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What truly sets the Solaris dinner cruises apart, however, is the unusually high level of hands-on, personalized attention that guests receive when they sail on the yacht.

At the heart of the Solaris is the husband-and-wife team of Gwen and David Hall, who provide the magical entertainment aboard the yacht. Thanks to Gwen’s efforts, in addition to her nightly dinner cruises, the Solaris is a popular wedding venue. It boasts a dedicated event coordinator, Regan, who is on hand to make sure that every detail of a bride’s special day goes off without a hitch (so to speak). She takes care of everything from the officiant to the cake, florist, music and photographer.

“A lot of girls who are looking to get married on the beach opt for Destin as a location for the ceremony,” says Gwen. “Then they need a special venue for the reception and book the Solaris. We’ve had bridal couples and wedding guests from all over the globe aboard the Solaris.”

The Solaris has a dedicated bridal dressing suite, with complimentary waterproof mascara on hand. All the bride has to do on her big day is show up.

Aside from weddings, Gwen says that the Solaris’s regular business consists of a mix of guests from all backgrounds, with at least fifty percent of the people aboard any cruise celebrating some special event such as an engagement, an anniversary or birthday.

Lunch cruises are reserved for large events, such as family reunions and corporate events and are typically booked by companies such as Kraft Foods, Applebee’s Restaurants, the Florida Republican Party and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  

All guests aboard the Solaris receive personalized attention, as I discovered when I booked a dinner cruise. I arrived solo at the impressive yacht and was seated at a table by one of the large picture windows that overlook the bay. The carpeted dining room boasts hardwood details, while the second deck features a full bar, a smaller dining room and a covered aft deck.

The Sky Deck, located at the top of the yacht, is an open-air space that allows for magnificent views of the passing scenery and the moon and stars above. The Solaris departs the marina for a mile-and-a-half cruise that takes in views of the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort property, private homes and the area’s natural landscape.

Used to dining alone in my capacity as a reviewer, I cracked open a book while Kevin, my server, took my order. Appetizer choices include shrimp cocktail remoulade; smoked salmon Solaris, with toasted capers, horseradish aioli and herbed crustini; and steak quesadillas accompanied by roasted red pepper sauce, salsa and sour cream. The entrees typically include lobster manicotti, chicken picatta, pepper-crusted beef tenderloin and the fresh catch of the day served with crabmeat and finished with a Frangelico Sauce.

The entertainment had just started when a woman approached my table and said that she’d heard from Gwen that I was dining alone. It was her birthday, she went on to explain, and they’d had a party of four, but one of their party had felt ill and gone home. Would I like to join them at their table?

As you can imagine, I was a tad taken aback, but before I knew what was happening, I found myself accepting her invitation. It turned out to be one of the best impulsive things I’d done in a long time.

I joined the birthday girl, Joyce, at her table and was introduced to her daughter, Barbara, both of whom hail from Kansas. Their friend Diane from Dothan, Alabama, was along for the festivities. All the gals, including Renee who’d gone back to the hotel, had flown into town to celebrate Joyce’s birthday. Their dinner aboard the Solaris was to be the highlight of the trip.

Before you knew it, the four of us were talking a mile a minute. We laughed, ate and watched Gwen work the room.

True to form, Gwen was aware of every special event going on aboard the Solaris that night. Making references to milestones throughout her vocal sets, Gwen had the floor crowded with people dancing to favorites such as “Brick House” and “The Electric Slide.” A rockin’ time was had by all, including Gwen and husband David.

The Solaris is a wonderful experience – the food is excellent, the entertainment first class and the yacht itself a beauty. But once again, it’s the people behind the Solaris who truly make this dinner cruise exceptional.

“One of things I like most about working on the Solaris,” muses Gwen, “is that every night our guests come aboard as a boatful of strangers, but after three hours with us, many of them leave as friends. We regularly hear of people who met aboard the yacht, exchanged phone numbers or email, and then kept in touch.”

Which reminds me – I really should drop Joyce, Barbara and Diane a line.