American Queen Voyages American Empress Cruise Reviews for River to North America River

Ahhh, American Queen voyages are always fun and this trip was our fifth. We have sailed on many occasions on large-ship ocean liners, European river cruises, and with AQV. Both of us are in our mid-70's and in excellent physical condition which makes traveling more pleasurable. Most passengers on American Empress are near our ages and many have mobility issues. This can often lead to slow ...

No pre-cruise contact by AQV. Booked 4/2023. Called early August to see if they were still cruising 9/3. Received boarding documents 2 weeks before cruise. That was all the pre-cruise information. Staff on board were terrific. Very friendly and helpful. River talks were highlight of cruise. Lots of information and good insights on Lewis & Clark, native Americans and history of the Columbia ...

This cruise goes from Clarkston to Portland. The first excursion we took was the JetBoat Tour of Hell’s Canyon. I have never seen anything like the terrain. We saw BigHorn Sheep, Deer, Turkeys, and a bald Eagle. The river is clear and beautiful. This cruise was wine themed so we had wine tastings onboard and two dinners with wine pairings. We also did the Red Mountain Vines to Wine ...

Our cruise trip began with a night at the beautiful Historic Davenport hotel in Spokane Oregon. We boarded the American Empress in Lewiston WA. We visited Hells Canyon then Richland, The Dallas, Stevenson, Astoria and disembarked in Vancouver WA. The ship was lovely and food, service and entertainment were good. In each port we found interesting and/or scenic things to see and do - and ...

In midst of wave of new Covid cases, safety is not a big concern. They spray the luggage, but mask enforcement is minimal if at all. It has been shown that contacting Covid from surfaces is at the bottom of the list. No social distancing in any venue. Supposedly they follow state law when docked and on land, but not when moving on water. If you need mask protection when at the dock, you ...

July 8-11: Pre-Cruise First: my wife (“The Missus”) and I had a taste of river cruising almost a decade ago, sailing up the Danube on Ama Waterways. We had a fabulous time. But it’s a PITA to get from the West Coast to Europe. We’ve been on over forty ocean cruises on various cruise lines. We had never sailed the byways of North America. This was our reason to try American Queen. Not so ...

In November I traveled with a small group of 10 on the American Empress steamboat-style Cruise. The group absolutely LOVED the trip and the ship! The food was incredible- truly top notch! We even had lobster tail! The meals were always artfully prepared and served by the kindest, warmest staff I’ve encountered on a cruise ship. Every meal was an event. During our scenic rides cruising the ...

We had been wanting to try a river cruise, especially after watching the size of ocean-going cruise ships balloon until some can carry more than 6,000 passengers. The American Empress beautifully accommodates just over 221, with an attentive crew of 88. Our Category C cabin--212--was cozy, but well laid out so that we had plenty of closet space and storage, even in the bathroom. Yes, the shower is ...

Embarking from the port of Clarkston, Washington and disembarking in Portland, Washington aboard the American Queen Steamboat Company Empress. The staff went out of their way to assure that passengers had an enjoyable & smooth experience. The food was spectacular, tasty and service in high fashion! The lunch buffet was equally delicious....daily ethnic options were a pleasant experience ...

What a wonderful week we had as we sailed down the Snake and Columbia Rivers aboard the American Empress! This was our first cruise with the American Steamboat Company and there was so much about the cruise that didn’t disappoint. We have sailed many larger cruise ships but never a riverboat. The crew was the most friendly crew we have experienced. The Captain was visible and friendly too. The ...