American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company) Cruises

446 Reviews
American Queen

About American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company) Cruises

Traditional paddlewheel river cruise ships, including world's largest steamship, offer regional food and drink on American rivers.

  • More about American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company)

  • Who goes on American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company) cruise ships?

  • Do I have to dress up on a American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company) cruise?

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American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company) Cruises Tips, Activities, and Overview

Who goes on American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company) cruise ships?

You'll find mature travelers on American Queen Voyages ships, mostly aged 50 and over. Many are history buffs who are knowledgeable and well-traveled. On summer and holiday itineraries, the ships might pull in a slightly younger demographic, but you'll rarely get a 20-something traveling without an older parent or grandparent. This is one of the few river cruise lines with facilities for wheelchair users: elevators to all cabin decks, accessible staterooms and a helpful crew to assist in going to and from the coaches on shore.

Do I have to dress up on a American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company) cruise?

No, dress code is casual during the day, moving to country club casual in the evenings, which usually translates into a dress, skirt and blouse or pants suit for women. Some men wear a sport coat in the evening, but it's always by choice. Just don't show up for dinner in shorts or T-shirt.

Is everything free on American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company) cruises?

Nearly everything. Cruise fares include a pre-cruise night at a hotel, transfer to the ship, dining (including in the alternative venues and 24-hour room service), soft drinks, coffees and bottled water and complimentary wines and beers at dinner. On American Duchess, an unlimited beverage package is also included, and gratuities are prepaid for passengers.

At least one shore excursion in each port is usually free, as are the hop-on hop-off coaches and the bicycles. Wi-Fi is complimentary, but for most of the fleet, you will pay extra for gratuities and for drinks apart from those served at dinner.

What are American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company)’s most popular activities?

Seeing the ports along the rivers is central to the American Queen Voyages experience. The line offers a small selection of structured excursions but also encourages individual exploration with dedicated hop-on hop-off buses that provide narrated tours through the towns the ship is docked in. Passengers can also check out bikes to pedal around the destinations.

Life onboard centers around the lounges, which, with their antiques and period touches, are homey and well-used. Passengers take up residence and browse the library, play cards or just hang out and read. Another popular activity onboard is listening to the resident riverlorian, affable experts in the history and lore of the region and steamboating who spin yarns and answer questions along the way in organized lectures and individually.

Most of the passengers attend the evening shows provided by onboard entertainers and guest performers, as well. American Queen Voyages has astonishingly good entertainment in beautiful spaces (American Queen's Grand Saloon, for example, is a close replica of the Ford's Theatre).

Why go with American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company)?

  • Offers American river and coastal cruises
  • Fleet includes world's largest paddlewheel steamboat
  • Inclusive pricing: dinner drinks, tours, Wi-Fi

Best for: Mature cruisers who enjoy following in the footsteps of the great steamboat-era travelers but with modern refinements

Not for: Those looking for poolside activities or any type of fast-paced onboard life

American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company) Cruises Cruiser Reviews

Empress not up to standard of American Queen

We were so excited to go on another cruise after the success of our first one.We had a post-cruise tour scheduled on Monday (the last day) that would have gotten us to the Spokane airport at 1:30 pm.Read More
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Ann from Alabama

couple2-5 Cruises

•

Age 70s

Fun Time on the Snake and Columbia Rivers, October 2023

Day 6, Cruise Day: The Empress was healed sometime during the night so today is a day to catch up and the scheduled stop at Camus, Wa will be sacrificed.We were supposed to be in The Dalles so this day is mostly wasted, although the ship provided some sort of small Ho-Ho excursion.Read More
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runner19492002

many10+ Cruises

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Age 75s

Lots of Issues but Great Crew

The downside: Due to the major issues American Queen had during the 21-day cruise they informed all the passengers their cruise fare would be refunded as a credit.The cruise had extreme weather issues due to the time of year the cruise was going through the great lakes causing missing ports, getting to ports late and at one time having to disembark the major of passengers a day early leaving on the passengers booked on the back-to-back onboard (there were 8); it was like having our own yacht for 2.Read More
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Cruiser_Lover

many10+ Cruises

•

Age 74s

Didn't feel valued

We wanted to love this trip, but we will never sail with American Queen Voyages again.We will never, ever, sail with them again.Read More
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CFI

many10+ Cruises

•

Age 61s

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