Water levels

Are there issues with high and low water levels in the U.S. like there are in Europe?

Are there issues with high and low water levels in the U.S. like there are in Europe?

Oh, my, yes! American Queen has been chugging back and forth from Paducal to Cincinnati on the Ohio River for weeks, because she couldn't fit under the bridge at Cairo, IL (where the Ohio meets the Mississippi) due to high water. Finally, last week she got out of the Ohio as far as Cape Girardeau, but couldn't continue up the Mississippi to St. Paul, MN, because of high water, so she went to Cincinnati again.

In 2012, she couldn't get much below Memphis on the Mississippi due to LOW water. We were supposed to go to Vicksburg before turning around, but held up in Memphis for 3 days, instead. The cruise line usually figures out some extra ports to make up part of the loss, and in 2012, at least, settled some financial compensation on passengers.

It's just part of any cruising -- there will sometimes be forces of nature that can't be overcome. In that weekend in Memphis, for example, the cruise line was going to bus us to Vicksburg to see the battlefield (it was part of the Civil War theme cruise), but Hurricane Issac took that day to decide to wander north up the Mississippi -- for a double whammy, low water and hurricane.

Rivers are rivers whereever in the world they are!

The lock and dam system on the Upper Mississippi river and the Ohio river is only to guarantee a 9 foot channel. It´s no high water control. But there are even low water situations where you can´t go on there.

Two years ago we were supposed to go on a St. Paul - St. Louis cruise. We watched the river levels and there was a high water situation rerouting cruises only a couple of weeks before we were supposed to go. By the time we were supposed to go we had an extreme low water situation and so we cruised from Cincinnati to St. Louis.

I had rerouted river cruises in the US, I had shortened river cruises in the US. It´s the same problem like in Europe.

steamboats

For what it is worth - I have called AQ each of the past three days, July 29, 30, 31, and each time have been assured that American Queen is now on its scheduled Upper Mississippi itinerary.

padrek,

She´s been to Cape Girardeau yesterday so she´s definitley on the Upper Miss right now ;)!

steamboats