American Queen Steamboat Company has announced an agreement to build a new 245-guest riverboat. The paddle wheeler, American Countess, will be the fourth in the line’s fleet. She’ll be built using the existing hull of the Kanesville Queen, a gaming vessel built in 1995. Construction will begin in the fourth quarter of 2018 at the Gulf Island shipyard in Houma, LA.
“We continue to break sales records and incredible demand remains for more capacity on the river with each of our boats continuing to sail full,” said American Queen Steamboat Company chairman John Waggoner. “We look forward to collaborating with Gulf Island’s team of skilled workers and craftsmen to deliver a riverboat that will once again exceed expectations of our guests and continue raising the bar on domestic river cruising.”
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American Queen currently operates three riverboats: The American Queen, billed as the largest riverboat in the world; American Duchess and American Empress. Both American Queen and American Duchess ply the iconic rivers of the country’s heartland. Itineraries call at Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis and Minneapolis. The American Empress sails the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia and Snake Rivers between Vancouver, WA. (Portland) and Clarkston, WA.
“American Queen Steamboat Company has led the market in a renaissance of domestic river cruising and our skilled team is honored to carry on the legacy of shipbuilding in US building the American Countess,” said Kirk Meche, president and C.E.O. of Gulf Island. He added, “We look forward to constructing this magnificent vessel and fulfilling John’s vision by providing the best in marine manufacturing and construction.”
The delivery date, amenities and itineraries for American Countess will be announced at a later date.
