QofM Visits To Louisville

*Q of M's Louisville visits*
Hi, Marcus,
As far as I have been able to cipher out [Others here may know much more] the QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI scheduled stops in Louisville & Cincinnati very limited this 2014 season. There are: 1. July 19, 2014 St. Louis to Cincinnati for 7 days with Louisville stop on/around July 24 conditions/schedule permitting. 2. July 26, 2014 Cincinnati to St. Louisville with a Louisville stop possibly scheduled July 28 [?] again for 7 days. Sources along the Ohio River noted no cruises on the upper Ohio. Q of M not scheduled--so far--to return to the Ohio River until the 2015 season. Rather sobering to see the cruise rates listed. I'm only posting to answer a question being no promoter of ACL. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick - shores of northern Lake Michigan for the summer.

Thanks, Dale

I have searched for information on what stops it makes to Louisville and/or Cincinnati for quite some time now. I have seen images, and although she is not the most beautiful sight, she is a riverboat. I'll make sure to remember that information. I wonder why its cruises to the Ohio are so limited, perhaps because its port is New Orleans?

It seems that the Ohio River is not very popular, it's hard to sell the boat on Ohio River trips.......Look at the AMERICAN QUEEN'S 2015 schedule, it's very light on Ohio River trips because they just can't fill the boat.
As Tom Greene said..."they worst thing Mark Twain did was romanticize the Mississippi River".

Jim Reising;33299 wrote: It seems that the Ohio River is not very popular, it's hard to sell the boat on Ohio River trips.......Look at the AMERICAN QUEEN'S 2015 schedule, it's very light on Ohio River trips because they just can't fill the boat.
As Tom Greene said..."they worst thing Mark Twain did was romanticize the Mississippi River".

It is indeed Jim. Even the Upper Mississippi gets the short shrift in my opinion, since Twain wrote about the river between St. Louis and New Orleans. As most if us know, the Ohio, UMR, Tennessee and Cumberland are so much more scenic than teh Lower Miss., yet invariably, people tell me they've always wanted to "take that boat (from Memphis) down to New Orleans!". When I mention the UMR (they'd have to get to St. Louis to start, then fly home), I get blank stares. They don't unerstand I'm trying to get them more for their money.

Two bus tours of passengers, led by Phyllis Dale and Toots Malloy, from the QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI will be visiting the Howard Steamboat Museum on Wednesday, July 23 in the morning.

*Steamboat 'minded' river cities*
Hi, Marcus, Keith, Jim, Keith, Bob & Steamboating colleagues:
Many thanks for the timely, informative postings above RE: Ohio River/Louisville/Cincinnati visits by the QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI and AMERICAN QUEEN 2014/2015 seasons. I can only wonder if said schedules are part of the companies marketing plans, logistics, passengers booking their river 'trips' in/out of major airports? In the old days, as we know, the GREENE LINE scheduled cruises on a total round trip R/T basis with the GORDON C. GREENE/DELTA QUEEN. The formula later scratched for those 'one way' trips to maximize passenger revenues but causing many headaches with air flights in one city and out of the next. The Betty Blake years of administration saw a top travel executive being brought in to look over their current schedules and price rates. His consultant proposal to cut the round trips, increase the trip rates $. And it was accepted.

This also brings up the question as to what river cities in the past and now supported river cruises more than others. Years back Capts. Tom Greene, Jesse P. Hughes, Fred Way noted that Pittsburgh was one city where the company really had to work for trip reservations with the question being why? The upper Ohio scenery was stellar, Pittsburgh being a big business city, disposable income, convenient rail, bus and later air flights.

Capt. Jesse Hughes and the Greenes believed it was the smoky, industrial appearance the river presented to many there. Another was the many time-consuming locks and dams on the upper river. Jesse Hughes, in a humorous moment, said, "I'm glad we don't run up there all the time so we don't scrape off all that fresh paint on the guards going through the locks and dams." Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis etc. were leading supporters of steamboat service. Keith knows tons about the operation of the GOLDEN EAGLE. For a time the GREENE LINE rotated the GORDON C. GREENE based out of St. Louis with an office there, Roy Barkhau running the operation.

The GREENE LINE in Cincinnati pioneers in group cruise/trip packages with then leading travel companies with rail, bus, air connections worked in. Seems to me the CARTAN company was one. In later years England's THOMAS COOK CO. wouldn't represent the DELTA QUEEN in many to most of their North America offices with the line, "We suggest you contact that company directly in Cincinnati on your own." And, whether we like it or not, leading steamship, cruise line, steamboat, resort, air, travel agencies or even rail companies operate on a sliding % commission scale. Any hint yet what cruise rates the revived DELTA QUEEN will be charging?

What river cities come to all of your minds that are the most or least supportive of steamboat trips? Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Shores of northern Lake Michigan for the summer

Hey Keith,

I'll be one of the visitors. Looking forward to seeing you and the Howard!

Jazzou