So you want to have dinner on the water but don't have any friends with a boat? No worries. Several Pittsburgh-area commercial boats offer dining cruises for all ages and occasions.

Probably the best-known outfit is the Gateway Clipper fleet, which counts a dozen different lunch and dinner cruises along the Three Rivers. Its signature Captain's Dinner Dance Cruise ($45.50 adults/$21.50 kids 12 and under) departs Friday and Saturday evenings from Station Square and features a dinner buffet and live entertainment.

Other choices include a Chicken & Ribs dinner cruise on Tuesdays and Thursdays ($33.50/$15.50), a Gospel Luncheon cruise with a Southern-style spread and live gospel performances on selected Sundays ($32.50/$13.50) and for kids (or kids at heart), a Macaroni & Magic dinner cruise on July 22 and Aug. 19. A ticket ($29.50/$13.50) buys you a pasta buffet and variety show. For reservations or additional details, call 412-355-7980 or visit gatewayclipper.com.

A few miles north at Moraine State Park in Portersville, one can take a dinner cruise ($27) every other Saturday on Lake Arthur (the next will be July 11) aboard Nautical Nature, a 45-passenger enclosed pontoon boat operated by the Moraine Preservation Fund. Cruises depart from McDanel's Launch on the North Shore, and reservations must be made seven days in advance. There's also a brunch cruise ($20) every other Sunday, with the next on July 12. In addition, private charters are available for showers, reunions and parties at the rate of $250/hour, with one hour minimum. More info: 724-368-9185 or morainepreservationfund.com.

Farther north, on Lake Erie, is The Victorian Princess, an old-fashioned, three-deck paddle boat docked on the east side of Dobbins Landing in Erie. It offers brunch ($21.95) and early bird dinner ($22.95) cruises on Sundays, lunch cruises ($16.95) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and dinner cruises ($31.95) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; price includes a buffet and nonalcoholic beverages. Private charters for parties and weddings can be booked anytime. More info: 814-459-9696 or victorianprincess.com.

For more intimate gatherings, Pittsburgh Water Limo will cater a party cruise for up to 49 people aboard the Miss Pittsburgh, a heated riverboat with lounge-style seating, skylights and wraparound windows offering views of the city skyline. Prices start at $9.95 per person for one hour and $14.95 for three hours, plus the cost of food and a cash bar; you can also use your own caterer if you prefer. The water limo docks at Lockwall One Marina next to the Cork Factory at 23rd and Smallman streets in the Strip District. Call 412-221-5466 or visit pghwaterlimo.com.

Rather throw a water party on one of the world's first green passenger vessels -- and learn something about the environment in the process? RiverQuest Explorer, the new 90-foot, 150-passenger boat used as a floating river laboratory and classroom for area school children, is available for private charters.

Since its arrival last August at its permanent dock at Carnegie Science Center on the North Shore, the $3.5 million hybrid boat has been used for rehearsal dinners, graduation and retirement parties, and corporate-client outings, said RiverQuest executive director Karl Thomas. Just last month, chef Kate Romane of Flying Biscotti Catering in the Strip District catered a dinner for 75 in its set-up galley.

The boat comes with a stereo system, four climate-controlled interior cabins and a covered outdoor observation deck. Cost is $1,000 for the first two hours, and $500 per hour after that. Food service must be conducted through one of RiverQuest's approved catering agencies. For more information, call 412-231-2712 or visit riverquest.org.