Low river depth disrupts American Queen cruise

The 436-passenger American Queen was not able to make its scheduled 220-mile journey from Memphis to Vicksburg, Miss., due to low water levels on the Mississippi River in Memphis. "We can’t control the river," said Tim Rubacky, senior vice president of sales, marketing and product development for the American Queen Steamboat Co., which owns the American Queen. Record-high temperatures in July and a drought has affected the water level on the Mississippi. The American Queen was scheduled to finish one cruise and start another in Vicksburg on Friday. But with the Mississippi River in Memphis about 40 feet below where it was at this time last year (a few feet higher than the all-time low), the American Queen Steamboat Co. decided to keep the vessel moored rather than risk getting stuck. Guests were given the option to stay and spend additional time in Memphis, or be bused down to Vicksburg, where they were offered a complimentary hotel night. Passengers scheduled to depart from Vicksburg were bused to Memphis. Impacted passengers received a $1,000 credit per stateroom for a future cruise. The American Queen is currently scheduled to leave Memphis on Saturday evening and head north. Rubacky said the company does not anticipate any further changes given that water levels on the Ohio and Tennessee rivers are controlled by a series of locks and dams. Rubacky said the company would assess any further complications on a day-to-day basis and accommodate guests accordingly. For more information on cruising on the American Queen contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 800-775-1884 or info@thethecruiseoutlet.com