The Savannah River carried cotton bales, naval timber, and rice fortunes through two centuries before paddlewheelers traded cargo for passengers. Today's fleet operates from the cobblestone wharves at River Street, where merchant warehouses have stood since 1790. The waterway forms a fourteen-mile corridor between South Carolina's lowcountry marshes and Georgia's deepwater port, its current reversing twice daily with Atlantic tides that sweep dolphins, manatees, and migrating shorebirds past the city's historic bluff. Savannah River cruise packages depart hourly from the terminal at 9 East River Street, where the Victorian-era riverboat Georgia Queen and her sister vessels maintain a schedule that mirrors the rhythm of commercial traffic. The harbor sightseeing route follows the shipping channel past Fort Jackson's brick ramparts and the Talmadge Memorial Bridge's twin suspension spans, narrated by captains who detail the engineering of the port's fifty-foot draft and the role of river pilots in guiding container ships to berth. Lunch cruises serve Low Country cuisine while navigating upstream toward the industrial canal, and eco-focused departures venture into tidal creeks where bottlenose dolphins hunt mullet schools in water stained amber by tannins from cypress swamps. The sunset sailings time their departures to the river's western exposure, catching light across marshgrass that shifts from emerald to copper as the sun drops behind Hutchinson Island. Combination tours pair ninety-minute cruises with trolley circuits through the National Historic Landmark District, connecting the maritime commerce that funded Savannah's squares to the Federal-style mansions built by shipping merchants. The riverboat terminal operates from 09:00 to 21:00 daily, with check-in recommended thirty minutes before scheduled departure to accommodate parking along the brick-paved riverfront and boarding protocols for vessels carrying up to 600 passengers on three decks.