New Player Barges Into Riverboat Scene

Riverboat tourists in the U.S. will soon get a new way to go: the 200-passenger R/V River Explorer barge being built in Jennings, La.

Scheduled for launch July 4, 1998, the vessel will offer four-to-10-day cruises on the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Cumberland rivers, as well as the Gulf IntraCoastal Waterway along the Gulf of Mexico. Ports of call will include New Orleans; Nashville and Memphis, Tenn.; St. Louis; Kansas City; and Matamoros, Mexico.

The Explorer is the first major challenge to the Delta Queen Steamboat Co., which has dominated U.S. river travel. Jeff Krida, president of RiverBarge Excursions Lines Inc., the New Orleans company that owns the barge, formerly headed Delta Queen.

But RiverBarge hopes to create a more European-style barge tour, focused on regional culture and food and shore excursions, according to Bernard Stolberg, its hotel operations manager. Cruise themes include American music, Cajun and Creole culture and French pirate Jean Lafitte.

The vessel, patterned after river freighters, consists of two connected, 295-foot-long units powered by a towboat. The fore barge has lounges and a restaurant; the aft barge has 100 rooms, which include satellite TVs and telephones with computer ports.

Fares range from $1,730 to $2,335 per person. Reserve via a travel agent or by calling (888) 282-1945.