Entertainment Cruises News

When I came into office as the Passenger Vessel Association’s President for 2019 last January, I announced two strategic goals for our industry: to enhance safety and foster the professional growth of our next generation of leaders. I am proud to announce we have undertaken major initiatives and made progress on each. These goals match my lifelong professional commitment to safety as well as aligning with PVA’s true north: a responsibility to be ever vigilant and proactive in addressing safety.I have been a longtime member of PVA and served in its leadership for years.

There are many fine and elegant places to dine in Washington DC, but few offer the comfort and opulence to match the M/V Odyssey III. Her sleek, low profile superstructure designed to pass under the Potomac River bridges contains enough space to provide all the essentials of a grand evening. Cocktails, dinner, dancing and perhaps most importantly, the beauty and romance of watching the city lights from the deck of a boat on the serene river surface.At 240 by 63-feet the Odyssey…

Gus Gaspardo, President of the Padelford Packet Boat Company, was elected Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) President for 2018 at the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2018, held January 28-31 in Savannah, Ga. Gaspardo is President of Padelford Packet Boat Co. Inc., St. Paul, Minn. Founded in 1969 by Capt. William Bowell Sr., Padelford provides a wide variety of public cruises and private events on the Mississippi River with three passenger subchapter K vessels at Harriet Island Regional Park in downtown St. Paul.

Scania advances into 2018 on the strength of prior year successes and new visibility in one of the North American marine industry’s hottest sectors. In the fourth quarter of 2017, the first two passenger vessels built by Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark for Entertainment Cruises’ Potomac Riverboat Company division were delivered to Washington, D.C. Both are now in service. The two 88’, 149-passenger high speed aluminum catamaran vessels – the Potomac Taxi I and Potomac Taxi II – departed Metal Shark’s Franklin, La. shipyard and eventually proceeded northward up the Atlantic Coast to Washington. How they got there is less important than what powered the delivery.

Plucked from the headlines, the top stories of 2017 were compelling, and each provided impact to the domestic waterfront and in particular – the workboat sector. Follow along as Marine News recaps the highlights, drama and significant events that shaped the past 12 months. When Elaine Chao was sworn in to be the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, the Washington veteran brought a welcome burst of competence to the position. Her wide-ranging experience across the maritime sector and prior service at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, and the Federal Maritime Commission uniquely positions her to understand the critical role that the waterfront plays in the intermodal equation. Soon after taking her chair, she was joined by another familiar face at Marad. Rear Adm.

As cruises and sailing experiences are booming as never, travelers are able to choose from a variety of sailing adventures that suit their goals and pocketbooks. Cruise lines come with up innovative ways of enticing sailing passengers every year. Dream a destination or favorite vacation activity, and it’s very likely you can get there via water. The following are the eight top sailing trends for 2018. Travel by boat might have had luxurious dining rooms, but the sleeping accommodations were more like a sailor’s bed than a luxury hotel.

The first two passenger vessels built by Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark for Entertainment Cruises’ Potomac Riverboat Company division have been delivered to Washington, D.C. and are now in service. The  two 88’, 149-passenger high speed aluminum catamaran vessels “Potomac Taxi I” and “Potomac Taxi II” departed Metal Shark’s Franklin, Louisiana shipyard in mid-September, traveled the Gulf of Mexico coastline and crossed Florida via Lake Okeechobee before proceeding northward up the Atlantic coast to Washington, D.C. Powered by twin Scania DI13 081M engines delivering 500 HP at 1800 RPM, the USCG Subchapter T vessels were designed by BMT Designers and Planners and BMT Nigel Gee, and feature an environmentally friendly low wake / low wash hull design.

Virginia’s Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) has christened its newest passenger ferry, the first of three to be delivered to the agency as part of a $7 million program to replace the fleet’s aging vessels, the newest of which was delivered in 1990 and the oldest of which has been in service since 1982. Designed by BMT and constructed by Armstrong Marine in North Carolina, the new vessel is a 149-passenger, 78-foot, aluminum ferry powered by twin Volvo D13-400 Tier III-compliant engines, spinning 36-inch propellers via Twin Disc reduction gears.

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark said it has been awarded a contract worth up to $54 million from the U.S. Navy to build Near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs) for U.S. partner nations through the Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Metal Shark’s proposal was selected by Naval Sea Systems Command from a field of six competing shipyards. Under the terms of the award, Metal Shark will build up to thirteen 85-foot Defiant-class welded aluminum cutters for the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other U.S. partner nations.

Go east, young man, go east: Scania’s market reach grows with a key workboat contract. The reasons why are easy enough to see. When Scania announced its recent deal with Potomac Riverboat Company, part of the Entertainment Cruises family, to deliver eight, EPA Tier 3, 500 HP DI 13-liter engines in 2017 to power its high-speed, low-wake water taxis in Washington, DC, it marked the beginning of what is so far a good year for the San Antonio-based engine manufacturer. The 88-foot vessels will carry 149 passengers and will be built by Louisiana-based Metal Shark, to specifications from BMT Designers and Planners. The deal not only represents a significant number of individual engines, but more importantly for Scania, it cements the firm’s toehold in the red hot domestic ferry sector.

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark said it has put the first two passenger vessels for New York's new Citywide Ferry Service on the water, having splashed the new builds at its Franklin, La. shipyard late last week. At 7:30 a.m. on February 24, operators from Berard Transportation began the process of moving the first of two 86' x 26' catamaran-hulled aluminum passenger vessels from Metal Shark's final assembly building to the waiting cranes from H. Brown Crane Service, which hoisted the vessel and placed it into the adjacent Charenton Canal.

Scania announced a deal with Potomac Riverboat Company, part of the Entertainment Cruises family, which will take delivery of eight DI13-liter engines in 2017 to power its high-speed, low-wake water taxis as part of The Wharf neighborhood in Washington D.C. The 88-foot vessels will carry 149 passengers and will be built by Louisiana-based Metal Shark, to specifications from BMT Designers and Planners. Potomac Riverboat Company and Entertainment Cruises run a combined fleet of 38 boats in a wide range of cities…

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark said it has been awarded two separate contracts to produce passenger vessels for the Potomac Riverboat Company division of Entertainment Cruises, and for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority. For the Potomac Riverboat Company, Metal Shark will produce four 88’, high speed/low wake, 149-passenger aluminum catamarans. The new passenger vessels will provide commuters in the Washington DC metro region with service between Old Town Alexandria, Virginia; National Harbor, Maryland; and Georgetown and The Wharf in Washington DC.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the Citywide Ferry Service is on track to launch in 2017, with the selection of Hornblower, Inc. as its operator. The new service, which will include up to 20 boats and connect 21 New York City eighborhoods for the price of a single subway ride ($2.75) is scheduled to be fully operational by 2018, and is estimated to carry 4.6 million trips per year across six routes. “For the price of a single subway ride, tens-of-thousands of New Yorkers are going to have a new public transit option linking them to jobs…

During the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2016 held January 23-26 in Crystal City, Va., members of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) elected Margo Marks of Beaver Island Boat Company, Beaver Island, Mich. as PVA President for 2016. Margo Marks is President/General Manager of Beaver Island Boat Company, Beaver Island, Mich. The company has provided passenger service, vehicle service and freight service between Beaver Island and Charlevoix, Mich. since 1984. The first ferry service to the island began in 1890.

During the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2013, held February 16 - 19, in Jacksonville, FL, members of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) elected Carolyn Horgan, Blue & Gold Fleet, San Francisco, CA, as PVA President for 2013. Carolyn Horgan is President of Blue and Gold Fleet in San Francisco, CA. Blue & Gold operates 19 vessels in ferry and excursion routes in the Bay Area. The company is also under contract to the Water Emergency Transportation Authority to operate vessels in the Alameda, Oakland, Vallejo and South San Francisco ferry services.

Spirit of New Jersey Schedules $1.5 Million Renovation for Completion in Spring 2012. Entertainment Cruises, the largest harbor cruise company in the United States, today announced that plans are underway for a $1.5 million renovation of the Spirit of New Jersey, scheduled for completion in time for the spring/summer season. It will feature quality improvement initiatives aimed at modernizing the vessel and providing a fresh and trendy dining and entertainment experience. The Spirit of New Jersey renovation will showcase a contemporary design featuring innovative lighting and a delightful composition of color, patterns and texture in its new bars, carpet, chairs and overall atmosphere.

At the 2010 Passenger Vessel Association Convention at MariTrends in Tampa, Fla., the members of the PVA elected their new officers and board members. Captain Kevin Stier, River Cruises, Scales Mound, Ill. Captain Jay Spence, Massachusetts Bay Lines, Boston, Mass. Paul Belforti, Entertainment Cruises, Chicago, Ill. Captain Kevin Stier is the owner and operator of River Cruises. River Cruises offers two day overnight cruises on the Upper Mississippi River aboard the vessel Twilight. Captain Stier’s career started with him working on the Julia Belle Swain for the late Captain Dennis Trone, one of the original members of the PVA, throughout the span of his career Captain Stier has piloted the Julia Belle Swain, the Talisman and Twilight, of which he was instrumental in the construction.

After having redesigned the Boston dinner cruise ship Odyssey, the parent company Entertainment Cruises went back to THEREdesign Contemporary Architects + Interior Designers to rebrand their Spirit Cruises line. Spirit brand is more casual than Odyssey but the ships need to be elegant spaces suitable for special occasions and memorable group events. Entertainment Cruises wanted the experience of a land based restaurant combined with the added interest of being on the water. THEREdesign though never having worked at sea had created many hospitality and residential environments on land. THEREdesign used a host of exciting textures and materials, combined with dynamic lighting, to develop and express the brand’s identity while working within strict marine safety codes.

“Everyone remain calm! We are the U.S. Coast Guard and we’re here to conduct a security boarding,” a law-enforcement officer announces as his teams rush aboard an elegant, white cruise ship. The teams: Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Teams from Boston and New Orleans. The vessel: the Spirit of Boston, an upscale, commercial, dinner cruise ship nestled in the heart of metropolitan Boston. This exercise was part of quarterly, week-long training for MSST’s throughout the Coast Guard. The final day of training was held aboard the privately-owned commercial ship. The ship granted the law enforcement team’s access to an authentic environment so they could implement learned tactics in a realistic setting.

PVA members, during the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2010 in Tampa, Fla., elected Kevin Stier as President. Captain Stier is owner of River Cruises, Scales Mound, Ill.. River Cruises operates the 149 passenger Riverboat Twilight that offers two-day overnight cruises on the Upper Mississippi River. A longtime member of the PVA Regulatory Committee, Captain Stier has been a member of the PVA Board of Directors since 2003 and has served as PVA Vice-President and PVA Secretary-Treasurer. Captain Jay Spence was elected PVA Vice President. Captain Spence is General Manager of Massachusetts Bay Lines in Boston, Mass. This second-generation, family-owned business has operated since 1963 and is the oldest operating year-round commuter service in Boston.