Brought my children for the cruise as they were looking for something to do. The whole trip was conducted in Japanese. It was abit boring for us adults but the children enjoyed it. As we purchased the Amazing Card for that day,the cruise was free for us. Not recommended to go in the day time as it is very hot and there is nothing much to see. I believe it will be a better view at night with all the neon lights switch on.

The main issues seems to be the short duration of the boat ride, lasting just 20 minutes and being narrated almost entirely in Japanese.

The Dotonbori bank isn't the most extensive river, but I feel the boat ride really doesn't do it the justice it deserves. If you were to try the cruise I would suggest going at night, in good weather. Although there are covered cruisers in the event of adverse weather. At night the buildings of the Dotonbori are lit up like a Christmas tree and will add to your experience. None speakers of Japanese May feel left out of the experience by a lack of English translation, with exception to the safety announcements.

Better cruises to be had but not inherently expensive

My wife and I took the river cruise on a cold evening in late March 2014. The river cruise departs every half hour and takes around 20 minutes, and it was being conducted in Japanese. The ticket counter is right in front of Don Quijote, and price per ticket is JPY700.

The guide is very enthusiastic. Unfortunately, we do not understand Japanese, hence we were not able to appreciate the history at all. Nevertheless. it is a relaxing way of seeing the buildings and night lights along Tombori river.