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New England Islands Cruise from Providence, RI

We loved the cruise on Florida rivers   after many cruises in the gulf and oceans we enjoyed the calm river cruise   The ship was a bit dated but the crew and personnel were very attentive.  Food was excellent with many choices and sometimes high level entrees like lobster and prime rib.  A smaller ship with only 90 passengers allowed us to meet many of the passengers.  The tours were well done with history of the area as the focus.  A special extra was the lecture series that we found informational.  We will book another American Cruise line cruise as this one was our first.   Since this was our first cruise on this line we were impressed with the number of people on the cruise that had multiple river cruises on this line.  And many were booking additional cruises while on the ship. They must be happy with American Cruises line

Calm Cruising well done

Raiatea

My husband and I were excited to celebrate our 40th anniversary on a cruise to New England and because of the internet description we thought American Cruise Lines and the American Star would be a good choice.  The cruise dates were September 9th through the 16th. 

   We were disappointed from the moment that we walked on to the boat we noticed that the boat was older and in poor condition.

   When we went to hang our clothes in the closet, we saw that the cloth baseboard was pulled away from the wall and floor and that it was very dirty, and it appeared that there was water damage which would indicate that there were other problems such as mold.  The carpet was dirty with stains that were somewhat improved when the housekeeping manager had the room cleaned again. 

Because I have asthma, the air quality in the cabin was important! The vents were filthy, the carpet was dirty, and the ceiling tiles were not evenly connected. I soon developed a bad cough.

      A huge problem was that the toilet never worked properly from day one.  We kept pouring water into it to be able to flush it.  When the engineer tried to repair it, he found that it had a missing part and that it could not be repaired.  Also, the rust underneath the window was alarming. Also, the carpet on the upper deck was covered in big stains.  

      Simple things like ice in the upper deck cooler seemed too difficult for the crew members to service.  Passengers requested ice for the cooler and finally gave up and went and got the ice themselves. 

   We requested bath towels three times before we were able to get any.  The faucet had a steady leak at the base, so we had wet toiletries.

   The meals were below par at best.  Every breakfast meal was cold except for scrambled eggs.  I had to throw out coffee because of an insect floating in it. One lady was even served a frozen quiche.  Only twice did we eat three meals while on the boat.  I think that we had a couple of decent dinner meals, although a crab mixture was put on top of too many entrees. 

   There was nothing to do in the evening except listen to a couple of local singers/musicians. The magician did not show up.

   Happy hour started when the dinner hour started.  We went one time because the dinner hour started at the same time.

   The bus trips were not what we wanted to do because we wanted to enjoy the islands.  We decided to explore the Islands on our own.

   We contacted the only cab driver at New Port, RI and Thursday is their day to provide service only to their residents.  After several texts with KJ, she finally told us that Jonell could call us an Uber.  The internet was so weak that we could not put the Uber App on our phone.

  This was a very expensive cruise that was in the category of High-End Cost but Low-End Cruise. We would have preferred to have spent more time on Martha’s Vineyards, Nantucket or New Port than Block Island or Bristol.  The wait staff in the dining room was very helpful and very nice.  We wrote thank-you cards to several of them and tipped them. We also appreciate the helpful attitude of the house cleaning manager and the engineer that tried to fix our toilet.

   By the end of the cruise, I was so congested that I could hardly breathe.  Immediately after arriving back in our state, I went to a doctor and was given a chest x-ray and was told I either had a severe case of bronchitis or pneumonia.  I was put on a strong antibiotic, prednisone, and an inhaler.

   We are very disappointed with this cruise and do not feel that we received the value for our money.  

High End Cost Low End Cruise

Montego Bay

This was my first time on American Cruise Lines. We wanted to see some of New England. We flew into Providence, RI and stayed at the cruise line recommended Hotel. The hotel was overpriced and not helpful about what to do in Providence. The cruise line had a welcome package, but no information about Providence. We missed a great Italian restaurant area that we did not find out about until the next day.

     The next day a bus took us to the port of Fall River in MA. The dock was a dump, the same dump that we spent our last night on the ship with glaring lights into our room. The ship was old, showed signs of rust and should have been retired years ago. As soon as we got on we knew it was a mistake. People could not get their room keys for days into the cruise and many rooms did not have properly working showers. The bathroom amenities were minimal and more worthy of a Motel 6 then a luxury cruise. 

     Don't expect any music on board as there was none the entire cruise with the exception of a 45 minute show of 2 singers after dinner. No music during the cocktail hour, no music during dinner, and no music after the short show. It seemed that the cruise line wanted everyone to go to bed early. Overall, the evening entertainment was poor. One night one of the singers did Jingle Bells. It felt like a Mitch Miller sing along in an old folks home.

     Dinner was fine, but only 3 choices. Service was good, but the waiters did not know the menu and the kitchen frequently made errors on the orders. Communication was poor, with little or no port information, shore excursions bad and not worth the money. I don't think that I will ever use this cruise line again. Everything just so dated.I am glad that I did not pay the extra money for a balcony which were little more then a ledge. The two fitness machines on the upper deck were not plugged in and were rusty. No cushions on the lounge chairs.  The cruise line told me not to schedule air flight home until after 1 PM. That was totally wrong and it caused us a 4 hour unnecessary wait in the airport. What else could go wrong?

Worst cruise ever

Cannes

This was a cruise of the New England Islands. We were excited to see these islands and they were beautiful.

The stops were typical of small town New England coastal life. It was interesting to see how the very rich live.

We chose American Cruise Lines because our previous experience with ACL on the Columbia River was great.

Of course that was before the pandemic.  Perhaps, that contributed to ACL's shortcomings. 

 Overall, the cruise was a disappointment, with a few good things thrown in. 

The Good – 3 staff members showed concern and actions to make this a good cruise. The food was ok.  But the afternoon cocktail hour food was not of the same quality we had experienced before.  The authentic lobster bake was great.   An informational talk by a local fisherman was extremely interesting. With the small number of passengers, getting off and on the ship was efficient. 

The Bad - Deck crew for sure. They were not using the proper knots. So they couldn’t get things untied. In one instance the captain took over untying the knot to a fender while our tender, with us in it, was being bashed against the side of the ship. They repeatedly fouled lines which became major knots and delayed tying up the ship. 

This ship was built for river cruising. It is not designed to be in open ocean waters. There are no stabilizers. The freestanding shelves in a public common area are not bolted down. During rough seas, the crew lays the shelves down on the floor.

In Nantucket, the tender’s coxswain managed to overheat the main outboard engine and it stopped working. The second smaller outboard engine was known by the crew to already be out of service. Radio communications back to the ship was not working either. Finally, a US Coast Guard cutter showed up and prepared to tow us. This was not needed, but we never made it to shore. 

Not once did we see the crew performing their emergency drills. The crew’s lack of proficiency made my concerned for our safety. 

One of the staff was annoyed at any request we make. If it required any effort, he just said no.  His bartending skills are non-existent! He didn’t know how to mix cocktails. He doesn’t know the Cabernet Sauvignon is a red wine. When opening a wine bottle, he never removed the foil cap. He would place the bottle of wine between his legs (very gross) and pull the cork out leaving the foil on the neck and top of the bottle. He then poured the wine over the dirty foil. Gross again. 

The Ugly:The carpet in my stateroom was vacuumed but was never clean! I walked out the shower and around on the carpet. The bottoms of my feet were black.

One morning, the milk for the “Early Risers” breakfast buffet was curdled. 

Over 2 months after several emails and phone calls, we have not yet received a $100 refund for the Discover Nantucket Island tour which was cancelled because of ACL's equipment failure that caused a cancellation of an excursion.

A disappointment

We picked this cruise because we'd never been to the New England Islands.  The brochure said Providence to Providence.  But the dock in Providence was damaged last year and American Cruise Lines is using a very unattractive dock in an industrial area of Fall River.  A 40 minute bus ride away. That was just the beginning of problems.  We embarked on a Saturday.  Our  bathroom fan  screeched. It  sounded like a bearing had gone out.  The lady came and removed the fan right away.  But said she couldn't fix it until Sunday.  No repair on Sunday.  So I told Andy, the "Hotel Manager" again on Monday.  He said he would go have it fixed "right now".  Nothing was done.  On Tuesday, I told the Cruise Director again.  It   was finally repaired on Monday.  The food and dining room staff were great. But the engines are very noisy and a propeller or shaft may have been damaged.  There was inordinate vibrations.  The entertainment was pretty bad.  Not at all a "luxury" cruise or worth the money.  Avoid at all cost.

THIS SHIP IS VERY TIRED

We cruised New England in August 2022 on the American Star. It was awful. The worst cruise I have ever taken. The ship is old and in need of much maintenance. We had sewage back up in our shower 3 times. We embarked the ship from a different port than advertised. Had we not been on the pre- cruise exercuion we would have missed the ship, because we wre never informed of the embarking port change. We were supposed to embark in Providence Rhode Island but it was New Bedford that we embarked. The ship never made it to 3 of 7 ports advertised. We missed Providence, Nantucket and Block Island. Martha's Vineyard was cut short because we couldn't dock and had to ferry over from New Bedford. The captain kept us in New Bedford 3 nights, because he said the wind gust were too high and the anchor wouldn't hold. However, we were suppose to dock not anchor. The ferries and other boats were sailing, but not the American Star. The excursions mostly consisted of trolley rides around the town. The ship had one weathered elliptical and one weathered stationary bike on the ouside deck for its fitness program. Thevstaff was friendly but they were understaffed, unorganized and untrained. Some staff walked off in the middle of the cruise and new ones  came on. I called customer service. I was told to email. I emailed customer service and the president. I stated my dissatisfaction with the cruise. I asked for a statement of why the ship couldn't sail so I could file a claim with my travel insurance. I have ask for a statement a total of 5 times. Two while on the ship 3 in emails after the cruise. A month later, I have not received a statement. I also asked for a partial refund. The president sent a letter say they advertise the American Star as their oldest ship. He was glad I had positive interaction with the staff. He said, he wanted to restore my confidence by offering me 25% discount on another cruise. They had already offered 20% off to everyone,if they booked on the cruise.  Their customer service is non- existent. I will not sail with them ever again. I do not recommend thier cruises.

Awful cruise and customer services 



We chose this cruise to the New England Islands because my wife has never been to New England. The pictures and description on ACL website were misleading. This was nowhere near a luxury cruise. The best place to begin is the Rennaissance Hotel the day before the cruise. Room was nice but not worth $500.00. Embarkation was easy and without incident. However, the cruise line changed the port from Providence to Fall Run, RI. and it took about 45 mins. to get there from Providence. I'm just wondering why the cruise line waited until the last minute to tell us about this change, since they have been leaving from Fall Run for some time. The port in Providence has been under construction and the cruise line knew this. Why don't they list this new port instead of leading people on to believe they are leaving from Providence? Can't help but wonder if there isn't some financial gain for ACL by having passengers stay at Renaissance? If you drive, it cost $32 a night for parking, the room was $500 I wonder what the cost would be if you stayed closer to the actual port of departure. ACL needs to be up front and honest with passengers and advise them of the actual port. Stop hiding this fact.  You've been doing it long enough now. As for the crew we are more than satisfied with them even though it appeared as though some of the deck hands maybe new to working on a ship. Housekeeping staff was excellent. Dining room staff was excellent attended to all our needs and requests. Very personable and a joy to talk to. Steve, the cruise director was very good but fell short in providing information needed at the ports, The daily newsletter didn't have information such as where you can get a bus or shuttle and times. You would have to track Steve down and ask him. Not all passengers go on tours and often enjoy going out on their own. You need to make that Information available to them through the newsletter. As for Andy and Taylor (Dining Room Director) had very little contact with Andy but the dining room staff, and meals as said before were veery good. The real problem is the age of the ship and many of the passengers we talked to were very disappointed in the condition of it. When you pay $12,000+ for a "luxury" cruise you expect more than the American Star. Balcony was very disappointed. The one thing my wife kept talking about before the cruise was sitting out on the balcony and enjoy the ride. She could not do that because the balcony was so small. If someone sat down on a chair, there was not enough room to get pass them. Three feet wide is not a balcony. Don't be fooled by pictures on the web site there are no sliding glass doors. If I was an executive for ACL I would be embarrassed to call it a balcony. Luxury cruise, don't think so, no Wi-Fi, no TV for the last day., mold on the shower curtain, rooms and dining room had leaking AC, mold in the AC. Outdated decor in the rooms, carpet was dirty. ACL decided on the last day to tear down the ceiling on deck one which you had to traverse in order to get to the dining room. If you read the reviews on previous tours, you will see many of the remarks deal with the age of this ship. This ship has no business being used by ACL. It either needs to be dry docked and completely refurbished to maintain the high standards that ACL talks about, or it needs to be completely scuttled.

VERY OLD SHIP

July 2022 - My wife and I have been on numerous cruises (26+) throughout the world on various cruise lines over the years.  This was our third cruise on American Cruise Lines (ACL).  Our New England Islands cruise started on July 16 in Providence, Rhode Island.  

Our flight from Florida arrived a day early, July 15, so we could enjoy the Providence area. We stayed at the Renaissance Providence Downtown.  The hotel was across the street from the Rhode Island State House (Capitol) and also a very large mall.  Several good restaurants were in the area.  The hotel staff was very helpful and friendly especially since ACL never made a reservation for us (we just signed up for the cruise a week before).  On Saturday, we were given a brief tour of Providence which was very nice.  We actually boarded the ship in Fall River, MA to the east.  

Boarding the American Star was very easy.  We were not tested for COVID 19 but we did sign a form indicating that we had no symptoms.   

Our room was on the third level at the back of the ship next to the women's crew cabins, room 323.  Most points of interest are on 1 (dining room), 2 (lounge and office)  and 4 (2 fitness machines (they were not plugged in and generally, not in use), putting green and lounge chairs). Actually, the ship is so small, there are no bad locations.   The ship is old and relatively clean.  It has a very slow two person elevator.  Our room was very spacious and nice, although our balcony needed a good cleaning.  We had around 100 passengers.  The staff was very friendly but many were inexperienced.  The food was excellent and the service great.  Breakfast and lunch were available only in the dining room although a limited cold menu was available in the lounge on 2.  Beer and wine were provided during dinner and lunch. A full bar was available at no additional cost at 5:30 pm in the lounge until the entertainment is done around 9:30 pm.  Coffee and cookies were available almost 24/7. The staff was very accommodating.  The ship provided complimentary water on every tour. The entertainment in the lounge at 8:30 pm was excellent but don't sit near the ice maker, it is very noisy.   

We visited/toured many interesting cities and islands in Rhode Island and Massachusetts showcasing museums, beautiful mansions and boats. The locations we visited are below.

New Bedford, MA – This was my favorite port.  A National Park ranger met us at the ship and walked us over to a group of fishing boats.  She explained the fishing process and the history of the area.  We then walked over to the New Bedford Whaling National Park where she pointed out the Fishing Heritage Museum, the Seamen's Bethel and other highlights of the area.  The movie at the National Park is a must to see.  Later, in the afternoon, we took the complimentary shuttle to the Museum of Glass.  This is a very interesting museum, housed in a beautiful mansion.  A docent provided a very detailed tour.  Everyone in New Bedford was very friendly.  

Nantucket, MA – We actually docked in Martha's Vineyard because of rough seas.  We took a ferry to Nantucket.  We had a nice, narrated tour of the island.  The whaling museum was worth touring, the presentation of life on a boat was very informative.  The dock area is very nice to walk around although the restaurant food, while excellent, is expensive.  We had the best lobster roll in Nantucket, while it was $36, it was worth it!  Nantucket was my second favorite port. 

Martha's Vineyard, MA – We took the Views of the Vineyard tour.  It was a nice 3 hour tour of the island.  We docked in Vineyard Haven, an industrial area with not much to see or do.  The number 13 bus ($2 if you are senior) will take you to Edgartown, to shop and walk around.  

Block Island, RI – The harbor in Block Island is very active; lots of boats.  We took the island tour;  not much to see.  The lighthouse on the back side (west side) is very nice.  

Newport, RI – We docked near Fort Adams, a day prior to the start of the Newport Folk Festival.  Hence, the fort was closed.  The area is very industrial.  The loop tour takes you around the city showcasing the huge houses and mansions.  Again, the harbor was very busy with lots of boats.  

Bristol, RI – The ship docks in a nice area outside of town across from the Herreshoff Marine Museum.  The docent tour of the museum was fascinating, highlighting the history of the America's Cup.  An example of a Cup boat is just outside the museum while all the other boats are inside a building.  A complimentary shuttle takes you to town and also, in the afternoon, to the Blithewold Mansion and Gardens.  The mansion has an interesting history and includes beautiful grounds.  Across from the Marine Museum was a large tent where we had an excellent traditional lobster bake.   

American Cruise Lines provided bus tours or loops of most towns we were docked at during our stay.  The ship docks are generally at good locations. The fees for the museums and bus trips, in most cases, were included in the cruise cost.  On board staff tips were also included in the cost of the cruise.  We tipped the few local guides as necessary.     

Overall, we learned a lot about whaling and fishing from the historian on board, the museums, local guides and also two locals who represented traditional fishing families.  The weather was mostly in the 80s and 90s with no rain.  The Star staff were wonderful … always ready to help.  

When the cruise ended on Saturday, we took a bus to the Providence airport.  Leaving the ship was very easy and well planned.  The passengers were not required to wear a mask although many of the crew did at times.  

Overall, the cruise was great.  You will see many beautiful areas, museums, churches and houses along the shores and you will meet many very nice people on the ship, both staff and cruisers and also, tour guides and locals.  Bring good walking shoes, some walking is necessary.  ACL really took good care of us; they were always there to make sure everything was taken care of during the trip.  They really seemed to care.  ACL cruises really educate passengers on US history and geography. Remember, you are a traveler, not a tourist.  Everything is not perfect.

New England Islands

We chose this cruise because we were looking for a quiet, luxurious and relaxing experience. We had high expectations for this cruise due to its high cost (over $12,500 for 7 nights) and extensive marketing. Our first impression was very good. We booked the pre-cruise night in the Renaissance Hotel with the tour of Providence. The hotel was lovely and the service impeccable. The tour of Providence was somewhat limited due to a festival blocking some streets, but still very nice.

The morning of the cruise, the check-in procedure was friendly and efficient. We were very pleased to learn that our standard room had been upgraded to a suite with a balcony. But we were disappointed to learn that the departure location had been changed without notice to us and we faced a rather long ride in a shuttle bus. If we had known in advance where the cruise would leave from, we would have preferred to book a hotel near there, because we were parked at the hotel in Providence.

Our room was adequate, although not as nice as I would have expected based on what we paid. The balcony was very small. The room was somewhat outdated and the bathroom was small and somewhat shabby. The bathroom floor was sticky and the fiberglass shower was underwhelming. There were tiny bottles of shampoo which we had to request anew each day. There were small bars of soap, but no liquid body wash. This was billed as a luxury cruise and it definitely fell short here.  Half way through the cruise, we requested the bed linen be changed. The maid informed us that they normally didn’t change the linen. This is totally unacceptable. I had been seasick and felt the sheets were not very fresh.

The meals were outstanding and the serving staff skilled and very accommodating. The lobster boil was a treat.

We were very disappointed by the lack of Wi-Fi. I do not understand why a cruise in domestic waters does not have Wi-Fi and sorely missed it. I was also dismayed that there was no easy way to contact staff short of leaving the room and hunting them down. Even trains have a system to communicate with staff, especially if there is an emergency.

The harbor tour in New Bedford was fantastic. The captain was very knowledgeable and shared lots of interesting and funny personal stories. The other tours did not live up to our expectations. The guides were okay, but the vehicles were severely lacking (crowded seating, noisy or lacking air conditioning, limited stops). We did not feel as though we got to know the towns at all.

I got very ill the last night we were in port. Because there was no way to contact anyone from my room, I was forced to leave the cabin and go to the lower deck. A deckhand located the cruise director for me and he was very helpful. He called an Uber to get me back to the hotel where we were parked. Because we disembarked such a long way from the hotel where we were supposed to disembark, this Uber trip was long and very stressful for me.

In short, I was disappointed in this cruise. I expected much more for the price I paid.

Norfolk

Tho I have been to Florida several times in the past, as in every state, country there are always new and different part to discover.  I've heard of the St John River but had never been on it.  Have always been curious about the manatees and their habitat so was anxious to have the opportunity to explore their 'home'.  On the boat tour we saw a number of different birds, and other animals as well.  Very relaxing.  

Learned a good bit of history of the different towns in the area; characters who lived there; their livelihood and how things have changed over the years.

The ship and the crew were outstanding.  Sam, the cruise director and Andy the hotel manager were super.  Even when changes had to be made due to stormy weather they handled like true pros.

The food service was great and staff very accommodating

Love having the keurig in the room, and an excellent choice of beverages..

great cruise on American Cruise Lines

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