Many people have been wondering why they have not seen the Delta Queen on the Mississippi River this year.  This historic steamboat as well as the Mississippi Queen and American Queen have been regular visitors here in Red Wing, MN for many decades.  None of these beautiful boats will be carrying passengers in 2009.  Ambassador International owns the three paddle wheelers and announced that there will be no scheduled trips this year and that all three boats are up for sale.  The Delta Queen was built in 1927 and was the oldest overnight passenger steamboat operating in the United States.  On October 31, 2008 the exemption from modern shipbuilding codes expired prohibiting the Delta Queen from operating on any river due to her wooden substructure.  The Delta Queen is now being used as a floating hotel (not allowed to leave the dock with passengers) in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  The other two steamboats are docked at the Perry Street Wharf in New Orleans.  The future of these historic boats is any one’s guess.  One organization is trying to motivate Congress to allow the Delta Queen go back into operation on the river.  For more information go to www.save-the-delta-queen.org