 JULY 2000 COVER STORY: AMERICAN CLASSIC VOYAGES Columbia Queen, featured
on this month's cover, is the latest addition to the growing
fleet of the American Classic Voyages is the largest owner and operator of U.S.-flag, U.S.-crewed passenger vessels and has launched into an expansion program that will give it a total number of 7,500 passenger berths by 2004. By any definition, that's a pretty impressive demonstration of niche-broadening. It's also an impressive demonstration of making the Jones Act (O.K., purists, the companion Passenger Services Act of 1897) work. Because, at the end of the day, AMCV has to offer a vacation product that can be sold at a price competitive with what's being offered by foreign-flag cruise lines serving the U.S. market'and pay American shipyard prices and American maritime labor wages.
So far as the basics of the hull and machinery are concerned, the United States Lines newbuildings are fairly typical of the "standard" cruise ships of the type operated by foreign-flag cruise lines. Meantime, though, AMCV has also been expanding its Delta Queen operation--and also extending the brand. It has just inaugurated the Columbia Queen, which takes the Delta Queen cruise concept to the Columbia, Snake and Willamette rivers. Eight-night Columbia Queen vacations feature a weeklong cruise on a 1,000-mile route from Portland to Astoria, Ore., near the Pacific Ocean, and to Lewiston, Idaho, the gateway to Hell's Canyon. Seasonal rates for the 8-night Columbia Queen vacations start at $2,100 per person. Within days of the Columbia Queen inauguration, Atlantic Marine, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., launched the first of two 300-ft. coastal cruise ships being built for operation under the Delta Queen Coastal Cruises brand. The new 226-passenger Cape May Light will be completed in the water for delivery in March of 2001.
COLUMBIA QUEEN The design of the Columbia Queen blends the historical ambiance of the Pacific Northwest with modern-day amenities. Furnishings include decorative pillows and jacquard wool blankets from Pendleton Woolen Mills of Pendleton, Ore., a large mural depicting the Columbia River Gorge, antiques, representation of fine federalist and Victorian furniture, hand-silkscreened original papers for wall coverings and borders, carved woodwork and stained-glass chandeliers from Tiffany of Chicago. Each of the 81 staterooms is equipped with satellite TV and radio, VCR and ship-to-shore telephone with data port. Many staterooms feature a balcony or veranda that opens to deck. Clearly, the vessel is aimed at a somewhat different market than, say, Carnival's "Fun Ships." With a gross tonnage of 1,599 grt the vessel has a length of 218 ft and a beam of 66 ft. The vessel was designed by Rodney E. Lay and Associates, Jacksonville, Fla.--the same architects who designed the Delta Queen Steamboat Co's American Queen. Whereas Delta Queen managed to find a suitable steam plant for that vessel, however, the Columbia Queen is actually a motor vessel. Total installed propulsion horsepower of 4,100 includes two direct-drive Cummins diesel engines (1,350 hp each) and two Cummins diesel engines, each driving a 700 hp Schottel Z-drive, and one 400 hp Schottel bow thruster. Speed is a stately, but amply adequate, 11-13 knots Construction of the vessel began at Leevac Shipyards, Inc. of Jennings, La., and was completed at Cascade General, Inc., in Portland, Ore.
COASTALSHIPS For its coastal cruise ships, AMCV commissioned Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. of Seattle, to design the vessels, while Andrea Piacentini Design, Inc. also of Seattle, was contracted as the interior designer. The interior joiner package will be done by Hopeman Brothers Marine Interiors of Waynesboro, Virginia. Tentative itineraries for the new line of coastal ships for the Eastern Seaboard include Miami, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Portland, Maine, Nova Scotia and Halifax. Itineraries for the Pacific Northwest and northern California are also planned. Each coastal cruise ship will be powered
by two Caterpillar 3516B diesel engines driving two Schottel
Z-drives. Electrical power is provided by Caterpillar 3516B diesel
generator sets rated at 1825 kW each. |
ML