Delta Queen Celebrates Return of American Queen

The Delta Queen Steamboat Company (a Delaware North Company) will celebrate the return of the American Queen in 2007 with several advance purchase offers. All three boats will steam from their home port in New Orleans, beginning their season in the Spring of 2007. Following her charters to energy companies in support of disaster relief efforts in the Gulf Coast area and an extended lay-up, the grand American Queen, will join the National Historic Landmark Delta Queen, and the magnificent Mississippi Queen to travel the lower Mississippi River in the South. "This will be the first time that the American Queen and her sisters, the Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen have cruised out of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast area, and we are very excited about the return of the steamboats to the New Orleans area so our passengers can once again enjoy the unique culture, history and fine dining for which this great city is known," said Bruce Nierenberg, president of Delta Queen.

The three steamboats will travel the inland rivers of America, bringing passengers to explore the history, lore and culture of this great country. Many diverse itineraries will take passengers to explore the Old South from New Orleans to Memphis, as far north as St. Paul, Minn. on the Mississippi River, east to Pittsburgh, Pa. on the Ohio River and along the Wilderness Rivers-the Cumberland to Nashville, the Tennessee to Chattanooga and the Black Warrior to Birmingham. Other itineraries include the Arkansas River to Little Rock and the Tenn Tom to Mobile, Ala.

The American Queen opens the 2007 season on March 9 with a series of Spring Pilgrimage cruises out of New Orleans during March and April, followed by 3- and 4- night cruises through May, that are part of the popular New Orleans & Riverboat Adventure Week land and cruise package, combining the best of New Orleans with a riverboat cruise. The Delta Queen begins her season on March 17 with several cruises between New Orleans and Memphis in March and April, taking passengers to explore the beauty and history of the Old South along the lower Mississippi River The Mississippi Queen returns to New Orleans for her first cruise on April 15, heading upriver for the annual Quilting Conference in Paducah, Ky., followed by her return to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby Run for the Roses, then to New Orleans in June for several cruises, including the annual Great Steamboat Race with the Delta Queen.