If you think cruising the Gulf is popular, cruising Mississippi is also packing them in. Evidenced by American Queen Steamboat Company adding a third fleet-mate to run in concert with its two other paddlewheelers, American Queen and American Duchess.
All hail American Countess! The Countess is a creation of Gulf Island Fabrication in Houma. Working from hull of the former Kanesville Queen, a gambling vessel dating from 1995, the ship was bought in 2016 and built from the hull up into a 245-passenger luxury riverboat.
Gary Frommelt, vice president of marine operations, describes passenger cabins as a sleek and modern, providing the perfect place to relax after heading out on an included shore excursion or taking in an evening Broadway-caliber performance in The Theater on board.
The new boat will ply the familiar waters of the Mississippi on the New Orleans-Memphis run. The Times-Picayune/Advocate reports the announcement of American Countess joining the fleet came Tuesday at a tourism forum in Baton Rouge.