Chris Chamberlain is the owner and Captain of the Michigan Princess, and Grand Princess Riverboats (as well as holding ownership in the Detroit Princess Riverboat). He grew up in the family business and has been piloting the Lansing area boats for the last 12 years. After his father passed away 7 years ago, Chris became president of the company, with both stability and growth as major goals.His primary focus is on the continued successful operation and advancement of the business. From development and implementation of a fast out of water inspection of the Michigan Princess in 2017, saving his company $250,000.00 while reducing downtime of a key asset, to consulting with the city of Lowell, MI in guiding them through the process of building a new showboat, Chris has displayed vision and skill along with creative thinking.
Chris's most recent project is that of the Little Traverse Bay Ferry, which carries passengers between Bay Harbor, Petoskey and Harbor Springs. He has several other projects in the works, with more boats-what else! - planned for his fleet.
Chris believes giving back to the community is important as a small business owner. Besides providing the Michigan Princess free of charge to the community during Be a Tourist in Your Own Town, he supports a variety of local fundraising events and donates leftover meals to the Mission. Chris is a member of the Lansing Rotary Club and both the Greater Lansing and Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.
When he is not at the wheel of a riverboat or holding meetings in his office, Chris enjoys downhill skiing in the winter, swimming in the summer, and is most at home on a sailboat - either with his wife Laura and daughter Lucy on their classic wooden boat or racing as part of a crew on Lake St. Clair or the Port Huron to Mackinac.