St Johns Rivership Company
St Johns Rivership Company
4.5
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Full view
About
Our ship, the "Barbara-Lee", is an authentic paddle-wheeler, hosting lunch, dinner and specialty cruises. She travels across Lake Monroe and up the beautiful St. Johns River. Live entertainment, full table service and an entree selected from a menu are part of every cruise. All meals are prepared fresh in the galley. Included are appetizers, salad, dessert, and your choice of coffee, tea and iced tea. A full cash bar is also provided onboard. With three dining levels and the flexibility of table setting, it is the perfect setting for anniversary and birthday celebrations, reunions, weddings, business meetings and private charters.
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St Johns Rivership Company
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(86 reviews)
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
495 reviews
Excellent
403
Very good
72
Average
9
Poor
1
Terrible
10
Adrian
Orlando, FL2 contributions
Mar 2021 • Couples
My fiancée and I wanted to do something different for date night and we found the dinner and dancing cruise to be an amazingly awesome time! Neither one of us knew what to expect so when we arrived and saw mostly retirees we figured it would be an older crowd with probably soft music playing for dancing. That would’ve been fine, however, that was far from the case. The crowd ended up being diverse and there was a two person band that was extremely talented and fun.
I’m getting ahead of myself....let’s talk about the food. When you’re seated you are brought your drinks and fruits/veggies. I was hoping for bread but that didn’t come until later. Alcoholic beverages are very cheap and the waitstaff was very attentive. An announcement comes on at around 7:45pm (cruise starts at 7:30pm) saying dinner will be in an hour so feel free to walk around the ship. There aren’t a whole lot of places to walk and with the pandemic maintaining social distancing was a challenge. I’m not complaining though as it was still nice to go above deck and see the beautiful sky. A lot of guests on our cruise were smokers (we aren’t) so they took up various places on the deck. We didn’t particularly mind but it was apparent that others did.
Before dinner they bring you rolls that hit the spot! Immediately upon boarding the ship you are required to choose your meal. I got my favorite which was prime rib and it was by far some of the best I’ve ever had! It came with mashed potatoes and green beans. I’m not a fan of green beans and would’ve preferred the option to get double mashed. They brought a nice salad and the dessert was the best red velvet cake I’ve ever had! I don’t even care for cake much and I couldn’t stop eating it.
After dinner the real party started. Everyone got up to dance and the band knew all sorts of songs from the Cha Cha Slide to songs from the 50’s. Everyone was happy. The boat itself was older but that’s what gave it more charm. For $75 per person we had a great meal and an awesome time! Would highly recommend. Only thing I really didn’t like was how late dinner was (9pm) but if that doesn’t bother you, enjoy yourself. We will do the lunch cruise next!
I’m getting ahead of myself....let’s talk about the food. When you’re seated you are brought your drinks and fruits/veggies. I was hoping for bread but that didn’t come until later. Alcoholic beverages are very cheap and the waitstaff was very attentive. An announcement comes on at around 7:45pm (cruise starts at 7:30pm) saying dinner will be in an hour so feel free to walk around the ship. There aren’t a whole lot of places to walk and with the pandemic maintaining social distancing was a challenge. I’m not complaining though as it was still nice to go above deck and see the beautiful sky. A lot of guests on our cruise were smokers (we aren’t) so they took up various places on the deck. We didn’t particularly mind but it was apparent that others did.
Before dinner they bring you rolls that hit the spot! Immediately upon boarding the ship you are required to choose your meal. I got my favorite which was prime rib and it was by far some of the best I’ve ever had! It came with mashed potatoes and green beans. I’m not a fan of green beans and would’ve preferred the option to get double mashed. They brought a nice salad and the dessert was the best red velvet cake I’ve ever had! I don’t even care for cake much and I couldn’t stop eating it.
After dinner the real party started. Everyone got up to dance and the band knew all sorts of songs from the Cha Cha Slide to songs from the 50’s. Everyone was happy. The boat itself was older but that’s what gave it more charm. For $75 per person we had a great meal and an awesome time! Would highly recommend. Only thing I really didn’t like was how late dinner was (9pm) but if that doesn’t bother you, enjoy yourself. We will do the lunch cruise next!
Written March 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lina I
Jacksonville, FL6 contributions
Oct 2020
Wonderful experience! This 3-hour lunch cruise on the beautiful St. Johns River was relaxing, enjoyable, and fun. The cruise director Bill narrated part of the way and told stories about the area. We loved listening to Jimmy's music upon arrival and following lunch. Lovely plate of fruits and veggies served upon arrival along with delicious sticky buns. Lunch was great! Several entree choices served beautifully with accompaniments and dessert. Alcoholic beverages are available. Our servers - Ginger, Robin and Debbie were very friendly, attentive and prompt. Beautiful views along the water. All good. Good value.
Written October 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lina I
Jacksonville, FL138 contributions
Oct 2021
This was our second cruise; we thoroughly enjoy the relaxing cruise on Lake Monroe, part of the St Johns River system. Friendly staff greeted us as soon as we were seated. We were served drinks and their special gooey cinnamon rolls; wine, beer and cocktails are available. One of the owners shared a few interesting stories about Lake Monroe, and singer Jimmy serenaded us throughout the cruise. We made our meal selections from a menu of about 6 choices. The full course meal was prepared in the galley and tasted great, especially the red velvet cake. There were opportunities to walk around the boat, sit on deck with or without umbrellas. Well worth the trip from Jacksonville. The lunch cruise is 3 hours.
Written October 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie J
Titusville, FL18 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
This rivership tour is appropriate for people of all physical abilities. Depending on the day you choose to sail, this is a three or four hour journey aboard a climate controlled paddle wheel ship. The main deck requires no stair climbing, and has big windows allowing you to see the river in air conditioning, comfortably seated at your reserved table. Your main meal is served about mid-journey, with your choice of entrée, and is preceeded by a crudité plate and delicious pecan sticky buns shortly after leaving the dock. Water, tea and coffee are included for the duration of the journey, and a cash bar is available. For those who choose to view the river from indoors, you can also enjoy music and dancing. There are three levels of outdoor observation opportunities to see the flora and fauna of the St. John's river, along with some views of beautiful riverfront homes. The staff is what makes this tour special! They are very attentive and informative, making sure your time with them is memorable.
Written June 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dorothy L
25 contributions
Dec 2021
The food was excellent; the service at first was fabulous. Starship Yacht in Tampa could take some lessons from them to improve their cruises. Unfortunately, once the entree was served the service got way less . . . it was like the crew was wrapping up and they forgot the guests were still there. If the same level of service had been delivered throughout the cruise (yes, we were still on the boat) I would have given them a 5 star rating. But since it wasn't, it's a 4. Also, the desserts are not made by the chef as the rest of the food is, and it's noticeable. It would be nice to have the dessert be in the same category as the rest of the food (not so tasty dryish red velvet cake- the icing was fine, though). Thanks for listening.
Written December 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
btouro
Oak Hill, FL276 contributions
May 2021
The lunch, cruise, entertainment and enjoyment of the overall luncheon cruise was a home-run!
The overall experience was wonderful and although we received the trip as a gift, the value of the trip, meal and overall experience makes this a wonderful value, and you get more than your money’s worth.
We plan to visit regularly, and this will be on our list to introduce family and friends to when visiting us in Florida. Our enjoyment never ebbed from start to finish. I forgot to mention that an entertainer sings and plays guitar through most of the cruise and our servers seemed to know the song list since both sang and danced around to the songs, adding another element to the overall fun of the cruise.
Highly recommended, six stars!
The overall experience was wonderful and although we received the trip as a gift, the value of the trip, meal and overall experience makes this a wonderful value, and you get more than your money’s worth.
We plan to visit regularly, and this will be on our list to introduce family and friends to when visiting us in Florida. Our enjoyment never ebbed from start to finish. I forgot to mention that an entertainer sings and plays guitar through most of the cruise and our servers seemed to know the song list since both sang and danced around to the songs, adding another element to the overall fun of the cruise.
Highly recommended, six stars!
Written May 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ed E
West Orange, NJ4 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
We were seated on the upper deck which is like being seated in an attic. The entertainment on the main deck was shown on a dark screen for us and with all the noise we could hardly hear the singer. The atmosphere for us was just a fraction of the main floor’s decor. All interaction with the singer took place on the main floor. It was as if we weren’t there, even though we paid the same price. For four hours we froze with very cold air conditioning and were told they could not warm it up. Most people had their jackets on while they ate. The chicken parmesan was the worst I’ve ever tasted. Any wine or drinks were excessively expensive and the coffee was the worst we ever tasted.
Written March 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jan marie L
Canton, MI64 contributions
Feb 2022
As a repeat customer the lunch cruise on the Barbara Lee never disappoints. We were seated on the mezzanine level and had John as our server. What an excellent employee and worker kind courteous pleasant took time to answer questions and interacted well with all guests and co workers. He made the entire trip so enjoyable and will undoubtedly be a success in whatever field he chooses. His dedication to his job showed in all parameters of his work as busy as John was he was quick to refill drinks get drinks from bar and accommodate any needs or requests from guests in the mezzanine section outstanding job done by an outstanding young man thank you John for adding to our onboard experience
Written February 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lina I
Jacksonville, FL138 contributions
May 2023 • Family
This is the third time my sis and I took the St Johns Rivership cruise; it's a relaxing cruise on the river complete with full course meal - either lunch or dinner. We like the 3 hour lunch cruise; dinner cruise is 4 hours. Inside the paddlewheel boat is air-conditioned for comfort. Plates of fresh fruit and veggies as well as the signature sticky buns greet cruisers at their tables. Food servers are cheerful and efficient. The meals are first rate, prepared in the galley kitchen and include Prime Rib, chicken dishes, vegetarian and more. Cruisers are free to walk out on deck and enjoy sun and scenery. Windows all around provide scenic views while eating. There's music from Jimmy who sings while we cruise, but breaks during the meal. Cocktails are available to purchase. We noticed that a large group that included teens - they got a bit "antsy" during the last hour of the cruise. But hey, let them chill for awhile without electronics.
Written June 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary R
The Villages, FL722 contributions
May 2022 • Friends
This entertainment package was sold by Lamers out of Wildwood, FL. Day trip on Mother’s Day to take ride on the Barbara Lee. Excellent package of entertainment,food and beverages for the 3-hour tour across Lake Monroe and part way up the St. John’s River before returning to Sanford to disembark. Staff was on top their game throughout the trip and we had excellent weather. I highly recommend the trip and it is an excellent value for entertainment.
Written May 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NJJayhawker
Palm Coast, FL259 contributions
What is the difference between a river visit luncheon (Wednesday) and a river escape luncheon (Thursday) cruise? Thank you.
Andrea W
1 contribution
Is there a handicap drop off area
Shuttlenana
39 contributions
You can drive your vehicle close to the check in counter
Is there a elevator on board.
What is the cost
Cindy N
10 contributions
I would call for cost because there are a couple choices and different prices. We went on a weekday and it was about 100 for a couple. Well worth it -food is great and it is a lot of fun with music and dancing!
Explore61098721530
Orlando, FL
I want to cancel my 2/27cruise and reschedule o 3/5 Anne and Dan Fletcher 803 622 7679 2/21
Kevin /Sallie B.
Tennessee241 contributions
If it were me, I'd call the office. I posted all the information to them.
What time does dinner cruise depart
Kevin /Sallie B.
Tennessee241 contributions
Im not sure about wheel chair accessible. You can call them and ask.......321-441-3030
I have an 85 year old mother that is in a wheel chair. She can transfer to a chair but she is unable to walk more than a couple of steps and i need to know if you can accomidate her
Judy M
Lake Mary, FL261 contributions
She can get on the ship and ask to be seated where there are no steps but there is a threshold she would have to step over. This threshold is a requirement for the ship. I would call and ask them about special accommodations.
How much are port charges?
Diane8921
Columbus, OH55 contributions
I had to look up what port charges are.
It is Taxes and surcharge which apply to a ship and/or the cargo on board the ship once it has reached port. I believe this happens on Ocean Cruises and are also a
part of the fee charged and not separate.
This is a River Dinner Cruise You will not be on the Ocean, it is all River. It is a day trip down the River and Back up. All taxes are included when they quote you a price. You may opt to leave a tip, but that is up to you. You may opt to purchase alcohol, again up to you.
