Tag Archives: Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard

Mississippi paddlewheeler to be named American Eagle

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By Michelle Baran
American Cruise Lines’ new Mississippi paddlewheeler has been named the American Eagle and will sail its first revenue cruise on March 28.

After announcing last December that it would introduce four new U.S. riverboats between 2015 and 2017, ACL has finally provided details about the first of those vessels, the 149-passenger American Eagle.

The paddlewheeler is being built at the Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard in Salisbury, Md. It will feature 19 single staterooms and 65 double cabins, ranging from between 300 and 600 square feet.

With the exception of six lower-deck cabins, staterooms will have floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with private balconies.

The public areas will include the Magnolia Lounge, the Sky Lounge, the Paddlewheel Lounge, the Grand Dining Room and the Mark Twain Library and Chart Room.

An outdoor exercise area and putting green will be located on the sun deck. Elevators will be available with access to all decks.

There will be guest laundry service, complimentary wireless Internet and complimentary breakfast room service.

The American Eagle will sail mostly seven-day cruises along the Mississippi River. It will join ACL’s existing Mississippi paddlewheeler, the 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi.

ACL has said that a Columbia and Snake river paddlewheeler will be launched later in 2015, but no details on that riverboat have been provided.

ACL newbuilds to ply Mississippi, Pacific Northwest rivers

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By Michelle Baran

American Cruise Lines (ACL) will place the first two if its four upcoming new riverboats on the Mississippi River and on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

The company announced in December that it would introduce four new vessels for U.S. river cruising between 2015 and 2017.

Construction has begun on the two riverboats at the Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard in Salisbury, Md. They will join ACL’s existing vessels on the Mississippi and Columbia rivers — the 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi and the 120-passenger Queen of the West.

The new Mississippi riverboat will have a similar capacity to that of the Queen of the Mississippi and will enter service in March 2015. The new Columbia riverboat will be launched later in 2015 with a planned capacity of 175 passengers. Both will feature functioning paddlewheels.

“Demand on the Mississippi is high, and the Columbia River has not seen a new riverboat in many years,” Timothy Beebe, vice president of American Cruise Lines, said in a statement.

Both riverboats will feature historic accents and large staterooms with sliding glass doors offering passengers views from private balconies. A glass-enclosed dining room and various public lounge venues are planned.

ACL has not revealed names for the ships yet.