What South Floridian hasn’t sat in their car at a drawbridge looking at the passengers on a Jungle Queen riverboat with envy as the vessel cruises up and down the Intracoastal?
Or maybe while strolling, jogging or biking along the New River, you’ve glanced over at these tourism boats with the throwback paddle wheels and thought, “Why am I sweating instead of showboating?”
The Jungle Queen has become synonymous with Fort Lauderdale waterway-watching, serving up old-school sightseeing cruises for tourists and tourist-wannabes since making its debut in 1935.
But now, the fleet has hit the refresh button with major makeover plans of their iconic Sightseeing Cruise + Island Experience.
CRUISING MILLIONAIRE’S ROW
The tour itself — winding around the waterways checking out the palatial mansions and mega yachts of corporate titans — is still a splash of stand-up comedy with a dash of gossip columnist … you know … giving a historical and hysterical PowerPoint of what has been billed as “The Venice of America.”
Tour guide Steven Gonzalez says it took him about a month and a half to learn the script, though spending a lifetime in Fort Lauderdale’s boating community is what gave him the little details that delight his audience.
“There is a script, one or two points on the houses,” he says. “Everything else is filler, knowing what you know. And you learn as you go.”
But once the Jungle Queen docks at its own little island for the dinner-and-show portion of the cruise, things are different.
GIVING POLYNESIA ITS PROPS
For the first time in 66 years, the après-supper performance has been reimagined, with producers ditching the variety show in favor of a Polynesian-themed tour of the Pacific with hula and fire dancers, fire eaters and more emphasis on southern Pacific culture.
“For the past many years, Jungle Queen has offered a nightly variety show with magicians, comedians and singers, always ending with a Polynesian fire act,” said Michael Faber, who inherited The Jungle Queen from his father, Jerome Faber, about 10 years ago. “Evolving trends and opinions of what the public enjoyed showed that making the experience more guest-focused was the way to go. This led to the decision that variety shows may have been a thing of the past and showcasing the Polynesian aspect of the evening was what was attributed to the guests’ utter enjoyment.”
Faber brought aboard Drums of Polynesia, a family-owned entertainment production company originally from New Zealand. (Tiki-culture fans may remember their performances at the still-under-renovation Mai-Kai Restaurant in Oakland Park in 1995, with dancers from Hawaii and New Zealand.)
This move is meant to “reinforce the island vibe by bringing a longer Polynesian show that includes not just the dancers on stage, but the full experience with the drummers, conch blower and narration, giving the audience a feel for the culture and history,” says R.J. Rewi, president and CEO of Drums of Polynesia. “Our performers also walk around the island to enhance the experience, take pictures with the guests and answer any questions they may have.”
THE QUEEN’S LONG REIGN
The Faber family has owned and operated the Jungle Queen for three generations since 1958. Earl Faber, a Vaudeville comedian, and wife Catherine, a Ziegfeld Follies dancer, purchased the riverboat from Capt. Al Starts, who had brought the original vessel down from Jacksonville in 1935.
Prior to 2020 (and the COVID-19 pandemic), the Jungle Queen offered a daily, three-hour afternoon cruise a la Gilligan to the island, where guests had lunch, viewed animals such as lemurs and monkeys, and watched alligator wrestling. Faber says they are phasing out some of the animal displays and upgrading the landscaping.
Guests may choose from:
- 90-minute sightseeing tours during the afternoons that don’t include the Polynesian performance or food
- The dusk-departure Sightseeing Cruise + Island Experience, with the revamped show and dinner service offered nightly Tuesdays through Sundays
DOCK AND DINE GETS A DO-OVER
The island has been serving food to Jungle Queen guests since 1939, but that also has had a bit of a meal makeover. For starters, the Jungle Queen has brought in a Vulcan convection oven for faster and more even cooking, according to Faber.
In addition to revamped recipes for longtime favorites such as the baby back ribs (spice-rubbed and marinated for two hours) and the hand-battered chicken tenders (now prepared on-site), new sides are available, adding corn bread and coleslaw to the longstanding corn on the cob and seasoned french fries.
There is also a vegetarian option: a skewer of tofu, peppers, zucchini, squash and tomatoes, served on top of brown rice.
The island also has a new Zen Garden, Tiki Bar and an Ice Cream Bar (and cart).
“We offer a new, 16-seat gorgeous outdoor Tiki Bar where guests can enjoy our island’s vibrant drink scene in our bold Tiki architecture and tropical, open-air ambiance,” Faber says. “Our new Ice Cream Bar and Ice Cream Cart offer guests the perfect end to their meal, while keeping them cool in our outdoor venue.”
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Jungle Queen’s Sightseeing Cruise + Island Experience
WHERE: Embarks from Bahia Mar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
WHEN: Departs at 6 p.m. (sharp!) Tuesday-Sundays; riverboat returns to Bahia Mar at 10 p.m.
COST:
- Tickets are $69.95+ for adults, $49.95 for children age 3-12 and $20 for infants up to age 2.
- Parking at Bahia Mar is $13 (if paid on Jungle Queen).
INFORMATION: 954-462-5596; junglequeen.com