AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company announced its new timeline for restarting domestic river sailings.
While the line's American Duchess is due to resume service on July 20, the first cruise for American Empress has been pushed back from July 6 to July 19. American Empress will sail on the Snake and Columbia rivers in the Pacific Northwest.
American Queen and American Countess are now scheduled to start cruising on the Ohio, Tennessee, and Mississippi rivers on August 8.
According to American Queen Steamboat Company, the decision to update the sailing schedules had been made “in an abundance of caution due to local regulatory compliance and ongoing governmental restrictions across ports, cities and public institutions.”
AQSC founder and CEO John Waggoner said they hoped that with the extended suspension and ongoing work with local partners in each of the communities they visit would help bring their guests back to the river and allow them "to continue offering the same high quality, extraordinary cruise experience they are desiring."
The company's new timeline follows the recent announcement that AQSC was partnering with Ochsner Health "to help implement new health and safety protocols and disease prevention and mitigation strategies."
As part of the partnership, passengers will have real-time access to infectious disease experts within the telehealth system of Ochsner.
AQSC has also reached agreements with regional healthcare providers along its routes to ensure travelers can be taken ashore quickly for treatment in case it is necessary.