The boat is expected to dock at the cave at Cave-In-Rock by 8 a.m., at noon there will be a ceremony involving the ship’s captain, a Mark Twain impersonator and a Becky Thatcher impersonator and the ship’s entourage will present a plaque to the Village of Cave-In-Rock.
There are three famous river cruise boats operating on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The Delta Queen is the smallest, the Mississippi Queen is larger and the American Queen is the largest of the three, according to Cave-In-Rock Mayor Marty Kaylor.
Kaylor said the American Queen has been recently refurbished by the Great American Steamboat Company in Memphis, Tenn.
The boat has room for 325 people.
“There are 301 people in Cave-In-Rock so there should be 24 more people in the boat than we have here in town,” Kaylor said.
The American Queen departed St. Louis, Mo., July 5 with a disembarkation at Louisville, Ky., July 11. There are only ports along the way, Cave-In-Rock, Henderson, Ky., and Brandenburg, Ky.
Details of the ship are at the Web sitehttp://www.greatamericansteamboatcompany.com