The Waterways Journal
15 December 2008
By David Murray
After a year billed by its owner, Majestic America Line, as its farewell cruising season, the Delta Queen may have retired for good.
The Delta Queen on its final visit to Louisville, Kentucky, on October 24.
The Delta Queen's latest exemption from provisions of the 1966 Safety at Sea Act expired on November 1, meaning this season was probably its last as a passenger carrier, at least until it finds a buyer and a new effort to save it is successful.
In the latest quirky chapter — or rather, afterword — of the Delta Queen saga, on December 3 four Ohio Republican congressmen signed an appeal to President Bush to issue an executive order to save it.
Since it's doubtful the president has the Constitutional authority to overturn an act of Congress by executive order, the letter serves mostly to show good faith and draw continued attention to the Delta Queen's plight.
The appeal was the latest in a series of efforts to save the Delta Queen. Ohio Republicans have been in the forefront of most efforts. In September, a bill introduced by Sen. George Voinovich attracted bipartisan support, but died in committee.
For decades, the riverboat received near-automatic congressional exemptions.
The Delta Queen's supporters have long argued that the 1966 act, which prohibits overnight passenger travel on vessels with wooden superstructures, was aimed at ocean-going vessels and should never have been applied to the Delta Queen. Although its superstructure is wooden, its hull is steel
(although it has often been incorrectly reported as wooden in media coverage). Riverboats are always in sight of shore, and the Delta Queen has never had a serious accident in its years of operation. Its onboard fire fighting equipment is up to date.
The Delta Queen's smooth run of exemptions came to an abrupt end when one powerful congressman, Minnesota Rep. Jim Oberstar, reversed himself in 2007 after having twice voted for the exemption in the past. He declared himself opposed, on safety grounds, to any more exemptions for the Delta Queen. As chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Oberstar had the power to kill any exemption.
The Delta Queen's owners, Majestic America Line, which bought the Delta Queen in 2006, claimed that Oberstar was influenced by the Seafarers International Union, which had previously represented Delta Queen workers. Majestic had refused to negotiate with the SIU to represent its crews in its other divisions of cruise ships.
Whatever the case, it seems there may be little or nothing left for any union to organize.
In June, Majestic American's owner, Ambassadors International Inc., announced it was looking for buyers for the cruise company or its assets.
Joe Ueberroth, Ambassador International's chief executive officer, said in an October conference call that river cruising was a "wrong investment" for his copany. He has returned the Empress of the North to the Maritime Administration
River and steamboat blogs have been humming with rumors that the American Queen is about to be, or has already been, similarly returned.
While Ueberroth said there was sincere interest in individual vessels, he called the current economic climate a difficult one for financing. He vowed not to operate the Delta Queen in 2009 even if Congress passed an exemption.