American Cruise Lines (ACL) has released video footage of the launching of its new riverboat, the Queen of the Mississippi, at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md. The sternwheeler is currently being outfitted with electrical cable, piping, joiner work and other upgrades and will offer will offer 75 passenger staterooms larger than those on any former Mississippi riverboat.
The new ship will also feature, private balconies, several lounges, a grand dining salon, the Paddlewheel Lounge, the Huckleberry Lounge, a card room, a library, an Internet lounge, and several smaller lounges.
American Cruise Lines will operate the sternwheeler over the Mississippi River system. A number of seven-, 10- and 14-day cruises are planned that take passengers as far north as St. Paul, Minn., on the Mississippi River and as far east as Pittsburgh, Pa., on the Ohio River.
Recently, their Queen of the West went through a multi-million dollar renovation, adding private balconies, a library and, get this, the conversion of several staterooms into singles to reduce the capacity from 150 to 120. At a time when remodeling older ships customarily means adding capacity, the move by American Cruise Lines is unique.
Small ship cruising seems is becoming more popular all the time it seems and this new ship from American Cruise Lines might very well be one big reason why.
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