With luxury and lore, American Queen revitalizes riverboat cruising

摘要

A few years ago, nostalgic travel, whereby passengers were coddled in comfort aboard steam-powered paddle wheel cruises on the country's inland rivers, appeared to be over. Not so. Last year the 418-foot steam-powered and sternwheeled American Queen, slipped its moorings on a sultry evening in New Orleans, did a turn in front of the French Quarter for show, and headed upriver en route to its home port of Memphis, Tenn.