While river cruises on European rivers get the most attention, at least in part because of ads on popular British shows like Downton Abbey, there’s change happening on North American rivers, too.
American Queen Steamboat Company, with three ships and a fourth one under construction, has bought Victory Cruise lines, with two ships sailing the Great Lakes. American Queen sails the Mississippi-Ohio-Tennessee river system, with one of its boats on the Columbia River in the Northwest.
The expansion moves American Queen up a notch closer to American Cruise lines, the largest operator with eleven ships and destinations in 28 states across the country, although the heart of its business is still the Mississippi.
The growth of the European cruise business, which attracts many American customers, has brought about another big change in the North American business, a turn away from the reproductions of 19th-century paddleboats to newer luxury ships with modern designs closer to those of Europe.
