Delta Queen: The National Treasure of River Cruising

lunes, 28 de agosto de 2017

Delta Queen: The National Treasure of River Cruising

This is the last steam-powered ship out there.

Historical landmarks are widespread throughout the world, and all of these hold a special meaning to the country where they belong. For example, the Boston Light and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad are both examples of national historic landmarks, as both were designated by the National Register of Historic Places, in 1964 and 2012 respectively. By now, you must be assuming that historical landmarks are limited to places and constructions, but let me show you that there’s a cruise so important that it became a landmark.

National historical landmarks don’t necessarily need to be sites and structures to fit the “landmark” canon: objects are also part of the recognition criteria of the United States Government. Do you want to know which was the cruise I was referring to before? It’s the Delta Queen.

But, how come a cruise earned such recognition? Before answering this, let’s put some context on this cruise ship. Back in the early 20th century, the Delta Queen was born, when ships were powered by steam engines and the trade on the Mississippi River was dominated by steamboats. In 1926, the ship was built in Stockton, California. At first, it did a regular service between San Francisco and Sacramento, but it didn’t take long until California Transportation Company drove it out of service and then sold to the Isbrandtsen Steamship Lines to be used on a different route.

From that moment until today, the Delta Queen ownership changed several times, from the Greene Line to the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. A curious fact about this ship is that, before being bought by its last owner, it was a floating hotel docked in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The ship was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, then subsequently declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989. This recognition was earned thanks to the countless years of service the ship had accomplished, and the efforts of Bill Muster and Betty Blake to maintain it on business.

There are many amazing stories behind certain ships, and these add more to their value when you travel on them. Nowadays many are sailing out there, and it’s hard to know the past behind each one of them but, as long as you continue to travel, you shall discover it yourself. Cruise Planners – Jason Hantman can help you make a choice as to which cruise to take if you’re looking for the best one (river or sea). Just contact them to get the best options and offers for you to travel!