Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 4 January 2019
Toot! Toot! New riverboat to ride Mississippi in New Orleans

By STACEY PLAISANCE marks the Battle of New
Associated Press Orleans in the War of 1812,
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Few and the Chalmette Nation-
experiences capture old al Cemetery.
New Orleans and the Missis- And there will be plenty of
sippi River quite like a pad- live band music as the boat
dlewheel riverboat coming plies the Mississippi.
round the muddy bend Cyndi Gruenberg of Hous-
with its tooting whistle horn, ton, Texas, rode the Nat-
towering smoke stacks and chez with her husband and
water-churning propeller. two daughters recently
This month the first new and said they learned
riverboat in more than a much about the city.
decade is set to launch "It was a great trip, a little
in this Louisiana port city. bit of history along the riv-
A plunge in tourism after er and just a fun ride," said
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 Gruenberg. "It's pretty cool.
forced the New Orleans It brings nostalgia back."
Steamboat Company to Tourism officials say they
sell off one of its two boats, don't expect a shortage of
but the arrival of the City of passengers, as the number
New Orleans is a sign of the of visitors to New Orleans
steadily rising tide of tourists This Nov. 29, 2018, photo shows a chandelier inside the "City of New Orleans" riverboat, as it is be- has surpassed pre-Katrina
each year to this Southern ing restored in New Orleans. levels in recent years.
city of Mardi Gras fame. Associated Press Stephen Perry, head of
"People come from all over New Orleans & Co., which
the world. It is astonishing. the vessel's renovation. The said. "Basically, we had tem. It takes up less room, promotes tourism, says the
They really want to see the then-named "Casino Rock to strip this boat down to allowing for more indoor city is "back in every way"
river," said Adrienne Thom- Island" sat unused for years the superstructure, to bare space for dinner seating, with increased hotel and
as, marketing director for until it was purchased by bones, and everything had jazz brunches and special restaurant bookings. Rid-
the company, which also the New Orleans Steam- to go back new." events. ing a paddlewheel is part
owns another riverboat, boat Company in 2016. There were additions, too. "Even though we don't of the New Orleans experi-
the Natchez. "We instantly fell in love with A dumb waiter was add- have the steam engines, ence, he noted.
A century ago, countless the boat," Dow said. "We ed to connect the gal- we do have the work- "This is one of the most
paddlewheel riverboats saw the potential in her ley to all three decks for ing paddlewheel, and we eclectic, authentic places
plied the Mississippi and its and knew that we could food transport, along with want to show that off," Dow left in America," Perry said.
tributaries. Today, New Or- do her justice and bring her passenger elevators and said. "People don't come here
leans has two: the Natchez back not only to her former handicapped-accessible As with the Natchez, cruises only for food and music.
and the Creole Queen, glory but well beyond that." restrooms. The Associated on the City of New Orleans What they like is other ex-
which is operated by New Dow said the vessel already Press was given the first look will include narration about periences.
Orleans Paddlewheels. looked the part of a New at the new riverboat re- the city and shoreline sights "A paddlewheeler is just
Now the City of New Or- Orleans riverboat, with its cently. such as the port, historic one of the great added at-
leans is coming full circle, curved decks, plentiful win- Dow says the company is Jackson Square, the Chal- tractions of imagining your-
back to the state where it dows, decorative fleurs de aiming to have the boat mette Battlefield, which self in a time gone by."q
was built in 1991. For years it lis and giant paddlewheel. ready for tours by Jan. 21,
operated as a casino boat Initially it was brought to when the Natchez goes
in Rock Island, Illinois, until a dry dock for hull repairs, into its annual service and
the mid-1990s. But after that then towed to New Orleans maintenance layup. After
state legalized onshore ca- for a makeover. that, both boats will oper-
sinos, the boat became ob- "We had to rip all of the ate simultaneously.
solete, said Matthew Dow, walls out, all the ceilings, a The two riverboats look
project manager heading lot of the insulation," Dow similar, both painted red
and white with giant red
paddlewheels and exte-
rior deck space for close-
up views by passengers of
the giant propeller. But the
new boat has more indoor
space.
The Natchez was built in
the 1970s for sightseeing
with a lot of open deck
space, and its main deck
is occupied mostly by the
boat's vintage 1925 steam
engines, an attraction for
passengers. The Natchez is
one of only six commercial-
In this Nov. 29, 2018, photo, Matt Dow, project manager for the ly-operated steamboats This Nov. 29, 2018, photo shows stairs that lead to the second
restoration of the "City of New Orleans" riverboat, plays the cal- left in the U.S. deck on the "City of New Orleans" riverboat, as it is being re-
liope on the vessel in New Orleans. The new boat is run with a stored, in New Orleans.
Associated Press modern diesel-electric sys- Associated Press