The Great American Steamboat Company has announced that Priscilla Presley will serve as the godmother of the steamboat American Queen. Presley, who is synonymous with Graceland, which is located in the cruise line’s home base of Memphis, Tenn., will name the sternwheeler in a christening ceremony at the revitalized Beale Street Landing on April 27.
Great American has also entered into an exclusive partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises. This collaboration will present the first Elvis Cruise on the American Queen from Memphis to New Orleans this December, as well as signature Graceland experiences for guests.
Priscilla Presley became co-executor of the Presley Estate in 1979, growing it into a successful organization including Graceland Mansion, a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, television and video projects. In addition to being a businesswoman, producer and actress, Presley is an ambassador of the Dream Foundation, helping to fulfill the dreams of adults battling terminal illnesses and has also joined Hollywood celebrities against the overmedication of children. She is an advocate for Citizen’s Commission on Human Rights and a percentage of all purchases on PriscillaPresley.com are donated to support these two charities.
“Priscilla Presley’s efforts leading Elvis Presley Enterprises exemplify both grace and dignity, two adjectives befitting the American Queen,” said Great American Steamboat Company CEO Jeff Krida. “Both are stunning ambassadors to Memphis and we are humbled to bring our steamboat family and the Presley family together.”
“It is quite a thrill for Memphis as steamboating returns once again with the arrival of the American Queen,” Presley stated. “I look forward to her guests visiting Graceland and experiencing true Southern hospitality, which is why this city holds such a special place in my heart.”
After a sunset christening, the American Queen will depart for her inaugural voyage up the Mississippi River to the Ohio River with stops in Henderson, Ky., Louisville, Ky., and Madison, Ind., before arriving in her disembarkation city of Cincinnati. In Louisville she will take part in the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Great Steamboat Race with the Belle of Louisville and Belle of Cincinnati.
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