The American Queen Steamboat Company of Memphis, Tennessee recently bought the Isle of Capri’s former Bettendorf, Iowa riverboat casino. The vessel will be renamed the American Duchess and transformed into a 166-passenger, all-suite riverboat that will cruise the Mississippi River starting in June 2017. Isle of Capri opened a new land-based casino in Bettendorf in late June. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
American Queen President Ted Sykes stated the casino boat will be sent to a U.S. shipyard where its existing two decks will be rebuilt and a third deck will be added. Sykes said the boat will resemble a historic Mississippi riverboat with a “classic wedding cake style” with a working paddlewheel.
Sykes said the American Duchess will offer 550 square foot loft suites, standard 240 square foot veranda cabins and 180 square foot interior cabins. Dining options will include a grand dining room to accommodate all passengers and an 80-seat Grill Room.
The American Duchess will be American Queen’s third river cruise boat. Its flagship boat, the 436-passenger American Queen, is the largest steamboat ever built, Sykes said.
