The 166-passenger American Duchess becomes the third vessel owned and operated by the American Queen Steamboat Co., joining American Queen and American Empress.
According to AQSC chairman John Waggoner, the paddlewheeler 'performed beautifully as she made her way to New Orleans,' undergoing sea and river trials supervised by the US Coast Guard and company technicians, including exercises in the Gulf of Mexico. 'She exceeded all expectations from a technical standpoint and I can't wait for our first guests to experience her first-hand very soon,' he said.
American Duchess will now receive thousands of pieces of furniture, soft goods and final coats of paint. Training will commence for the all-American crew, along with provisioning for the inaugural season.
American Duchess was rebuilt from the hull up in Morgan City, Louisiana, supporting nearly 200 US jobs.
'I commend the shipyard and our operations team that have created a US-flagged boutique riverboat unlike any vessel in the domestic river market,' said Ted Sykes, president and chief operating officer, AQSC. 'We are proud of our position as the industry leader in US river cruising and the positive impact we have on river communities. The American Duchess will take the market to the next level.'
Like the much larger American Queen, American Duchess will sail the Mississippi and its tributaries. New for the line, the boutique paddlewheeler will offer overnight stays in port including the heart of Nashville as well as shorter round-trips from Nashville and New Orleans. Passengers can also embark in Ottawa, Illinois, near Chicago, for the first time.
Through the American Duchess construction and sailings on flagship American Queen in 2017, the company said it has delivered a year-to-date economic impact of $8.8m in direct expenditures for the state of Louisiana alone.
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