American Cruise Lines has closed on its acquisition of former Majestic America Line paddlewheeler Queen of the West.
The cruise line will begin offering seven-night itineraries along the Columbia and Snake rivers next year.
The 230-foot Queen of the West sailed the Pacific Northwest through Nov. 16, 2008, when the now-defunct Majestic stopped operating it.
American Cruise Lines acquired the vessel from Ambassadors International, which owned Majestic and its ships, but no purchase price was disclosed. American Cruise Lines is now the full owner of the Queen of the West, which entered service in 1995.
American Cruise Lines will operate cruises in the West for the first time. The line specializes in small-ship cruising along the Eastern Seaboard. American Cruise Lines said it will unveil expansion plans for the West in early 2010.
The line will reconfigure the Queen of the West from a 142-passenger to a 120-passenger ship in order to make some of the staterooms larger.
The Queen of the West will have 13 scheduled weekly departures between Aug. 7, 2010, and Oct. 30, 2010. The majority will depart from Portland, but three sailings will depart from Clarkston, Wash.
The available itineraries are a one-way trip along the Columbia and Snake rivers from Portland to Clarkston; the reverse itinerary from Clarkston to Portland; a round-trip sailing along those same rivers from Portland; and a Great Western Rivers itinerary from Portland to the Columbia River Gorge, up to Astoria, Ore., and back to Portland.
Prices range from $3,395 to $5,985 per person, cruise only.
