The American Cruise Lines’ American Melody sits waiting for passengers to disembark Monday morning in Marietta. Marietta is one of the stops on the Grand Ohio River Cruise. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

MARIETTA — Passengers from around the U.S. came to Marietta Monday morning.

The American Melody, one of American Cruise Lines’ ships, stopped in Marietta at the Marietta Levee, giving passengers a chance to visit the city.

According to the company’s website, the American Melody is an American riverboat that holds 180 passengers and was built in 2021, and Marietta is one of the stops on its Ohio River and Grand Ohio River Cruises.

When American Cruise Line boats stop in Marietta as part of these cruises, passengers can take a complimentary trip to the Castle Historic House Museum; participate in a Marietta Local Loop Excursion which entails a visit to the Campus Martius Museum and the Children’s Toy and Doll Museum; take a guided walking tour of Marietta’s Earthworks; see Harmar during a Harmar Heritage walk that shows off Fort Harmar and the Henry Fearing House; and participate in a guided exploration of Mound Cemetery.

Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Deana Clark and some of her staff were stationed near Ohio Riverfront Park Monday morning to welcome the cruise guests.

Sioux Falls, Sd., residents Beth Kamrath, center, and Karie Hall, right, disembark from American Cruise Line’s American Melody Monday morning at the Marietta Levee. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

“We greet every boat that comes in,” Clark said. “We like to give them a Marietta welcome.”

According to Clark, the American Melody stopped in Marietta on July 10 on its way up to Pittsburgh and Monday it stopped in Marietta on its way back down the river from Pittsburgh.

Clark said according to a passenger she spoke with, there were about 100 people on the cruise. She said a lot of the people on the boat will visit some of Marietta’s museums and that is an added boost to the museums.

She also said passengers would come “downtown and walk around town” and “do some shopping.” She said boats stopping in Marietta also bring boat viewers to town and the CVB promotes the boats stops year round.

Owner of Schafer Leather Store Rob Schafer said the store had cruise passengers come in on Monday.

Passengers walk off the American Melody’s gangplank in Marietta on Monday morning. Marietta is one of the 11 stops on American Cruise Lines’ Grand Ohio River Cruise. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

“They’ve been through all morning,” he said.

Scahfer said it’s a hit or miss with cruise passengers whether they buy anything in the store.

“Today they’ve been buying,” Schafer said.

He said he met passengers from California, Wisconsin and all over.

Beth Kamrath and Karie Hall, of Sioux Falls, S.D., were two of the passengers onboard the American Melody and were the first two to disembark Monday morning.

The Williamstown Bridge can be seen in the distance as the American Melody sits docked at the Marietta Levee on Monday morning. The ship stopped in Marietta as part of American Cruise Lines’ Grand Ohio River Cruise. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Kamrath said she and Hall decided to go on the cruise because it is “something new and something unique.”

She said that they had been on big cruise boats before but the American Melody is smaller.

“I’m liking it,” Kamrath said.

What she has seen of Marietta so far she likes, Hall said.

“It’s an interesting city,” she said.

According to Kamrath, she and Hall planned on going on the Mound Cemetery walking tour on Monday. Hall said they are history fans.

American Cruise Lines Public Relations Manager Alexa Paolella said via email that American Cruise Lines has offered 8-Day Ohio River Cruisesin previous years.

“We have expanded our itinerary options on the Ohio River this season to also include longer 16-Day Grand Ohio River Cruises, between Pittsburgh, Pa., and St. Louis, Mo.,” she said. “Both American (Cruise Lines’) 8-Day and 16-Day Ohio River itineraries visit Marietta and offer guests a large variety of shoreside experiences there.”

According to Clark, American Cruise Lines plans to stop in Marietta 14 times next year.

American Cruise Lines did not respond to requests for comment about its plans for next year by press time. To learn more about American Cruise Lines and it cruises, visit https://www.americancruiselines.com/

Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandsentinel.com