Delaware

The Spirit of Philadelphia – 40 years of entertaining down the Delaware – The Philadelphia Sunday Sun

Published

2 years ago

May 5, 2024

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The Spirit of Philadelphia – 40 years of entertaining down the Delaware – The Philadelphia Sunday Sun

By Kharisma McIlwaine

For years the Spirit of Philadelphia has been a major landmark in Philadelphia.

Year-round, Philadelphians and visitors are greeted by the massive vessel at Penn’s Landing. Originally built in 1988 and located at 401 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd, the Spirit of Philadelphia provides a unique dining experience, combining delicious food and live music as guests cruise the Delaware River.

Now, the Spirit of Philadelphia celebrates 40 years on the Delaware Waterfront. Ryan O’Connor, general manager of City Cruises Philadelphia, spoke with the SUN about the history of Spirit of Philadelphia and the upcoming 40th anniversary celebration.

O’Connor first joined the City Cruises team as an intern in Virginia.

“My journey actually started when Spirit Cruises had their corporate office in Norfolk, Virginia,” O’Connor said. “I started as a sales and marketing intern with the company my spring semester of senior year of college. I had a full-time internship in their corporate office.”

Originally from the Philadelphia area, as a native of Delaware County, O’Connor was able to make the transition with the company to work in his hometown.

“It was a natural fit to come back,” he said. “They hired me full time after I graduated from Virginia Wesleyan University. I started my career down there and then they moved me back to Philadelphia, which is my hometown. So, it was nice to come back. Around 2004, I came back and I’ve been back as the general manager of City Cruises Philadelphia for eight years now. It’s been about 12 years with the company, and I know it well. It’s a wonderful place to work and a great company.”

Philadelphia was one of the first cities that City Cruises chose to start a dinner boat operation. Since then, Spirit of Philadelphia continues to provide unique experiences for guests while cruising on The Delaware River. Those experiences include two-hour brunches, two and a half hour dinner cruises and live entertainment with a DJ and dance floor on board.

In 2019, Spirit of Philadelphia underwent a $1M renovation to further amplify the experiences of everyone on board.

“You’ll see a beautiful refreshed, modern vessel — it’s very clean,” O’Connor said. “We completely painted the exterior of the vessel and really just invested our money in the aesthetics and the looks of the inside. There’s new carpet, new tile and beautiful refacing of the bars with marble bar tops.”

“We know that the Spirit of Philadelphia operating in Philadelphia is a staple and we knew that we wanted to invest money into her to make her look really beautiful and make her be that wonderful venue for any occasion,” O’Connor said. “Whether you’re getting married or celebrating your anniversary, we really strive to create that amazing experience.”

Countless Philadelphians have had wonderful experiences aboard the Spirit of Philadelphia. Those fond memories are sure to continue with the milestone celebration of 40 years on the Waterfront.

“40 years on The Philadelphia waterfront has been spectacular,” O’Connor said. “It truly is a staple in Philadelphia. The amount of people that come up to me when they find out what I do, that have told me that they have been to a wedding on board, a corporate function or that their 8th grade graduation luncheon was on Spirit of Philadelphia — I love hearing all those stories. We have thousands of [crews] out there that have also stepped on board Spirit of Philadelphia and worked with us that we keep in the family. It’s a wonderful experience.”

“Getting ready for the 40th, we have our kick-off event on Thursday, May 12,” O’Connor said. “We’re excited to kick off the season, and we’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary throughout the entire year. So [there’s] plenty of opportunities for our guests to come on board for brunch cruises. We have bottomless mimosa brunches on Saturdays and Sundays and dinner cruises throughout the week and weekend.

There will be plenty of opportunities to come out and celebrate this milestone with us.”

In addition to the ongoing 40th year celebration, City Cruises Philadelphia is offering an early brunch, a midday brunch and a dinner cruise for Mother’s Day. For more information on City Cruises Philadelphia, visit: www.cityexperiences.com/Philadelphia where you can research the variety of signature cruises offered and book the cruise of your choice. Also be sure to follow @citycruises across social media platforms.

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Delaware

DMV in Minquadale, Delaware reopening months after trooper’s death

Published

7 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

DMV in Minquadale, Delaware reopening months after trooper’s death

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 9:34AM

MINQUADALE, Del. (WPVI) — The DMV in Wilmington, Delaware is reopening at 8a.m. Tuesday.

This comes after the deadly shooting of State Trooper Matthew “Ty” Snook, 34, in December 2025.

A man walked into the facility and shot and killed Snook.

The DMV said service at the Wilmington location will be by appointment only for now. The Delaware City, Dover, and Georgetown DMV locations will continue to offer walk-in service to customers.

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Delaware

Pistol Whipped, Robberies, Carjacking At Delaware Park Casino

Published

19 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Pistol Whipped, Robberies, Carjacking At Delaware Park Casino

About First State Update News Room

First State Update’s Delaware editorial team delivers dynamic, around-the-clock coverage of breaking news, politics, and major developments across Delaware and the surrounding region. We’re are on the ground bringing readers fast, accurate updates on the stories shaping Delaware. Have news to share or a tip to pass along? Email us at [email protected] or send us a message on Facebook.

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Delaware

Spike in utility bills after cold snap forces Delaware customers to make tough choices

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Spike in utility bills after cold snap forces Delaware customers to make tough choices

Delaware elected officials push back on rising prices

Gov. Matt Meyer called out Delmarva for “overcharging Delaware families” in his January State of the State speech. He has also urged the Public Service Commission to reject the utility’s rate requests.

“Rate increases far beyond inflation are unacceptable,” he said. “Delmarva’s out-of-state shareholders should not take advantage of Delaware’s families working to make ends meet. We must hold monopolies accountable.”

Democratic members of the Delaware General Assembly also sent a letter in February to the commission, calling for Delmarva to resubmit its December rate increase request so it falls under a law that took effect in January that gives the commission greater scrutiny over rate increase requests.

The state lawmakers also noted that Delmarva has sought three electric base rate adjustments over the past five years and asked the commission to reject the current rate case so the company would have to resubmit the request.

“We cannot reward Delmarva investors with such high returns on the backs of our constituents,” the letter stated.

Beal said they appreciate the governors in the states that use the PJM grid focusing on the supply costs and the need for more generation, which he said was the true driver of these significant increases for customers. He argued that they work on the delivery side to keep costs down.

“Our company’s been around since 1909,” he said. “Not all of our equipment is that old, but we certainly have some aging equipment. Over 50-year-old transformers that are really at the end of their life, and you want to make sure that you’re replacing this equipment in a planned manner, versus a catastrophic failure of equipment.”

Assistance programs to help low- and moderate-income households

Wilmington resident Alan Shores said he has tried to apply for help as his average monthly bill has gone from around $200 a month to about $500. Shores depends on monthly disability payments and said he’s struggling to afford his prescription medication because of the rising cost.

“I’m tap dancing as fast as I can, trying to pay this stuff, and I just can’t,” he said. “It’s because of this electric bill. Once that electric bill went through the roof, I’m like, ‘What do I do?’”

Beal said they are adding $500,000 to the $6.5 million customer relief fund created last year. Past-due gas and electric customers who have a household income between 60% of the state median income and 350% of the federal poverty level could be eligible for a $500 credit.

The utility also offers payment arrangements and budget billing, and it directs customers to financial assistance offered by charitable organizations.

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