Update on the DELTA QUEEN Steamboat
and 2008 cruises©Photos by Rich and Pat Middleton may not be reproduced without the express permission of Great River Publishing.
Dear Reader, for some time I have been especially enjoying the newsy emails I receive from Alan Fox at vacationstogo.com. The following letter specifically address the LAST YEAR (2008) in which we expect the wooden-superstructure of the Delta Queen steamboat to be cruising America's Heartland Rivers.
I have been a passenger and lecturer on the Delta Queen, the Mississippi Queen and the American Queen several times a year for nearly 15 years! I will be a guest on the American Queen this year from approximately October 28 to November 3, for the Fall Color cruise between St. Louis and St. Paul. Please greet me if you are onboard!
I hope you will enjoy the following information from vacationstogo.com and the VERY COMPLETE list of sailings at the end. ... Pat Middleton, www.greatriver.com Farewell, Delta Queen!
Last week, Majestic America Line announced that it will retire the famous Delta Queen steamboat next year (2008). With its big, red paddle wheel churning the water and its antique, steam-powered calliope whistling old-fashioned tunes, the beloved ship has long been a fixture on the Mississippi and other rivers of America's Heartland.
The Delta Queen was built in 1926, and in keeping with the designs of that time, it has a steel hull and a wooden superstructure. Coast Guard regulations eventually prohibited superstructures made of wood, but the U.S. Congress provided a special exemption for the Delta Queen more than 40 years ago. Congress has extended that exemption six times over the years, but unfortunately, it has chosen not to do so again.
Without this extension, the Delta Queen -- a National Historic Landmark -- will not be permitted to cruise, and next year will be its last season of sailing America's waterways. As of this writing, plans for the Delta Queen beyond its November 2008 retirement date have not been released.
Majestic plans to send the Delta Queen off in style during its 2008 farewell, with special commemorative events and exclusive trips for past passengers. There are 24 departures scheduled next year for the Delta Queen. To see a list of the Delta Queen's 2008 cruises and reserve your spot aboard this American treasure, click here.
Special promotions can help cut the cost of a river cruise aboard the Delta Queen and other Majestic America vessels. In addition to cruises on the Mississippi and other Heartland rivers, the company operates ships on the waterways of the Pacific Northwest and along the Alaskan coast. I've listed current discounts below -- just click any link for details.
The following deal applies to certain 2008 sailings:
Free airfare on all 2008 sailings of 7 days or longer on the Mississippi and its tributaries. Click here.
The promotions below apply to select 2007 departures:
Get 2-for-1 rates on select sailings in the Heartland. Plus, children 17 and under cruise free as a third guest in the cabin on these departures. Click here.
Two cruise for the price of one, excluding port charges, plus save an additional $100 per couple on select sailings aboard the American Queen and Empress of the North. Click here.
Receive free round-trip airfare on select cruises aboard the Empress of the North in Alaska. Click here.
Cruise for $100 per person, per night on select itineraries. Click here.
Cruise for $75 per person, per night on certain cruises between Louisville and Pittsburgh. Click here.
Save up to 50% off select departures. Click here.
Save up to 45% off certain itineraries. Click here.
Save up to 25% off select river cruise vacations. Click here.
Save 25% off select Alaska cruises aboard the Contessa, a small 48-passenger ship. Click here.
Here are this week's Majestic America river cruises. All prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability.
1) Pittsburgh to Louisville: Wheeling, Marietta, Point Pleasant, Maysville, Cincinnati, Madison, 8 days with Majestic America. Begins in Pittsburgh and ends in Louisville with stops in Marietta, Point Pleasant and Cincinnati. Cruise for just $75 per person per night (plus port charges). Land/cruise-only starting from $674. Departs August 15, 2007. Book now!
2) American Discovery: Louisville to Pittsburgh, 8 days with Majestic America. Begins in Louisville and ends in Pittsburgh with stops in Cincinnati, Point Pleasant and Marietta. Cruise for just $75 per person per night (plus port charges). Land/cruise-only starting from $674. Departs August 22, 2007. Book now!
3) Northwest Rivers: Three Great Rivers on the Empress of the North, 8 days with Majestic America. Begins and ends in Portland with stops in Dalles, Clarkston and Astoria. 2-for-1 pricing plus save an additional $100 per couple. Land/cruise-only starting from $949. Departures from October 27, 2007 through December 27, 2007. Book now!
4) St. Louis to Memphis, 6 days with Majestic America. Begins in St. Louis and ends in Memphis with stops in Cape Girardeau, Cave-In-Rock and Paducah. 2-for-1 pricing plus save an additional $100 per couple. Land/cruise-only starting from $964. Departs November 11, 2007. Book now!
5) Memphis to New Orleans: Helena, Vicksburg, Natchez, St. Francisville, Baton Rouge, Oak Alley, 8 days with Majestic America. Begins in Memphis and ends in New Orleans with stops in Helena, St. Francisville and Oak Valley Plantation. 2-for-1 pricing plus save an additional $100 per couple. Land/cruise-only starting from $1,114. Departures from November 11, 2007 through December 14, 2007. Book now!
6) New Orleans Roundtrip: Natchez, Vicksburg, St. Francisville, Baton Rogue and Oak Alley Plantation, 8 days with Majestic America. Begins and ends in New Orleans with stops in Natchez, Vicksburg and Baton Rouge. 2-for-1 pricing plus save an additional $100 per couple. Land/cruise-only starting from $1,269. Departs November 23, 2007. Book now!
7) America's Heartland: St. Louis to St. Paul, 8 days with Majestic America. Begins in St. Louis and ends in St. Paul with stops in Hannibal, Dubuque and Red Wing. 2-for-1 pricing plus save an additional $100 per couple. Land/cruise-only starting from $1,659. Departs October 28, 2007. Book now!
8) Cincinnati to Memphis 2008 aboard the Delta Queen, 8 days with Majestic America. Begins in Cincinnati and ends in Memphis with stops in Louisville, Dover and Paducah. Fly for free! Land/cruise-only starting from $2,458. Departs July 1, 2008. Book now!
9) St. Louis to Nashville: Alton, Cape Girardeau, Paducah, Dover, Clarksville 2008, 8 days with Majestic America. Begins in St. Louis and ends in Nashville with stops in Alton, Cape Girardeau and Clarksville. Fly for free! Land/cruise-only starting from $2,458. Departures from July 15, 2008 through August 12, 2008. Book now!
10) Nashville to Pittsburgh 2008, 12 days with Majestic America. Begins in Nashville and ends in Pittsburgh with stops in Henderson, Maysville and Wheeling. Fly for free! Land/cruise-only starting from $3,648. Departs June 3, 2008. Book now!
Finally, for a complete list of cruises by river, click any link below.
US River Cruises
Order your Mississippi River Guidebook here!
Mississippi River Cruises (includes Ohio and Tennessee rivers)
Pacific NW River Cruises (includes Columbia River)
International River Cruises
European River Cruises
Amazon River Cruises
Nile River Cruises
Yangtze River Cruises
Russia River Cruises
Return to www.greatriver.comReturn to www.greatriver.com/waterwaycruises/ (our top-rated directory of truly unique destinations for the sophisticated small group traveler).
