PHOTO: The Queen of the Mississippi will be renamed before it moves to the Pacific Northwest. (Courtesy of American Cruise Lines)
American Cruise Lines is moving the Queen of the Mississippi paddlewheeler to the Pacific Northwest, where it will join the Queen of the West on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
The line's newest riverboat, the 185-passenger America, will replace the Queen of the Mississippi on the Mississippi River in early 2016.
The three-year-old, 150-guest Queen of the Mississippi, which will be renamed, will more than double the company's capacity on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
The company said the moves will allow American Cruise Lines to meet the high demand in the Pacific Northwest while adding more capacity on the Mississippi River system.
The new paddlewheeler America is scheduled to be launched this week in Salisbury, Md., and will be moved to the East Outfitting Basin for completion of the upper decks and final outfitting.
Like its fleetmates, the America will fly the U.S. flag with an American crew. It will be the eighth ship for American Cruise Lines, which is based in Guilford, Conn.
The 150-passenger American Eagle, which entered service in late April, also operates on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
A new Queen of the Mississippi also is under construction at Chesapeake Shipbuilding.
The company also operates four coastal cruise ships accommodating 49 to 104 passengers.
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