The largest river steamboat ever built departed Pittsburgh’s North Shore on Monday in a nine-day cruise back to Louisville, Ky.
Passengers from the first half of the trip disembarked the American Queen about 9 a.m. Monday after it arrived in Pittsburgh on Sunday night. They had explored riverfront communities from Louisville, including Madison, Ind., Cincinnati, Huntington, W.Va., and Marietta, Ohio, before ending in Pittsburgh.
Though most of the passengers made other travel arrangements to get back to their homes, some planned to stay aboard for the cruise back to Louisville. Retired United Airlines pilot Lloyd Gentry and his wife, Joyce, from Greencastle, Ind., fell into that group. They were starting their seventh cruise.
“Cruising is restful,” Mr. Gentry said, relaxing in the vessel’s Mark Twain Gallery room. “It’s enjoyable sitting on the boat deck, watching the river go by.”
Mr. Gentry makes it a point to have dinner with the captain on every cruise he takes.
“I like airplanes, ships and boats,” Mr. Gentry said. “I like to talk to the people who run them.”
Commanding the American Queen on this trip was Capt. Randy Kirschbaum of Cassville, Wis. He grew up on the Upper Mississippi River and started working on river vessels more than 40 years ago.
“Every pilot and captain have areas they specialize in,” Capt. Kirschbaum said. “The Upper Mississippi is my best. I’d say up here [on the Ohio River] is my second-best.”
Built in 1995, the American Queen is powered by a steam engine that turns its paddle wheel and two diesel-electric propellers, known as Z-Drives.
It can accommodate 436 guests in six levels of staterooms. The Grand Saloon Theater is one of the main features of the boat, modeled after the historic Ford Theater in Washington, D.C. The crew and the passengers form a tight bond, said entertainer Phil Westbrook, of Las Vegas, Nev.
“It’s a familial feel,” Mr. Westbrook said. “It’s friendly and personal. Many of the guests have adopted us as family.”
On Monday, Mr. Westbrook was greeting new guests as they strolled up the gangplank, but he usually can be found singing and playing the piano in the bar area of the boat. He’s been a cruise ship performer for 20 years, usually on the water 36 weeks out of each year.
The second leg of the cruise departed Pittsburgh at at 5 p.m. Monday, headed back to Louisville. For many, including Mr. Gentry, steamboats aren’t about the destination, but the journey.
“On big ships, you don’t know the captain, entertainers and waiters,” he said. “Here, you meet more people. The beauty of this boat is making friends.”
Carley Bonk: cbonk@post-gazette.com and Twitter @carls_marie
First Published: July 17, 2018, 2:45 a.m.
