American Queen
The American Queen | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Name | American Queen |
| Owner | HMS Global Maritime |
| Operator | American Queen Voyages |
| Port of registry | Memphis, United States |
| Route | Mississippi River and tributaries |
| Builder | McDermott Shipyard |
| Cost | US$ 65 million |
| Laid down | 1994 |
| Launched | 1995 |
| Christened |
|
| Maiden voyage | June 9, 1995 |
| In service | 1995 |
| Out of service | October 2001 |
| Identification | IMO number: 9084542 |
| Status | Refitting |
| Notes | Re-sailed under American Queen Steamboat Company |
| Route | Mississippi River and tributaries |
| Launched | 1995 |
| Completed | 1995 |
| In service | January 2003 |
| Out of service | November 20, 2008 |
| Identification | IMO number: 9084542 |
| Owner | Hornblower Group |
| Port of registry | Violet, Louisiana then Beaumont, Texas |
| Identification |
|
| Status | in active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Steamboat |
| Tonnage | 3707 |
| Length | 418 ft (127 m) |
| Beam | 89 ft (27 m) |
| Height | 109.5 ft (33.4 m) |
| Draught | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) |
| Decks | 7 (6 passenger 1 crew) |
| Installed power | Steam engine and diesel-electric |
| Propulsion | Paddlewheel and Z-drive |
| Capacity | 222 staterooms, 436 passengers |
| Crew | 160 |
American Queen is said to be the largest river steamboat ever built. The ship was built in 1995 and is a six-deck recreation of a classic Mississippi riverboat, built by McDermott Shipyard for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company. Although the American Queen's stern paddlewheel is indeed powered by a steam engine, her secondary propulsion, in case of an emergency and for maneuverability around tight areas where the paddle wheel can not navigate, comes from a set of diesel-electric propellers known as Z-drives on either side of the sternwheel. She has 222 state rooms for a capacity of 436 guests and a crew of 160. She is 418 feet (127 m) long and 89 feet (27 m) wide.
The Str. American Queen was retired to the reserve fleet in Violet, Louisiana, on 20 November 2008. Due to the failure of Majestic America Line (her owner) she was returned to the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) who held her $30 million mortgage. The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration records the ship's movement to the Beaumont Reserve Fleet on January 22, 2009. As of April 2011 American Queen is under contract for $15.5 million to HMS Global Maritime, based in New Albany, Indiana. Based on the August, 2011 U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration inventory, the ship was sold on August 2, 2009, and departed the Beaumont Reserve Fleet for Memphis, Tennessee. The new operator, The American Queen Steamboat Company, announced plans to return her to Mississippi River service from a port in Memphis, Tennessee. She rejoined her fellow sternwheeler steamboats Natchez, Chautauqua Belle, Minne-Ha-Ha, and the Belle of Louisville. She is currently in service.
In 2012 the American Queen participated for the first time in the Great Steamboat Race. She came in second place.
For a period around 2014, the American Queen Steamboat was a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
In 2013 American Queen was fully refurbished and expansions were made to her dining areas and public venues.
In February 2024 American Queen Voyages announced they were ceasing operations and shutting down.