American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company)

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Chicago to St. Louis on the Countess

May 2-9, 2023.  (I am 70 years old, and my friend was 62 - if that matters)

I choose this riverboat cruise for 3 reasons: Derby, Paddlewheel & Great Steamboat Race (3 Bucket Lists). A friend of mine went with me on the Countess which holds 245 passengers and a great small ship.   The food was amazing, the itineraries were great - they even do their own Hop/On Hop Off Buses with local tour guides. 

Wonderful ship, lounge, theater, main dining room, and river grill which had a few outside tables.

DRESS: It was cold & windy the 1st few days, then it warmed up, so dress accordingly.  If you sometimes use a cane, bring it because you will need it on Derby Day.

STEAMBOAT RACE: Belle of Louisville, Belle of Cincinnati and us were in the race. So exciting and so many bridges.

This itinerary is simply wonderful, and you cruise the whole day after the Derby so you can rest.  They have a “Riveratorian” on board with fascinating river chats not to be missed.  And we had a culinary demo with Regina Charboneau and her famous biscuits.

PORTS: Louisville (KY), Madison (IN), Brandenburg (KY), back to Louisville for the Derby, Augusta (KY), then Cincinnati……..

FYI: Tickets for this years Derby we’re $2k extra.  The Derby Experience are the people that give the info out, but we never got our sections, seats and schedule until the day before.  We were all in section 226-228 which is a covered section (no elevator), food and beverages are in the Affirmed Lounge which is on the 1st floor in the Derby Museum.  Go to the 2nd floor by elevator to see Secretariat’s displays.  If you want to do the Derby - get tickets as soon as they become available.  I heard people paid $5k for last minutes seats.

Guest Relations @American Queen Voyages

Kentucky Derby Cruise 2023 on American Countess

I booked my first river cruise on the Lower Mississippi River for March 2023 back in May 2022 on the American Countess.  I was concerned about what level of service to expect given the pandemic.  I proceeded hoping that things would settle down back towards normal as the embarkation date approached.  I am a manual wheelchair user and require an ADA cabin.  I knew the number of accommodating cabins would be limited, so booking early assured that I would get my desired category of cabin.  I booked one of the two outside cabins with an open veranda.  I chose the Countess based on the fact that it is the only boat in the AQV fleet that has roll-in showers.  The pre-cruise stay at The Peabody Hotel went smoothly, along with the cruise check in.  I was accommodated in an ADA room that was more than adequate.  After breakfast and seeing the ducks at the hotel, we enjoyed the music bus tour of Memphis prior to embarking on Tues, March 28, 2023.  Embarkation was smooth and orderly.  The deck crew did an excellent job of assisting anyone that needed additional help boarding the boat.  This was true throughout the entire cruise.  I could count on there always being someone ready to assist.  Coach Captains were also excellent throughout the journey.  They were friendly and ready to accommodate.  They even kept chilled water bottles on the bus and regularly offered them to guests.  There were a variety of stops on the hop-on-hop-off excursions along the itinerary of stops.  Not all were wheelchair accessible, but there was always at least one attraction available.  All of the premium excursions featured great tour guides.  The cabin accommodation was actually quite good for a wheelchair user.  It was more spacious and better laid out than many ADA hotel rooms I’ve stayed in.  Cabin and dining room service was outstanding.  The food was delicious, with a variety of regionally-inspired dishes. They no longer offer lobster tail every evening in the dining room, but lobster was incorporated into several entrees and appetizers throughout the week.  The lobster corn dogs were delish.  My only suggestion for improvement was that a few of the entrees were served at less than ideal temperature.  Bar service was likewise very good.  There was entertainment each evening, with a different show each evening.  I really enjoyed the magician and the talented musicians.  The cruise director and excursion coordinator both did a great job.  The staff were always pleasant and ready to help.  Disembarkation went quick and orderly.  We directly boarded the the coach for the New Orleans city tour once we exited the boat.  In summary, it was a great cruise.  My initial concerns when I booked regarding lack of good service were unfounded.  I’m sorry for those that had less than experiences in the early months once travel resumed.  River cruising with AQV is a great option for travelers that use a wheelchair.  AQV will take good care of you!  I would eagerly book another river cruise with AQV.

Fabulous River Cruise for Mobility Impaired Guests

We sailed Oct 2022.  We were looking forward to MSY - MEM.  The line can’t control the river.  The day before we were supposed to fly to MSY, we were notified they couldn’t sail south of MEM because the river levels were too low so we needed to change our flight reservations to MEM.  We were promised a refund for any change fees w/in 4 - 6 weeks.  Fortunately, our Tours By Locals day trip and our WWII museum tickets were refunded.  At the pre-sail hotel in MEM….they’ll provide breakfast from 7-11 am.  Nope.  We arrive just before 9 am and it’s over.  Sorry, we close up at 9.  We’re still awaiting a refund on our flight change.  Mind you, the e-mail address they sent us for the refund was wrong.  We didn’t discover that until we were aboard and visited with other guests.  When I sent in the change fare to the correct address, I was advised they don’t refund first class fares.  Except we booked first class tickets from the start and sent them that receipt.  Further, we also learn from these guests, the itinerary changed nearly a week prior.  These guests checked into the pre-departure hotel in MSY a week early so as to visit MSY and learned then we were sailing from MEM. So off we go.  Most ports were pretty cool.  But our day in New Madrid, since we had to await a golf cart to get up to the city, we arrived exactly 2 minutes late for our hop on hop off bus.  The travel director explained the wheels turn on time and she wouldn’t let us on the next bus.  Seriously?!?  We paid $12K for this cruise, we could walk one block to the first stop for this tour and collect the same dang bus, but we can’t join the 14 or so folks on this coach?!?  Anyhow, now we’re supposed to sail back to MEM at 1:00.  I had the opportunity to visit the pilot house this day.  Nice.  The officers, however,  continued w the ruse they were hopeful we’d be able to sail to MEM.  When I returned to our cabin, there was a letter signed by the captain before my tour letting us know we’d be bussed back to MEM.  So again, communication rather than lies?!?  But the next morning, as we prepared to ride to MEM…..did those wheels turn on time?  Nope.  30 minutes late.  Finally reaching AQV on the phone, our flight change refund is supposed to be processed the week of Christmas.  I can’t imagine they’d care to pay the interest on my credit card since this is taking so long?  Mind you, they offered a 25% credit on a future cruise that I requested be applied to this cruise.  Their response….crickets.  We will never book this line again.  And to be fair, we sail three or four times a year and have for decades.  So we’re pretty well versed on much of what can go wrong and right on a ship.  Never again on AQV.  Buyer beware!

What a mess!

Always a fun adventure with American Queen Countess! We are a very fit 73 and 72 year old married couple. Most passengers on the ship are near our ages. Many have mobility issues and there are often times of waiting particularly on the buses and getting on and off the ship.

 I wrote a previous review ("Life on the Mississippi") in July 2022 regarding the American, Countess. All the negative issues that I mentioned had been corrected; the popcorn machine worked, the mid-ship elevator was in operation, and the "sign-on, sign-off" the ship device was working. There are also new and more challenging Sudoku puzzles present. 

Now for the negative... The Countess was pushed by a tug, Peggy Louise, for the duration of the cruise---not a good image. The crew is understaffed. There is only one bartender for the 155 passengers (capacity 266). At times, Anthony was overwhelmed but he did the best he could. The other bartender did not arrive for the cruise. The omelet server for the River Grille did not  sail with the ship. It appeared as if the ship was understaffed. The crew is all-American and many exhibit current American work ethics, work when you want and stay home when you wish. We strongly recommend hiring Filipinos for the service personnel. The most significant negative was the cancellation of the port stop in Hannibal. For many cruise passengers this port was the highlight of the trip. Ship personnel attributed the cancellation to "river conditions " and the Mississippi River being too shallow. Few passengers believed this to be true and felt that the Countess authorities were being less than truthful. This proved to be true when many barges safely navigated the Mississippi. The most significant event took place when the American Queen, a sister ship to the Countess, sailed by enroute to Hannibal. Ouch, they was revealing! Most passengers believed the reason for the cancellation was because of the Countess being pushed by the tug. We were also told that the tug was used during the previous voyage.

We ate only in the River Grille and found the food to be average, not bad not good. Its the same old bland items almost daily. American foods such as cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pizza, nachos, etc. in the River Grille would be appreciated. The only way to get a cheeseburger is to order it through "room service" in the River Grille and have it delivered to that location. River Grille personnel appear to not encourage this since everyone will follow suit. 

Our experience and tips for cruisers:   

Day 1. We flew to Chicago-O'Hare and took the "L" Blue Line for $5 each and departed the metro at the Jackson Station on "The Loop". We walked .4 miles to the Hilton Chicago. Taking a taxi from O'Hare will cost around $100. In-processing to AQ is easy and no Covid test is conducted. I recommend that you stay on Michigan Ave. for the evening. Pan-handlers are everywhere on State St. Dinner at Kitty O'Sheas is expensive. There is a 7/11 one block west of the hotel. Your room will not have a view of Lake Michigan unless you are willing to pay extra.

Day 2: Complimentary full breakfast at the hotel. Checkout is at 11:00 so you have the morning free. We walked to Millennium Park, "The Bean", Navy Pier, The Loop, Chicago River walk, the Lake Front, and Grant Park. There is a city tour provided by AQ for $79. The first bus departure for Ottawa is at 2:00 followed by 2:30. Expect rush hour traffic during this 2 hour trip. We could not understand why the bus departures did not start at 12:00 or 1:00.

Day 3, Ottawa: The ship is docked at Allen Park, in South Ottawa and across the Illinois River from Ottawa. The Hop-on, hop-off bus will carry passengers to the Reddick house which is interesting. Be certain to cross the street and visit Washington Park where the first 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debate took place. The Boy Scout Heritage Museum is quite interesting. You may wish to read about the "Radium Girls".

Day 4, Peoria. We walked to the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception and were given a private tour. The Archbishop Fulton Sheen is entombed here. There is also an interesting collection of Holy Relics. Two blocks away is the museum dedicated to the Archbishop. We walked to the "Lincoln Draws the Line" statue where Lincoln first denounced slavery. Dozer Pak and the home of the Peoria Chiefs (Class A Cardinals) is about 1/2 mile further. The ho-ho will also stop at the River Front Museum.

Day 5, Havana and New Salem: The Countess docks at Havana, a city of 12,000. Be certain to get your ticket to the New Salem on the 9:00 bus. The second tour is at 1:00. New Salem is a reconstructed community where Abraham Lincoln lived in the 1830's. The reconstruction was done in the 1930's due to the efforts of the CCC. After the 30-minute drive to return to the ship, we walked to the nearby VFW which is open to the public. This is a fun placed.

Day 6, Cruising: The Deck 2 and 3 rockers provide excellent views and is perfect for identifying Bald Eagles. We saw 85 eagles during the cruise... don't forget your binoculars.

Day 7, Grafton. This is the day we were suppose to go to Hannibal. The city has a population of 650 with almost as many bars. The ho-ho will transport passengers to the immense Pere Marquette State Park. The Visitor's Center is very interesting. We walked the Ravine Trail to the top of the mountain but I do not recommend this adventure unless you are in good physical condition. Be sure and note The Loading Dock adjacent to the ship. Hundreds of mostly young partiers gather here Fri-Sunday to drink excessively and dance.

Day 8, Grafton: We attended the Grafton First United Methodist Church service at 10:45. There were 16 folks present. Be certain to visit the Hotel Ruebel on Main St. and learn about the ghost, Abigail that haunts the inn. AQ provided passengers with the Sky Tour, a chair-lift to the Aerie high about the city. There are excellent views of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. 

Day 9, Transfer from the Countess.

The Land of Lincoln (Illinois River)

We are a retired couple in our mid-70's.  This was our 14th cruise, 2nd river cruise.  We sailed on the Countess last May and had such a great time we decided to take another cruise on her.  While this cruise was not as great as the previous one, we still had a good time.

I really love the ship.  The layout is so convenient and everything is close together.  The grand lobby and bar with the 2-story windows gives a beautiful view of the scenery.  Our cabin was comfortable and the bathroom was huge.  I enjoyed the open balcony, where I could visit with people as they walked around the deck.  If you prefer a private balcony, those are also available.

The crew is fantastic, especially our cabin steward LaCoy and our waitress Leah.  Anthony at the bar remembered us from the last cruise.  That's the kind of personal detail AQV provides.  

Entertainment was very good.  We particularly enjoyed the 50's-60's Sock Hop on the last night.  Clark and Melissa Roberts, the CD and his assistant/wife, were very visible and interacted with the passengers.  And Doronte Evans, the other member of the trio, can sure belt out a song.  Clark is also a tap dancer, which added to the entertainment.

The only thing I really felt was a step down on this cruise was the food.  While good, there was nothing really exceptional.  But hey, I didn't have to cook or do the dishes, so who's complaining?

We stayed the first night at the Hilton in downtown Chicago.  Registration went smoothly.

Our room was spacious and the bed was comfortable.  We had some overpriced pizza for lunch in the hotel's sandwich shop.  We went out for dinner at another hotel down the street where we got sandwiches.  A buffet breakfast was provided the next morning.

We had signed up in advance for the city bus tour on Tuesday. They were really pushing this excursion at registration and ended up with a full bus.  But they didn't pay any attention to how many people were in need of handicap seating based on who had scooters or canes.  Only 3 seats were allotted when they needed more like seven or eight.  Therefore I ended up trudging with my cane all the way to the back of the bus.  No fun.  

The tour drove past many highlights.  It stopped at Millenium Park, Navy Pier, and Planetarium Point.  We had time to buy lunch at Navy Pier.  Around 2 pm, we headed to the ship in Ottawa, IL.  Between typical Chicago traffic and construction, we didn't reach the ship until about 4:30.  Ottawa had its share of construction problems too.  And the interstates were rough.  My husband and I fought motion sickness until we got off the interstate and onto a regular state route.  

Once onboard, we barely had time to drop off our carry ons, wash up, and head back down to dinner.  Due to a shortage of dining room staff, they had 2 seatings for dinner.  We had very congenial tablemates and enjoyed eating with them every night.  While we were eating, the ship took a short dinner cruise to test some engine repairs.  Unfortunately, these were not as successful as hoped.

We spent the night in Ottawa and had time the next morning to tour.  Ottawa was the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate and has several Lincoln-related venues.  We also toured the Reddick Mansion, a pre-Civil Was home.  We didn't have time to visit the Historical Society/Boy Scout Museum.  (Actually, it's the Boy Scout/Girl Scout/Campfire Museum.)

After lunch we had the mandatory muster drill and then we were off to Peoria.

We spent Thursday in Peoria.  One thing it is famous for is being the home of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, noted TV personality.  We visited the Cathedral where he is buried and also the Bishop Sheen Museum.  If this is not your thing, there's a huge Riverfront Museum, a combination modern art and natural history museum.  Next to that is the Caterpillar (Tractor) Visitors' Center, another museum featuring the large machinery made by the company.  

On Friday we were in Havana (sic).  The included tour was a half-day excursion to New Salem, a reconstruction of the town where Lincoln lived in his 20's.  It was interesting but too much walking for me to see all of it.  For a price, you could also visit Springfield, the state capital, as well as New Salem for a more complete Lincoln experience.

Saturday was a day of river cruising.  They had several events on the ship such as a Q & A with Clark and Melissa Roberts.  I also spent most of the afternoon on my balcony.

Now we get to the big disappointment.  They've had problems with one of the Z-drives and are waiting for parts from Germany.  Meanwhile, there is a tow boat pushing the ship, along with the paddlewheels.  Therefore, they aren't making as good time as they would normally.  There were also problems ahead of us with some tows of barges taking a long time to get through the locks.  And a barge got stuck on a sandbank.  SO, corporate decided we were not going to Hannibal, the one port most everyone was looking forward to.  Instead, we would spend Sunday and Monday in Grafton.  

No offense to Grafton, but there isn't a heck of a lot to do there.  And not much, even the Visitors' Center at the State Park, was open on Sunday.  We stayed on the ship on Sunday and went to the State Park and the shopping district on Monday.  The shopping district has 3 gift shops.  One features Americana, one features natural products like soap and food, and the third features locally made crafts.  There is also a wood shop where they have an amazing selection of exotic woods for sale.

Tuesday found us in Alton, MO.  We had booked a direct transfer to the airport.  After an early breakfast, they called our luggage tag color at 7:15.  The bus left around 7:30 and we were at the airport by 8 am.  Then all we had to do was wait for our flight, but that's another story.

I still want to sail of the American Queen, and I still want to do a round-trip New Orleans, but that will have to wait for next year.  We also have 3 other cruises on our wish list.  My husband was a bit discouraged by the way they cancelled Hannibal, but I think with a good enough deal, he'll be willing to try again.

I just finished my trip on the Countess. First positive: very nice boat, great cruise and assistant cruise directors who also provided great entertainment. Negatives: We were told there would be COVID testing before the cruise. Upon arriving at check-in we were informed no testing would be done. This information should have been provided before cruise. The steering went out on the boat the first night so a tugboat pushed us down the Mississippi and we missed several ports. The fire alarm went off  around midnight the second night, with no explanation to guests as to whether it was a false alarm. We could not reach our final port of St. Louis, so we were bused 4 hours ( beginning at 6 am) to that city where they cancelled our city tour. One day before we docked, 22+ people were taken off the ship due to COVID infection. The rest of the passengers were never informed of this problem so were not encouraged to mask up. We were offered 50% off a future cruise with the fine print of applying this credit according to what you had paid for the current cruise. The Captain said it best on the last night “I’m glad this week is over!” I would not recommend this boat to those looking for a stress free vacation.

Lots of problems

We had sailed previously with Victory Cruise Lines who was bought by American Queen. I will begin by stating that this was a very fun cruise and one of the best that we have taken in a life-time of travel which includes approximately 35 cruises. Saying that, there are many minor issues. I am 73 and Wanda is 72 (which is not an issue), two very fit individuals. Most passengers are in their 70s-80s and many are disabled, often with wheelchairs or walkers. This means that much of one's time will be spent waiting behind people with mobility problems. The Countess has a capacity for 245 passengers but we were told there are only 165 on our cruise. The food is nutritious, but mediocre in taste. We were scheduled for early dinner (5:30) daily in the Grand Dining Room but were changed a couple days before cruising to late dining (7:45). As a result, we ate all meals in the buffet style River Grille (dinner here is 5:00-7:00). The staff is all-American (although one of our servers was from Jamaica) and typical of American young workers, nothing enthusiastic, but the job was done. Most alcohol is complimentary and it was reported that there are 15 different beers and wines. Mixed drinks are quite strong, the bartender told us its double shots, but it looked more like triple shots. I drank Coors Light and Bud Light and Wanda drank the same with an occasional "light" margarita. The Lobby Bar is open most of the day and the River Grille bar is open at lunch and for the evening meal. Premium drinks are extra and include a 15% service charge. The bartenders, Anthony and Luke are average, nothing outstanding but they performed their duties. I had read reviews of long waits at the bar but we did not encounter that experience. We are accustomed to Filipino bar servers who are always first class with their enthusiasm. We did not view any of The Theater performances but the entertainment singers (particularly Ian) and the band performed well on the several occasions we saw them in the Grand Lobby. Since we did not eat in the Grand Dining Room and served ourselves at the buffet in the River Grille, I reduced our gratuity from $19.50 per person each day to $14.50. The Purser did not question me or try to convince me otherwise, which was appreciated. Almost every day the Countess was an hour to several hours late to its destination. American Queen uses Hop On-Hop Off with 3-4 buses that provide transportation through the port cities. The buses make a circuit every 25-40 minutes and the stops and pick-up points are clearly marked. Maps are provided to each cabin to assist one in locating pick-up points. We did not purchase any of the premium excursions and used the HoHo on only a few occasions. We walked the circuit at most ports which meant we were one of the first to disembark and we did not have to wait for the buses or passengers to load/unload. There are several of the ships features out of service. The mid-ship elevator was inoperative the entire cruise (although we always use stairs) and the popcorn machine had been inoperative for weeks. Often the Perks coffee maker was was down due to no one cleaning out the used coffee grounds. COVID vaccination cards are required and all passengers were supposed  to have a COVID nasal swab test in the preboarding hotel but the test materials were not available so we (and the others around us) were not tested. 

Day 1, St. Louis. We flew to St. Louis and took the Metro-Link subway to the 8th and Pine Station. The cost is $2 each for seniors but we observed that no one pays other than us. We walked 5-6 blocks to the Hilton, a very nice hotel. American Queen personnel were not prepared for the 2:00 registration so it was delayed 15-20 minutes. We had to show our COVID cards at least 5 times and often to the same person twice. The hotel allowed us to check-in at 1:30. We walked to the Gateway Arch National Park and La Cleade Landing although most of the bars and restaurants were closed. We used our military I.D. cards (retired) to get free tickets to the Cardinals (6)- Phillies (1) game and received nice left-field seats.

Day 2. Complimentary breakfast at the Hilton. Checkout is at 11:00 so we had 3 hours to kill to wait on the bus to transport us to Grafton. We used this time to walk the streets of downtown St. Louis. Since we registered early we   were able to get the 2:00 transfer tickets for the 50 minute bus drive to Grafton. Our original embarkation port was Alton but it was changed for a reason not divulged to us. Check-in at the Countess was uncomplicated other than the  check-in device was out of order and we were recorded as being on board by pen and paper. Champagne is available for new arrivals but we stayed with the Coors Light.

Day 3, Hannibal. What a neat town! the Mark Twain Boyhood Home is only a couple blocks from the dock and full of Samuel Clemens memorabilia. The adjacent Huckleberry Finn and Becky Thatcher homes are interesting. We rode the HoHo for 3 miles passing by Lover's Leap and stopped at the Cave Hollow West Winery. Here one can sample 4 complimentary tastings, only 1 of which was good to our tastes. Walking across the road from the winery we went to the Tom Sawyer Cave. The price to take the 1 hour guided tour is $25 each and we passed. The original cave opening is boarded and located about 50 yards east of the ticket office. The HoHo carried us back to Hannibal and we toured the Mark Twain Museum and the Hannibal History Museum. 

Day 4, Cruising. Watch for Bald Eagles. 

Day 5, Bettendorf. We docked during the night, next to the I-74 bridge and the Isle Casino. We took the HoHo to downtown Davenport (3-4 miles away) and walked across Government Bridge to Rock Island Arsenal (this is not a part of the tour). We continued to cross the Mississippi River and boarded the HoHo at the Botanical Museum in Rock Island, Il. 

Day 6, Dubuque. What a neat city!. Docking is at the National Mississippi River River Museum. We walked 3/4 miles to the Grand Opera and St. Luke's Methodist Church (first church in Iowa). We continued 1/2 mile and rode the Fenelon to the top and down. Great views of the city, Mississippi River, and the Countess can be seen from the top. The Julien Hotel is interesting and it is said that it served as a hiding place for Al Capone. Please note the Clock Tower on Main Street. If you make the return to the Countess on foot try to locate the old Shot Tower near the river.

Day 7, La Crosse. Docking at La Crosse was late and at 1:00. We walked a mile to the Hixon House to avoid the HoHo passengers. this house was built in 1858 and 90% of its furnishings are original. The La Cross Heritage Center is also interesting with Native American artifacts and relics salvaged from the War Eagle. The Dahl Auto Museum is fascinating with 30-40 restored "showroom condition" automobiles from the 20th century.

Day 8, Redwing. The Countess docked at 11:00. The dock is only 2 blocks from the city center. We stopped at the old and beautiful St. James Hotel (not a part of the tour) and took the self-guided tour through the hotel. The Aliveo Military Museum is interesting with many artifacts from the Third Reich. The Marine Museum is just so-so but the adjacent Miniature Railroad Museum was fantastic to us. Be sure and note Barn Bluff above the city. We were told this peak served as a Native American lookout point.

Day 9, Transfer to Minneapolis/ St Paul Airport. The $49 each transfer takes place at 7:30 and requires 55 minutes.

In conclusion, this was a very fun trip and we would do it again. In fact we will cruise again on the Countess in a couple weeks from Chicago to St. Louis. Be certain to take a good set of binoculars. We spotted 67 Bald Eagles during the cruise.

Life on the Mississippi (American Countess-St. Louis to Red Wing

We chose this cruise because it was the Star Spangled Banner Cruise from Louisville to Nashville.

We stayed in the complimentary pre-cruise hotel, The Brown, which was elegant.  Our room was huge! 

The check in process was quick and easy.  The crew took care of everything.  Our bags were handled with ease.  We enjoyed the pre-cruise tour of Louisville,  including Churchill Downs.  It was informative and fun.

Our welcome aboard was fantastic.  Live music playing in the lounge, champagne and bourbon flowed freely.  

Every meal was perfection!  We ate lobster every night in addition to our main courses.  Kenneth was our waiter at dinner and he was always attentive, efficient and helpful.

Anthony, the bartender, was kept busy throughout the cruise.  He always had a smile on his face and remembered what everyone was drinking.  

The daily excursions were well organized.  The live shows each evening and the after show jazz in the lounge were outstanding.

I could not have asked for a better experience.

We had inside cabins and we were happy with them.  Plenty of storage space and wonderful beds and sheets.  I slept well every night.

I highly recommend the Countess and am getting ready to book my next American Queen Voyages cruise.

Fabulous food and Gracious Service

Warning:  This may be long and a bit rambling, but there are many good things to say about this cruise.

DH and I are in our 70's.  This was our fourteenth cruise overall, but our first river cruise.  Way back in February 2020, we booked a cruise from Memphis to New Orleans on the American Queen.  After 4 cancellations, 3 due to COVID and 1 due to Hurricane Ida, we said forget it.  AQV gave us most of our money back so we decided to try something a little different.  We live in northeast Ohio, about a 5-hour drive from Cincinnati so we thought we'd try sailing from Cincy.  

We drove to Cincinnati Monday afternoon.  There was a big accident ahead of us on I-71 which caused an almost 2-hour delay.  Since there was no way we would make it to the hotel in time, I called AQV directly to tell them we would miss COVID testing and check-in at the Hospitality Desk.  The person I spoke with was very pleasant and reassuring and said we could take care of all that in the morning.  I mention this in case people worry about getting in late.  AQV has it all under control.

Tuesday morning, we went down to get our COVID tests, the simple nasal swap type, ate breakfast, and checked in at the Hospitality desk.  There we were told that, due to high river levels, the ship was unable to dock in Cincinnati.  Instead, the Countess was in Rising Sun, IN.  We would all be bussed there in the afternoon.  The ride took about an hour and we were on board by 4:30.

Muster drill was held shortly after everyone was on board.  We all stood outside our cabins and put on our life vests.  Members of the crew checked that we were wearing them properly.  There was a short PA announcement regarding procedures in the event of an actual emergency.  

Because there were only 125 passengers, about half capacity, dinner was open seating and there was only 1 show at 8 each night.  

There were 98 crew members so service was outstanding.  A special shout-out to Anthony and Gypsy, the bartenders, who were always pleasant and happy to talk to people, whether they were fixing a drink-of-the-day, a specialty cocktail, or just a diet soda.

Our first stop was Madison, IN.  We did the Hop-on, Hop-off tour and visited a few stops.  We were supposed to visit Louisville, KY, the next day, but due to high river levels, we spent another day in Madison.  AQV arranged for a free excursion to The Ark for those who were interested.  They also arranged with one of the local breweries for a free tour and tasting event.  Being non-drinkers, we skipped that but did take the HOHO bus uptown and explored the shopping district.  In addition, AQV gave everyone $50 OBC.

Friday we visited Brandenburg, KY.  This town is located near Abraham Lincoln's birthplace.  The included excursion took us to Hogdenville, KY, to see the Birthplace Memorial and then into town to the Lincoln Museum, where we met the president himself.  He was a very mesmerizing speaker.  

Saturday we toured Henderson, KY, famous for the J.J. Audobon State Park and Museum.  It is also the birthplace of W.C. Handy.  The Audobon Museum is worth the long ride and is included in the HOHO itinerary.

Sunday found us Paducah, KY.  We took the HOHO in the morning.  There were several interesting stops, including the National Quilt Museum.  This features many modern quilts, more like works of art to hang on your walls than to spread on your beds.  If you prefer traditional patchwork, you'll find better examples elsewhere.  In the afternoon, we took the premium excursion to Along the Chitlin' Trail.  This visit to the Hotel Metropolitan was a real eye-opener (and it was full of beautiful patchwork quilts).  This is where the African American entertainers stayed as they made their way from New Orleans to Chicago and back.  "Miss Maggie" is a really colorful character.

We only had half a day in New Madrid, MO.  We visited the New Madrid Historical Museum which features exhibits about the Native American who were the first inhabitants of the area, Civil War memorabilia, and much information about the famous earthquake of 1811-1812.  The upstairs is decorated as a home would have been near the end of the 19th century and had many beautiful patchwork quilts.

I'm sure you have been waiting to hear about the ship itself.  The Countess is wonderful.  Everything is very compact and well laid-out. The Grand Lobby and Bar takes up most of the central part of the ship with its two-story windows.  It's a great place to relax and meet people.

We had Cabin 342, port-side, deck 3.  The room was larger than I expected.  The bed was comfortable.  The bathroom was huge.  We could have used a couple more drawers but other than that, I had no complaints.  Our stateroom attendant, Constance, did a great job of keeping the room clean and tidy.  This room had an open balcony, but there were dividers between the balconies, so it was fairly private.   You could walk out from your space to the "promenade" and go all the way around Deck 3.  7 1/2 times around = 1 mile.  Ii was great for taking pictures.  

Food ranged from good to great.  We ate breakfast either in the Dining Room or the River Grill, which was open longer.  Both had a buffet service.  The Dining Room also offered 3 menu items, including an omelet, and some type of French toast, pancake, waffle, etc.

For lunch, we always ate in the Dining Room, although the River Grill was also open.  Again, both had a buffet and the Dining Room had several menu items like burgers.

Dinner was only available in the Dining Room.  There were 2 appetizers, 3 soups, 2 salads, and 4-5 entrees, plus the Always Available menu.  One entree was always a prime beef selection, one was seafood, and one was vegetarian.  Lobster was on the Always Available menu as a side, but we learned that you could order lobster tail, baked potato, and vegetables from the Always Available menu instead of an entree. Portion sizes were plentiful but don't worry about cleaning your plate.  There is a composting facility onboard where they turn all the leftovers into fertilizer. So be sure to save room for dessert.

I would especially like to compliment the deck crew and HOHO drivers for their care and transportation of those, such as myself and my husband, who need some assistance with ramps and steps.  There were several golf carts to take us up levees.  Crew were always ready to lend a hand when the going got steep.  They were absolutely wonderful.  

I've saved the best for last.  The entertainment on the ship was among the best we've ever seen on all our cruises.  One night, Mark Twain kept us all in stitches as he told how he came to be a writer.  He also had a Q&A session on the last afternoon of the cruise.

But most nights, the entertainment consisted of a trio of vocalists, Cruise Director Ian Benjamin and has two Assistant CD's, Eva and Shaun.  There was a 4-piece back-up band which also played in the lobby after the show.  Everybody on board raved about the shows and how great the singers' voices blended.  They did a variety of shows featuring a variety of styles, from music of the 40's to the 80's.  One night, CD Ian did his own show of music from 10 great pianist-vocalist-songwriters.  I cannot say enough in praise of this outstanding team of singers and musicians.  I hope you're lucky enough to hear them.

Did we have fun?  Oh, yes, we did.  Will we go again? We're already looking forward to a Memphis to NOLA cruise and one in the Pacific Northwest.

Cincinnati? to Memphis

I have emailed, left a note on the website, spoken to escalated customer service rep and requested a call from Mr Waggoner to discuss the MAJOR problems on the cruise.  Staff on board were wonderful but woefully understaffed.  Dining room normally has 16 servers-only six!  Food ALWAYS cold-soups always tepid at best.

One stop (can’t call it a port) not planned, had NO services!  We needed medical care told there was nothing nearby, no taxi cab service and no Uber as there was NO CELL SERVICE. If we REALLY needed medical attention they could call the fire department.  They’d take us “somewhere” they just had no ideas where!  We believed as did most folks that a condition of carriage was that there was proximity of medical help at each stop.

The cruise was billed as an AMERICAN MUSIC CRUISE. The entertainment was sorely lacking leaving most passengers wondering what indeed was going on.  Example- night 1 the wife of a husband wife sup of which the husband didn’t arrive until the 3/4th day, sang one song and said thanks, see you around the boat, goodnight now! Second night the backup combo band played for an hour-no singing-just the back up combo.????? Clearly again not what I paid for.  I have traveled with American Queen before and thought they were great.  If they can’t maintain those standards they should not be cruising

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