American Queen

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 genuine steam plant, her secondary propulsion and much maneuverability 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. As of April 2011 American Queen is under contract for $15.5 million to HMS Global Maritime, based in New Albany, Indiana. 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 April 2012, the 436-passenger American Queen began a season of three- to 10-night voyages out of a variety of southern and Midwest homeports, including Saint Paul, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Natchez, Vicksburg, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Memphis.

In 2012 the American Queen participated for the first time in the Great Steamboat Race. It came in second place.

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