Queen of the Mississippi Review

American Cruise Lines' 150-passengers sternwheeler Queen of the Mississippi debuted on August 11, 2012, as the first new-build designed to cruise the Mississippi River in some 15 years.

ACL's aim with QOM is to capture the tradition of the grand Victorian riverboats that graced the Big Muddy in the late 1800's. The sternwheeler features a dining salon complete with polished wood and crystal chandeliers. Meals focus on Creole and Southern cuisine -- think seafood gumbo, pecan-crusted grouper, beef tenderloin and bananas foster crème brulee. (Cocktails, wine and beer are also part of the deal.) The marquee public space, the Paddlewheel Lounge, is decked out in rich woods and offers panoramic views of passing scenery and QOM's red sternwheel.

Like ACL's other ships, QOM's cabins are much larger than the industry average. The first passenger deck contains a dozen riverview cabins (square window, no balcony), but these aren't your typical inside, bowel-of-the-boat accommodations -- they're 268 square feet. The boat's other 66 cabins, which range from 268 to 460 square feet, have private balconies, and a full breakfast on the balcony will be a standard offering. The ship's top accommodations are the 460-plus-square corner suites with sliding glass doors and balconies that wrap a few feet around the bow for forward river views.

American Cruise Lines operate QOM over the entire Mississippi River System, with the option of cruising at higher speeds to make more itineraries possible with longer visits to the many river towns. A number of unique seven-night cruises take passengers as far as St. Paul, Minnesota, on the Mississippi River and Pittsburgh on the Ohio River.