I received complimentary tickets. All opinions are my own and may differ from yours.
Showboat Branson Belle!
Recently, we had the pleasure of being invited to Branson, MO. We had been there before and had seen a few shows, but we were excited for the itinerary on this trip. The Showboat Branson Belle Dinner Cruise was one of the places that we would be visiting.
A 2 hour dinner cruise owned by the Herschel Family, that cruises on Table Rock Lake where you receive a 3 course meal while watching comedian and magician, Christopher James, listening to dinner music performed by the Rockin’ Dockers and watching the only violin playing aerialist, Janice Martin.
We were able to board the boat about a half hour before the show was scheduled to start. Once on deck a professional photographer took our picture as we entered and were available after dinner for purchase. We sat down in our assigned seats and waited for the show to begin. The show started with comedian and magician Christopher James, who by the way was absolutely amazing. I always wonder how they do those magic tricks. He did a rope trick as we were being served our salads and dinner rolls.
The main course consisted of slow simmered Beef Roast which melted in your mouth, Honey Dijon Glazed Chicken, sugar snap peas and garlic mashed potatoes. The Rockin’ Dockers played dinner music while we ate. We were served a frozen dessert, Golden Brittle, Lemon Berry Torte.
All the food is prepared in the ship’s galley which they start making at 7:00 am. Premium seating options are available in the Paddle Wheel Room which overlooks the paddlewheels.
During the 15 minute intermission we were allowed to tour the Showboat Branson Belle. There are 4 decks with the Captain being on the top deck.We were able to visit the Captain and ask questions about them and the Showboat. The Showboat has stunning features throughout the ship, including the bathrooms with chandeliers hanging above each stall.
Some of the Showboats interesting facts are:
- The Showboat was christened on April 13, 1995.
- It is 278 ft. in length and 78 ft. wide.
- It is 112 ft. 3 in. to the top of the stacks.
- The Paddle Wheels are twin wheels each 16 ft. wide by 24 ft. in diameter.
- It weighs 2,500,000 lbs.
- It holds 700 passengers.
- The average speed is 6 mph with a top speed of 11 mph.
- The Captain’s wheel is 10 ft. 2 in. in diameter made of solid maple wood and was originally on the CC Slider which was in service from 1928-1952.
- The most impressive statistic to me is that it was built on land and slid into Table Rock Lake on……bananas! Yep, you read that right, bananas! 2 tons of bananas were used to lubricate the 140 foot launch ramp. It went 14 mph down, the fastest it ever has gone and will go.
After dinner, Christopher James put on an awesome show where he had a volunteer from the audience, a $1 bill and an orange. He ripped the $1 bill in half, they each signed the back of the bill, hid one in an envelope and turned the other half into a small knife. He somehow ended up placing the ripped $1 half into an uncut orange. Amazing!
The ShowMen sang and danced to all American music in the “Made in the USA” Blue show. They also sang a Motown mix of music which sounded just like the original artists.
Have you ever seen an aerial violinist? We did! And she is the only aerial violinist, Janice Martin. Her violin playing was mesmerizing and filled the theater with wonderful sound. Her aerial acrobatic show kept us on the edge of our seats with her twist and turns. She is the only person that can play the violin…upside down, suspended in mid air. You don’t want to miss that!
One of the show’s finishing acts was Christopher James in a straight jacket, which by the way….I guess you will have to see the show if you really want to know. Followed up by the ShowMen singing a few songs along with Janice Martin.
The show was amazing in it’s entirety and we are so glad that was on our list. I highly recommend that the Showboat Branson Belle is on your list if you are making a trip to Branson.
You find the complete show schedule and times on the Showboat Branson Belle website. Connect with Silver Dollar City Attractions on Facebook and Twitter.
Stay tuned for more reviews on Branson, MO coming up!
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Topic: Showboat Branson Belle
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