As with everything related to travel in the age of Covid 19, it seems, my first planned river cruise in more than a year couldn’t start without a little drama.
Two days before we were to depart, it almost fell apart due to last-minute confusion over whether the American Queen Steamboat Company’s new paddlewheeler, the American Countess, met CDC requirements for sailing with no more than 250 people on board.
But the wrinkle was ironed out quickly, and the company on Sunday was able to pull off the christening and launch of the Countess under health and safety protocols with efficiency that has so far has had minimal impact on the guest experience.
American Queen has announced that it will require all passengers to be vaccinated starting with its July cruises — by that time most of the country is expected to have access to the shots. But passengers on its early sailings need only have…
