Delta Queen Steamboat Inducted!

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Delta Queen Steamboat Inducted into National Maritime Hall of Fame

American Merchant Marine Museum Foundation honors National Historic
Landmark

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 22
Delta Queen Steamboat Company Inc. announced today that the National
Historic Landmark Delta Queen will be inducted into the National
Maritime Hall of Fame at a Jan. 24 ceremony at the U.S. Merchant
Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.

A national committee of museum directors and maritime historians
selected the Delta Queen for this honor. The legendary Delta Queen --
an American treasure since 1927 and the last operational steam
paddlewheeler that has overnight accommodations -- is the only
National Maritime Hall of Fame boat still plying the waters. To be
eligible for this award, usually the honored ship (or in this case,
boat) must have been sunk or scrapped for at least five years.
However, the committee made a special exception this year for the
Delta Queen as it appears she will sail on for years to come.

"This is a great honor for the Delta Queen," said Rick Abramson,
president of Delta Queen Steamboat Company, Inc. (DQSC). "The Delta
Queen is a treasured piece of Americana, and we are proud to continue
to preserve a piece of our history."

Steamboats themselves are rooted in the history and culture of the
early to mid-1800's. Pre-dating just about everything but rafts and
the Conestoga, Steamboatin' represents how Americans traveled and
settled the heartlands of this country.

"Today as a Steamboat traveler, you reach back to touch, to feel, to
wonder at, to take pride in, and to understand the historical events,
feelings and psyche that have made America what it is today," Abramson
added. "All of this, coupled with the intimacy, luxury, and
authenticity of the steamboats themselves make Steamboatin' an
American Legacy that all Americans must experience sometime in their
lives."

Located on the grounds of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings
Point, N.Y., and overlooking the Long Island Sound, the American
Merchant Marine Museum is dedicated to telling the American public
about the importance of its Merchant Marine in both peace and war.
Founded in 1979, the Museum is true to its mission to educate
visitors, to promote public interest in our nation's Merchant Marine
and to preserve historic items that represent our nations' rich
seafaring heritage.

A Delaware North Company, DQSC offers overnight cruises year-round on
the Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers aboard the
nation's only authentic steam-powered paddlewheelers featuring
overnight accommodations. For more information, please contact your
travel professional.