American Queen

The 436-passenger American Queen was built in 1995 for Delta Queen Steamboat Company (now defunct). This classic form of transportation on the Mississippi and its tributaries sees a continual rise in popularity. The ship is similar to fleetmate American Empress, and also to American Cruise Lines vessels Queen of the Mississippi and Queen of the West.

American Queen is the largest steamboat ever built in the world. Before relaunching in April 2012, the ship received a US$6.5 million renovation to make the Victorian decor. Cabins got new flat-screen TVs and bedding. A top-deck bar called River Grill was also added. Today, the steamboat feels much more like a historic boutique hotel than a river boat.

American Queen sails the upper and lower Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee rivers on 5- to 14-night theme cruises. Departure ports include New Orleans, St. Louis, St. Paul, Memphis and Cincinnati.

Note: You can see the CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.

• American Queen riverboat was built in the USA and christened in Nashville TN by Mrs Phyllis Dale.
• As flagstate, the US flag requires all officers, crew and hotel staff on the vessel to be American (US citizens).
• By design, this USA-based river cruise ship is classified as "paddlewheeler" (paddle-wheel boat). The vessel is similar to the fleetmate American Empress, and the famous American Cruise Lines ships Queen of the Mississippi and Queen of the West. They  all feature a huge, stern-mounted paddle wheel.
• American Queen became second in 2012's Great Steamboat Race. First prize was for the steamboat Belle of Cincinnati.
• American Queen is acknowledged to be the world's largest steamboat ever built. The ship is six-decks high and built as Mississippi riverboat replica vessel for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company (currently non-operational USA cruise line).
• Just like the classic USA riverboats from the late 1800s which used to sail on the country's largest rivers (like Mississippi, Ohio, Snake, Columbia), the American Queen steamboat has a huge paddlewheel. It is a feature component of the vessel's main propulsion system. The impressive paddle wheel is driven by a hydraulic motor powered by a steam plant. Besides the paddle wheel, for better maneuverability and during emergencies, the ship uses its two Azimuth thrusters (aka Z-drives). These are modern marine propulsion units (diesel-electric propellers) mounted on either side of the stern paddlewheel. Both Z-drives are fully submerged under water, and able to rotate at 360 degrees.