The Dynamic Growth of U.S. River Cruising

By the end of 2017, U.S. river cruising will have grown from essentially no vessels in 2012 to 10, with plans for even more expansion in the coming years.

The two main players restocking the market had been the American Queen
Steamboat Co. and American Cruise Lines, both of which have been adding, and continue to add capacity to their U.S. River fleets each year.

Last year, American Queen purchased a former gaming vessel that it is gutting and converting into the all-suite American Duchess, which, when it launches in August, will be the third vessel in the company’s river fleet.
The relaunch of the company’s flagship vessel, the American Queen, in 2012, marked the rebirth of the Mississippi River cruise industry.
One year later, the company purchased the former Empress of the North and converted it into the Pacific Northwest paddle-wheeler American Empress.

American Cruise Lines, too, has been steadily building up its U.S. river fleet. Unlike its competitors, which are buying existing vessels and refurbishing them, American Cruise Lines has been building its own boats at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md.
To date, American Cruise Lines has built three Mississippi paddle-wheelers, the most recent of which was the 185-passenger America, which launched last year.

The company also owns and operates the refurbished Columbia River paddle-wheeler Queen of the West as well as three yacht-style coastal cruisers: the Independence, American Star and American Spirit.
The company has announced ambitious plans to develop a fleet of five modern riverboats for U.S. rivers. The first will be a 200-passenger vessel that the company has said will not be a paddle-wheeler but rather will feature “the modern styling of a European riverboat.” It is slated to enter service on the Mississippi in fall 2018, followed by a Pacific Northwest vessel in 2019.

Also in the Pacific Northwest, UnCruise Adventures sails the 88-passenger Legacy on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Grand Majestic River Cruises recently purchased the former casino boat Diamond Lady and is investing “many millions” to convert it into a 70-passenger, overnight paddle-wheeler that will launch in September.
“We’re a riverboat company,” The company spokesman said. “Everybody that’s involved with this project comes from the river. … We’re not interested in trying to expand out and become deep-sea cruising. We’re making sure that we keep our eye on the ball. We’re river people. We know how to show people the river.”

Grand Majestic will sail the Ohio and Mississippi rivers as well as several smaller tributaries, with the goal of ultimately doing cruises to Omaha, Neb.; Sioux City, Iowa; Charleston, W.Va.; and the outskirts of Chicago, with the vessel’s smaller size enabling it to pass under bridges and sail shallower waters than its competitors.

Grand Majestic is the latest entrant into a market that has continued to grow for the past several years.. It follows French America Line, which launched last year after purchasing the former Columbia Queen and transforming it into the 150-passenger Louisiane.

And then there is the Delaware-based Delta Queen Steamboat Co., which is rallying to resurrect the historical 88-passenger paddle-wheeler Delta Queen. It purchased the vessel from Xanterra Parks & Resorts in 2015 and is still lobbying for a congressional exemption for the Delta Queen from fire safety laws. Built in 1926, the vessel currently cannot sail because it has a wooden superstructure.
Suddenly, only five years after the U.S. river cruise market was resurrected from the dead, it has become a diverse and dynamic marketplace.

The sudden rise of U.S. river cruising falls in line with the growth of the river cruising industry in general, which has been driven by a small-ship experience
that resonates with customers and by a baby boomer demographic that is interested in “learning” vacations.

U.S. river cruising in particular benefits from those passengers who prefer to travel closer to home to avoid the frustrations of long-haul air travel or who are concerned about medical care or general security elsewhere in the world.
U.S. river cruises are selling briskly.

American Queen Steamboat Co. space is largely selling out. There is ample room for growth. Current passenger carry on U.S. rivers is a sliver of the international carry.”