Built in 1995, this riverboat from Majestic America Line is a floating fantasy of Victoriana and the largest steamboat ever constructed, a title she took from her running mate, the
Mississippi Queen.
Laid up following the bankruptcy of American Classic Voyages, she returned to service in January 2003 under new ownership. This riverboat carries an all-American crew of 170 and up to 436 passengers. Twin stacks rise 109 ft above the waterline, and a steam engine turns the huge red stern wheel with supplemental propulsion provided by twin Z-drive thrusters. The vessel churns along at seven miles per hour along the full navigable length of the mighty Mississippi between New Orleans and St. Paul and on lower portions of the Ohio.
This steamboat can trace its origins back through a continuum of riverboats that include the currently laid up Mississippi Queen (1976) and the soon to be retired Delta Queen (2006) and on back to the start of Greene Line Steamers over a century ago. The healthy periods of prosperity came to an abrupt halt after 9/11 and the collapse of American Classic Voyages. However, the Delta Queen Steamboat Company portion was healthy financially. A subsequent owner and the current one have not been able to revive the company to allow all three vessels to be in service the same time.
The Mississippi Queen is currently stripped, and plans to have her rebuilt and reenter service in 2008 and 2009 have been scuttled. The Delta Queen's special exemption from fire safety standards expires in November 2008, and unless the current Congressional bill passes and extends the exemption once again, she will be sadly withdrawn from service.
The clientele is generally 55 and older seeking a relaxed atmosphere while touring a quintessential part of America. Repeat clients, once the backbone of the old Delta Queen Steamboat Company are fewer in numbers as the itineraries are now confined to three basic 7-day trips along the most popular river stretches.
The three, 7-day day itineraries include New Orleans—Memphis for the ante-bellum south; Memphis—St. Louis that includes a diversion into the Ohio River; and St. Louis—St. Paul along the Upper Mississippi with its high bluffs and lock chambers. Excursions visit Civil War-era battle sites, pre- and post-Civil War homes and small town America. A riverlorian (historian) holds forth every morning with river navigation information and historic tidbits about the steamboat era and Mark Twain's legacy. Some trips have themes such as jazz, blues, Dixieland, the Civil War and the Kentucky Derby.
Public rooms aboard the American Queen are outstanding re-creations of Victorian parlors, filled with antiques and fine reproductions. Forward on Cabin Deck, the Ladies' Parlor has an enticing sofa, called a swooning couch, placed in front of a fireplace and a cushioned armchair set in a curtained bay window. The very masculine Men's Card Room draws players to cherry tables protected by a stuffed black bear. A stereoscopic peep show, iron fireplace and Tiffany lamps complete the picture. Aft, the Mark Twain Gallery features an arched ceiling and dark paneling with museum-quality posters, maps and other riverboat lore and a sneaky look down in the J.M. White Dining Room.
The Grand Salon, patterned after a small-town opera house, offers balcony seating, upholstered armchairs and curved boxes. Entertainment is spirited and well executed, with American musicals and jazz and Dixieland bands predominating. The domed purser's lobby, well-stocked shop, chart room with resident riverlorian, and a curiously drab bar facing the paddlewheel fill the remaining common space.
The J.M. White Dining Room recalls the main lounge aboard the late-19th-century namesake steamboat, its pair of soaring double-deck sections decorated with white filigree, colorful tapestries and two huge gilded mirrors. A buffet luncheon is served in the rich Main Deck lounge, which has cozy sitting areas set around antique marble tables. Guests take their Continental breakfast on the Front Porch of America, aptly named for its white wicker chairs, painted rockers and sweeping views over the bow. The small pool and modest gym offer exercise.
Cabins are elaborate Victorian-style retreats with patterned wallpaper, carpeting and spreads, adequate stowage and black and white tiled baths (with tubs in categories B and higher. Some outside cabins have bay windows, some have French doors opening to promenades, a kind of communal street, and a few boast private verandas. More than 50 cabins are insides.
The American Queen offers a solid re-creation of storybook riverboat living, and it is a delight to sail along the Big Muddy. The sole competition on the Missississippi River system is the simpler and plainer River Explorer, consisting of two giant barges that house cabins and public rooms and offer a lower price cruise.
