The American Melody was docked June 11 at the Cape Girardeau riverfront.
The vessel, built in 2021 and owned by American Cruise Lines, can carry up to 175 passengers and features a four-story atrium in the center.
Because of security concerns, only ticketed passengers were allowed aboard the boat.
Since the 1920s, Cape Girardeau has welcomed more than a dozen riverboats every year with hundreds of passengers and crew delighting in the community — the history, the restaurants, the shops and many more attractions, according to a VisitCape brochure.
At this time, five more riverboat visits are expected and scheduled to dock at the Cape Girardeau riverfront before the end of October: