NEW ORLEANS — American Cruise Lines’ Queen of the Mississippi departed from here Saturday on its first cruise, and as the first new paddlewheeler to sail the Mississippi in 17 years.
On Friday, with crew still hanging paintings on the walls and waiting on a few pieces of furniture to arrive, American Cruise Lines CEO Charles Robertson said the ship's size and amenities would define the experience.
Take a quick video tour of the cabins on the Queen of the Missisippi below or click here for photos of the ship.Purpose-built in a U.S. shipyard, the 150-passenger vessel is loaded with many of the latest cruise ship amenities, such as balconies in all but 12 of the ships cabins, WiFi throughout the vessel and a putting green on its deck.
From the outside, the Queen of the Mississippi could look like a luxury paddlewheeler trawling the river here 100 years ago. But inside, the design is modern and comfortable.
Decorated with blue carpeting and white furniture, the cabins feel spacious and bright, some with large windows and most with sliding glass doors to the balconies. Robertson noted that each cabin has a full-size, hotel-style bathroom, as opposed to what most cruise ships have.
The vessel has one main dining room on Deck 1 that can fit all passengers at once, and offers open seating. A floating café, which had not arrived by Friday afternoon, will eventually move around the outdoor deck depending on where people are sitting, offering sandwiches, snacks and drinks.
Rather than one large show lounge, the Queen of the Mississippi has several lounges, each sporting a different look, feel and size. At night, various entertainment options will be on offer, such as music, lectures or wine tastings.
The Lounge on Deck 4, a bright space with white wicker furniture that leads to an outdoor sitting area, has yet to be named. In the afternoon, guests are treated to coffee, pastries and fruits here. The Magnolia Lounge on Deck 2, the largest of the three, could fit all passengers at one time.
The Paddlewheel Lounge on the other end of Deck 2 is more intimate, with red leather furniture and dark wood tables.
During the first month of sailings, the ship will feature Toots Maloy, a “riverlorian” who will give several talks on every cruise about the history of life on the Mississippi River. A local New Orleans jazz band performed on the ship’s deck Saturday, welcoming aboard its first passengers.
The ship also features two mini-lounges, on Decks 2 and 4, which Robertson said were very popular on other American Cruise Lines ships, especially with groups that use them for card games or other gatherings. The vessel also has a small library.
The Queen of the Mississippi was clearly built for watching the shores of the Mississippi pass by. Besides the many private balconies — and no inside cabins — there is plenty of open deck space both atop the vessel and in the aft of Deck 4 off the Lounge.
The outdoor decks have more chairs than the ship has passengers, ensuring that everyone could be outside at once. Robertson made sure there were plenty of the white rocking chairs — 110 to be exact — which have become popular on American Cruise Lines’ other ships.
Intending to be the most upscale river cruise product out there, Robertson touts the crew-to-passenger ratio of one-to-three and the inclusive price, which covers Internet access, wine with lunch and dinner and a complimentary cocktail hour.
The features its lacks among modern amenities is a state-of-the-art gym — it does have a few pieces of equipment that are situated on the open deck and seem to not be a focal point of the activities on offer. And the boat does not have a pool, a feature that Robertson said is up there with casinos as being among the features least requested by his customer base.
Many of the Queen’s first passengers expressed excitement about being able to take a Mississippi River cruise on a new vessel.
”I liked the idea of it being a brand-new boat,” said Larry Anderson of Danville, Calif., who had sailed the Mississippi on the Delta Queen once. “The Delta Queen was very old, and the cruise was a lot of fun, but the accommodations were not modern.”
For Anderson’s wife, Jan, the cruise would be her first on the Mississippi.
“We did a lot of ocean cruises but he always wanted to take me on the Mississippi, and we were upset when there were no more cruises,” she said. “We were hoping someone would start it up again. … It will be neat to be the first people on the ship.”
Follow Johanna Jainchill on Twitter @jjainchilltw.