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Embark and let your cares fall away. The instant you board Central Florida's heritage river boat cruise you will be transported to a simpler time when nature was king and the river was the expressway to relaxation. The Rivership Romance carries hundreds of passengers daily on the historic St. Johns River and immerses you in an adventure of dining and dancing while you enjoy Florida's natural splendor. If you're looking for an attraction that allows you to experience Florida the natural way, look no further. This is the true Florida! History of The Rivership Romance: The keel of the ship now known as the Romance was laid on January 10, 1942. Built of 3/8 inch ryerson steel plate, the ship spent its first 50 years in the cold, fresh water of the Great Lakes. She was found in Chicago in 1995 where she had been sadly neglected. By reading the log books of this vessel, soon we discovered her proud and fascinating history. Her first tour of active duty was the Kewaunee Peninsula. Soon after she was pressed into service in the Locks at Sault Ste. Marie working the vital shipping lanes to haul coal and iron ore to the mills on the shores of the Great Lakes. Later, during WWII, she would carry American and Canadian troops and armaments patrolling the strategic and vulnerable area of the locks. Replaced by a faster and more heavily armed naval patrol boat, she lay idle until another company brought her to St. Ignace in Michigan. She then hauled workers and supplies during the 1952 building of the Mackinaw Bridge . Bouncing around the Great Lakes , barely making a living for years, she finally found a noble purpose by assisting in search and rescue missions for ships in peril. Her most noteworthy calls were in the 1960's when the Carl T. Bradley sank and then in the 1970's during the aftermath of the tragedy of the Edmund Fitzgerald - yes, the one in the Gordon Lightfoot song. The ship has had many names, the last of which was the M/V Chicago. She was found in sad condition, but amazingly with absolutely no rust inside or out. We're sure that was because she had spent her whole life in fresh water and was built from the pure, quality steel used in the 40's. We left Chicago on September 1, 1995 proceeding south on the Calumet River to the Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers until we made it to the Tombigbee Waterway to Mobile Alabama. We went east to Pensacola, south across the Gulf to Fort Myers east across the Lake Okeechobee waterway to the St. Lucie Canal to Stuart, North to Mayport and finally to the St. Johns River. We wound up at Green Cove Springs after 2,700 miles and 30 days. The 6-month renovation was done at Keith Marine Shipyard and included completely replacing or re-furbishing generators, fuel tanks, fresh water tanks, waste water tanks, electrical and wiring, props, fire safety equipment, bathrooms, galley, interior lighting, windows, 40 ton air-conditioning, carpeting and decorating. After sandblasting layer after layer of paint from the outside shell of the ship, It was discovered that she had quite a few dents and dimples. Most of them were repaired, but to honor the history of the ship, a few were left towards the bow. She's earned those dings and dangs and even though she's freshly painted in the finest marine finish, she still proudly wears the badge of all her hard work. The most interesting fact discovered in researching her history, was the ship we now call the Romance has never sustained a serious accident or loss of life. Ships increase in value as they age due in great measure to their magnificent histories. The staff and crew look forward to seeing you on their Valentines Day voyage! |
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