American Heritage (formerly Queen of the Mississippi) Review

Change of Itinerary Due to Lock Closure Not ACL's Fault

Review for the USA Cruise on American Heritage (formerly Queen of the Mississippi)
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loverofrivers
10+ Cruises • Age 80s

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Sail Date: Sep 2012

A couple of weeks ago on September 15th,I boarded the Queen of the Mississippi for a cruise to St. Paul, MN on the Upper Mississippi. Unfortunately, a barge had hit a lock causing the lock to be closed for needed repair and cleanup. This was no fault of the boat. ACL hoped that the Queen of the Mississippi could leave St. Louis on the 16th but still the lock was not opened. The itinerary had to be changed and so the QM turned around and headed down to the confluence and headed up the beautiful Ohio River. A change of itinerary is always a let down to the passengers but not us. We enjoyed the cuisine, the beautiful lounges, the entertainment and the tours.

Some of the passengers including myself, are in the Golden Age bracket but that doesn't stop us from having fun. It's wonderful that the crew gives that extra help needed for those who have disabilities. Our staterooms were very large, housekeeping took excellent care of our rooms, loved the regional menu choices and appreciated the entertainment. I loved hearing from the riverlorian about the area we were cruising.

I'm a traveled cruiser so I look at every day as an adventure. I look forward to my next cruise on the Queen of the Mississipi which I booked for 2013. The crew were wonderful to us. Hope I see them again. It's not easy on the crew including navigation when an event happens such as the lock closure. I also enjoyed the Paddlewheel Lounge where you could look through the windows at the red wheel splashing through the water and several times I heard the calliope play. There is complimentary snacks and beverages in this lounge which I enjoyed often plus homebaked cookies throughout the day. I also loved the complimentary cocktail hour at 5:30 pm every day in the Magnolia Lounge. I don't normally drink alcohol due to my asthma problems however, the bartender made me delicious "virgin" daquiries and pina coladas.

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