Dock draws double duty: Mississippi Queen, River Explorer visit

Boats making fewer trips to Cape, but visit still pleases passengers

As soon as she got off the boat, Veyonne Schell thought Cape Girardeau looked interesting enough. After a morning of visiting its river-related landmarks, listening to its music and shopping in its quaint downtown district, the Nampa, Idaho, resident was ready to call it home.

"It's fantastic," she said. "I'd love to live in a place like this. At first I thought it looked OK, but it's really fascinating."

Almost 500 river-boat cruisers from across the country unloaded Monday morning from a rare double docking of two passenger boats -- the Mississippi Queen and the River Explorer -- which happened to have scheduled stops here at the same time.

Besides double dockings, another thing is getting increasingly rare: Stopping here at all.

Fifteen stops are scheduled for Cape Girardeau this docking season, which began March 5 and runs through Sept. 25. That's 11 fewer than last year's 26 and 12 fewer than 2003, when there were 27 stops.

The River Explorer, owned by New Orleans-based River Barge Excursion Lines, has eight stops scheduled this year, half of last year's number. The Mississippi Queen has four stops compared to six last year. The Delta Queen has three stops this year, one fewer than in 2004.

The American Queen hasn't docked here since 2003. The Queens are owned by Delaware North Co., which is also based in New Orleans.

A full slate of stops brings more than 5,000 tourists to Cape Girardeau each year, who spend money in the city's shops and restaurants.

"When I saw how short the list was, I said: 'Ouch,'" said Kara Clark, director of sales at the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Some shop owners said they double their daily business on the days a boat is here.

Roger Lang of Lang's Jewelry said boat business depends on whether or not this is the boat's last stop.

"If it's the first stop it's OK, but if it's the last stop it's real good," Lang said. "On their last stop, they realize they haven't bought anything for the grandkids."

Deb Martin of Patricia Ann's opened her home decor shop early on Monday and was greeted by a packed house. She said business has been down this year, though, because fewer boats are stopping here.

"It's still a gain the day they're here, but not as much of a gain," she said.

Clark of the CVB speculated that the decrease in stops could be attributed to a decrease in ridership.

Spokeswomen for both of the companies that own the boats said that's not the case. Lucette Brehm, a spokeswoman for Delaware North subsidiary Delta Queen Steamboat Co., said their three boats are basically booked solid for every voyage. But because nearly 30 percent of their business comes from repeat customers, the company likes to stop at different places, she said.

"We try and give them a diverse schedule," Brehm said. "Just because we travel between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh 20 times, it doesn't mean we're going to stop at the same places every time."

The American Queen hasn't been to Cape Girardeau in two years because it hasn't been upriver from the New Orleans area in that time. Brehm said it will be back in 2006.

The three queens have 15 visits scheduled for 2006, and the River Explorer has nine.

But the visitors Monday were oblivious to that. They just wanted to get a sampling of Midwestern life on the river. After leaving their respective boats, the 400 passengers on the Mississippi Queen and the 85 from the River Explorer were greeted by Jerry Ford's Dixieland Band.

Many of the visitors opted to take bus or walking tours of the town's historic sites, including the Red House, Old St. Vincent's Church and the Cape River Heritage Museum. Others took a bus tour to Trail of Tears State Park hosted by Paul White Eagle.

Some just wanted to go on their own to the shops on Main Street.

"They think of it as a charming little small town," said James Anderson, shore tour manager of the Mississippi Queen. "They love the scenic views and the downtown."

Lisa Knoy, the guest relations manager for the River Explorer, said her guests relay similar compliments.

"They enjoy the shops, and they think the hospitality is wonderful," she said.

Al Strodtbeck of Wooster, Ohio, said he has taken river trips several times.

"River towns are very unique," he said. "Each have their own story about the river, and it's always fascinating."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137