American Queen Voyages announced they are shutting down, and canceling all future cruises
PADUCAH, Ky. (WSIL)--- American Queen Voyages announced they are shutting down and canceling all future cruises. A Local Paducah Musician was shocked to hear about the closure.
"One person from that boat called us this place, little Memphis, Beale Street, and stuff, and they enjoyed it. And now to find out that they're no longer going to be here," Donovan Woods said.
Donovan Teddy Bear Woods says playing for tourists was part of his income.
"This is all I do for a living, you know, tips and, uh, it helped pay the bills, it helped put money in my wife's pocket, you know, take care of run stuff," Woods says. "And, now that that's gone, I just there, well, the thing is, I'm going to hurt. It is going to hurt for a while."
The company had boats that would stop in Paducah, Cape Girardeau.
"They come by and take pictures with me like I'm some famous person," Woods says. "They used to go, Hey Teddy bear. And I go, here I am, and I play, and they come over and hear a couple of songs."
Passengers from the boats would visit the Hotel Metropolitan to learn about Paducah's Black history. The museum's Director says they would do two to three tours a day for them.
"It was a green book stop and also on the Chitlin circuit. So all kinds of great people stayed here. Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Thurgood Marshall."
Betty Dobson says not many Museums exist like hers.
"It was an experience. And the people that came from the American Voyager, they enjoyed it, and we enjoyed doing that for them," Dobson said.
She says she was surprised to hear the cruise line was ending.
"It was important for folks to come here to see the Hotel Metropolitan so that they can learn African American history that's not taught in the history books," Dobson said.
Terry Reeves is a travel agent who says the riverboats would bring 200 people into local towns.
"There are at least two other companies that run similar cruises up and down the rivers. And we will direct them to those cruises for sure," Reeves said.
In the meantime, Dobson says they will still give tours.
"This is the only hotel that I know that still operates as a hotel, but we are slash a museum as well to, you know, keep the income rolling," Dobson said.
