American Duchess Paddlewheel Has Been Removed?

[Choose Something Fun]

 

 

I just received the notification below from  the American Queen Steamboat Company regarding our cruise on the American Duchess that begins in a few short days. The whole reason we booked this trip was because we wanted to cruise the Mississippi on a paddle-wheeler. This should be quite the spectacle without the wheel. It's slightly disappointing that we weren't notified sooner so we could have made an informed decision as to whether or not we wanted to continue on this trip. Now that we're on our way, it's too late to back out so we're going to make the best of it and come back with a crazy story instead of pictures of the paddlewheel. Cheers!

 

Vessel: American Duchess™                             

Voyage Date: 1/6/2020

 

Dear Guests and Travel Agent Partners,

 

On behalf of the entire American Duchess family, we are happy that you have chosen to spend your vacation with us to enjoy all of the adventures that river cruising with the American Queen Steamboat Company provides.

 

We would like to make you aware that several weeks ago, the American Duchess experienced a mechanical issue with its paddlewheel that forced us to remove it from the boat. Rest assured, this will not have an impact on the itinerary or our ability to deliver each exciting port of call, as we have three fully operational engines that provide all of the power needed to safely complete this voyage.

 

The American Duchess is truly a contemporary masterpiece and our crew is committed to providing you with the exceptional service that guests have come to expect on any American Queen Steamboat Company river cruise.

 

If you have any questions with regard to the information provided, please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-888-749-5280. Our reservations staff will be happy to assist in any way.

 

We look forward to welcoming you aboard the American Duchess.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ares M. Michaelides

President

American Queen Steamboat Company

[LDVinNC]

That is too bad, but the Duchess is not a "real" paddlewheeler.  If it was, they could not remove it and keep sailing.  I believe the American Queen is the only authentic paddlewheeler left.  Now, that is a sight to behold!

[califsealion]

That would be weird, but we really loved the Duchess.  It will definitely be a story to tell!

[ericosmith]

14 hours ago, LDVinNC said:

That is too bad, but the Duchess is not a "real" paddlewheeler.  If it was, they could not remove it and keep sailing.  I believe the American Queen is the only authentic paddlewheeler left.  Now, that is a sight to behold!

 

Sort of, only 40% percent of the forward thrust comes from the paddlewheel.  The rest from props.

[Calliope]

The AMERICAN DUCHESS experienced a cracked paddlewheel shaft during December that necessitated the wheel being removed. The photos that I saw on Facebook show that the wheel broke literally in two with half of the wheel falling into the river. 

 

Several years ago I was on the AMERICAN QUEEN when she too experienced a cracked shaft, but the wheel remained in place setting on the shaft bearings. At that time her paddlewheel was disassembled, the shaft left in place, and she too made it back to Cincinnati using just her two Z-drives.

 

Losing the boats wheel should not  materially effect your cruise. I certainly hope that is the case, and I would love to see your review about you sans paddlewheel travels when you return home.

Edited January 6, 2020 by Calliope

[BJR52001]

On 1/3/2020 at 7:23 AM, LDVinNC said:

That is too bad, but the Duchess is not a "real" paddlewheeler.  If it was, they could not remove it and keep sailing.  I believe the American Queen is the only authentic paddlewheeler left.  Now, that is a sight to behold!

 

Actually the only authentic paddlehwheeler is the Delta Queen.  Everything else has them for ambiance, the American Queen included.  The Z-drives are safer, more reliable, and more efficient.

[nanatexas]

Is the Paddlewheler fixed yet?

[CoolNickname]

On 1/2/2020 at 2:27 PM, Choose Something Fun said:

 

 

I just received the notification below from  the American Queen Steamboat Company regarding our cruise on the American Duchess that begins in a few short days. The whole reason we booked this trip was because we wanted to cruise the Mississippi on a paddle-wheeler. This should be quite the spectacle without the wheel. It's slightly disappointing that we weren't notified sooner so we could have made an informed decision as to whether or not we wanted to continue on this trip. Now that we're on our way, it's too late to back out so we're going to make the best of it and come back with a crazy story instead of pictures of the paddlewheel. Cheers!

 

Vessel: American Duchess™                             

Voyage Date: 1/6/2020

 

Dear Guests and Travel Agent Partners,

 

On behalf of the entire American Duchess family, we are happy that you have chosen to spend your vacation with us to enjoy all of the adventures that river cruising with the American Queen Steamboat Company provides.

 

We would like to make you aware that several weeks ago, the American Duchess experienced a mechanical issue with its paddlewheel that forced us to remove it from the boat. Rest assured, this will not have an impact on the itinerary or our ability to deliver each exciting port of call, as we have three fully operational engines that provide all of the power needed to safely complete this voyage.

 

The American Duchess is truly a contemporary masterpiece and our crew is committed to providing you with the exceptional service that guests have come to expect on any American Queen Steamboat Company river cruise.

 

If you have any questions with regard to the information provided, please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-888-749-5280. Our reservations staff will be happy to assist in any way.

 

We look forward to welcoming you aboard the American Duchess.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ares M. Michaelides

President

American Queen Steamboat Company

 

Darn. We also picked the Duchess partly for the paddle wheel. Wonder if they're planning on putting it back? We don't set sail until March 23rd. I just double checked and I've received no notice of this.

Edited February 19, 2020 by CoolNickname