American Queen Takes Final Bow
By Ted Scull
We may be seeing the end of the best replica steamboat that money could buy as the 1995-built American Queen makes a final bow after giving the modern steamboat era a substantial boost into the past.
This reporter made three American Queen cruises on the Lower and Upper Mississippi and the Ohio Rivers and was utterly enchanted by all the interior details generating the Victorian era.
Much has been written about the American Queen including articles here on Quirky Cruise.
RELATED: Ted shares his American Queen cruise here.
RELATED: Heidi writes about the American Queen’s unique entertainment repertoire.
While costly to maintain, the American Queen generated a good stream of revenue for its owners and lots of pleasure for its passengers.
American Cruise Lines (ACL) recently bought several other lesser replicas and almost straightaway sent them to the scrapyard.
RELATED: QuirkyCruise contributor Anne Kalosh reports on ACL’s purchase of the former AQV vessels in these two stories for SeaTrade Cruise News, HERE and HERE.
By snatching up what might be serious competition, the American Queen currently lies a short distance from Houma, Louisiana, and is a likely candidate for Modern American Recycling Services. (MARS).
ACL has a history of starting small and growing as the demands warrant. When ACL entered the inland rivers market, the first vessels had sternwheels though more for show than anything serious. Later, the newer ships were without any attempt to provide a view into the past. The emphasis is clearly creating a familiar setting often found in suburbia.
And So … American Queen Takes Final bow
Farewell American Queen and thank you for a romantic look into the past.
You will be missed.
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HEIDI SARNA
