The Perfect Godmother

[HostDave]

March 6, 2012
By Jeff Krida, CEO

Naming the godmother for a vessel isn’t a task anyone takes lightly. The christening ceremony is the event that marks the official start of a boat’s life and, in the case of the American Queen, it marks the rebirth of one of the greatest legends on the river. Tens of thousands of hours have poured into refurbishing her, polishing every railing, refinishing every wood floor and making certain she looks every inch the queen of American river cruising that she is.

At the great American Steamboat Company, we’re proud of our role in returning her to the rivers and once again giving her back to the people of America. We are also proud of our headquarters here in Memphis. Memphis is at the epicenter of steamboating history and was an important hub for both freight and passengers back in the heyday of riverboats in the 19th century. But Memphis has played an important role in our nation’s history as well, contributing to the culture of everything that makes us proud to be Americans. At the risk of offending my Texas, North Carolina and Kansas City friends, I will say that Memphis has the best barbeque in the world. And its contribution to jazz and blues is known the world over.

But perhaps more than any other attribute, Memphis is known as the home of rock and roll because of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Graceland is just a few miles from downtown and the music, the estate and the feelings that Elvis Presley has inspired live on forever.

That is why I am truly honored to announce that the Great American Steamboat Company has chosen Priscilla Presley as the godmother of the steamboat American Queen. Presley, who is synonymous with Graceland in the steamboat’s homeport of Memphis, will name her in a christening ceremony at the revitalized Beale Street Landing on April 27. Highlights of the festivities will include performances by local musicians, a bottle of champagne crashing against the stern and the sounds of the American Queen Calliope as she steams off up the Mississippi River.

I’m also excited to announce that the Great American Steamboat Company has entered into an exclusive partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises. This collaboration will present the first Elvis Cruise on the American Queen from Memphis to New Orleans this December, as well as signature Graceland experiences for guests.

A daughter of an Air Force officer, Priscilla Presley attended high school in Germany, where she met her future husband, Elvis Presley. In 1979 she became co-executor of the Presley Estate, growing it from a burgeoning entity into a phenomenally successful organization consisting of the famous Graceland Mansion, a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, television and video projects.

I’m happy to say that in addition to being a savvy businesswoman, producer and actress, Presley is an ambassador of the Dream Foundation, helping to fulfill the dreams of adults battling terminal illnesses. She became aware of the organization after helping to grant recipients’ wishes to visit Graceland. The organization is the only one of its kind working with adults as well as helping to create lasting memories for their family and friends. Priscilla has also joined Hollywood celebrities in an important fight against the overmedication of children. She is an advocate for Citizen’s Commission on Human Rights and a percentage of all purchases on PriscillaPresley.com are donated to support these two worthy charities.

Priscilla Presley’s efforts leading Elvis Presley Enterprises exemplify both grace and dignity, two adjectives befitting the American Queen. Both are stunning ambassadors to Memphis and we are humbled to bring our steamboat family and the Presley family together.

The Great American Steamboat Company shares a common passion with Presley, which is its homeport of Memphis. Earlier this month, our company hosted a job fair at the Memphis Cook Convention Center hiring 300+ new employees to work onboard the American Queen or at our downtown headquarters with an annual economic impact of $89 million for the region expected.

After a sunset christening, the American Queen will depart for her inaugural voyage up the Mississippi River to the Ohio River with stops in Henderson, Ky., Louisville, Ky., and Madison, Ind., before arriving in her disembarkation city of Cincinnati. In Louisville she will take part in the wonderful tradition of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Great Steamboat Race with the Belle of Louisville and Belle of Cincinnati.

Priscilla Presley is an amazing woman, by any definition, and I hope you will join all of us in welcoming her to the Great American Steamboat Company family.