American West

The 1995-built American West cruise ship (fka "Queen of the West") is a stern-paddlewheel riverboat owned by ACL and deployed on Columbia and Snake rivers for voyages departing from homeports Portland Oregon and Clarkston Washington.

Following a redesign and complete refurbishment in 2021-2022, the riverboat Queen of the West was renamed "American West". Also fully-refitted and renamed were the fleetmates America (now American Splendor) and Queen of the Mississippi (now American Heritage).

The vessel is currently USA-flagged (MMSI 367452710) and registered in Portland OR.

History - construction and ownership

The shipowner American Cruise Lines (ACL) is the USA's largest river cruise company (headquarters in Guilford Connecticut) operational since 1991. The company specializes in cruise shipping on the USA's largest navigable inland waterways (rivers and lakes) as well as in cruises along the US East Coast, US West Coast and Florida. All ACL vessels feature some of the industry's largest passenger cabins with private balconies, spacious lounges and outdoor deck spaces, gourmet cuisine, a top-quality enrichment program (with many complimentary land tours and excursions), highly personalized service by all-American staff and crew.

All ACL cruise ships are US-flagged and built by the company-owned Chesapeake Shipbuilding Yard in Salisbury (Maryland USA).

Queen of the West cruises on 7-day itineraries in the USA Pacific Northwest along the route of Clark and Lewis. The vessel was built for American West Steamboat Company and later sold to Majestic America Line. In 2009 was sold to ACL and extensively drydock renovated in 2011.

Decks and Cabins

ACL's Queen of the West/American West riverboat has 4 passenger decks and 74 staterooms, most of which have private step-out balconies. The accommodations include 6 Suites, 39 Balcony, 29 Riverview (with non-opening windows) in 8 grades. They all have opening picture windows with a private view and individual climate control. A DVD player, satellite TV and complimentary Wi-Fi are a plus in all staterooms.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The American West ship features a stern-mounted paddlewheel (20-ton) driven by a hydraulic motor powered by diesel engines. The boat is easily navigated by two Z-drive units providing more maneuverability and higher cruising speed than typical riverboats.

Restaurants, Lounges & Bars include: Lewis & Clark (dining room), Mt Hood Lounge (shows), Paddlewheel Lounge (observation), Mark Twain Library, Sun Deck - Promenade, Calliope Lounge (observation) and Calliope Bar & Grill (fast food), shaded seating, rocking chairs, live calliope music.

American West cruise deals are inclusive of the Internet (Wi-Fi), all tours/excursions, flight and coach transfers, live evening entertainment, daily expert lecturers, wine tastings, 24-hour coffee/tea, replenished daily bottled water, room-service (twice daily).

American West cruise prices are per person (USD) and based on double occupancy. These are only indicative ACL cruise rates. They might be different when you book your USA river cruise deals, influenced by travel agency promotions, special offers and discounts, group travel booking or last-minute deals rates.

Itineraries

Queen of the West/American West ship offers 7-night itineraries on authentic paddle-wheeler cruises in the USA Pacific Northwest. Although the oldest in the fleet, this riverboat was extensively refurbished in 2011 so it's basically a new ship combining traditional American river travel experiences with modern technologies and amenities. Sailings are operated with departures from homeports of Portland OR and Clarkston WA.

The Queen of the West riverboat cruises on Columbia and Snake rivers in the US Pacific Northwest. The boat is a traditional sternwheeler (paddle-wheeler), and the oldest ship in the American Cruise Lines fleet. One of the vessel's special features is the 45 ft (14 m)-long "bow ramp" allowing guests to go ashore anywhere along the river route. The boat has a 3-story-high paddlewheel, powered by a modern propulsion system that uses biodegradable hydraulic oil. Most of the guests are senior Americans, few families/children.

Despite the fact that the boat is diesel-powered, many ACL fans call Queen of the West "steamboat" due to her design. This type USA river cruise ships are designed replicas of the big-capacity riverboats which used to operate in the late 1800s on the USA's largest rivers, like Mississippi, Ohio, Snake, Columbia. Aka "paddle steamers", each of them had a steam power plant rotating the stern paddle-wheel, or the two side wheels (of the alternative design).

This vessel, by its paddlewheel riverboat cruise ship design, is similar to American Pride and Queen of the Mississippi (both from American Cruise Lines fleet), and to American Empress and American Queen (both of the American Steamboat Company's fleet).

The 2011 refurbishment included refitting of staterooms (expanding the size of cabins, individual climate control, stationary, closet, 4-drawer dresser; adding more balconies - now 60% of all accommodations), lounges renovations (custom built furniture, new interior decor), also a reconstruction of the galley and the engine room.

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.