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Once a riverboat casino, the 12-year-old Detroit Princess offers five decks of entertainment and food and carries up to 1,700 passengers. But before it sails, the Princess awaits liquor license approval from Detroit.Entertainment on waters
Five-deck 'Princess' ready for Detroit River cruises
Two- and three-hour trips along waterfront may begin as early as next week, owner says.
Princess owner John Chamberlain may offer a two-hour lunchtime cruise and a three-hour dinnertime cruise as early as next week.
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Somewhere along John Chamberlain's unconventional career path -- he once peddled the concept of indoor tanning -- he took a sudden interest in boats.
First it was 150 rowboats that he rented to visitors at Lansing's Potter Park Zoo.
Then he bought an old Mississippi riverboat for $251 at an auction that eventually became known as the Spirit of Lansing, offering steamboat rides on the Grand River.
Now "Captain John" is the main owner and captain of the Detroit Princess, a five-deck riverboat that last week docked behind Cobo Center in downtown Detroit and may begin service as soon as next week.
"Look at this beautiful view," Chamberlain said as he stood atop the fifth deck of the Princess and stretched his arms to encompass a landscape that included downtown Detroit, Windsor and the blue-grey waters of the Detroit River.
"Doesn't it want to make you feel good about being here?"
The Princess is history merrily repeating itself on a riverboat full of urban and suburban dwellers leisurely cruising the Detroit River but going no farther than the Ambassador Bridge and Belle Isle.
For many middle-aged and older Metro Detroiters, it may conjure fond memories of the Ste. Claire and the Columbia, the multideck ferries that transported them to the now defunct Bob-lo Island amusement park in Canada.
"The Bob-lo boats had a nice rich history," Chamberlain said. "I want this to be the next chapter."
The 58-year-old owns the Bob-lo name and the 104-year-old Bob-lo boats, which he originally intended to restore. The boats stopped operating in 1993.
The 12-year-old Princess was formerly a casino in Lake Charles, La., for Harrah's Entertainment Inc. It was also once owned by a conglomerate that included Merv Griffin, the former TV talk show host and game show mogul.
The ship undertook a 7,000-mile journey and endured four hurricanes to get to the Detroit River.
It offers five decks of entertainment and food and carries up to 1,700 passengers.
The entertainment ranges from a Motown revue to Big Band Jazz and one level offers a murder mystery theater. Each ascending floor level also goes up in price, starting at $39 for the first deck to $89 for Captain John's VIP deck on the fifth level, which includes a chance to chat with the captain.
The Princess awaits its liquor license approval from the city of Detroit, then its journey will begin.
Chamberlain will offer a two-hour lunchtime cruise and a three-hour dinnertime cruise. The riverboat will also be available for private parties.
If all goes as planned, winter parties may be scheduled as well.
You can reach Louis Aguilar at (313) 222-2760 or laguilar@detnews.com.
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