American Queen Steamboat Company christened its newest ship, American Countess with a bottle of bourbon, marking resumption of U.S. river cruising.
As a U.S. flagged company operating ships smaller than 250 passengers, American Queen is not restricted by the shutdown imposed on most cruise ships by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meanwhile, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said this week she’s unable to give a timeline for the move into a second phase of the conditional sail order and a gradual return to cruising for larger ships from U.S. ports, “because it’s not solely in our jurisdiction to address.”
So far, the CDC has only provided guidelines for the first phase of what will be a four-stage process to get cruises operating safely post-pandemic. At a hearing on a plan to allow ships to get around Ottawa’s ban on visits by ships in Canadian ports and sail directly to Alaska this summer, the state’s Senator Lisa Murkowski asked about timing for resumption of cruises from U.S. ports. Walensky refused to say whether it could take a month or until the end of 2021 to finalize a framework for test cruises and health protocols.
To get around the continued uncertainty, impatient cruise lines are expanding plans to use other countries that don’t have restrictions as as home ports for cruises aimed at North American guests. Royal Caribbean which had already announced a summer of cruising from Nassau on one ship has now added a season of cruises from Bermuda on Vision of the Seas to its private Caribbean island. And starting July 10, Jewel of the Seas will call Cyprus its home port for the first time and sail Greek Isles cruises.
The resumption of cruising on the Mississippi at least represents a start of cruising from U.S. cities. The christening of American Countess on the Mississippi River, followed the American Duchess’ return to service with reduced guest capacity on March 15. The American Empress and flagship American Queen will sail later this year.
The company is following strict SafeCruise health and safety protocols, which include, but are not limited to, mask mandates in all public areas where social distancing is not possible, 100 per cent testing of all guests and crew. Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for all guests and crew will go into effect for all sailings beginning July 1.
The christening event on March 21 took place at the Mansion House at Mardi Gras World and dockside. Angie Hack, daughter of American Queen Steamboat Co. CEO and founder John Waggoner, was named the American Countess’ godmother. The christening featured a bottle of Maker’s Mark Bourbon, presented by award-winning restaurateur and New Orleans native, Dickie Brennan.
“As we celebrate the grand debut of the American Countess, I could not be more appreciative of the incredible team that made it possible,” Waggoner said. “We listened to our returning guests’ feedback on what they would like to see in a new riverboat and created a contemporary American masterpiece that guests are eager to experience.”
Built using the existing hull of former gaming vessel Kanesville Queen, the American Countess was lengthened by 60-feet and underwent a total renovation in the Gulf Island Shipyard in Houma, Louisiana. Her sleek, contemporary design offers plenty of open space for guest gatherings, with a portside bar that features an 80-foot panoramic view.
American Countess will be sailing from Memphis to New Orleans. The eight-day sailing includes a stop at the Port of the Mississippi Delta and continues down the river to Vicksburg, Natchez, St. Francisville, Baton Rouge and the American Queen Steamboat Co. exclusive port stop at Nottoway Plantation before arriving in New Orleans.
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