Snake Rivers News

American Cruise Lines announced on Wednesday that it has added Starlink satellite internet to its 2023 fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships. The new high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi will be complimentary on all 2023 cruises, ensuring seamless connectivity and faster upload speeds nearly everywhere the company’s small ships are cruising throughout the country—from Glacier Bay Alaska to the sunny Florida Keys; from the Napa Valley wine country to the historic Hudson River; and from…

It’s amazing to consider that a commercial vessel in the Pacific Ocean, approaching the mouth of the Columbia River, can continue its eastward journey to finally tie up at the Port of Lewiston, in Lewiston, Idaho, America’s most inland West Coast port, 465 miles from the Pacific Ocean.The Columbia and Snake Rivers form that critical east-west waterway, an economic powerhouse regionally, nationally and internationally. According to the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA)…

Federal water managers are changing release and storage schedules at several Pacific Northwest dams because of a late season and strong atmospheric river that began June 9. Significant amounts of rainfall have fallen across the Columbia River Basin filling reservoirs and rivers.To assist in managing river stages at Vancouver, Wash., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division, is increasing storage behind the John Day Dam in Eastern Oregon. Where most dams on the Columbia and lower Snake rivers are “run of river” projects…

American Cruise Lines Accepts Delivery of American Melody and Announces the Names of the 5th & 6th Modern RiverboatsAmerican Cruise Lines announced it has taken delivery of its newest riverboat, American Melody, from Chesapeake Shipbuilding. The vessel was handed over on time despite various challenges as the Maryland shipyard continued building through the pandemic.Immediately following last week’s successful Sea Trials, the brand new American Melody headed to New Orleans to ready for its inaugural cruise along the Mississippi River, an eight-day New Orleans-New Orleans itinerary.

Crowley Maritime Corp. awarded Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships to Great Lakes Maritime Academy (GLMA) cadets Tristan Barnett and Jackson Dagata for their achievements and interest in maritime careers.Named in honor of former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Thomas B. Crowley Sr., the scholarship benefits promising maritime students. While earning their bachelor’s degrees at GLMA, both Barnett and Dagata also participated in Crowley’s cadet shipping program where…

American Cruise Lines now has six ships in the Pacific Northwest for 2021, with four of them operating on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.One of the line’s riverboats American Harmony completed its recent journey from the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest via the Panama Canal. The newest addition to American’s Columbia River fleet comes at the same time that the line is preparing to introduce two more new riverboats to the Mississippi River.Upon arrival in Astoria, Ore., American Harmony joined modern series sister-ship American Song…

American Cruise Lines announced it has taken delivery of a new riverboat from Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md.The 190-passenger American Jazz is the latest in American’s series of five new modern riverboats and will be added to the company’s fleet on the Mississippi River. American’s building plans have continued at full strength, despite this year’s pause in cruising.“American Jazz and the modern riverboats we currently have under construction demonstrate our commitment to leading the U.S. river cruise market by adding new small ships each year,” said Charles B.

U.S. coastal and river cruise operator American Cruise Lines continues to accelerate its newbuild program across its diverse fleet, adding new ships to its new Modern Riverboat Series as well as its fleet of new coastal ships and Victorian-style paddlewheelers. American, which introduced a new ship in 2017 and two new ships in 2018, will put its latest new vessel into service this summer, with two more newbuilds coming in both 2020 and 2021.In August 2019, American Harmony, the second of five ships in American’s Modern Riverboat Series…

One year ago, we reported on vacation river cruising, presenting an industry mostly on the optimistic side of growth and expansion for 2018. This year’s review is more geographically limited – to the Mississippi River, heartland cruises centered among New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis and St. Paul – but with links important for a lot of smaller cities in between.Big picture:This industry is strong, at least among its two major players: American Cruise Lines and the American Queen Steamboat Company. Both have extensive and varied schedules for 2019.

American Harmony’s lower bow section has moved from Fabrication Building #4 at Chesapeake Shipbuilding to the Assembly Launchways. The second new ship in American Cruise Lines five-ship, modern riverboat series is well on its way to completion.American Harmony, like American Song (which just made its inaugural sailing earlier this month), will be equipped with every technical advancement and offer the best in contemporary design including a magnificent five-story glass atrium.

American Cruise Lines has announced that brand new ship American Song has successfully passed Sea Trials and is now on its way to the “Big Easy.” The first modern riverboat in U.S. history is expected to arrive in New Orleans the first week in September.American Song passed Sea Trials with flying colors and is the second new vessel completed and delivered to American Cruise Lines by Chesapeake Shipbuilding this year. American Harmony, the second modern riverboat in the series…

American Cruise Lines' new vessel, American Song, the first modern riverboat in U.S. history, is nearly complete.This week, American Song, under its own power, moved from the East Outfitting Basin at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md., to the yard’s outfitting bulkhead for the final outfitting touches.American Song is set to make its inaugural cruise October 6, 2018 on the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The vessel will cruise the Line’s Lower Mississippi River itineraries…

A local barge company has been fined $18,000 for spilling 40,000 gallons of liquid urea ammonium nitrate into the Snake and Columbia rivers. Urea ammonium nitrate is a common fertilizer that is corrosive to steel. An investigation by the Washington Department of Ecology found that two steel tank barges owned and operated by Tidewater Barge Lines, Inc. were not properly maintained, causing the liquid fertilizer to spill into the rivers during three separate incidents in April 2017. The first spill occurred between April 11 and 21 during transfer and storing operations at the Tidewater Snake River Terminal in Pasco. Investigators determined that 16,639 gallons of urea ammonium nitrate were released by Barge No. 78 due to corrosion of the storage tank.

Even before the implementation of Subchapter M requirements, Vancouver, Washington-based Tidewater Transportation & Terminals had developed a strong culture of workplace safety. Within its overall plan is using and regularly testing Emerald Marine Products' ALERT Man-Overboard System. The ALERT system consists of a water-activated transmitter worn on a lifejacket and a receiver installed in a wheelhouse. If the wearer falls into the water, it instantly activates a piercing alarm and flashing light, alerting the boat captain to the man overboard (MOB).

Container barge service is back on the upper Columbia and Snake rivers.The Up river Container Barge-Rail Shuttle will help importers and exporters in eastern Washington, Oregon and Idaho move containerized agricultural products to markets in Asia. An informal partnership including Northwest Container Service, Tidewater Barge and the ports of Morrow, Lewiston and Portland helped facilitate the return of this service. The first barge is currently loading at the Port of Lewiston this week and expected to get underway Thursday. The new service would address key issues driving up the cost of transportation in the wake of losing direct carrier service at Terminal 6 in Portland earlier this year— loss of barge service, container availability and cost of trucking to Puget Sound ports.

Coast Guard Cutter Bluebell Celebrated its 70th Anniversary in Portland Ore. A crowd gathers together to celebrate the Coast Guard Cutter Bluebell’s anniversary at Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Portlandon April 3, 2015. The Bluebell has been continuously serving on the Columbia, Willamette and Snake Rivers since 1945. The vessel was commissioned on April 4, 1945, in Tacoma, Wash., it was then transferred to the Vancouver, and eventually to Portland where its crews have consistently ensured the safety of mariners along the Columbia, Willamette and Snake Rivers. The Bluebell is the second oldest ship in the Coast Guard and its 15-member crew is responsible for maintaining more than 400 aids to navigation covering 500 miles of the Columbia, Willamette and Snake Rivers.

American Cruise Lines (ACL) confirms it will be placing the first of 4 upcoming newbuilds on the Mississippi River, where it currently operates its newest riverboat, 'Queen of the Mississippi'. The second newbuild will operate in the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, where the line is operating the 120-passenger 'Queen of the West'. The company adds that construction of both new riverboats is well underway at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD. The new Mississippi riverboat will have a similar capacity to Queen of the Mississippi at150 passengers…

American Cruise Lines (ACL) today confirmed it will be placing the first of four upcoming newbuilds on the Mississippi River, where it currently operates its newest riverboat, Queen of the Mississippi. The second newbuild will operate in the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, where the line is operating the 120-passenger Queen of the West. Construction of both new riverboats is well underway at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md. The new Mississippi riverboat will have a similar capacity to Queen of the Mississippi at 150 passengers, and will enter service in March of 2015. The new Columbia riverboat will follow later that same year. It will be slightly larger than American Cruise Lines’ other riverboats, with a planned capacity of 175 passengers.

Four new ACL Vessels to Enter Service between 2015 & 2017 and to Operate on U.S. American Cruise Lines announced plans to build four new riverboats for American river cruising, and noted that construction has already begun on the first two ships, with the first to begin cruising in in the spring of 2015. The first two new riverboats are designed to carry between 150 and 200 guests and will cruise the Mississippi River system and the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The full suite of four new ships will enter service between 2015 and 2017.

American Cruise Lines announce the addition of a new itinerary for 2013 – Puget Sound and San Juan Islands . Offered aboard the 100-passenger American Spirit, roundtrip cruises from Seattle will showcase the most beautiful inland waterways on the West Coast. Puget Sound, which will include the San Juan Islands, will be the newest offering in American Cruise Lines’ Pacific Northwest cruise collection, which includes Alaska’s Inside Passage and the Columbia & Snake Rivers. Inaugural cruises are slated to begin on April 6, 2013.

Cruise West, now the only cruise operator on the river, is extending the Columbia & Snake Rivers cruise season through the summer with a new itinerary on the Spirit of '98. As bookings for the river itineraries continue to rise, Cruise West will stay and operate a new summer itinerary rather than send the Spirit of '98 to for the summer season. Cruise West's new, seven-night "Best of the Columbia & Snake Rivers" itinerary will cruise round-trip out of Portland, OR and highlight the native culture, cuisine and history of the region, with tours of the Tamastslikt Culture Institute, Mt. St. Helens and two boutique wineries. Additionally…

More than 33 oil spills from nine dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers have prompted the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) to take enforcement action against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Ecology issued a notice of violation today that lists the state oil spill and clean-water laws that have been violated. It also cites the Corps for insufficiently training and preparing staff to respond to oil spills, and it describes the potential that exists for further spills from the nine hydropower dams the Corps operates on the river system. Spills were reported for the following dams from 1999 to 2004: Bonneville, The Dalles, John Day, Chief Joseph, McNary, Lower Monumental, Ice Harbor, Little Goose and Lower Granite.

Shipyards around the world are facing increasingly stringent environmental rules and regulations, adding additional expense to a business sector with an already reputed thin bottom line. Nonetheless, to stay in business shipyards must continuously enhance their capabilities and compliance, in order to successfully woo and complete lucrative jobs. U.S. shipyards have aggressively been augmenting traditional repair expertise with the tools and systems needed to prosper in 2000 and far beyond. The ensuing editorial updates significant activities and enhancements at U.S. ship repair yards. Detyens Shipyards based in North Charleston, S.C., is continuing its upbeat course of developing trusted relationships with customers along the U.S. East Coast — specifically with Hvide Marine, Inc.