American Cruise Lines unveiled its new 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi in New Orleans on Friday.
The Queen of the Mississippi sets sail on its inaugural voyage on Saturday -- an eight-day, roundtrip voyage out of New Orleans. The vessel was built at the Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard in Salisbury, Md.
The introduction of the Queen of the Mississippi follows the April re-launch of the 436-passenger paddlewheeler, the American Queen, originally built in 1995.
Together, the two ships have breathed new life into overnight cruising along the Mississippi River System, which has been practically dormant since Majestic America Line ceased operations at the end of 2008.
All of the staterooms on the Queen of the Mississippi's second, third and fourth decks have private balconies -- the 12 lower deck cabins do not. Every stateroom features hotel-style bathrooms, access to room service, in-room phones, Wi-Fi and satellite TV.
The vessel also has also a main dining room with open seating, a Top Deck Cafe, several lounge areas and a library.
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