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    Thomason’s plans growth and with it, a broader distribution of its famous baked beans

    Thomason’s plans growth and with it, a broader distribution of its famous baked beans

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    WEHT/WTVW employees rally for their union

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    Good News: Habitat breaks ground on another build; future owner ‘overwhelmed with joy’

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    Pittsburg uses new construction process to build a new type of water storage tank

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    Pitching ace Kemp uses bat to send Lady Cols to state again

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    Blazing-fast broadband services now available to the majority of homes in the city and county

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    HMP&L signs initial agreement to build a battery energy storage system on South Green Street

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    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

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    Summer Sunset Series, SummerFest ratchet up Henderson festival season this week

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    May the summer blockbuster season begin!

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    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

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    HCHS grad Tyler Brocato currently competing in a national chef competition

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    Thomason’s plans growth and with it, a broader distribution of its famous baked beans

    Thomason’s plans growth and with it, a broader distribution of its famous baked beans

    BRIEFS: HCPL hosts Veterans Resource Fair; City High class of ’75 reunion; HPD wants help finding car thieves

    WEHT/WTVW employees rally for their union

    WEHT/WTVW employees rally for their union

    Good News: Habitat breaks ground on another build; future owner ‘overwhelmed with joy’

    Good News: Habitat breaks ground on another build; future owner ‘overwhelmed with joy’

    Pittsburg uses new construction process to build a new type of water storage tank

    Pittsburg uses new construction process to build a new type of water storage tank

    Pitching ace Kemp uses bat to send Lady Cols to state again

    Pitching ace Kemp uses bat to send Lady Cols to state again

    Trending Tags

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    Blazing-fast broadband services now available to the majority of homes in the city and county

    Blazing-fast broadband services now available to the majority of homes in the city and county

    HMP&L signs initial agreement to build a battery energy storage system on South Green Street

    HMP&L signs initial agreement to build a battery energy storage system on South Green Street

    In some parts of the U.S., the grid of the future might be closer than you think

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    Henderson joins West Kentucky Film Commission with hopes of luring movie makers here

    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    Executive director says this year’s arts alliance lineup gives people what they want

    Executive director says this year’s arts alliance lineup gives people what they want

    2000 baseball Cols remember fondly state championship season a quarter century later

    2000 baseball Cols remember fondly state championship season a quarter century later

    Summer Sunset Series, SummerFest ratchet up Henderson festival season this week

    Summer Sunset Series, SummerFest ratchet up Henderson festival season this week

    May the summer blockbuster season begin!

    May the summer blockbuster season begin!

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    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    No Kentucky Home, Part 4: A missing bench comes to symbolize missing solutions to homelessness

    No Kentucky Home, Part 3: A church called its vision for housing a ‘Beacon of Hope.’ The mayor had concerns.

    No Kentucky Home, Part 2: After living outdoors for weeks, she got a place to sleep, a shower — and a job

    HCHS grad Tyler Brocato currently competing in a national chef competition

    HCHS grad Tyler Brocato currently competing in a national chef competition

    Flying through ATL this travel season? Lucky you

    Flying through ATL this travel season? Lucky you

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River cruise company calls it quits; no more paddlewheeler dockings in Henderson

Vince Tweddell by Vince Tweddell
February 23, 2024
in Local, News
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River cruise company calls it quits; no more paddlewheeler dockings in Henderson

The American Countess docks at the Henderson riverfront last summer. (Hendersonian Photo/Vince Tweddell)

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You won’t see any paddlewheelers docking at the Henderson downtown riverfront this summer. That’s because the company that runs the cruises, American Queen Voyages, has shut down.

Multiple mid-week media reports said the company shut down Tuesday. Its website, www.aqvinfo.com, posted this: “Despite great efforts by our team, crew and partners, American Queen Voyages (AQV) unfortunately has been unable to rebound from the effects of the pandemic. The overnight cruise industry was especially affected by changes in travel preferences and, as a result, AQV has become financially unsustainable.

“We are therefore shutting down the business, and all future AQV cruises have been cancelled.”

For years, the docking of a paddlewheeler, or what’s commonly called a steamboat locally, downtown seemed a rite of summer in Henderson, with cruisers walking up the steep bank to board a tour bus led by many local historical buffs or bypassing the buses for the downtown shopping district to browse the boutiques.

But since the pandemic, as mentioned in the AQV’s goodbye notice, the number of people on the boats has dwindled, said Henderson tourist Commission Executive Director Abby Dixon.

In 2021, when the paddlewheelers began cruising again, Dixon said that the boats would come in at about 30% capacity, which left local tour buses designated for the passengers with sometimes two or three people in them. Dixon said before the pandemic tour buses were often full.

“This is just an industry that has really struggled since Covid,” she said.

She said passengers routinely gave positive reviews to their river cruising experience on the three boats that most often docked in Henderson—the American Queen, American Countess and the American Dutchess.

Dixon said “we’re obviously disappointed” because the boats have been a focal point for the downtown area in the summers.

But the economic impact from the boats’ dockings was “minimal,” she said. Most passengers ate on board because of the package deals so the impact on local restaurants wasn’t big, she said.

In summers past, the boats made 20-plus visits, but the past summer the number of visits was cut drastically, Dixon said. Before the announcement to shut down, the company had only two visits scheduled for the coming summer, she said.

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Vince Tweddell is the founder, publisher and editor of the Hendersonian.

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