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    St Johns Rivership Company

    4.1 (135 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndBoat Tours, Dinner Theater, American
    Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

    St Johns Rivership Company Photos

    Business Info

    ST JOHNS RIVERSHIP COMPANY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - St Johns Rivership Company

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    The half chicken.
    Dj M.

    My wife and I went there for an early anniversary dinner cruise. We were pleasantly surprised. The food was very good and the views were amazing. I had the half chicken and it was fresh and almost fell off the bone. The garlic mashed potatoes, and the Brussel sprouts. They were fresh and delicious. The fruit and cheese plate were amazing. If you are ever in the greater Orlando area, definitely stop by. It was a fun adventure.

    Table setting
    Rita T.

    We went on the 250th high tea cruise. The presentation was nice. They had guides of Betsy Ross and others that came around to talk about their life. The service started out good but then petered off. The scones were falling apart. The finger sandwiches had a thin layer of filling. They ran out of hot water for our tea.

    Decorations
    Debra F.

    Did the lunch cruise. Food was ok. Service was ok, our waitress wasnt too interested in making sure we had everything we needed. The entertainment was good but I am glad we were not in the main room because it was loud where we were sitting so it must have been tough to have a conversation on the lower level so it was definitely worth it to pay extra to be in a less crowded section further from the entertainment. The cruise was smooth and the narration was informative. It wasnt bad but its a one time experience for me.

    High tea on the river begins!
    Patti C.

    My bestie took me on this High Tea paddle boat cruise for my birthday. Downton Abby themed 2 hr cruise around Lake Monroe with delightful bites, cocktails and all the tea you wanted. The stagf family ladies were all dressed in costume and visited each table. Nice music, beautiful tabke setting and gorgeous views. The wait staff are incredibly nice and very efficiently handle alot of customers with smiles and chats. This company also offers other sailings including dinner cruises. Highly recommend this for a unique experience for all ages.

    Sherry W.

    We had a fun time on the high tea cruise. We went for the Downton abbey themed cruise. The costumed characters were fun to interact with. Many guests dressed for the time period. It's unlimited tea sandwiches. The sandwiches were more bread than filling so come prepared to eat a lot of carbs. The blueberry and plain scones were delicious and served with clotted cream. The music and table scape matched the time period. We were party of 3 and sat at a six top table. They did not seat us with other guests. There are a variety of tea bags to choose from and it's unlimited tea. Checking and boarding was easy. Parking is free in the attached lot.

    Robert H.

    SCENERY: 2 STARS A blank featureless expanse of water with no historic buildings and no wildlife other than a handful of birds. NARRATION: 0 STARS There is no narration of Sanford's interesting history as an inland port: BUFFET: 2 STARS Do not get seated at table A1, you will be literally the last people in the buffet line, and despite Sophia stating that everything would be replenished, it was not, once the shrimp or minestrone were vaporized by the hyena before you, that was it, see photos. SUMMARY I really want to like non Disney, old school Florida attractions, but this was a swing and a miss.

    Ticket stub
    Patti F.

    The Barbara Lee is a beautiful vessel, and the captain was super nice. The concept of having an à la carte menu and being waited on and doing the game show it's such a wonderful concept. Unfortunately, this river ship company falls short on delivering quality service and food for the price. For $9.99 we ordered a fruit and cheese plate that was really worth a dollar. The service was nonexistent. We had to search for staff to place our food and drink order. The bar was so unorganized it took a half an hour to order a drink. I watched them pour a shot into the drink and it was a half a shot at best so for $12 we paid for nothing but elaborate fruit juice. The game show was fun, however, it was made fun 100% by the participants that were on the ship. Overall, I love the concept, and I wish that the experience was much better than it was for us. At the end of the night when the ship docked we were waiting around, trying to find somebody to pay for our food order and it was near about impossible with mass chaos.

    Blue Mermaid
    Suzanne S.

    This is a great experience! Food is cooked on site and is fresh. The views are phenomenal on the St John's River. Service is outstanding and friendly. Jackie the manager was superb as was our server Dee. The weather was perfect for the afternoon cruise.

    Barbara Lee
    Amanda F.

    I booked a lunch cruise for 6 people on The Barbara Lee. Apparently I booked for Wednesday and thought I booked Thursday. I had no idea until it was Wednesday- and the cruise company called me to see if we were ok!!! I apologized and said I must've made a mistake in my booking- that we were all set to embark on Thursday! The lady on the phone didn't even flinch- she just said ok we will see you Thursday! She eagerly moved my reservation and did not charge me any fees or penalties for my no show! I checked my email and sure enough, I was wrong about the date. I had booked Wednesday! I was shocked that they were so accommodating and h gave me no trouble at all to switch my cruise. Wow!!! We parked in their lot on the marina (lots of parking!!!) and I went inside to check us in. That nice lady was there at the counter! I again apologized and thanked her for being so generous. We boarded on time, 10:30, and were led to our table. The lunch cruise was scheduled for a comedy theater about a wedding that had many ups and downs. The tables were adorned with Christmas themed colors and decor. Our server was around to get our drink order. They have a full bar and a menu with cocktails and seasonal offerings. I had the coffee and it was spectacular- flavorful and hot! They also came around with refills often. We started with some yeast rolls that were topped with cinnamon sugar syrup and toasted pecans. Pretty good! Not quite cinnamon rolls, they were yeasty, but still good! The table had water, sweet tea and unsweetened tea in carafes for us. These carafes were refilled often. The lunch cruise is a three/four course meal. The bread, then a salad, your entree, and dessert. The dessert is carrot cake, but you can pay more to upgrade to Reese's peanut butter pie, flourless chocolate cake or banana foster cheesecake. The salad is garden salad served with Italian and/or ranch. It was good. Family style. For the entree, there are so many options. There are two salmon dishes, a half chicken, beef short rib over pasta, entree sized salads with choice of protein, a couple vegetarian options etc. The menu changes but see my picture for December menu. I had the half chicken. It was a little salty due to the seasoning but it was fantastic. Huge portion. Mom had the same dish as well. Each entree comes with one or two sides. I had the garlic mashed and the Brussels. The Brussels are a little over done- kinda mushy, but some people like them that way. The salmon Milano could use a different sauce - our guests wanted real pesto, not sun-dried tomato almond butter "pesto" - and while the menu is clear to me, they did not understand what they were ordering. The theater troupe was energetic and engaging. The show was a little over the top but also funny. They did a good job getting the crowd to participate. We danced with the wedding party. Another customer was part of the wedding ceremony. And the ladies all got up to catch the bride bouquet toss. All in all it was good, but also very loud and a little wild. It was a bit difficult to interact with my table guests outside of the theater break times. The coursed meal was well timed. Announcements were made regarding the arrival of food etc. Surprisingly, the bartender even came around to help bus tables and get drink orders so folks did not have to leave their tables. When customers were outside or on the top deck, announcements were made that food had been served etc. Leaving the cabin and going to the top floor was a good way to escape the craziness of the theater troupe. Overall, the customer service from the company and the servers were fantastic. The food was good (mine was great!). I would say the tour along the river is quite boring- it's St. John's and lake Monroe- not much to see - but the entertainment on the boat was what it was about that day. Keep in mind they do private parties and they have a full calendar of events to include a high tea, Christmas themed events, bingo, and even drag queen brunch. You can see the full calendar online and the prices will vary. The boat was well kept. They have bathrooms which are clean. It is not accessible as it is a boat and there are many areas where you have to step over to get in or out. We had a great time as a family, enjoying each other's company and the show. The wedding theater is just about finished and they should have a new act coming soon. I would return for a cruise- but next time something more chill like a dinner cruise with light music or a high tea with the ladies. Looking forward to having their world famous Bloody Mary next time!

    Hayli Z.

    I came across this cruise line when looking for fun Halloween things to do and saw this witches-themed high tea cruise and was instantly excited. The booking process was super easy and they even had a spot for any dietary restrictions. They begin boarding 30 minutes before setting sail and you board based on your ticket number - just like a cruise. The place was decorated so cute with tea lights along the stairways, cobwebs and hanging bats, the ambiance was adorable. My mom and I were seated on the first level toward the back of the ship by the paddlewheels and boy was I glad it wasn't in the dead of summer as there was no air running there. There was air toward the front of the ship and on the top level but just not at that part. Luckily one of the crew members, Dane, was kind enough to bring us some hand fans he had. Almost everyone on board was dressed up and when you are seated you already have scones on the table and you're asked what choice of tea you'd like. The cruise is an hour and a half long and I think we got the tiered tray of sandwiches and desserts at about an hour in. One thing I didn't like is that we didn't know what anything was. We knew the sandwiches because that was noted on the card, but we didn't know the flavor of scones or any of the desserts and the menu just said assorted. When I've gone to other tea events you're usually told what's what. I also ordered a cocktail that they decorated for the occasion. Another thing that was an oops on our part was we thought the cauldron filled with frosting was edible but an attempt to bite in what I thought was a chocolate coated Truffle revealed it was actually a plastic cauldron stuffed with frosting. The food itself was okay, nothing really flavorful or to wrote home about. The cruise was also pretty, but I assumed there would be some speaking about what we were going by and the sights every once in a while. All on all it was fun, great atmosphere friendly staff, but I wouldn't do it again. You get unlimited tea and sandwiches but I don't think you have enough time to get a lot more, I didn't know the tea was actually unlimited until near the end. The unlimited sandwiches are marked. Oh, we also notated in the reservation that I was a vegetarian but I guess they brought us a tray from a different table, when we had asked which of the sandwiches were the veggie ones so I didn't eat the chicken or shrimp, they said oh I didn't see the note about the vegetarian amd they brought back a salad. Not sure why the salad has become the dish of the vegetarian but I was good with the cucumber sandwiches and the egg salad. I'm not sure if they have a more flavorful menu for their other dinners, I just wouldn't do their tea event again

    Table setup when we arrived on the cruise
    Felicia K.

    Arrive and check in at ticket booth. We were welcomed with smiling faces with excitement in their voices and very helpful to give us lay of the land before embarking. Had small snacks and drinks to purchases while you wait. Brand new bathrooms. Lots of new areas with shades to sit and wait until you get on cruise. We walked to the Bay Area and watched the boats and pelicans which also had cover pavilions and bench's to relax. We embarked right on time, very smooth and easy transition. We were greeted with a welcome aboard. When we entered inside the cruise very lively, colorful and relaxing feeling. They guided us to our table that was assigned when booking. If you want a certain table you have to call and book. We loved our table middle upper deck of the main dinning area. We could see the entertainment, paddle wheels and the scenery. They also had a tv to see entertainment closer and the history of the ship, environment and animals on the river. "D" was amazing waiter he was funny, attentive. There were also speakers all Over the cruise ship so if you were on the upper deck you would be able hear when salad was being served to go back To your seat. The timing of each course was perfect so it gave you time to go enjoy the outdoor scenery. Then the main entre was served. I order chicken Marsala very tasting chicken was extremely tender and moist and the flavor was spot on. I thought it was going to be more of a looser sauce but I was fine with their spin on it. Very impressed on the amount of food and the quality of the food. They thought of everything. Everything is geared toward the cruiser. The singer voice was beautiful and all her songs were perfect,fun and upbeat. They even had a dance floor to kick it up. The extra cost was alcohol drinks and tips for your waiter and singer. Which I was happy to oblige. The decor was colorful and everything was in great working condition and the bathroom was pretty&clean. The river ride was calm with beautiful scenery. This was a EPIC 3 hour cruise. Well worth the price. It is a must to experience.

    Chicken plate
    Delaney S.

    After discovering the riverboat on Instagram, I booked tickets for a lunch cruise on a Saturday with my Mom. There was plenty of parking by the marina, checking in was easy, and boarding was a breeze. We were happy that we got sat at a table, just the 2 of us. We were seated on the upper floor right by the window. We had the best views from our seats! The lunch cruise was 3 hours long, and everything was timed out perfectly. The table already had water, sweet tea, and unsweetened tea provided. Alcohol drinks were available to order at the bar for an additional fee. The table also already had a veggie/fruit plate for snacking. The sticky buns were AMAZING. I ordered the chicken with a fruit salsa on top with rice and string beans. The chicken breast was very large and cooked perfectly. Then the red velvet cake for dessert was the best sweet treat. They said a bakery specially makes it for the boat daily, and you can tell it was freshly made. There was a period of time when you could walk around the boat and take in the sights. There was information provided about the waterway and nature. The bathrooms were clean. The service was spot on. The entertainment was very enjoyable. Overall, it makes for a great midday adventure.

    Candis C.

    Went for a friends birthday. It was an experience, one and done kind of thing. The staff did work hard I appreciated that. We saw zero wildlife. The singer was good but it was almost like I was at a place listening to karaoke. Never replenished our drinks, waitress kept telling us how she was sneaking eating appetizers which was concerning. She touched every single plate not on the edges but in the middle of the plates while handing them out. There was a shortage in the kitchen the day we went however, A-4 table was served very last and we ate at the port as they were docking and people were leaving. We felt very rushed to eat our meal. The celebration package wasn't really worth it. Two drinks and dollar tree bouquet balloons. Our only drinks we ordered sat at the bar for apx 30min. (My husband watched them make two and when the other two were ready they were served to us) I wouldn't recommend. I would recommend exploring the town it's in. It's actually quite cute.

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    3 months ago

    The food and service and entertainment was great the only was the weather not allowed the ship do the trip

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    3 months ago

    Food delicious very nice cruise, I would do it again Plus bring new people with to enjoy

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    8 months ago

    Was too windy to leave the dock. Decided to stay for dinner anyway. Got salmonella. Stay away.

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    Ask the Community - St Johns Rivership Company

    Review Highlights - St Johns Rivership Company

    Johns Rivership Company and their paddle boat, the Barbara Lee, is a must-do experience in Central Florida.

    Mentioned in 17 reviews

    Read more highlights

    St Johns Rivership Company - boattours - Updated July 2026

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