New cruise opportunities on the Mississippi River are coming to Natchez.
American Cruise Lines and the city of Natchez broke ground on a new major cruise dock on the Mississippi River. This investment in Natchez’s tourism future marks the cruise line’s largest infrastructure project to date.
“Natchez is a highlight of our Mississippi River cruises and has been a wonderful partner since we started sailing on the Mississippi more than a decade ago,” American Cruise Lines President and CEO Charlie Robertson said. “This is an investment in Natchez and in Mississippi River tourism. We believe in the continued growth of tourism on the river and want to continue investing in port communities from Louisiana to Minnesota.”
“This is a groundbreaking for a new era of tourism on the Mississippi River,” Robertson continued. “We are ready to partner with communities along the river to build more docks and grow tourism throughout the Mississippi River corridor.”
According to Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson, the dock will advance the city’s long-term vision to solidify Natchez as one of the Mississippi River’s premier destinations and to accommodate more passengers to embark or end their journeys at the port.
“[Wednesday’s] groundbreaking is significant not only for Natchez, but because it represents a new level of commitment by America’s largest cruise company to tourism along the lower Mississippi River,” Gibson said. “This new dock moves us closer to a vision we have worked toward for a long time — for Natchez, the jewel of the Mississippi, to join New Orleans and Memphis as a port where river cruise passengers can begin and end their journeys.”
Executive Director of Visit Natchez Lance Harris added that adding an American Cruise Line dock in Natchez will be vital to expanding economic development in the city.
“Tourism is economic development, and infrastructure is what allows that economic development to grow,” Harris said. “This investment strengthens Natchez as a destination while creating opportunities that extend beyond the riverfront and throughout Southwest Mississippi.”
The infrastructure project comes amid significant investment in Natchez from other transportation and hospitality companies. In July, commercial air service returned to the Natchez-Adams County Airport, connecting the city to Houston via United Express service operated by SkyWest Airlines.
Additionally, plans are underway to renovate and reopen the historic Eola Hotel. It will be rebranded as a Marriott Tribute Portfolio property in the heart of Natchez. Together, these projects aim to put the city on the national map for tourists visiting from across the United States.
“When you put these pieces together — commercial air service, major new river infrastructure and the redevelopment of the Eola — you begin to see a much larger picture,” Gibson said. “We are creating the connectivity that allows people not simply to visit Natchez, but to arrive here, stay here, begin their journeys here, and experience more of Natchez and Southwest Mississippi.
“This is about more than building a dock,” Gibson continued. “It is about connecting Natchez to the country and the world — by river, by air, and through hospitality — and positioning our city for the next generation of tourism growth.