Any Suggestions to Improve the Steamboatin' Experience

Embarkation Ports

Take a page from the blue water crowd. Home port the boat in one place and do 7-day round trips. The Greene Line Kentucky Lake trips of yore come to mind. Then tramp to the next base and start again.

Wesley

I've never been aboard the AQ so I can't make any suggestions about the interior spaces. Exterior-wise, I'd replace those big oversize "iron crowns" atop the stacks with smaller ones. I always liked the stack tops on Cap. Cooley's "America" cotton packet and that design was much copied. Several years ago when the AQ was in Marietta, Keith and I were admiring her and we agreed that the fancy work around the stanchions could have been a bit smaller and more delicate looking. Of course all of that would cost lotsa bucks. If nothing else, repaint the boat all white, as shown in the publicity photo. And put a big 'ol whistle on her that'll knock everyones socks off!

ERB

Hi Frank,

From one who had the pleasure of looking at the ERB from the stage on a nightly basis, I wouldn't change a thing. It's the Engine Room Bar, the walls are supposed to look that way. Make it bigger? Nope. For two reasons. First, those open air areas are a great place to get away from it all, second they are the smoking area. But there is a more compelling reason. To me, the ERB is the perfect size just the way it is. There's a lot to be said for the energy a crowded room helps the entertainer to create. It feeds on itself because the audience subconsciously looks around at the crowd and thinks, "Wow there must be something special going on here tonight". I cannot tell you how much easier that makes my job. Also, when it's quiet in there, the closeness of the audience to the stage invites an intimacy that can overcome the lack of bodies in the room. In a larger room, people have a tendency to escape to areas as far away from the stage as possible and the room takes on the feeling of a warehouse. So, I would not change a thing in what was once, and maybe will be again, my office.

Paul, it's good to see you on here again. Was getting a little worried not seeing you post. I agree with Paul. The Texas Happy Ladies spent much time in the ERB and it was definitely the place to be. It was cozy and comfortable and everyone felt like they were a part of the action. I for one can't wait to get back onboard the great AQ.

Shore stops...
Some were great in my 25 DQ trips in 26 years time, and some were not...many shore stops had business districts which were non-existant or way too far for walking unless there was a shuttle...and even then, fair at best.

maybe with Google earth the shore stop people can now see what is in a destination or not..

*RE: Improving the experience.*

Hi, Pete & Steamboating colleagues:
All of the above collective suggestions on the mark. When you serve the public you serve the toughest task master of all. 'Disposable income' demands high standards, full attention to service from the officers, crew. The Queen City Club here in town has a telling sign posted over the kitchen doors prominent for waiters, bar tenders etc. to see when entering the main dining room, lounge: "Be attentive. Look sharp. Service is all we have to sell." This followed by a long list of do's and dont's for the employees. One is, "No tobacco smell on hands or uniforms when serving." Another, "The club member is your employer--keep that distance between in mind."

Capt. Tom Greene and his family focused always on the required basics first with cleaniliness, food, 'home' atmosphere important. His 1st order was, "Hot foods HOT; cold foods COLD." He'd joke at the end of trips on the GORDON and DQ, "If you had a good time then tell all your friends about it. If you didn't, then for heaven sakes keep your big mouth shut!" The dining room would roar with laughter.

Some years before her death Letha Greene and I talked by phone, as usual. "The steamboat business one of the hardest you can be in. You have a full marine operation, food, beverage, hotel, entertainment, crew--and I inherited ALL of it." Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

Wesley Paulson;26148 wrote: Take a page from the blue water crowd. Home port the boat in one place and do 7-day round trips. The Greene Line Kentucky Lake trips of yore come to mind. Then tramp to the next base and start again.

Wesley

Thats what we did for the first year and a half I was on the MQ, 7day round trips to Vicksburg and back....Saturday to saturday.

I know that the ERB was supposed to look that way. I guess it's some misguided interior designer's idea of how an engineroom looks. It's not a pleasant room to be in. Brighten it up. Paint the bulkheads, so the room has an open and airy feeling. Make it cheerful. Dingy and dirty does not make the room that a passenger wants to visit. As far as a steamboat's engineroom being a greasy dirty space, if you could, ask the crew of the Str. OMAR what hell there was to pay when her Chief Engineer found a carelessly discarded cigarette butt on his deck.

Think how successful a room the Paddlewheel Bar was on the MQ. It was airy, with a lot of natural light, and the river view was excellent anywhere in the room. Or consider the Texas Bar on the DQ. Once again it was an inviting room with comfortable seating, and a river view. Even without a scheduled activity occuring these rooms would have people using the space to read, play cards, relax, and maybe even nod off.

Frank X. Prudent;26222 wrote:
Think how successful a room the Paddlewheel Bar was on the MQ. It was airy, with a lot of natural light, and the river view was excellent anywhere in the room. Or consider the Texas Bar on the DQ. Once again it was an inviting room with comfortable seating, and a river view. Even without a scheduled activity occuring these rooms would have people using the space to read, play cards, relax, and maybe even nod off.

Yup, I agree that the Paddlewheel was a warm, inviting place. And I do remember seeing people nodding off in the ERB. Unfortunately it was while I was working.

*RE: 7 Day trips/The experience.*

Steamboating colleagues:
You all make fine points above. Wesley's focus on the former '7 Day trips out of Cincinnati' on the mark. In the old days, when the DQ was based here, all trips were R/Ts in/out of Cincinnati linking with rail, bus, air and car for passengers. I recall some locals here riding the bus down from town with luggage or a cab from the suburbs. Those 7 Day trips, along with 10 day runs to Pittsburgh and Reelfoot Lake were winners along the line of today's blue water cruise ship itineraries. Betty Blake often said, "The 7 days are money makers. I could fill this boat also with shorter three day balanced with four day trips." Meaning down to Louisville or below; up above Cincinnati. Betty and the company also caught horrendous flak in later years here with the City of Cincinnati, City Council being blamed for "letting the DQ get away from us." Not the case entirely.

The move to New Orleans came about when travel specialist came in as consultants to revamp the cruise schedules, up the prevailing rates $$ with more 'Tramping.' Many passengers faced with flying in one city, flying out of another. Today, as you all know, air fares up and up in addition to many air carriers cutting or eliminating many flights with connections and transfers along with new luggage restrictions. It worked well then but I'm not so sure now. Who knows? I'll be curious to see how ACL and the revived AQ cruise businesses handle it. Some lines have an air desk to help with flights or 'group movements' by reserved air seats. New Orleans, as an air gateway city, held many charms. Mardi Gras trips to NOLA then were three weeks leaving often in near winter in the north with possible headaches with the river and navigation. The DQ returned to lay up here on/around Thanksgiving to repair, rehab all with vacations for crew before Mardi Gras. In the old days the DQ usually laid in here a good 24 hours plus before the next trip. Today the big blue water babies dock, unload passengers, load up again between early morning and late afternoon or evening for a quick turnaround. Saves docking, longshore wages. The boats can't make money if they aren't moving. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

Since it appears as if the AQ is taking another step in her return to service, I'm bumping this thread up. What are changes that could improve taking a trip on a paddlewheel steamboat? What should be returned that was removed from the experience when M.A.L. attempted to run the boat?

I still maintain that the Engineroom Bar is not very inviting and that the AQ's new management should contemplate changes to the space such as enlarging it to include the boiler deck guards or painting the bulkheads a cheery color, and adding new furniture and lighting.

For my part they could remove the flat screen tv's. I have no desire when I'm on a riverboat to watch tv. I like to be transported backl to a simpler time. Then they could get rid of that ugly blue paint. But, hey that's just one persons opinion.

I'll second the removal of the blue paint idea.
-JH

Blue Paint Hoodoo

Indeed, please get rid of that blue paint and return her to what a steamboat is traditionally painted - WHITE! During her last season I watched the AQ depart one afternoon from Natchez-Under-The-Hill. She looked so dreadfully drab in all that blue.

Also, according to river legend, it is BAD LUCK to paint a steamboat blue! In the early 1970's the BECKY THATCHER (formerly the Str. MISSISSIPPI) was painted blue at St. Louis. Shortly thereafter, the bank foreclosed upon the owners and the boat sat idle for a year before being sold to the Ohio Showboat Drama at Marietta, Ohio. After she took up residence over here on the Ohio, they continued the BLUE paint scheme and the BAD luck continued with financial woes, a sinking (1984) and other problems that eventually led to the boat being sold and her ultimate demise in 2010.

Regardless of whether the foregoing is fact or fiction, I fervently hope the AQ will be painted WHITE again!

My suggestion for the exterior, is to get the boat to look like she did in this picture.

American Queen | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

In my opinion, seeing that docked at a rivertown would attract so many people to the riverfront and increase interest in booking a cruise. Also, you could have banners hanging over the handrails with phone numbers, and website for GASC.

I disagree with the removal of flat screen TVs. I know many past passengers and steamboat enthusiasts could care less about the TVs, but many passengers might want that option. Not having anything like that in the rooms (so passengers could watch the news... ect.) might turn some people away. You could have a channel with a moving map showing the boats location and speed at all times like they do on large cruise ships. It would be a way for passengers to see where they are in relation to a particular river town.

-nick

Nick-Taylor;26876 wrote: My suggestion for the exterior, is to get the boat to look like she did in this picture.

American Queen | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

In my opinion, seeing that docked at a rivertown would attract so many people to the riverfront and increase interest in booking a cruise. Also, you could have banners hanging over the handrails with phone numbers, and website for GASC.

I disagree with the removal of flat screen TVs. I know many past passengers and steamboat enthusiasts could care less about the TVs, but many passengers might want that option. Not having anything like that in the rooms (so passengers could watch the news... ect.) might turn some people away. You could have a channel with a moving map showing the boats location and speed at all times like they do on large cruise ships. It would be a way for passengers to see where they are in relation to a particular river town.

-nick

Could we at least lose them in the ERB?

Paul

I have it on good authority they intend to remove the blue paint. Now I've just got to figure out how to juggle my vacation time off from work to include riding the AQ, visiting the DQ, riding the SPIRIT OF PEORIA and TWILIGHT and getting to Atlanta to visit my soon to arrive first grandchild!

The gleaming WHITE AQ...

If you check out the GASCo website, the picture of the AQ has been doctored or photoshopped or whatever you call it. She is all-white and has the port of Memphis TN. painted on her stern! BUENO instead of MALo!!!!!!!

With the stock market so volatile, it makes me worried about spending that extra dollar. I hope that GASC has competative pricing. I know an American flag ship is going to require higher pricing from the start, but don't use MAL's smoke and mirrors illusions. What I mean is that the 2007 minimum rack rate pricing for a seven night trip in what was an inside room with upper and lower berths on the MQ and a possibly obstructed room on the DQ with upper and lower berths was $4000.00. What were they smoking to think a room less than 90 square feet would command such prices? Then they advertised two for one pricing. Please don't insult our intelligence. Even the $2000.00 was too high for the product offered. GASC might offer a product that is worth $2000.00 a person for a week; that remains to be seen. There are lines that do. I've heard that Oceania does along with Disney, and from personal experience I would say Cunard and Celebrity do depending on the room. In my opinion HAL, NCL, and RCCL do not. I sure hope GASC will too.