Edison Chouest Group Obtains MARAD Approval Of Charter Of River Cruise Vessel to Non-US Citizen

River 1, LLC, a Louisiana limited liability company owned by Edison Chouest group of companies of Cut Off, Louisiana, submitted for approval its charter of a passenger cruise vessel to operate on the Mississippi River pursuant to 46 CFR §221.13. The vessel is to be operated by Viking USA, LLC which is not a citizen of the United States. According to the MARAD memorandum published on July 30, 2021, the vessel is to be owned exclusively by River 1 in which Viking USA has no ownership interest or control. As the charter agreement is a time charter, it is covered by the general regulatory approval of 46 CFR §221.13(a).

 (https://cms.marad.dot.gov/sites/marad.dot.gov/files/2021-07/Passenger%20Vessel%20Charter.pdf)