ACL continues to add Columbia River capacity

This year marks American Cruise Lines’ fifth season on the Columbia and Snake Rivers with its 120-passenger paddlewheeler, the Queen of the West, which is now sailing more than double the number of cruises it sailed its first season in 2010, according to Timothy Beebe, vice president of American Cruise Lines.

The company is also in the process of building a new 175-passenger riverboat for the Columbia and Snake rivers, an exact launch date for which has yet to be announced.

American Cruise Lines acquired the Queen of the West in 2009, and has since completed several multi-million dollar renovations of the riverboat, according to the company. The Queen of the West operates eight-day cruises between Portland, Ore., and Clarkston, Wash.

In celebration on the Queen of the West’s five-year anniversary with ACL, the vessel’s first departure this year, on March 28, will include a complimentary pre-cruise package, featuring a bonus night onboard the riverboat, a private tour of the Pittock Mansion, a visit to the Portland Saturday Market, and a welcome reception and performance.