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ABOARD–AND AGROUND ON–THE NEW QUEEN

There’s a new queen cruising America’s heartland waterways, so distinctive she draws attention and crowds wherever she goes.

In fact, all of TV-watching America saw the gleaming, $65 million American Queen ingloriously marooned on an Ohio River sandbar on Father’s Day, June 18 (see accompanying story). That was a piece of unexpected publicity the ship’s owners, The Delta Queen Steamboat Co. of New Orleans, could have done without.

Although this new 436-passenger paddle-wheeler has been designed inside and out to be as true to a Victorian riverboat experience as possible, running aground–a fate all too common during the 19th Century’s golden age of steam–carried authenticity a bit far.

There were no injuries or damage to the vessel, and through it all, the passengers aboard for this pre-inaugural shakedown cruise had a ball.

“This could have happened in the old days,” trilled one excited lady from California. “This just proves that, even in this age of diesel power and electronic navigation, the river still rules!”

And that’s what steamboatin’ is all about.

This latest entry in the annals of American steamboating slid down the ways June 2 after being christened with the world’s biggest bottle of Tabasco sauce, making it the “hottest” vessel on the river. That container’s twin–44 inches high, 16 inches in diameter, 210 pounds when filled to 21.3 gallon capacity–soon will permanently grace the boat’s lobby.

Refloated on June 21, the American Queen’s official inaugural cruise is now underway, a 16-day run from Pittsburgh to New Orleans that ends July 13. That route retraces the historic journey of the first steamboat, the New Orleans, in 1811-12. Thereafter, this new paddle-wheeler will offer three- to 16-day cruises year-round on the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers.

Don’t miss this boat. She runs with multiple Old Glories fluttering from her curlicued fretwork, a fortune in antique furnishings in her parlors and cabins, and a jaunty grin in her heart.

That shakedown cruise that ended so ingloriously began so very well. From New Orleans north, every shore call and lock turned into major Kodak moments, as people came from miles around to view America’s newest floating wedding cake. Hundreds welcomed her to Natchez; at Memphis she stopped traffic on riverside streets; and in Paducah, when the 37 brass and copper whistles of her steam calliope tooted out “My Old Kentucky Home,” the crowd’s thunderous applause could be heard across the river.

Obviously, this 436-passenger vessel is not just another riverboat. Some 418 feet long from bow to stern, 90 feet wide at the gunwales, and six-plus decks high, the American Queen holds two titles: the world’s largest stern-wheeler and the largest paddle-wheel steamboat ever built in America. She’s also the first steamboat to be built in this country in 10 years.

“From day one, the key to this boat was authenticity,” says Al Luthmers, the company’s vice-president of development.

From the size and style of her smokestacks and period-correct location of her pilothouse to the use of vintage steam engines to propel her 60-ton red paddle wheel, she’s a true throwback to the time of Mark Twain. Her 1932 vintage, 1400-horsepower tandem engines were salvaged from the Kennedy, an abandoned U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge found near Rosedale, Miss.

“The dredge was swarming with snakes and bees, and four or five beavers were nesting in the pipes,” says Tom Norton, the company’s construction manager. “We left the beavers alone, but chased the snakes off.”

Although those refurbished steam engines actually propel the American Queen, help comes from two steerable Z-drive thrusters in her stern and twin thrusters in her bow. Altogether, it takes about 3,000-horsepower to move the queen upriver at her usual 10-mph pace.

Technical matters aside, it is the quality of this boat’s interior design and furnishing that truly set her apart from every other cruise ship afloat, anywhere.

“We went past 20th Century conventions of design to achieve the fussiness and grand overstatement of Victorian values,” explains Luthmers. “In Victorian times, matching was a secondary consideration. If a piece was wonderful, it fit. We ran rampant with that concept.”

As a result, the public areas as well as the interiors of the higher-priced staterooms showcase fine 19th Century antiques. Authentic vintage accessories–the old-fashioned leather baby shoes and thimble collection in the bookcases of the Ladies’ Parlor, children’s lesson and penmanship books in the bookcases, the tiny bottles of potions and toiletries atop a desk in the Gentlemen’s Card Room–illustrate the attention to detail that make this boat special.

Many of the furnishings were selected during an 18-month, mid-America search by noted antiquarian Stewart Gordon of Los Angeles, who estimates he drove some 75,000 miles during the hunt.

Incoming passengers ascend a broad curving staircase to the Cabin Deck, pass through handsome beveled glass entry doors and enter a world of 1870s, high Victorian excess. Immediately, there’s a pause, followed by the mental murmur: “Ah . . . this has been done right!”

A marble-topped table, soon to sport an ornate reproduction of an 1880s water cooler, centers this entry hall, which is flanked by two of the ship’s most intriguing rooms. On the right lies the aforementioned Ladies’ Parlor, an overstuffed, multipatterned vision of rosewood settees, lacquered tea tables, bead-fringed lampshades, sentimental furbelows and potted palms.

An 1860s English rosewood melodeon and an 1896 Edison roll phonograph–both in working condition–provide genteel diversion, just as they did a century ago. Nor is this “look, but don’t touch” territory.

“We found 35 to 40 rolls for that wonderful phonograph,” says Gordon. “Passengers can just put one on, crank it up and play. We wanted them to be able to handle the pieces so they could sense the history in a physical way. These are things that people cared for, loved and used for a hundred years.”

Those who are mechanically challenged may prefer to play with the Mystic Soothsayer (similar to a Ouija board) that sits nearby, its original cardboard case intact.

Across the entry hall, the Gentlemen’s Card Room almost bristles with high-backed, richly carved chairs and sofas, its piece de resistance a stuffed bear in the bay window. Flanking this is a Victorian peep show cabinet–spend a penny for views of naughty nudes–and from the wall above the tufted green velvet sofa, a stuffed and painted tarpon trophy surveys the scene.

“It’s the ugliest fish I’ve ever seen, but it adds a certain tone to the room,” comments Luthmers.

To reach the Purser’s office for check-in, incoming passengers then walk the length of the Mark Twain Gallery, another maze of antiques mixed with superb quality reproduction furniture. An old ebony Steinway piano anchors one corner, and six live finches in an ornate birdcage add grace.

Windows along the gallery’s sides overlook the boat’s main dining room, styled after the elegant J.M. White III, a vessel that was considered the “supreme triumph in cotton boat architecture” when it made its debut in 1878 on the Mississippi. A model of that boat centers the room.

However, that classy old vessel didn’t have to contend with highway bridges and overhead walkways at the numerous locks that dot America’s rivers today. To clear such obstacles, the American Queen’s gazebo-style pilothouse retracts below decks and its twin, 54-foot-high smokestacks swing down to rest horizontally in specially-designed cradles on the Promenade Deck.

Fun to know: Those steamboats of yesteryear used coal and wood to fire their boilers, so they were designed with very tall, fluted smokestacks to throw the burning cinders back behind their wooden superstructures. Passengers wealthy enough to afford the finest cabins usually were located on the upper decks above the smells of the animals below. Because they were closest to the flutes of the smokestacks, they were said to be “high-falutin’.”

Although there are no animal odors to avoid on the American Queen, most of her finest suites also are on the uppermost decks; each sports extensive antiques, and some have extremely high ceilings. Regardless of category, however, all of the boat’s cabins are furnished with antique furniture or quality reproductions. In addition to a companionway entry, most of the outside cabins also have French doors opening onto exterior promenades.

“This makes for easy access to the wonderful panorama of the river and, at the same time, provides a sense of `neighborhood’ as guests get to know their fellow passengers in nearby staterooms,” Luthmers said.

No matter how modest, each cabin wears Victorian dress. Multiple wallpaper patterns, flowered carpets, richly patterned coverlets, lace curtains–each adds its own layer of color and texture to what is essentially a limited space. Cabin critiques ranged from “too much in the way” and “too busy” to “Wow–I love this!” Most passengers were surprised at how well so many different patterns mixed.

What did they like best? An informal poll of the travel industry professionals aboard for the shakedown cruise showed two hands-down winners: the nightly entertainment in the Grand Saloon (“little jewel box of a theater” . . .”outstanding” . . .”Better than Broadway”) and The Front Porch of America, at the bow end of the Texas Deck.

Rockers and gliders outside, wicker and ferns inside, that latter gathering spot always was cool and spacious, a delightful place to read, chat or play games. Between meals, it also was the place to find huge baskets of freshly baked cookies and lemonade–just right for sitting and watching the river roll by.

How does the new American Queen compare with her “more experienced” sister steamboats? Company vice-president Russ Varvel puts it this way: “The 171-passenger Delta Queen is the mother of our fleet. She wraps herself around you and carries you through America. The 420-passenger Mississippi Queen is wonderful for theme cruises because of its large showroom. Our new American Queen marries the best of both boats.”

FOOD FINDS, TIPS AND DETAILS

Ports of call: This new steamboat will call at more than 30 ports during its first year of operation, and many of the departures already are sold out.

In addition, Fall Foliage cruises operate in October and early November on the upper Mississippi and Ohio Rivers; Old Fashioned Holidays in the Old South, featuring celebrities such as Tammy Wynette, Patti Andrews and Steve Allen, run through New Year’s; and Dixie Fest-themed cruises run on the lower Mississippi during the winter months.

The cost: Per night ranges from $141 to $646, depending on cabin category and length of cruise.

Nice to know: True to the 1880s Victorian theme, there are no TV sets in the staterooms. The ship’s only TV set is behind the boar’s head trophy in the Gentlemen’s Card Room.

Telephone calls and either sending or receiving faxes aboard ship are extremely expensive; inquire before using either. If you have a cellular phone, bring it along.

About the crew: Though the officers of the American Queen are highly experienced, about 70 percent of the young service staff–cabin attendants, waiters, busboys–are new to both their jobs and the long-established etiquettes of cruising.

Though universally friendly, be aware that they are still learning the art of serving.

About the food: Unfortunately, meals are not yet as outstanding as those on its sister ships, the Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen. When informally polled, many of the shakedown cruise passengers gave the food an average rating of 6 on a scale of 10. Many said that their ratings might have been higher had entrees arrived hot and not 35-40 minutes after the salad.

They also remarked on occasional flashes of true culinary brilliance, such as an unusual and extremely tasty presentation of escargot, followed by lobster tail entree– the last night.

About the noise: Strongest negative comments regarding the boat concerned vibration noise on the port side of the dining room. Those passengers must either shout or read lips.

Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix. The noise comes from machinery below decks, which cannot be altered until the American Queen’s first lay-up for repairs, now scheduled for spring 1996. If you cruise in the meantime, either bring your Victorian-style ear trumpet or ask for a table on the starboard side of the dining room.

Top spot: Apart from The Front Porch at the bow end of the Texas Deck, the most popular spot aboard is The Engineer’s Bar, aft on the Cabin Deck.

Starting at 4:30 p.m., cold shrimp and oysters appear, a terrific chanteuse starts pounding out requests on the ivories, and a jazz band struts its stuff. Bring earplugs.

Late at night the ship’s other musicians often come here to jam; if you love loud jazz or Dixieland, it’s worth staying up.

Large portholes across the back of the room give spectacular views of the paddle wheel, particularly at night.

Attention singles: This new ship has a limited number of single staterooms in Category D. Costs range from $930 to $4,720, depending on length of cruise, with no single supplement.

Other cabin tips: Category D and E inside staterooms are beautifully furnished, but so small they seem upholstered almost wall-to-wall by their comforter-topped beds. Best buys for space and privacy are the 46 deluxe outside staterooms with private verandas overlooking the river. Underpriced as Category C ($358-$414 per night, per person, double occupancy) they’ll be upgraded and repriced at the end of the year.

Tip tips: Budget for about $120.

Information: Contact the Delta Queen Steamboat Co., 30 Robin Street Wharf, New Orleans, La. 70130-1890 (504-586-0631 or 800-543-1949).