GETTING READY FOR THE RIVER

[HostDave]

What was your first priority when the holidays ended? If you’re like most people, you had your eye on getting your life back to normal. After the hustle and bustle of gift-giving, New Year’s resolutions, visiting family and friends, throwing parties and cooking, that’s a task that is easier said than done, isn’t it? But as we enter the first week of February, if you are like most people, you are once again settled into your customary routine.

Companies face the same challenges in getting back to a standard routine. We all find that things get placed on the back burner leading up to the holidays and once we return to our normal schedules, it is anything but normal. It always seems the first part of the year is among the busiest times of all.

It’s certainly a busy time here at the American Queen Steamboat Company, although not because anything has been put on the back burner. Each year, we take a few weeks to catch our breath and dive into upgrading the American Queen for the upcoming season. This year, we have the added task of preparing our newest addition, the American Empress, to return to service and open up a new cruising area in the Pacific Northwest. Other than two years ago when we were launching the company, hiring an entirely new staff both aboard and ashore, and refurbishing the American Queen, this is the busiest – and most exciting – it has been here in our Memphis headquarters.

Each year, we remove the American Queen from service after the holiday voyages for her annual maintenance period and this year is no exception. It’s a chance to replace any worn carpets, reupholster furniture, scrape and paint and do the normal housekeeping work that keeps our elegant lady in like-new condition. The American Queen is like a huge antebellum home and though she is as modern as can be, she still needs a loving hand to keep her looking her best.

That also entails maintenance, enhancements and additions in areas our guests never get to see. Before she returns to service on February 21 to begin her third season, the American Queen is getting a steam plant renovation and other technical work. The work is currently underway at New Orleans’ Boland Marine Shipyards and is proceeding at a feverish pace. The American Queen is the largest overnight paddlewheel riverboat in the country and the scale of the work this year is on the same grand scale.

Some of the most significant electrical upgrades since American Queen’s construction in 1995 include the renewal of the main switchboard and all associated systems. In the engine room, the original steam engines from the 1920s lend authenticity to the American Queen but are just one component of a modern power generating complex. Since the American Queen’s introduction 19 years ago, there have been considerable advancements in environmental sustainability and energy efficiency and, as stewards of the rivers we sail, we were eager to upgrade our flagship. We’re installing a new combustion control system that will save fuel, reduce emissions and exert less stress on the steam plant while making the vessel more environmentally friendly.

Aesthetically, guests will notice the new paint and coating systems that are being incorporated throughout to improve the paddlewheeler's appearance. A major rehabilitation of the decks is being completed as well. But we also have a number of enhancements underway that will upgrade the vacation experience for all our guests. These improvements to technical systems, the galley and entertainment allow us to grow our offerings in several areas.

For example, new, customized shows are scheduled in the two-deck high Grand Saloon, which is being equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems which will permit a more colourful, robust and exciting stage environment. New technology will also be evident in the suites and staterooms thanks to an added digital content management system that will allow for in-house programming in each hotel cabin television.

Whether dining in the soaring grandeur of the J.M. White Dining Room or the casual comfort of the Front Porch Cafe, guests will find even more of a good thing. In the galley, new steam-powered “combi ovens” will add capacity and allow the culinary team to expand their pastry and dessert offerings.

The same intensity of action on the American Queen is underway across the country on the newly-acquired American Empress. She is being upgraded to American Queen Steamboat Company standards by some of the same team that prepared the American Queen for her return to service in 2012. As work progresses, look for our blogs as we provide updates before her April 5 maiden voyage from Portland, OR to Clarkston, WA.

But we don’t suggest you wait to book your river cruise on either the American Queen or American Empress. We currently have two special offers in place but to take advantage of either one, you must book and pay in full prior to March 31, 2014.

On the American Empress, you can save up to $400 per stateroom* on any voyage from June through October, 2014. Or you can receive a two-category upgrade** on any departure of the American Queen on the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland rivers in 2014 and any 2014 Pacific Northwest sailing on our new American Empress as well.

*Book by March 31, 2014, pay-in-full and Save $400 per stateroom ($200 per person) on any 2014 June-October American Empress voyage. Full payment is required at time of booking to redeem this offer. Offer expires on March 31, 2014. This offer cannot be combined with other offers, promotions or discounts; not valid on Group bookings or existing reservations. Savings are only on the price of the cruise, not valid on taxes, port charges, insurance, gratuities, or airfare. Promotional fares and amenities are capacity controlled, may vary by sailing and category of accommodations and may be withdrawn without notice. Fares quoted are in U.S. dollars, are per person and do not include air or land transportation. Port Charges of $69 to $159 per person are additional and not included in the fare. Additional terms and conditions may apply – call for details.

** Offer expires March 31, 2014 and is valid on new, paid-in-full bookings only. Full payment at time of booking is required to redeem this offer. Estimated savings of up to $3200 ($1600 per person) is based on double occupancy for a standard American Queen 9 day voyage. Offer is not valid on Group bookings or existing reservations and cannot be combined with other offers, promotions or discounts. The free 2 cabin category upgrade means that guests will be placed in cabin(s) that are 2 sequential categories above initial cabin(s) requested at time of reservation. This offer is not valid on cabin upgrades into American Queen categories LS, AAA, SO and SI; and American Empress categories LS, A and CS. This offer is based on cabin availability and only while inventory lasts. Cruise fare does not include taxes, port charges, insurance, gratuities, or airfare. Additional terms and conditions may apply - call for details.