RIVER CRUISING
Elegant newcomer – how the luxury Queen of the Mississippi will look
Meanwhile, AMERICAN CRUISE LINES and their all-new stern-wheeler Queen of the Mississippi will feature mainly 7-night cruises but some longer 10 and 14-day voyages, sailing variously year-round from New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, St Louis, St Paul, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The five-deck-high ship itself will feature a main Dining Room, six Lounges, a Library, a top Sun/Promenade deck (with putting green and exercise equipment) and seven categories of over-sized accom- modation, from generous single cabins to sumptuous Owner’s Suites, including that river-cruise rarity, private balconies. Recreating the splendour of yesteryear (but with the mod-cons of today), it will be a grand and lavish vehicle, full of reproduction Victorian finery and other period touches reminiscent of river-boating’s Golden Age. It is being built in Salisbury, Maryland, and early reports are that it is ahead of schedule for delivery in summer 2012. Vice-president
Timothy Beebe explained: “We have magnificent plans for this ship. From the inside out, Queen of the Missis- sippi will exemplify the highest level of quality.
“Building a riverboat of this class is no easy task, but we are fortunate to have a dedicated team of experts who
House Domestic Policy Council actually chose Memphis as one of the communities to benefit from closer working relation- ships with federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation.
Krida explained that about 20 per cent
of the Queen’s travels will be out of Mem- phis, with the remainder spread among ports of call in a 13-state service area. The boat will winter in New Orleans and visit the likes of Minnesota during the summer. The Queen herself will continue to offer the friendly history, heritage and tradition that were her trademarks in the past, with a Riverlorian on every voyage, lavish showboat-style entertainment and Big Band, Swing, Dixieland Jazz and
other music from the 1940s, 50s and 60s, as well as an in-depth enrichment programme. There will be a variety of dining options, with the opulent JM White Dining Room offering full breakfast, lunch and dinner service, along with speciality buffets and even a New Orleans Jazz Brunch. Guests will also be able to dine at The Front Porch of America, the Calliope Grill or order from the speciality Po’ Boy menu. All of the cuisine will be overseen by
celebrated American chef Regina Char- boneau. A native of Natchez, Mississippi, she is the ‘Queen of Heartland Cuisine’ and has designed menus “brimming with old-fashioned comfort foods, American classics and new twists on old favorites.” Accommodations will vary in five cat- egories from economy inside staterooms to lavish luxury suites, each decorated with Victorian-style furnishings and features, plush bedding with the finest linens, taste- ful amenities and additional mod cons.
MORE INFO: Look up
www.greatamericansteamboatcompany.com. 80 WORLD OF CRUISING I Autumn 2011
know how to build with meticulous atten- tion to detail.”
MORE INFO: Look up
www.americancruiselines.com or call 1800 814 6880 in the US.
Dining will also be in keeping with
ACL’s reputation for fine cuisine from locally-sourced produce, benefitting from sailing along waters where both the river itself and the shores can serve up an entic- ing range of delicacies. The all-American crew offers an out- standing level of service to make the most discerning passenger’s journey memorable and relaxing, while the onboard style is largely informal, dress is resort casual, and dinner seating is unassigned, with just about every seat offering a panoramic view as the river rolls by. Each evening before dinner, passengers
are invited to mingle and share their day’s adventures over complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, while a full daily schedule of lectures and other enrichment programmes will also be offered, along with a range of shore excursions.
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