Attention area river watchers: It appears certain that the Mississippi River will host more than its usual number of paddlewheelers this coming summer.
The American Queen Steamboat Co ., the Memphis-based cruise line, already owns and operates one vessel, the 434-passenger American Queen, on the Mississippi, and now says it will launch a new vessel, the 166-guest American Duchess, by June 2017.
The paddlewheeler hasn't been built yet but the company says construction will begin soon on a recently-purchased American-made hull.
The boat will be an all-suite vessel. According to the company, it will be the first purpose-built boutique paddlewheeler and will offer guests the largest suites on the Mississippi in every category.
The boat will feature three 550-square-foot Owner's Suites, four 550-square-foot Loft Suites, plus spacious Veranda Suites and Interior Suites. The new vessel will offer more boutique experiences, reports the article, and is aimed at a more upscale audience, which will mean pricing will be higher than on the existing American Queen.
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In addition to the two American Queen Steamboat Company vessels, the Mississippi will host two paddlewheelers owned by American Cruise Lines : the 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi and the 185-passenger America.
And another ship is scheduled for Mississippi River operations as well. The new French America Line hopes to launch yet this fall its 150-passenger flagship Louisiane. That ship was formerly known as the Columbia Queen, which cruised the northwest U.S. and is being rehabilitated.
Additionally, Viking River Cruises — headquartered in Europe and the largest riverboat cruise line in the world — announced three years ago it was planning to introduce Mississippi River cruising. But that idea appears to be fading since it hasn't yet announced construction of a new vessel for U.S. operations, nor has it formed a U.S.-owned subsidiary, which would be required under U.S. passenger shipping laws.
The reason for American Queen's planned new vessel is simple: to meet growing demand, says company President Ted Sykes. Occupancy rates on his American Queen have been running 95 percent or more, he noted.
"Demand for more capacity on the Mississippi River has been overwhelming the past two seasons and we look forward to delivering a new boutique, all-suite experience and the flexibility of two riverboats sailing between New Orleans and St. Paul," he said in an interview with the Memphis Commercial-Appeal .
Exact itineraries of all the paddlewheelers involved in Mississippi cruising next summer have not been announced, but it is almost certain that most, if not all the vessels, will schedule the usual port calls at most area river cities, the likes of La Crosse, Wis.; Winona, Wabasha, Lake City and Red Wing, on their way to and from St. Paul.
So there is bound to be plenty of action for river-watchers.
