Bodies of water are frequent metaphors in poetry, due to their unfathomable depths, unknowable sprawl, and unattainable porpoises. Set sail into the enigma with today's Groupon: for $22, you get a three-hour luncheon cruise (a $43 total value including $2.50 port charge and sales tax) aboard the Rivership Romance, which operates out of the Monroe Harbour Marina in downtown Sanford.

A table decked with appetizers, fruit, and cheeses smiles benevolently at visitors as they board the Rivership Romance, a 68-year-old riverboat that’s cruised so many miles down the St. Johns River, it's estimated that it could have circumnavigated the world roughly 12 times. Within the vessel's climate-controlled dining room, guests can relax in cozy red booths with a salad and fresh rolls. Upscale American entrees, such as Southern-spice-seasoned tilapia and roasted chicken breast with a blood-orange glaze, follow the salad down diners’ gullets before a sweet, seasonally inspired dessert completes the feast. Like a spy’s costumes, the menu changes frequently to accommodate the season and demands of the day; if you have questions about the menu, call ahead to see exactly what’s available.

While fresh flavors tickle rivergoers’ taste buds, the amber-colored waters of the St. Johns River excite their optical sockets. The St. Johns is a mysterious fish highway because it runs backward, flowing from south to north. Wildlife—such as birds, turtles, sea cows, alligators, and more—have learned to run or swim backwardly along the bank and catch their food by bumping into it. Click here to see some photos from past excursions.

Reviews

Eight Yahoo! Travelers give the Rivership Romance an average of 4.5 stars, and four Insider Pagers give an average of four stars:

• If it's a relaxed getaway from the rush and hype of market-driven central Florida you're craving, then Rivership Romance is the place for you. – A Yahoo! contributor
• We took a lunch cruise and it was so wonderful. It was a gorgeous Florida day and the river was breath-taking. The lunch was gourmet and exceeded my expectations in every way. – A Yahoo! contributor
• This is a great cruise to go on for all ages. The food is really good and the service is excellent. – Beverly P., Insider Pages