Riverboat cruises set to return to B.R. in 2012

Baton Rouge is set to become again a regular stop for Mississippi River paddleboat cruises in 2012. Connecticut-based American Cruise Lines plans to add another sternwheeler to its fleet next year, and the first cruise from New Orleans to Memphis, Tenn., will begin on Aug. 11. The seven-night cruise will make stops in Baton Rouge, St. Francisville and Oak Alley. More stops are set for November and December, according to the American Cruise Lines website. An official with American Cruise Lines says the riverboat is currently being built in a Maryland shipyard. The boat will have room for 140 passengers and will feature amenities such as a library, dining salon and six lounges. Its passengers will have a lot of time to explore Baton Rouge; according to American Cruise Lines officials, the ship will spend 80% of the time it cruises docked in ports. Cruises along the Mississippi that stop in Baton Rouge were halted in 2008 after Congress failed to extend a waiver of a federal law that said wood vessels were unsafe for overnight passengers, which then kept the Delta Queen from sailing.