Be prepared for lots of commercials or advertisements of various businesses you will pass. However, it is a great way to get a tour and see places you might like to visit.
The River Walk cruise was very good with the Captain of the boat giving us lots of information about the things we were seeing. It was very crowded and hot but all in all a good boat ride. The Hop-on Hop Off tour was a complete disappointment. The mesh screens covering the bus windows made it almost impossible to see out and see what we were driving by. It was incredibly hot inside the bus - very uncomfortable. Our driver tried to be amusing but he thought he was funnier than anyone else did. Of the 18 stops promoted on the tour, several were just hotels for dropping off and picking up. The only thing we actually got off to see was the Hemisphere Tower and then had to wait almost 20 minutes for the bus to come back around. This is not a tour I would recommend.
It was confusing and difficult to find where to pick up our tickets, and where to board the cruise. The cruise itself was fine, a great way to see a lot of the canal. The boat was over crowded, uncomfortable, and hot. The tour guide gave us some information, but he was difficult to understand, so we stopped listening.