Fantastic Fort Lauderdale: fun water taxi and new Jungle Queen show

Jungle Queen is an institution in Fort Lauderdale, a beloved icon of the city and a four-generation
enterprise.  She's "reinvented" her evening cruise, dinner and show on a private island. Delightful! 

Bruce Keller and Christene
"Cookie" Meyers transit the
waterways of Fort Lauderdale
on water taxis & Jungle Queen.

JUNGLE QUEEN IS 'REIMAGINED' WITH NEW DINNER SHOW PLUS FUN ON THE TOWN'S WATER TAXI  

Fort Lauderdale's unique water taxi service is a delight,
offering a relaxing, enjoyable way to reach many locales. 

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

WE LOVE Fort Lauderdale, that seductive southern Florida city long beloved by the rich and famous.  Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had a bungalow there. Superstar Jennifer Lopez and retired  NBA star Shaquille O'Neal both own  luxurious waterfront properties with six bedrooms, eight bathrooms and impressive outdoor pools.  Movie, sports and music stars own lavish homes with opulent dining rooms, Olympic size swimming pools, spas and outdoor kitchens as big as most peoples' homes.  Many stars and sports figures keep yachts here.  Stephen Speilberg's was anchored near our hotel. If you're flush, you can rent it for $1 million a week. 

Fun sights abound along
Fort Lauderdale's waterways.

We enjoy playing tourist, admiring these homes again and again aboard Fort Lauderdale's Water Taxi.  We also enjoy Jungle Queen with its fun entertainment, waterways tour and revamped dinner show at its private island. We booked the "full Monty" including cruise, dinner and show.

JUNGLE QUEEN is one of South Florida’s best-known attractions, and recently debuted its new river cruise 

and island experience.  It's called “Ignite the Night." The moniker derives from fire torches waved artfully about in Jungle Queen's Polynesian show which follows a tasty island inspired dinner.

Bruce Keller and Christene
"Cookie" Meyers aboard
Jungle Queen for a lively
evening on land and water.

WE VISITED with other tourists after boarding near the Bahia-Mar Yachting Center. Libations in hand, we began a lively 90-minute sightseeing cruise along the New River past luxurious homes and the eye-catching downtown of Fort Lauderdale. Thousands have enjoyed Jungle Queen dinner cruises since the family owned company was born in 1935.   The evening's tropical isle visit is a tourist must with its entertaining Polynesian show and time to enjoy the gardens, birds and other wildlife. One may book the sightseeing cruise only if dinner and entertainment seem too much, but the four hours of the combined event offer a good deal for a family gathering or date night.

This pelican is ready for Jungle Queen to depart.

 We like to stay at the well located Hotel Bahia Mar on Seabreeze Blvd., a Hilton Doubletree.  We enjoy it because it's an easy walk to both Jungle Queen and Fort Lauderdale's famed Water Taxi dock, so we don't need to rent a car.  Once on board the spiffy Jungle Queen, we relaxed for a 90-minute sightseeing cruises along the New River past luxurious homes and downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Jungle Queen entertains a mix of people enjoying
lovely homes, a clientele from around world.
 

The interesting commentary of the rich and famous and their homes is followed by arrival on the island.  Then the feast begins.  Drinks are available here and on the boat, from simple house wines to signature concoctions. There's time to wander, admire the trees and flowers, and an area devoted to the place's interesting history.  Don't miss this fascinating display of memorabilia -- pictures and mementos -- when you get to the island.

The Polynesian show is one of the most lively we've seen and we've seen dozens of them in Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa and elsewhere.  This one is first-rate, with  hula and fire dancers, fire eaters and more, expertly presented by Drums of Polynesia. 

IF YOU tried Jungle Queen a few years ago, it's time to revisit the evening because you'll see an entirely new show.

The Jungle Queen's private island is beautifully landscaped
and aglow with lights to highlight elaborate gardens. 

Says third-generation president Michael Faber. “We are excited that we've taken the evening in a new direction." He calls the show, "a new, reimagined Jungle Queen experience. Times and tastes change, and today’s audiences want something new."

SO THE old-fashioned Polynesian island show of yore has a new look, and is now what many consider one of the world's best.

The Polynesian show equals ones we've seen
in the South Pacific, with authentic dancers,
fine musicians and traditional hula garb.

The new adventure starts at 6 p.m. with the hour-long narrated sightseeing cruise. We joined 385 other passengers as we traveled down Fort Lauderdale’s New River and the Intracoastal Waterway, nicknamed “The Venice of America” The four-hour dinner and show ticket includes a tropical isle visit, a satisfying meal including chicken, ribs and all the fixings, and high quality island entertainment. We've seen dozens of shows in Fiji, the Hawaiian and Cook Islands.  We were surprisingly pleased with the high quality of this show.  It is respectful and lively, an authentic homage to the Pacific Islanders and their colorful songs, dances and religion.

FOR YEARS, we've enjoyed  

Fort Lauderdale's Water Taxi
can take you many places.

Beautiful waterfront homes are part of the
allure of a water taxi ride. Jungle Queen
also offers a waterways tour with options.

Fort Lauderdale's unique Water Taxi system which offers 20 stops ranging from high-end shopping areas to seafood  restaurants, a lovely state park and a variety of bars, museums, galleries and historic sites. It's a lovely way to transit a beautiful city whether you're looking for a beverage at  Margaritaville, a souvenir to take home or a stroll along the gorgeous winding Riverwalk.  We always enjoy this easy going and relaxed mode of revisiting the highlights of the city.

Aboard both water taxi and Jungle Queen, one may contemplate the city's history, beauty and attractions while watching its vibrant water life pass by.

junglequeen.com

watertaxi.com

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Bruce Keller is "no hands" but Cookie Meyers isn't quite ready for that.
Join the couple next week for a Segway adventure in Fort Lauderdale.

NEXT UP:  Now that we've journeyed around Fort Lauderdale by water, we explore this inviting Florida city by land.  Not just any land transport, but a Segway tour! If you've been afraid to try a Segway, you're not alone. But our chief writer and editor, Christene "Cookie" Meyers, is a reformed Segway coward and born again Segway enthusiast, thanks to a wonderful guide and a beautiful venue. Enjoy Fort Lauderdale's pleasures on land next time, remembering to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, performance, art, family, nature and more:

www.whereiscookie.com 

World's first whale watching enterprise celebrates with dinner cruises, harbor tours, jet boat and a classic ferry

 Flagship Cruises introduced whale watching to the world.  Here, naturalist Sophie, helps passengers
look for two whales she and the captain have just spotted.

FLAGSHIP'S PROUD HERITAGE INCLUDES INTRODUCING THE WHALE WATCH              TO THE WORLD

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers bundle up for
a cool and satisfying February whale watch on Flagship.

                                                          FLAGSHIP CRUISES has the honor of launching the world's first water-based whale watching tours.

That's one of many feathers in the cap of this waterfront institution in  San Diego. But that's just part of Flagship's history.  In the city's formative days,  Flagship was on the scene.
The line's story traces back as far as modern San Diego, considered by most historians to be the last years of the 19th Century and the first part of the 20th Century. The company claims this heritage because it began service in 1915, now celebrating 110 years of serving a worldwide clientele.

A grey whale's breech brought gasps and cheers aboard
Flagship's Marietta in San Diego. The family owned company
 offers a rewarding whale watching experience, with lively
commentary and a theme of environmental protection.

Dinner cruise offers fun night out 

LIKE SAN DIEGO, Flagship has been shaped by many innovations and transformations over the past century. It grew and expanded to meet needs of a growing city's residents and tourists and conventioneers from all over the world. Most visitors spend at least a part of a day on the water.

Flagship's whale watching vessel, the Marietta, is clean and
airy, offering plenty of room to move about for viewing.

The fleet expanded to meet that need, and the vessels include yachts as well as ferries. Flagship makes the only regular daily service to Coronado, a tradition dating back to long before the bridge was built to connect the city to the famous resort town.
"We always strive to better serve the needs of our guests, humbled by the millions of passengers who chose to make memories on our yachts and ferries," says as recent press release.
FLAGSHIP HONORS the environment and the city of San Diego, in all its excursions, from harbor tours to brunch cruises, dinner cruises, whale watch excursions and private charters.
We've been on Flagship a dozen times through the years and have never failed to be entertained and satisfied. Knowing the family still has a hand in the business enhances the experience and is a serious reason for our loyalty.
The company began as the Star & Crescent Boat Company, after the
family-owned Star Boat Company,
operators of San Diego's first harbor excursions, merged with its competitor, Ralph Chandler's Crescent Boat Company. Long before freeways and bridges, the new 16-boat fleet provided transportation between Roseville, Fort Rosecrans, Imperial Beach, Tijuana and the Coronado Islands. It also offered deluxe

Well informed guides point out other sea life
along the way, here this sunbathing sea lion. 

 harbor tours. The fare was 50 cents.

Resident whales up the coast

 THE PROUD history of Flagship includes helping the U.S. win World War II. In 1942, the company donated its harbor excursion boat Estrella to the government to ferry defense workers and members of the armed forces.
Whale watching is a proud part of the enterprise. Six years after commercial hunting of gray whales was banned, the world's first water-based whale watching tours began in San Diego, launching a global industry. For $1, passengers could take a boat trip to experience an up-close view of the beautiful migrating creatures. The price is a bit higher now, but the thrill of whale watching with a skilled captain and great commentary from a good guide remains the same.

A delightful 15-minute ferry ride awaits nearby
to take you to or from Coronado Ferry Building
from Broadway Pier or the Convention Center.

IF YOU are visiting San Diego, you will be treated with a variety of Flagship offerings. Consider booking a fun, fact-filled harbor tour or an elegant dining cruise. Flagship also offers private charters, and a thrilling jet boat that had me quivering as we bounced along. Plus the historic Coronado Ferry still operates daily, as it has for decades. It's a delightful way to get from the city to "the island," which is really a peninsula, a very different, more laid back village-like environment.  Coronado is a lovely and historic resort city across the bay with great restaurants, fun shopping, theaters, art galleries and the world famous Hotel Del Coronado where Marilyn Monroe splashed in the sea during the filming of "Some Like It Hot."

More information: 619-234-4111 

Click here to book your adventure

Theater lovers are flocking to "Once," and a bounty of other plays
and musicals in southern California. Please support your local theaters.

FUN ON TAP: Theater is thriving all over the world, with a pre-spring bounty of plays and musicals opening across the nation. Here in southern California, we feature some of our favorite venues and productions, with encouragement to friends and readers to support local theater wherever you are. We'll preview a host of openings, including "Once," a Tony award winning musical featuring Irish music -- as a preview to St. Patrick's Day. There are also dramas, comedy and introspective works, with something for every theatrical taste. Next week's piece will give you reasons to support theater wherever you live -- or to make a quick trip to San Diego to satisfy your play-going palate. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on performance, nature, art, family, travel and more:

www.whereiscookie.com