Later Years
The Royal Iris transferred to the combined fleet of the newly formed Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive on 1 December 1969, which consisted of seven vessels.
Despite an ongoing financial debt against the Royal Iris from when she was built, capital was made available to refit her at the Harland and Wolff in Bootle in 1971-72. Sporting a new blue and white livery, she was subsequently used, almost exclusively, as a cruise vessel. A sum of £68,000 was also provided for a new steak bar and dining area, replacing the original fish and ship saloon. Up until this refit, she had carried two side slung lifeboats on davits which were removed leaving just a single lifeboat slung from the stern.
Whilst docked for her annual survey on 12 January 1975, a fire broke out in her engine room, causing extensive electrical damage.
On 21 June 1977, the Royal Iris carried Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh on their Silver Jubilee Mersey Review.
The ship was used by Granada Television during the summer of 1979 as the setting for the ITV Saturday morning children's television series The Mersey Pirate. For this purpose, a dome structure was built on the promenade deck of the vessel.
During 1984 the Royal Iris and the other three Mersey Ferries received the red, white and blue livery to mark the 1984 International Garden Festival at Otterspool. In April and May 1985 the vessel left Liverpool Bay for the first time since her delivery from Scotland. She was sent on a 1500 mile round trip to London on a publicity drive for Merseyside, sailing around Land's End, up the River Thames and under Tower Bridge, docking adjacent to HMS Belfast.
Read more about this topic: MV Royal Iris
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