NEW ORLEANS — With its hydraulically powered paddlewheel, fluted funnels, gingerbread filigrees and red, white and blue bunting, the 150-guest American Eagle looks like a genuine steamboat.
However, American Cruise Lines' (ACL) newest vessel is actually propelled by a trio of diesel-powered Z-drive engines that are merely augmented by the stern wheel.
Named here last week in a ceremony held on the ship's bow by Cheryl Landrieu, wife of New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the American Eagle is the line's second Mississippi riverboat.
The ship has five passenger decks that are connected by an elevator and central and aft staircases. Its layout differs slightly from sister ship Queen of the Mississippi with the addition of guest cabins on the uppermost Deck 5, which was facilitated by moving a block of officers' accommodations to Deck 1.
Although the ship was awaiting some finishing decorative touches last week, including the installation of more artwork, its ambiance is homey, with a nod to Victorian-era steamers in the application of textured wallpaper, floral soft fittings, mahogany wood tones and beaded crystal chandeliers. In addition to the forward Magnolia Lounge, which serves as the main showroom, there are two aft-situated lounges (the airy Sky Lounge and the rustic Paddlewheel Lounge), and a small Club Room, Library and Chart Room (the latter with charts illustrating the ship's course). The American Eagle also boasts several intimate seating nooks in each of its vestibules and three computer stations.
Outside spaces include a putting green. Photo Credit: Peter Knego
The outside spaces on Deck 5 have a shaded area with banks of cushioned chairs and settees as well as a putting green. On Deck 4 aft, there is a large sunning space and below it on Deck 3 a selection of open-air cardio equipment overlooking the paddlewheel.
Other than six river view cabins with picture windows on Deck 1, the rest of the accommodations feature private balconies, including six 350-square-foot Owner's Suites, one of which can be combined with the adjacent balcony cabin.
All cabins have a king bed or twin beds, a private bathroom with shower, hair dryer, Keurig coffeemaker, flat-screen TVs with DVD players, Judith Jackson luxury bath products, phone (for shipboard calls only), digital clock, a writing/vanity desk and stationary.
Wine and beer with dinner, minibar beverages (in suites), room service, coffee and other beverages, continental breakfast on stateroom balconies and WiFi (accessible in all staterooms and public areas) are complimentary.
The American Eagle will offer seven-day, roundtrip cruises from New Orleans in addition to sailings that depart from Memphis, St. Louis and St. Paul, Minn.
On the morning of its naming, ACL CEO and founder Charles Robertson spoke of the boom in Mississippi River cruising, noting that cruises in the region had all but dried up until the advent of competitor American Queen Steamboat Co. and the return of the 436-passenger American Queen in early 2012, followed by the debut of ACL's 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi.
Robertson said he was confident that ACL was "positioned strongly to get a larger piece of an ever-growing pie. … People are willing to pay more for intimacy and good service."
Alluding to the American Queen, he said, "Our ships are much smaller and our staterooms have private balconies accessed via a sliding glass door, unlike the competition, where most cabins open up to a public deck where anyone walking by can see in. We also have larger overall staterooms, and our ships are quieter, greener and more fuel-efficient."
By making those balconies private, ACL ships lack the encircling promenades the American Queen has, but they also offer open observation terraces on most levels' outer decks.
The rustic Paddlewheel Lounge on the American Eagle. Photo Credit: Peter Knego
Robertson also said that while the food on both lines was of an equally high standard, ACL offers single, open-seating dining versus two seatings, "where guests often feel rushed."
On the announced entry of Viking River Cruises into U.S. river cruising, he said, "They are smart players."
Robertson, who owns the Chesapeake Shipbuilding Co., which built the American Eagle and the Queen of the Mississippi, added that, "Viking's ships would have to be built in the U.S." to sail on the Mississippi.
The Chesapeake yard is slated to build three more ships for ACL, including two 185-guest paddlewheelers (one each for the Mississippi and Columbia rivers), a new coastal cruise ship and several tugs. The ship bound for the Mississippi will be slightly larger than the American Eagle and is due for completion in 2016.