Delta Queen Steamboat Company

American Queen

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Operator: Delta Queen Steamboat Company
Year Built / Last Refurbished: 1995 / 1995
Length / Tonnage: 418 / 3,707
Number of Cabins / Passengers: 222/ 444
Officers / Crew: American / American
Operating Area: Year-round North American rivers

Delta Queen Steamboat Company, through its purchase of Greene Line, a Cincinnati steamboat line, is successor to over one hundred years of service on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Often, when new owners buy old standards, they muck things up so badly that the eventual product bares a scant resemblance to what came before. We're here to tell you that that didn't happen in this case, and under its current owners, steamboating on the Mississippi, Ohio and other neighboring rivers is more comfortable and generally nicer than ever before. Since America's first steam powered vessels started to appear with some frequency on the Mississippi River (from 1811 on), it's no surprise that the operators of the night boats, those ships offering passengers overnight accommodation and transportation along the river, would have developed credible, if not enviable, standards of catering and hostelry....and they did. For many years, some of America's best restaurants, if not actually on board the boats running the Mississippi River, were located in nearby locations like New Orleans. Would you be surprised to learn that some of the staples of the American kitchen, fried chicken, pecan pie and chocolate brownies first showed up on the tables of Mississippi River steamers? They did, and America has been licking its fingers after chowing down on plate after plate of Southern fried chicken ever since. Don't be mislead into thinking these river boats existed solely to carry passengers.....their true raison d' Eire was to carry cargo....cotton, in great measure.....and the carriage of passengers was but a peripheral business to add a few bucks to the voyage report. But passenger carrying really did catch on, and some of the boats developed were nothing short of marvelous.

If you're angling to see a big slice of middle America....and we're not referring to the class system here....but geography....the Delta Queen steamboats are a great way to go. They are comfortable ships, lovingly maintained....and the American crew will wow you with their earnest friendliness and efficiency. These vessels are one of a kind....designed to hint, at the very least, of what it must have been like to be a wealthy passenger on the steamboats of the nineteenth century. Of course, American travelers are a coddled group, and would not put up with the inconveniences their ancestors had to endure. So you'll find well appointed cabins, a full array of activities and entertainment, and satisfying, if not elegant food. If you are traveling with the family, consider how much more relaxing a river boat vacation is versus long motor trips. The kids will love the boats...and so will you....because parents will be able to sit back and relax a bit. So let the sound of the calliope lull you into a bit of river fever.....and come experience the magic of the Mississippi....on a Delta Queen steamboat.

I would not have thought it possible that the lounges on the AMERICAN QUEEN could surpass those on the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN....and I was right....because the rooms here are lovely, but they are no nicer than the spaces on her older cousin. There are more little lounges on the AMERICAN QUEEN....all have good views forward...the Chart Room, the Front Porch of America, the Gentlemen's Card Room and the Ladies' Parlor.....each has a different style, and it won't take you long to choose your favorite and set up shop for the day. The Mark Twain Gallery is an oversized hallway suspended over the J.M. White Dining Room....pass through this space and you'll see the large gift shop, pursers office and main stairway....a destination in itself! The Grand Saloon is a throwback to landside theaters of old....the upper level has box seats and a balcony for a birds' eye view of the show. If you are mesmerized by the rotation of the paddle wheel, have a seat in the Engine Room Bar or its porches.....if your eyes glaze over, it will be difficult to tell if it's caused by the libations or the hypnotizing working machinery below! The AMERICAN QUEEN has a spacious sun deck with a gym and pool....the outdoor Calliope Bar is nearby...and if you can tear yourself away from river sightseeing for a while, there's a small theater on Texas Deck.

The AMERICAN QUEEN is an American registered ship....so it is my duty to inform you that the apple pie served in the J.M. White Dining Room is excellent.....for that matter, most of the food you'll get here is excellent. Whether you are an American or a visitor from a far off land, I entreat you to taste the typical American dishes that are served up on these steamboats....the southern style cooking is particularly appealing...and since there's an off chance that your breakfast menu at home doesn't include fried grits, try them here.....you may realize what you've been missing all these years. The dining room has huge windows....parts of the room have soaring two deck high ceilings....and the tables are delightfully set, with flowers, a pretty china pattern and lots of elbow room. But you're coming here not for the decor..... you have been called to dinner.....either early or late sitting....and you want to know how much you are going to enjoy the food. Well, as long as you're not the type to insist on cuisine de Maxim's, you'll leave your table very satisfied.

I do so treasure a cabin balcony.....our TravelPage.com cruise editor thinks I'm nuts! But when the AMERICAN QUEEN came along, I was at first disappointed that there were so few cabins with this amenity.....then I noticed that the bulk of the cabins have French doors that open out onto the deck. Though this arrangement is not as private, it's a great place to get to know your neighbors. Of course, the least expensive categories "D" and "E" don't have this feature....they are inside cabins, compact but adequate for the budget conscious. Some of these rooms have two beds, some are singles, and a few have an upper bunk. As is the case with all the cabins on the AMERICAN QUEEN, the decor is charming....and except for the lack of space, you won't feel as if you're a second class citizen if you bunk in one of these. Remember, though, that scenery plays heavily into a Delta Queen cruise....so if you like lounging around in your cabin, go for an outside....otherwise you may be wondering if you are missing out on something.

The category "C" grades are simply arranged with two bed, closet, bathroom with shower and French Doors leading outside....but the chest of drawers in these rooms is design statement unto itself.....rich wood, very American looking...don't pick a cabin based on a piece of furniture...but it is a change of pace to see something other than the cookie cutter accommodations that are all the rage on the more modern liners around. The more expensive graded staterooms on the AMERICAN QUEEN have bathtubs, more floor space and either French Doors, a large bay window or private balcony. Each one of these "B" grades, along with the two types of suites, has charm, all the amenities you'll need, and they're a great way to travel the river.

You will find all kinds of folk on these vessels....and that's not such a bad thing, because everyone wants to be here. They chose a unique vacation....one that melds the water with the land...and they are well traveled, having already visited America's well known cities. They're making the advanced tour of the States now.....places like Paducah, Cairo and Natchez are foremost in their minds. All of them have the means to travel....steamboatin' ain't cheap. Children, the grandparents, all the kin, for that matter....will have a great time on the DELTA QUEEN.

To fully describe every itinerary the AMERICAN QUEEN offers would be to write a book. Except for some coastal journeys to Galveston from New Orleans, this steamboat remains in the Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland, Tennessee and Illinois Rivers. It may be of more interest to know that the AMERICAN QUEEN often offers cruises for those with special interests....Fall Foliage, Inn Country, old fashioned holidays, dixie fests, gardens of the river, Civil War, the 1950s, and big band. Most cruises are five or seven days...but if the AMERICAN QUEEN is making successive cruises to different destinations, it's fun to go on "back to backs"....doubling the number of ports you'll visit.

They may not travel the open oceans, but the ships of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company are American through and through....so they cost more to operate....with resultantly higher fares. We won't get political here and insist you "buy American".....but let us onto the bandstand for just a moment and urge you to give your support to our American flag ships....they're all we have left of a once proud passenger ship fleet. Now, will you get your money's worth here? Probably. You'll get to ride along America's famous rivers, coasts and waterways. You'll get to see towns and cities you never dreamed could be seen from a cruise ship...and you'll travel very comfortably, basking in a touristic production of Americana....courtesy of the hard working and friendly staff on board. If your objective is to travel the Mississippi via a large ship, this is really the only company offering such a product....so comparison shopping would be futile. Suffice to say that if you are contemplating a trip here versus a Caribbean cruise, that's like comparing an airplane with a car....they have a common purpose, but everything else about them is different. But we can, and do say, that the Delta Queen Steamboat Company will give you good travel....and you may become a regular face 'round their neck of the woods.