Hyatt Gaming bought the vessel in 1996 and renamed her Grand Victoria II. Still officially named “Queen of New Orleans”, she was called “Flamingo” (“Queen of New Orleans” still being painted on the bow, life vests etc.). In 1995 the boat was sold to Hilton Flamingo in New Orleans where Hilton operated her as a floating casino for about one year.
Captain Troy Manthe was fond of saying that “the best of the Creole Queen went into the Flamingo.”
The Queen of New Orleans/Flamingo was built as a much larger version of the Creole Queen. The Grand Victoria II was launched as “Queen of New Orleans” in 1993 by Halter Marine of New Orleans for the Manthe Family. Don Sanders), she is permanently moored right on Indiana’s state border and can’t move without violating Kentucky’s strict gambling laws. While the boat is “the finest diesel-electric sternwheeler ever built” (Capt. The Grand Victoria II, since 1996 is the center part of the Grand Victoria Casino & Resort in Rising Sun, Indiana.
