There’s a cruise ship docked south of Tri-Cities. Will it be a new WA tourist gateway?
American Song, a 180-passenger riverboat that cruises the Columbia and Snake rivers from spring to fall, is docked in Burbank for the winter.
It’s not just a pretty sight near the confluence of the two key Pacific Northwest rivers. It’s a sign that cruise ships and their passengers might someday transform a gritty stretch of Tri-Cities waterfront into gateway for tourists visiting the Walla Walla Valley.
American Cruise Lines and the Port of Walla Walla, which owns the dock, are forming a plan to upgrade Burbank’s high dock to allow passengers to step off riverboats and onto motor coaches for excursions to Walla Walla wineries, restaurants, parks and cultural hubs.
Kristin Meira, spokeswoman for the Guilford, Conn. cruise line, confirmed to the Herald the cruise line is interested in expanding its dock facilities in the region.
The Columbia Snake system is one of the most popular itineraries for ACL, which operates river cruises across the U.S.
Adding a passenger dock at Burbank won’t affect its commitment to neighboring cities, notably Richland, Meira said.
Cruise ships will continue to stop at Howard Amon Park, a popular launch point for excursions to the Reach museum and destinations in the Tri-Cities and beyond.
“That is a very important location for us. We are not leaving that location,” she said.
Working waterfront
Burbank offers a sharp contrast to Howard Amon. In Richland, cruise guests arrive via a park filled with mature trees, walking paths, a playground, outdoor stage, an art gallery and in easy distance of restaurants and civic amenities.
At Burbank, the high dock’s neighbors are a grain terminal and a metal recycling facility. The nearest road is unpaved.
The industrial locale is an advantage as far as the cruise line and passengers are concerned.
“Our passengers appreciate a working waterfront,” Meira said. They pepper crews with questions about barges that ferry agricultural products on the Columbia and other commercial activity on and near the water.
“They’re interested in everything that makes the system successful,” she said.
A passenger dock doesn’t have to be fancy, scenic or packed with amenities.
“If you look at where we call up and down the river, our needs are minimal — a safe and reliable docking location and a way for guest coaches to access the site,” Meira said.
More than a pipe dream
While discussions are preliminary, port officials are eager to see passenger ships bring tourists to Burbank.
Commissioner Kip Kelly called the project a priority when he announced he would seek reelection this year.
“It’s conceptual,” he told the Tri-City Herald. “But there is traction. It’s not a pipe dream.”
Cruise passengers already find their way into Walla Walla via excursions from Richland, said Guy Glaeser, executive director for Visit Walla Walla.
Adding a passenger dock at Burbank will make Walla Walla’s wineries, cultural and historic attractions more accessible and strengthen an important industry.
“It’s good for Eastern Washington period.”
Tourism boost
Generally, cruise ships passengers aren’t a big audience for tasting rooms in Walla Walla and Umatilla counties, according to a 2024 economic impact report commissioned by the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance.
The report notes that 528,000 tourists visited its wineries in 2022.
Nearly 75% arrived arrived by passenger vehicle and the rest traveled chiefly by airplane, according to the report, released in May 2024 by High Peak Strategy.
High Peak calculates the industry generated $260 million in 2022, with almost $76 million spent on wine alone. The industry directly employed 990 workers.
This winter is the first time ACL has used Burbank as a winter dock for one of its five Columbia Snake passenger vessels. They typically spend the off-season docked east of Astoria, Ore., where workers carry out maintenance and upgrade for the next season.
Cruise season coming
American Song, built in 2018, will complete its winter stay in Burbank in late March.
Once the Army Corps completes lock maintenance, the ship will travel to Portland for the April 1 start of its 2025 season. Its debut trip is a nine-day, eight-night voyage to Clarkston, on the Washington-Idaho border.
Fares start at $6,000 and include stops along the way, including Richland.
Its sister boats, American Harmony, American Jazz and paddlewheelers American West and American Pride, will be visible to Tri-Citians between April and October as they too navigate various routes on the Columbia Snake river system.
A sixth, American Anthem, is under construction at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland.
Once complete, Anthem will make its way to the Columbia via the Panama Canal for a scheduled debut in spring 2026.
This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.