Doing the Lewis and Clark riverboat Cruise has always been on our bucket list. This seemed to be a good time of the year. Queen of the West is an older boat and is very intimate. Bedroom very small but haven’t spent much time in it but to sleep. Several places where you can sit, watch the scenery, read or visit with the new friends you meet daily. Crew very attentive and Edgar to please. First morning we boarded at 10:30 AM snakes and open bar has we were oriented to our boat. Meals have been delicious! Who doesn’t like a root beer float or ice cream sundae at 8 PM?? As we travel we learn more about the history of the area we are in. Loved Astoria’s quaint look. Houses on hills like San Francisco but then you seen a doe with her fawn meandering down the street or tucked under a 300 foot fir. Read Less

This Cruise Line was recommended to us, We had studied their literature carefully. I use a cane and scooter and was with my husband. It all worked out very well for me. The crew assisted me with my scooter on and off the Riverboat. This was quite helpful, so I did not miss a thing. We enjoyed meeting new people, many interesting and from all over the USA. We found the group fun and stimulating having shared many of the same experiences in life. The Riverboat,The American Song was new. The furnishing and lounges were quite nice with large windows. This was a Food and Wine Cruise so we raved about the Food Selections and Wines. My husband, in particular had seafood at each meal. I tried other menu selections. We found the lectures interesting and stimulating. We found two of the evenings of entertainment most enjoyable. The entire crew made our experience the Best! The shore excursions were fabulous, the small towns in the Pacific Northwest, the Museums we visited, the magnificent Columbia and Snake Rivers were Wonderful to see. The terrain and locks were so impressive to us having lived mostly in the East, Midwest and South. We are from Atlanta, Georgia and signed on for the Alaska Cruise for next Summer in August 2020. Praises to the American Cruise Line. Read Less

This was a new Small River Cruise ship with a small number of passengers who received constant exceptional service from an awesome welcoming crew (ratio was approximately 1 crew member to 2 passengers). ALL meals, also including terrific Happy Hour each day, were exceptional!! Wine, beer an liquors were available at Happy Hours and meals. Another great element of the trip was that there was NO tipping to anyone and this was made clear to all passengers as it was included in the price of the trip. It was nice not to have to worry about that, along with not worrying about your bar bill at the end of the cruise as all that was complimentary. This River Cruise Ship was less than a year old and was up to date with the latest technology, including FREE Wi-Fi for the total trip, and was so clean and well taken care of. The on board professional who has studied Lewis and Clark for 35 years was a fantastic wealth of information and provided a great historical perspective of the total Lewis and Clark expedition from St. Louis, MO to Astoria, OR. It included shore excursions along the route to provide an opportunity to learn many details about The Corps of Discovery expedition. Tried to add some pictures, but could not get them loaded in to the survey app. Bottom Line is very simple...It was an awesome trip...and we are signed up for another one with American Cruise Lines next year! Read Less

From my first contact by phone with the cruise agent through the debarkation, everyone and everything was a most pleasant experience. I have been on several cruises and this ranks near the top of the list. First and foremost was the attentiveness and attitude of the entire crew which was directed t making our trip pleasant and enjoyable. The fact that passenger count was small (at capacity) allowed for interaction between everyone which made for a most comfortable time and conversation with all. The ship provided ready access to every public area and was clean and well manned. Our cabin was large by cruise ship standards and dining was excellent. The entertainment was good and their was always something to do. All personnel were dedicated to providing first class service to all passengers. The ports were well chosen and provided good shore experiences. I would most assuredly use American Cruise Lines again. Read Less

I wanted to experience the area from the perspective of the river itself. I have traveled with American Cruise Lines before and wanted to do it again. The ship is one of the oldest in this fleet, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The cabin was a little small, but as a single it was adequate. The common areas were lovely; very comfortable furniture and a great place to just relax. The captain was exceptional; personable and accessible. He often came to dinner to mingle with the passengers. He shared his stories with us and was very gracious in asking us to share our stories. The cruise director was such a lovely person. So much personality and eager to help proactively ensuring that all was well. The crew was exceptional; friendly and courteous, quick to help and easy to find when necessary. The food was delicious and varied. The portions were just right. You could always ask for more, but it seems that waste of food was minimized. The dining staff was wonderful; prompt service, quick to respond to requests, and always cheerful and friendly. The service from the entire crew could not have been better. The shore excursions ranged from interesting to spectacular. The highlights were Astoria, waterfalls, Mt. St. Helens, and the jet boat tour down the Snake River. The geography on the river was so interesting and unusual. All in all, I am very glad that I took this cruise. It was a wonderful, relaxing week. Read Less

My sister-in-law booked this cruise and invited my husband and I to join them. We have traveled numerous times together and have many of the same expectations and standards. Upon reading the itinerary we were excited for the adventure. Upon embarking, the ship smelled old! The flower arrangements were artificial and very dusty/old and tired looking. The main gathering room, The Chesapeake room, has dirty couches and broken blinds. The stateroom was one of “the larger” rooms with a king bed (actually two twins pushed together, VERY uncomfortable) was crowded. The TV was a 19” and hard to view from the bed. The brochure stated dvd’s were available, it failed to mention they were from the 1990’s and very few. Our cabin’s furniture was also very dated and soiled. Three small pillows were there, strange for a king sized bed. The bathroom was very small and cramped. On our preference sheet, we requested extra toiletries and a small fan, neither were provided. Actually, the ship RAN OUT of shampoo and they often did not replace the bar soap. On the third day of a seven day cruise, they couldn’t keep up with the towels. There were times we did NOT have ANY towels. I mentioned my concerns to hotel manager and he told me as he was walking away (over his shoulder) there isn’t any shampoo on the whole ship! He scolded me when I asked him for a replacement key and to keep it away from my cell phone. I mentioned it never worked and that it wasn’t near my phone, he just repeated my scolding louder. Tours were very disorganized and not ADA compliant. My husband had to lag behind to help other passengers as no cruise member did. The entertainment consisted of a banjo player (who was really pretty good) and several lectures! How is lecturing a bonus evening entertainment? The food was phenomenal! Jvon was our server and was fantastic, he kept us sane! There was NO room service so we never had breakfast on board. There was a coffee donut setup from 6-7 Read Less

A great cruise on a small boat - about 100 people. Smaller makes for more friendly. The chef told us at the beginning we would be eating lobster daily and that we did, at nearly every of the 3 meals a day. The lobster omelet was especially tasty. The on land trips were informative and we were allowed time to go out on our own as well. The cruise director Chelsea was just full of enthusiasm and made the week go by too fast. My wife and I really enjoyed getting close enough to 19 lighthouses to take identifiable photos of them. Even got to walk up to 3 of them.The entertainment during the evenings was enjoyable, especially the group of 10 college youth signing oldies and goodies.Watching the boat dock and depart the dock was also a first event for myself. You should go; you will enjoy it for sure. Read Less

Small ship cruise up the Mississippi River on the "America." This ship has a capacity of about 175 passengers, but it wasn't full so there was only about 150 guests. My single cabin was very spacious. It contained a desk with 6 ample drawers, a short bureau with 3 large drawers and a TV on top, a twin bed, a small bedside table, a desk chair, and a swivel chair. The bathroom was adequate and efficient with 2 drawers next to the sink, though the shower stall was a little cramped. Grab bars in the bathroom and shower were nicely placed. Marine toilet was fine. Balcony had a table and 2 chairs. Everything was very well cleaned and maintained. The food was very, very good. Many meals were excellent, a couple were marginal, but overall we were not disappointed. The dining room was open seating -- you could sit anywhere and with whoever you want at all meals. You sat with various strangers and became friendly traveling companions and then friends. The dining room served breakfast (7:30am to 9:00am), lunch (12:30pm) and dinner (6:30pm). Breakfast could be anything you wanted to order (no buffet). They served a limited menu at lunch and dinner; basically 4 selections with a choice of meat (beef or pork or lamb), chicken, fish, and a vegetarian dish. If you didn't like anything on the menu, you could ask for a hamburger or a sandwich. They were very accommodating. Appetizers were either soup or a salad (and these were always excellent!). You usually got a choice of 2 delicious desserts, and there was always ice cream. You did have to pre-select your lunch and dinner choices in the morning at breakfast so the chef would know how many of what item to prepare. (I always forgot my selections so took a picture of the selection card with my smartphone to review later!) Shore excursions were hit or miss. So much depended on the tour guide. Some guides were good, others not so good. This was a 3-week cruise so we stopped at about 20 cities. There were days that we had 2 excursions, and days that we only had one, depending on the schedule. Overall, the tours were worthwhile. I would have liked spending more time in each port city, but that's the nature of any cruise -- you only get a taste of what you are visiting, and then you are on your way to the next stop. The majority of excursions are included in the price of the cruise. There were some that you had to pay extra for. Evening entertainment was limited, but extremely talented. They brought in singers or musicians every night to entertain us for an hour or so. Remember, this is a small ship so don't expect Broadway or Las Vegas productions! It was simple but fun. I highly recommend American Cruise Lines. This was my 3rd cruise with them. Read Less

This is our second cruise in Alaska. The first was a large ship cruise, which convinced us to take a small ship cruise to allow to see more of Alaska. We cruised out of Juneau, AK and returned to Juneau. The itinerary took to a couple of places that the large ships go, but mostly we went to places that the larges ship to not visit, Haines, AK, Petersburg, AK and the Lodge at Glacier Bay National Park. We flew into Juneau, AK day early so that we could do some additional whale watching with Harv and Marv's Whale Watching Tours. American Cruise Lines did extra work to ensure that our personal hotel reservation was tied to the precruise hotel, which allowed us not change hotels or rooms. Getting onboard and getting started was seamless. Our bags were in our room when we arrived. The Cabin on the American Constellation was large than the cabin on the large ship. The bathroom was also larger, with full sized shower. Dining was excellent, and while there wasn't a 24 hour buffet, no one went hungry. Onboard entertainment was local talent, from the places we stopped, so we were also able to discuss living in the remote parts of Alaska with several different people, from several different places. None of them regretted being remote. There were complimentary shore excursions, which were well planned and always accommodated everyone. There were also additional paid excursions which were on topic for Alaska. Rafting, kayaking, etc. We did not travel with children. In fact this type of small boat cruising tends to attract the senior crowd. We have already scheduled our next small ship cruise. Read Less

I have been investigating American Cruise Lines since we took a Mississippi River Cruise with American Queen. I think everyone should travel on American Rivers more and they were offering some appealing options. We loved our small ship Cruise with American Queen, so I really wanted to love this company. We took the San Juan islands trip. The ship was new and their staff is very young and inexperienced, although they worked hard and were very sweet. However, these trips are very expensive. And, since that is the case, there Are many areas that need improvement. First, there was a lack of communication. They just couldn’t get messages out for changes,etc. While they did post on the message board by the dining room, we shouldn’t have to go there to get information. Dining room service was friendly but confusingly spotty. On two occasions we had to rush through meals when we had allowed plenty of time before excursions. Also, while they say they work on dietary needs, we did not find them helpful with my husbands diabetes. Unlike American Queen, there really are no paid excursions. On the last day they did offer transport into Seattle to visit Pike Market while American Queen offers a bus at every stop. Entertainment was really disappointing and the largest Lounge available was too small and poorly arranged for any real program. Finally, they must work on safety for the Ramps off the boat. They need hand rails on the ramps and on the stairs. I don’t want to sound negative, but these trips attract elderly and handicapped people and they must do a better job if they want to flourish. My hope is that they improve, but until they do, I can’t recommend them nor will I travel with them again. Read Less

I wanted to learn more about life on the lower Mississippi now compared to Huck Finn's era, the use of paddle boats and southern plantations. Embarkation was smooth, luggage was treated well and delivered promptly. Disembarkation was very early in the morning and luggage must be in the hall before going to bed on the last night. There were five decks and an 8 person elevator that serve them all. Only 30 percent of the 8 days was ship movement, mostly at night, on this trip. The average age of the 147 passengers was about 65 with the youngest at age 26 year. Thus, not much entertainment for children. Attractions were: Tour of the pilot's room, entertainment every evening, all costs aboard ship were included, NO tipping on the ship, motor coaches pre-arranged for on shore attractions. Admission to on shore sites were of three price categories: 1. Included such as Vicksburg Civil War battlefield admission 2. Medium price ==> $40 to $70 for plantation visits 3. High price (Elvis Pressley's Graceland at $140) The extra benefit there was VIP status which included going to the head of the line, seeing a couple of extra sites, a $15 coupon toward food, souvenirs etc. A great vacation because you can travel without unpacking. Read Less

We chose this trip as it focused on Civil War and traveled with two other couples. The ship was a wonderful paddle wheel replica on the Mississippi River. The crew was fantastic, always smiling. The food was fantastic and included lots of local recipes as well as a general menu, lots of choices. The entertainment and lectures were very informative and given by experts. The off boat tours were interesting especially at Vicksburg. The tour director was well organized; everyone was on and off the boat, on and off the buses, in and out of the tour sites in a very orderly fashion. They thought of everything from bottled water to golf carts for those who needed some assistance. Most of the passengers were retirees of varying physical abilities and the crew was able to handle everyone in a dignified, non-obtrusive manner. All the crew was well trained, from cleaning the rooms to serving the meals. Would definitely recommend. Read Less

This was a 2nd cruise with American and while it was not quite as enjoyable as cruising the Chesapeake Bay on the brand new Constellation, it was still worth the cost. Our trip was a "Lobster" cruise and Lobster it was. Lobster was available on every menu and it was real Maine Lobster. If you ever want to see how much lobster you can eat in a week this is the cruise for you.While the Independence is a smaller and older ship it is in good shape, the rooms were clean and everything worked.On the Constellation our room was a Suite 502 and on the Independence we had 323 which was at the aft of the ship. Both rooms were sufficient in size and for the money I preferred 323. I would recommend that if you make this trip try and reserve a room on the starboard side because with the tide level you will be looking into a harbor wall when you are in port, especially Portland. Also avoid at all cost taking this cruise if you end up in Bar Harbor as we did on Labor day. The crowds were horrible and Arcadia Park was such that you could not see the landscape for the people standing in front of you. This is a quite tour for the older crowd. The entertainment was not Broadway performances but all had a good time and I did learn a lot about Maine and its history. We enjoyed all the small towns and the trip to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens was a highlight. The service was excellent with the Hotel Manager and Cruise Director going up and above the call of duty to see that all were in the right place at the right time and that all were having a good time. My wife and I have already booked two American Cruise line tours for 2018 so I guess you can say I recommend American Cruise Lines Read Less

We've always wanted to enjoy an upper Mississippi River cruise aboard a stern wheeler and particularly looked forward to the Mark Twain themed experience. Having enjoyed ocean and destination sailing under our own command, a small boat is a must for us and "America" fit our needs perfectly. With about 160 passengers, she was small enough to provide a sense of being in a boat rather than a floating hotel and she was also large enough to provide wonderful service, cabins, lounges, decks, and cuisine. Ours was a deluxe veranda on the fourth deck, starboard side. This deck provides not only a wonderful observation area with assorted seating forward but also the beautiful "Skylight Lounge" and observation deck aft. The latter was our go to place for cocktails and hor doerves before dinner. There are no add-on expenses aboard "America". An open bar with top shelf spirits and reasonable wines before dinner was a prelude to the wines and beer available at all meals. The food exceeded my expectations: daily "Eggs Benedict" options included salmon, crab, and crayfish. At both lunch and dinner, the chef offered three choices for main courses all of which we found beautifully presented, more than ample in quantity, and of high level restaurant quality. The service was plentiful and enthusiastic, the entertainment both educational and enjoyable, the excursions well planned and worthwhile. Richard Garvey was our on-board "Mark Twain"; his presentations were fabulous offering not just Mark Twain as entertainer, but also Mark Twain as an astute observer, humorist, cynic, and citizen of the world. This was an adult only cruise; we met many wonderfully interesting and interested fellow travelers and would definitely consider another ACL cruise in the future. Read Less

American Cruise Line definitely knows how to service small ship cruising. The service, food, land tours, and overall benefits of small ship cruising are obvious after a few days on board. The selection of lobster every day was excellent. This was our third cruise with American Cruise Line and it was so much better than the large cruise ships that are so impersonal and 'cattle car' typical. Embarkation. disembarkation were designed to make it fast and comfortable. The ship was immaculate, comfortable quarters, excellent food, Shore excursions - usually one per day but sometimes two per day were excellent, varied and not exorbitant in cost but reasonable. Many were free. American Cruise Line definitely know how to treat their passengers, staff, and ships. We will definitely travel with them again and not on the larger (2000+ passengers) since 100 to 200 passengers allows for more interaction with passengers. We hope they will continue their service. Read Less

Thank you Jean, Andrew and the whole staff aboard the American Spirit for the BEST Alaskan experience we could ever have wished for.The Captain and deck hands gave us so much time at each of the glaciers that we had time to breathe in the experience and really enjoy BEING there. He had us surrounded by Orcas at one point and was able to cut engines so we could see them up close and one even swam under the bow. The icing on the cake was the Bald Eagle perched on the top of the ice berg as we passed the last iceberg. Everyone began to suspect that they had cued the animals as we passed. MAGICAL!!! Thank you for taking such great care of our Dad and helping to get him off the ship and exploring the sights. Perfect weather was the cherry on top. I don't know how it could have been better. Loved Bill and Laura, Ranger Jenny, and Gary. The food was great - even with my quirky special diet (I believe I put on pounds). Safe travels to you all. Hope to join you again sometime. Read Less

Choice of ports, tours on land, and time on land were all terrific, and the seamless high level of service on board this very small ship was exceptional. A small ship -- we had only 125 passengers -- allows for a much more personal experience that feels much more like a vacation with friends ("Hey, come for a trip with me on my yacht") than a feeling of being on an "ocean cruise." The All-American nature of this cruise line, with most staff members college-age students from U.S. colleges rather than professional workers from other countries, not to mention a completely U.S. deck and ship crew, heightened the feeling of enjoying our own country. The cabins were the perfect size and configuration -- aside from the family-size cabins, ever cabin on the ship is the same size and every one has a generous verandah. We were as comfortable as we could have been in a hotel on land, and yet we were able to visit a different port town every day. Overall we couldn't have been more pleased, and we've already booked our next trip for a year from now. Read Less

A fabulous cruise of select ports on the Maine coast. Excellent food - and plenty of it. This cruise focused a lot on lobster, and how great is that? However there were always several choices for appetizers, entres and deserts. Dining was open seating - you could arrive at your choice and sit where you wanted. This gave you an opportunity to meet lots of people. Service was incredible! Staff were friendly and the small ship experience enables you to get to know the other passengers. The excursions were fun, although most had a cost associated with them, but there was adequate time ashore to do a sled- guided tour if desired. In addition, there were generally 2-4 choices for excursions that gave people choices. The accommodations were very nice. Single rooms are available, if desired, for passengers traveling alone. All cabins face the water and balconies are availed to enjoy. Read Less

Because it did the Mississippi. I enjoy visiting historic site. The battlefield and plantation were so fun and interesting.Everyone was very helpful and pleasant. The room were always clean and the service was excellent. I have never ate so much in my life.Food and drinks were excellent.The tour guide at each site were very helpful and each knew a little bit of info about the site that was different from what you normally would hear. Overall I would rate the trip as an excellent experience and highly recommend it to anyone looking to do that trip.Make sure you take a pair of bigger pants. The Mississippi is a beautiful river and the sights and scenery is amazing and it is all right here in the USA. I liked the fact I did not have to leave the USA and still have an excellent trip. I hope to someday do the Colombia and Snake river trip. Read Less

We wanted a vacation with easy access on board and on the daily outings. This ship is designed for that. Starting with the ramp with rails on both side to get on and off, the bars in the bathroom and shower for stability, and the elevators to take you from floor to floor as necessary. The staff was amazingly accommodating to any and all of your requests. They were eager to do whatever was necessary to make your stay enjoyable and effortless. They even had golf carts with staff driving them to help you up and down the levees where necessary. When we went on a daily outing, they didn't just drop us onto the bus, but had a staff person along with the tour person. They seemed to have thought of everything! The food was great and portioned correctly and not high in salt. The nightly entertainment was friendly,(southern hospitality I guess) well planned to give you a variety of the music and stories of the area as we moved up the mighty Mississippi. The complimentary daily tours went to places that were well worth your time and added to your education of the south in former days. Open seating in the dining room for all meals at small tables, allowed us to get to hear many different people's stories and get a family feel. There was plenty of wait staff and even the officers helped in the dining room at dinner to be sure you got what you wanted quickly. It was a trip well worth the cost and we can't stop talking about it to others. Read Less

Excursions everyday were very informative and historical. Many stops included multiple excursions which was nice. There was very good entertainment in the evenings and historical discussions during afternoons The crew was very pleasant and service was excellent. Embarkment and disembarkment went very smoothly. We chose the cruise because it was the right time frame and length for us. We didn't like having to travel out to sea because the tides were too low to navigate closer to shore. Apparently the ship was made for shoreline cruising and out at sea, a number of guests got sea sick. We had two in our party of four that almost missed dinner but recovered in time to attend. This only occured once and I totally understand the situation could not be avoinded so we all made the best of it. We also enjoyed the happy hour because it allowed our party to get to know the other guests and we thoroughly enjoyed that. We would definitely go again. Read Less

This cruise was a small boat cruise, with about 120 passengers onboard. We had a great time. We have cruised on large ships, but really enjoyed the smaller ship and getting to know the people we were traveling with. The meals were excellent with a wide choice of locally sourced selections for the daily menu. Breakfast was off the menu with a selection that allowed everyone to eat as if they were at home. There was a small baked goods and fruit buffet as part of the breakfast. Lunch offered a soup, salad, entrée and dessert. Dinner was soup, salad, a choice of entrees and a choice of desserts. There were fresh cookies each morning at about ten o'clock in the two lounges and an included open bar cocktail hour every day before dinner. There was a free excursion event at each port as well as featured excursions, which were additional. The excursions, free or paid, were very good and highlighted those events and locations along the Columbia River. There was nightly entertainment provided by local talent, which lasted at least an hour. It was mostly music, with three different musicians, and a local Native American Nez Perce entertainer. There was also a Lewis and Clark Expedition Historian, Todd Weber, who over four different discussion/briefing periods covered the Lewis and Clark Expedition, from the beginning to the west coast (Cape Disappointment) and back to St Louis, MO. The American Pride, is a paddle wheel boat, only a few years old. It is in excellent shape, with a young, energetic, and helpful crew. Embarkation and disembarkation was well coordinated and bags were at our room or on the ramp in an easy to find organized arrangement. Being a small boat cruise, there is not as much to do on board as a large ship, and the passengers, mostly older (45 and above) were self motivated and made excellent use of the shore excursions. There were no children on this ship. We enjoyed this small cruise well enough to sign up for another next year in Alaska. Thank You America Cruise Lines and the Crew of the American Pride for a Very Nice Time. Read Less

We first said with American Cruise Line on the STAR doing the New England Islands cruise. It was an excellent cruise and got us into small Island like Nantucket that can't be reached on a large ship. So, we decided to take a risk and explore a part of the country that we didn't know much about and took the Golden Isles Cruise from Charleston SC to Jacksonville FL. The ports of call are: Charleston, Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, Savannah, Sapelo Island, St Simons Island, Jekyll Island, Amelia Island, and Jacksonville. This is a part of our country that most of us ave not seen, or know much about. The Georgia coast is rich with history, excellent food, and wonderful people. The trips made even more special by the onboard naturalist/historian, and the excellent tour guides in every port. The crew was super and the onboard food was special as we tried local dishes along they way. The cabins are comfortable with an outdoor porch with 2 chairs. Each floor of the ship has a livening room, and the bow has a large gathering room for entertainment and evening happy hour. The dining room is in the stern with excellent service. You quickly make friend with other travelers and find friends o dine with. We loved the trip, and surprised by how much we earned about the Georgia coast. Avery and Robin Willis, Thousand Oaks California Read Less

Our friends and my husband and I always wanted to do a Mississippi River cruise. Chose American Cruise Lines. Sailed on the Queen of the Mississippi. We had a wonderful time. Cabin had ample room, balcony had room for 2 chairs and a table (about 30" rd). Entertainment was good. Plenty of on board activities, games, books to read, a putting green on the upper deck, some work out equipment and plenty of places to sit and relax. The dining room was impeccable, waiters/waitresses, chefs, all were more than one could ask for. The meals were fantastic. We had 2 ports of call, Oak Alley Plantation which was jaw dropping and a bus tour to St. Francisville/Baton Rouge which was okay. The service on the boat was A+. The staff from the Hotel Manager to waiters, housekeeping etc. were friendly, polite, helpful. Will consider doing the Snake River tour in a couple of years. Thank you for a memorable vacation! Read Less

This is a great way to see some history in a comfortable setting with great service and food. Small ship cruising will spoil you for the ultra large ships. From the moment the Cruise Directors met you at your complimentary hotel til they load you on the bus to go home there is nothing that you could want that they would not try to supply. This was their first cruise of the season but it seemed like this crew had been working together for 10 cruises. What I most enjoyed was the freedom to do what I wanted with my time. I choose to go on all the shore stops but if I had wanted to I could have just stayed in my cabin like the couple across the way did. The food was excellent and, because I have dietary request, I met with the chief the first day and he took care of me. If they go where you want to go and when you want to go, I can think of no better organization to make cruising a real treat. Read Less