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'StarShip' is expanding for greater dining service

The ship will get $750,000 worth of work July 26 to Aug. 12. But it's the cuisine that sets the cruise apart, the owner says.

By STEVE HUETTEL
Published July 15, 2004

TAMPA - Troy Manthey was fighting the tide when he brought the Yacht StarShip to Tampa nearly three years ago.

The last dining cruise ship on the downtown waterfront left after a brief, unprofitable run in the mid '90s. Yacht StarShip began sailing in November 2001 as the recession and fallout from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks had consumers holding tight to their wallets.

But thanks to aggressive marketing and cuisine that rivals that of the city's better restaurants, the privately owned dining yacht is close to breaking even this year and about to undergo an expansion, said Manthey, Yacht StarShip's president and chief executive.

The 180-foot vessel will go into International Ship Repair & Marine Services July 26 for $750,000 worth of work. When StarShip returns to service Aug. 12, the ship will have a galley with three times as much room, an expanded top deck and even a suite for brides to prepare for weddings at sea.

StarShip now limits scheduled dinner cruises to 250 people. The expanded galley will allow the staff to prepare meals off the menu for as many as 450 customers at a time, Manthey said. The larger top deck will provide room for corporate groups or wedding parties to seat 300 people in a single area, he said.

StarShip got its start in Biloxi, Miss., in 1999. Several casinos wanted additional attractions in town and agreed to steer customers to the vessel, Manthey said. That changed when the giant Beau Rivage casino opened with 12 restaurants and 1,800 rooms.

"It took away a lot of business from other casinos, and the commitments dried up," Manthey said. "Beau Rivage went into lockdown - not wanting anyone to know there was anything outside their walls."

StarShip hosted a Gasparilla party for NFL alumni before the 2001 Super Bowl in Tampa. Manthey liked how downtown was developing with the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and the Channelside entertainment complex.

A marketing study projected the ship could attract 104,000 customers per year - about 80 percent from groups and the rest on scheduled lunch and dinner cruises. In April 2001, the Tampa Port Authority agreed to give StarShip a three-year lease at a berth just east of Channelside.

The vessel fell short of expectations, attracting roughly 80,000 customers annually. About 65 percent of business came from groups, Manthey said.

StarShip is active in marketing with billboards and direct mail. The ship frequently advertises two-for-one deals and will soon offer local residents a special $49.95 dinner cruise rate - $20 off the regular price.

Manthey founded the Downtown Tampa Attractions Association to promote downtown events, such as fireworks displays at Channelside for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day.

But he said the key to StarShip's success is cuisine that makes customers think of a fine restaurant instead of a dinner theater. "Our surveys show the top impression customers have is food and service," he said. "For most (other dining ships), it's the sightseeing."

- Staff writer Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or 813 226-3384.

[Last modified July 15, 2004, 01:00:38]