Posted on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 by Peter Knego
Artist's rendering of new American Cruise Lines paddlewheeler.
MaritimeMatters is happy to be among the first outlets to report the construction of an all new paddlewheel passenger boat due to be completed for American Cruise Lines in the summer of 2012. The new vessel will measure 260 feet, sport four passenger decks and have a draft of 7 feet. She will operate on the Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers along many of the routes made popular by now defunct Delta Queen Steamboat Company and will boast large staterooms (most with balconies and several for singles), spacious lounges, a walking track, an elevator and the most modern navigation and environmental equipment. More details are expected soon.
Jared Perlich
July 21, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Sign me up for the navaigation crew.
Sincerly,
DQ’S old deckhand
Jared Perlich
Jim McKinstry
July 21, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Peter,
Is the Delta Queen ever going back in service?
Gues that depends on Congress.
Travis C. Vasconcelos
July 21, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Former DQSCo Riverlorian here. WOW!!!!! Just what we have been waiting for! Hope to see you all on the river in 2012. Maybe I’ll finally get a job back on my beloved river again, too Jared, who knows…maybe we’ll have our chance again!
Steve Huffman
July 22, 2010 at 3:56 am
Lets hope the new boat has a functional paddlewheel… The American Queen is only 15 years old and in nice condition — seems like it could be acquired back from MARAD cheaper than a new build… Wonder why they didn’t go that route??
Robbie Taylor
July 22, 2010 at 5:55 am
Former DQ engineer here…this is cool! It’s a shame Majestic killed the MQ, AQ, and DQ in one sickeningly efficient fell swoop. Haters!
edvard
July 22, 2010 at 7:59 am
My parents live in Tennessee and have been talking about taking a river cruise someday. The drawing above looks like a rather massive paddlewheeler. They’ll be retired in 2012. Perfect timing!
Ed V.
July 22, 2010 at 9:19 am
It’s to bad American Cruiseline didn’t try to work something out to save the Mississippi Queen. They could have had a ship in service before 2012. How about the American Queen? What is her status?
Jo Ann Schoen
July 22, 2010 at 11:43 am
Who wants new when we could have had the DELTA QUEEN running again. One new owner willing to bring back the union was all it would have taken (or a Congress with a brain)! Remember in November. SAVE THE DELTA QUEEN!
Kim Applegate
July 22, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Such a sad announcement , with the MQ sitting in the canal. Nothing like a Steamboat….
Ex crew member DQ& MQ
Kim Applegate
David
July 22, 2010 at 10:26 pm
WHY NOT THE AMERICAN QUEEN. WELL……AT LEAST PADDLE WHEELING IS BACK.
Shawn Dake
July 23, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Wonderful, yet bittersweet news. Having overnight passenger service return to America’s rivers is a blessing. However even the nicest of new boats will not be able to replicate the amazing experience that was the DELTA QUEEN. Good to see Travis Vasconcelos weigh in on these pages. He was a wonderful host and riverlorian on the DQ during my voyage in 2007. Travis, I hope you were able to read my articles on the DELTA QUEEN and the DELTA KING on this website. My best to you and all former crew members.
Olaf Arnold
July 24, 2010 at 12:53 pm
With Pearl Mist sitting completed in Canada yet another year behind schedule which makes two years will the boat be completed in 2016? Also wasent the Independence suposed to be Solas, I will believe when I see it. It is clear to say that Mr. Robison has not learned from his past. When will American Cruise Lines wither away as before? Nine boats in ten years they are not Carnival.
Olaf Arnold
former American Cruise Line Deckhand
Capt Bill
July 26, 2010 at 7:59 am
the problem with the pearl mist is it wasn’t built in Charlie’s yard…. like all his other ships have been…. he is a very smart man, to have been able to keep the company going in this economey and built more shihps…… tells you something. I have faith that American cruise lines can and will do very well.
Olaf Arnold
July 26, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Capt Bill if he built his fleet like he did the Vane Brothers tugs you have a point but they are not. Very poor construction. The Eagle was five years old when I worked on her and she was a mess. Her decks had so many bad welds and in some places you had to walk around spots because they give way when you walk over not to mention the fact that the 2nd deck entrance door almost fell out of the ship in Newport since it was only spot welded in place.Not to mention the piping . All three of the Shoe boxes I worked on had their probloms. But I still love the Eagle she is the first ship I worked on and Capt Snyder is still one of the best Capts I worked for. To compare Charlie’s yard to lets say Blount it is like night and day the construction of the Niagara Prince, Grande Caribe and Grande Mariner are very sturdy ships. Now the fleet is older but they are well maintained. I worked on American Cruise Lines, American Eagle, American Glory, and American Spirit so my words are not of some ship buff. I have seen a Glory class ship hull almost completed then scrapped in favor of the American Star was that not a waist of money so I say again I will believe when I see it.
Olaf Arnold
Cadet at NY Maritime College
Former American Cruise Line Deckhand/ERA
Deckhand American Canadian Caribbean Line/Blount Small Ship Adventurers
Harry Crossley
July 30, 2010 at 10:49 am
We were lucky and privileged to have had a Missippee cruise on the American Queen shortly before her withdrawal from service, I say lucky because we live in the UK and have long had an interest in those river stern paddlers (being a fan of Mark Twain) and couldn’t believe it when we saw an ad. somewhere. We prompty booked our berths and can only say it was the best cruise we’ve ever had; and we have done quite a lot lof cruising.The ambience and atmosphere was just perfect, the food magnificent and to call at those river side towns and old plantation houses that we had only read about from New Orleans to Memphis was so evocative and exciting. I should live so long I will be on any new cruise on one of these new paddle boats.
Former Mate
August 9, 2010 at 8:59 pm
The reason that ACL will not use the historic vessels on the river is simply a long term monetary one. All of ACL’s current fleet are under 100 gross registered tons (US Domestic Tonnage). This keeps crewing requirements very low. The larger tonnage vessels of the past required much larger crews and had much more stringent regulations. The current ACL vessels only require 1 captain, 1 licensed mate and 5 deckhands (no OS’s or AB’s and no engineering staff). Mr. Robertson is a very smart business man and obviously makes very few mistakes. Also keep in mind when it comes to unions, if one tries to start up at ACL, he will just shut the doors. It has always been and always will be his way or the highway. When you are talking about the amount of money invested here, I don’t at all blame him. Do I agree with all of his business practices? No, i do not. However, it again is obvious that he knows what he is doing. I agree that it is a shame that these wonderful historic vessels are sitting idle and I hope to see them sailing again soon but I think we should all be greatful the Mr. Robertson and ACL is about to bring jobs and passenger revenue back to the rivers. Thanks for reading.
Carl
September 20, 2010 at 8:21 am
Hello,
I’m the list owner of the American Ocean Liner Collective on Yahoo and one of my members asked for an update on the Mississippi Queen. I read on one blog that she was still not scrapped and now there’s interest in buying her and returning her to service.
Is this true – does anyone have further information on the riverboat Mississippi Queen?
Thanks,
Carl-