Valley Gem To Launch Additional Passenger Cruise Vessel

Valley Gem Sternwheeler will launch a second vessel into passenger service May 25 in Marietta, Ohio.

The Major/Riviera is a combination unit made of the historic towboat Major and the passenger barge Riviera.

The Riviera is similar in size and layout to the company’s Valley Gem and will carry 149 passengers. The lower deck is carpeted, enclosed and climate controlled. The upper deck is open but provides some shade.

The companion boat, the historic sternwheel towboat Major, was originally built in Charleston, W.Va., in 1928. Valley Gem Sternwheeler purchased the boat in 2015 and repaired and restored it, making it into a Subchapter T passenger vessel so that it can work in conjunction with the Riviera as one unit. The company said the Major/Riviera will help it meet demands for both private charters and public cruises.

The Major/Riviera will be launched on its maiden voyage at 5:30 p.m. May 25 at the dock at 601 Front St., Marietta, Ohio. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be followed by “dueling dinner cruises” aboard both the Valley Gem and Major/Riviera, with the boats leaving the dock one after the other and cruising together for two hours. Dinner and a live entertainment variety show will be provided. Reservations for both dinner cruises are available at www.valleygemsternwheeler.com/.

The Major/Riviera also has a full slate of events scheduled for the season, including dinner cruises, murder mysteries, a summer of Jane Austen dinner theatre, Broadway cabarets and specialty themed dinner cruises. Holiday events include presentations of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “Christmas at Pemberley.” Reservations are available at the website or by calling 740-373-7862.

Caption for photo: Publicity photo from Valley Gem Sternwheeler showing the recently added Major/Riviera on the left and the Valley Gem on the right.