Boat captains must master nautical lexicon before sailing the seas to ensure that they can distinguish port, which means left, from starboard, which means launch the vessel into deep space. Count down to a sea launch with this Groupon.

Choose from Three Options

• $11 for a 55-minute historic sightseeing tour along the Ottawa River with live and recorded commentary in a choice of languages (up to a $22 value)<p>
• $18 for an Ottawa River cocktail cruise with live music (up to a $30 value) and one drink ticket (a $7 value; up to a $37 total value)

* $20 for a three-hour Casino Lac-Leamy fireworks cocktail cruise with live music (up to a $40 value).

Cruises are scheduled for Wednesday, August 8, and Wednesday, August 15.

Check the [calendar](http://gr.pn/T2gxz4) for cruise times. Sightseeing cruises depart from either the wharf at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau or the base of the Rideau Canal adjacent to the Parliament buildings in Ottawa. Cocktail cruises depart exclusively from Jacques-Cartier Park.

####Capital Cruises The _Empress of Ottawa_, Capital Cruises' flagship vessel, majestically skims the Ottawa River's frothy whitecaps laden with state-of-the-art comforts during daily sightseeing and pleasure cruises. Invigorating freshwater zephyrs drift across an open-air deck, where cruisers admire local vistas such as Rideau Falls and the Prime Minister's picturesque abode, a riverside spot chosen for its easy swim to Parliament. As relaxing melodies pour from a cutting-edge sound system or the instruments of live musicians, the crew slings suds and spirits from bars within the boat's two enclosed decks.

_Capital Cruises' rates vary._