months earlier and remembered it, so I went on Unilocal to do some research. i came upon Gondolas D’Amore and saw good reviews for it, including good reviews of proposals that happened, so I decided to go with them.
Ena, the owner of the gondola, is very nice, but it may at times be difficult to reach her and schedule or reschedule the ride. She told me to call John, the gondolier, a few days before the ride, to tell him what I wanted to do for the proposal. Once you schedule the ride, I would recommend scouting the area ahead of time if you don’t want to spend time before the ride trying to find the gondola. Ironically, you’re supposed to park in the parking lot with the sign that says «No Parking.» I scouted the area with my girlfriend’s sister and cousin to plan out the proposal event a couple weeks prior. A few days before the ride, I called John to tell him what I wanted to do for the proposal and he was on board (no pun intended).
Our ride was scheduled for 5:30 pm, and we came to the dock at about 5 minutes early so we weren’t late and were able to start on time. The one thing that wasn’t great was that Ena and John came at about the same time my girlfriend and I did and it took them 25 minutes to clean and set up the gondola for the ride. This was okay, however, since my girlfriend was so happy and surprised that the ride was happening, that we didn’t mind the wait, and it actually worked out better, since it gave my girlfriend’s sister and cousins more time to prep for the pictures and video of the proposal and the sun was at a perfect spot for the actual proposal at the end of the ride.
The seating area on the gondola was clean and comfortable. There was fruit, cheese and crackers, and chocolate provided for us. There were also wine glasses for us and all we had to was provide the wine. John, who was funny and nice, took pictures of us with his phone, as we did not take our phones with us. He got my phone number and sent me all the pics the day after. During the ride, he played romantic music and sang along with it. He sang seriously and jokingly and had a very nice singing voice. It was nice that he didn’t sing the whole time, which gave my girlfriend and I some nice silent moments and moments to talk.
The proposal happened immediately after the ride, which went perfectly. My girlfriend (now fiancé!) and I loved the ride, and she loved that the ride preceded the proposal. All in all, we had a great experience, and if I could do it again, I would do it the exact same way. If you’re looking for a romantic experience with your significant other, I would highly recommend Gondolas D’Amore.

I found this place via Unilocal and I’m so glad I read the reviews because that is why I went there to propose to my now future wife.
John (our driver) did an excellent job and kept the songs going throughout the ride with nice little breaks in between.
Beautiful sight of ships and a very romantic setting that my fiancé loved. I will recommend this to anyone that wants to get into the romanticism of a relationship to a different level. Great job John and great business

My friend didn’t recommend this place cause he said it wasn’t romantic at all but I disagree 100 percent. I took my girlfriend here for her 21^st birthday and it was a REALLY good experience. She’s been on a gondola ride in Italy and she told me she liked this experience more than the one in Italy lol. Anyway the first time we saw the gondolier I told my girlfriend I had to go to the bathroom and I pulled the gondolier to the side and gave him a «Message in a bottle» and told him to «find» it about 40 minutes into the ride. He pulled it off perfectly and it was a great surprise for my girlfriend.
Alright lets talk about the actual experience. We were given finger food like cheese, grapes, strawberries and chocolate and it was delicious. The gondolier sang about a good 5 – 6 songs which made the experience even better. Even though my girlfriend and I arrived 15 minutes late to the gondola ride we were still given our hour which was nice of them.
Overall, the experience was definitely one to remember and I believe John the gondolier was the reason for a lot of it. The rest was good presentation lol. Definitely something ever couple should experience together.

An absolute must if you are looking for that «WOW» factor during a romantic occasion.
My husband surprised me with this excursion on our anniversary. The spread and detail provided for the two of us felt so well thought out. Every moment was priceless. I don’t recommend for just a date night, definitely for a special someone…
John, the captain of the gondola, seemed like an expert romantic and made us feel very comfortable. He is a professional Opera singer so that put it on another level.
Thank you for a night I will always remember!

The best gondola ride in southern Cali no doubt. It was an amazing experience & I highly recommend it. It is the most perfect gift/​activity for any special occasion with the one you love. There were snacks, candles, classy designs, blankets, & everything you need to have a romantic day/​evening. The pictures in the reviews say it all.
The second I met my gondolier, he was already in an ecstatic mood & made the whole thing extremely fun.
He was very understanding of everything; socialized when needed to & gave all the privacy you need. I am very social & we conversed a lot during the ride & he was the coolest guy you could meet. He did everything to make sure we had an amazing time.
Great singer, funny guy, smooth ride, beautiful scenery (especially in the night).
Honestly I would go on more rides with the same guy. He knows what’s up & he’ll do anything to make sure your night is perfect.
Go on it trust me you won’t regret it!!!

A truly amazing experience! They were a little hard to get hold of and make a booking, but when they did, they took care of an amazing experience.
I would highly recommend to anyone — an incredibly romantic experience with appetizers, candles, blankets when its chilly, music and of course — a singing gondolier! Highly recommend sunset time!
They can help you with engagement ideas /​proposals. The old message in a bottle worked a treat and John’s humour really added to the whole experience!
Thank you John for an unforgettable evening! A true 10 out of 10 experience. Not to be missed.

I planned a special surprise for my fiancée on the 4^th of July. I called Ena and she was more than helpful in planning our special romantic night. Our gondola ride was everything I expected and more. It was truly like a dream.
Our ride began at 8:30 where we boarded the gondola and met our gondolier John. The gondola was beautifully decorated with at lovely heart theme. They provided everything including an appetizer plate, dishes, glassware and even blankets ! You can bring your own wine or champagne which is great !
This was truly and amazing one in a life time experience. Ena is wonderful. John the gondolier is so nice. He sang lovely romantic songs as we floated through the marina.

Like others have said, I had a little issue finding the place — it wasn’t actually a place like I had thought, it was just where the gondola was! I was looking around for a hut or something, lol.
The experience was great! John was great, explained a bit about the surroundings, was humorous, sang romantically, and in general tied the whole experience together. It would be a good trip without, but it really completes the package.
We had gone at 7:45 — 9:15pm so it was later, we got to enjoy both the end of the sunset and a quiet, relaxing night-​view. It was beautiful, we really loved the view of the area. I originally worried about not seeing the whole sunset, but this was a special experience in of itself!
Just remember to tip! This is definitely on the higher side of cost of most anything I normally do (but for such a special occasion, I don’t mind), so you’re already paying a bit, but definitely keep the tip in mind as part of the cost. They deserve it!
I strongly recommend this place if you’re looking for a romantic time for any reason, it’ll fit the bill and more, provided you can afford it! Don’t get me wrong, it’s really worth every penny, I’m just usually much more of a cheapo than this: p
Thanks so much for making a beautiful moment all the more special, it’ll be a night we’ll never forget. You won’t regret coming here! cheers!

What a great experience! The gondola was very well crafted and the setup was brilliant. John (captain) is such a cool guy and sang italian folk songs the entire ride, and also provided snacks. Overall, a great time. $$$ well spent! Definitely recommend this to any couple!

My boyfriend took me here for my birthday a few days ago for a surprise and we had a wonderful time.
At first. we had a hard time finding the place, so we had to circle around a little bit looking for the place (I think it would be nice to have a sign or something).
Some of the decorations didn’t really look new, to be honest. So maybe bring your own blanket ;)
But everything was prepared — wine glasses, fruit, cheese and crackers plate, blankets and a few more nice little things. We brought our own wine and cake.
Our gondolier was John. He was a fantastic singer. He was very friendly and nice. He took pictures for us before the ride. During the ride, he shared some interesting facts about the area. I think the CD was scratched towards the end: P but most of the time, he sang beautifully with the music in the background.
I’m giving 4 starts instead of 5 because we had some difficulty finding the place. And I think the decoration can be more upgraded.
But overall, we had a fantastic time and I’m still thinking about it. This would be a nice romantic date for special occasions. I hope we can come back later :)

Beautiful!!! My boyfriend, now fiancée proposed to me during our gondola ride! it was PERFECT! I loved it soooo much, very romantic! He couldn’t of have picked a better place to pop the question!
Our gondolier was very nice and took pictures of our occasion. The décor, the music (especially the singing) all came together for our special day. I was impressed!
Plus i love telling the story :)
Highly recommend it!