It's Westward Ho! For The American Queen Steamboat Company

The American Queen Steamboat Company, owner and operator of the U.S-flagged paddlewheeler American Queen, announces the purchase of the Empress of the North. To be renamed the American Empress, the vessel is scheduled to resume sailings on the great rivers of the Pacific Northwest in April 2014 calling Portland, Oregon her homeport. The American Empress will deliver riverboat opulence on a grand scale, following in the pedigree of the line’s namesake American Queen, and proudly serve as the largest overnight riverboat west of the Mississippi River.

“The American Queen has ushered in a rebirth of U.S. river cruising, welcoming thousands to discover the heartland of the United States and its iconic port cities,” shares Ted Sykes, president and COO of the American Queen Steamboat Company. “Now the American Empress will continue that tradition as an ambassador to the Pacific Northwest, a region equally rich in American and natural history.”

A U.S.-flagged riverboat, the American Empress measures 360 ft. with five towering decks and accommodates 223 guests in seven stateroom categories. The American Empress will sail the Columbia River and Snake River, offering 7-day voyages between Portland, Oregon and Clarkston, Washington. Ports of call include Astoria, Washington; Stevenson, Washongton; The Dalles, Oregon; Umatilla, Oregon; and Richland, Washington.

The American Empress was built in 2002 and operated by Majestic America Line from 2002 to 2008, sailing Alaska’s Inside Passage and the Pacific Northwest. Just as the American Queen brought luxury and grandeur to river cruising America’s heartland, the American Empress will do the same for the Pacific Northwest. For additional information, visit online at AQSC.com.

Image Courtesy of The American Queen Steamboat Company