American Melody cruise lands back in Cape Girardeau

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.(KBSI) — Cape Girardeau is once again showing why it’s a favorite stop for river cruise passengers traveling the Mississippi.

Brenda Newbern, director of Visit Cape’s Parks and Recreation Department, was on hand Wednesday to greet more than 160 guests and staff members aboard the American Melody, a cruise ship making its way up the river from New Orleans.

“We are the best welcome that they have had so far on their journey. And they started in New Orleans,” said Newbern, proudly discussing the city’s reputation.

Newbern and her team work closely with the cruise organizers to ensure each docking is more than just a stop, but rather an experience.

“We work with the ships in order to coordinate a loop around our city so that they can visit our attractions,” she says. “That way, they get a chance to begin the experience and get exposed to what Cape Girardeau has to offer, some of the history and some of the things that you can do here.”

For Newbern, the benefit goes beyond a smiling face and a warm welcome, for her, It’s about impact.

“The reason that we enjoy it so much is because we have 160 people today coming off of the American Melody, and that ship will take and spend money in our city,” she said. “You see more than one person come back with a bag in their hand. So it’s something that helps the economy of Cape Girardeau at the same time as giving us more exposure to people from all over the country.”

She discussed the importance of first impressions when it comes to building Cape Girardeau’s reputation as a travel destination.

“If you look at anything in all of the statistics, they tell you that the first thing people need to do is just know who you are,” said Newbern. “You see a picture, and then they start thinking about maybe they want to plan a trip. So how important is it to have 160 individuals approach our riverfront park and go into our town and then spread the word about Cape Girardeau, Missouri?”

Newbern said the effort is part of a long tradition. “We have been doing this for 20 years. My predecessor was doing it before me. I’ve been doing it for the last ten years, and we do it every time the boats come.”

This year, Cape Girardeau is set to host six cruise dockings, with nine already scheduled for 2026.

“The key is to continue to do a good docking, have people feel welcome so that we can continue to increase those dockings,” she said.

And so far, the response from passengers has been overwhelmingly positive.

“They love it,” said Newbern with a smile. “I think we can say we’re pretty proud, pretty, pretty happy to have that kind of people reflect on us.”