Page 21: of Marine News Magazine (January 2022)

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Feature

Passenger Vessels

In September,

American Cruise

Lines announced that its ? eet of four classic paddlewheelers will be undergoing a major redesign, re? t and rebranding.

ACL

American Eagle before that) now rebranded as American

Heritage, set to offer itineraries on both the Upper and

Lower Mississippi River during 2022.

American Cruise destinations also include the Paci? c

Northwest, served by American Harmony and American

Melody, and a pair of older paddle-wheelers. Dr. Cog- gins, the leisure travel expert, opined that, “The U.S. river cruising focuses on history (Mississippi) or scenic beauty (Ohio, Columbia, and Snake) while in Europe the focus is on history and culture. However, the Rhine is quite sce- nic. However, the Hudson, Snake and Columbia rivers can give the Rhine a run for its money.”

The voyage back to “normal” has seen numerous twists and turns; quite simply, the business has evolved. After suspending cruises in 2020, American Cruise came back gradually, with a careful plan for keeping passengers and crew safe in the new era of the pandemic; pre-boarding

COVID tests are now de rigueur. They note that: “Each

American Cruise Lines ship carries a Certi? ed Medical Of- ? cer and has quarantine/isolation rooms available. Ameri- can Cruise Lines has partnered with Vikand Solutions, a maritime health specialist, to provide medical services, in- cluding COVID-19 testing and coordination with medi- cal facilities in each port of call.”

A new entrant, the international small ship specialist,

Viking Cruises, is set to enter the U.S. market, with its 386 passenger newbuild Viking Mississippi set to deliver www.marinelink.com MN 21|