We were interested in trying a river cruise, a first for us after several ocean cruises on bigger ships. We chose American Cruise Lines because they feature new European-style river boats instead of the older paddle wheel style. We picked the eastbound Columbia and Snake River cruise because it was a new part of the country for us. The American Song is their newest boat. We started in Lewiston, Idaho, and booked a one-day jet boat trip down the Snake River into the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. We did this through the cruise line as an add-on. Highly recommended. Saw so much fantastic scenery, ruins of mines, settlements and enterprises from the pioneer days, bald eagles, rocky mountain big horn sheep, beautiful cliffs, Indian petroglyphs, - just a neat day in a comfortable open air boat. Two stops for lunch and snacks at former ranch and farm, now operated for river travelers. Next day we boarded the Song. Very comfortable boat, with a wonderful scale - only 184 passengers. No long treks to the dining room or lounges as you might be accustomed to on the ocean ships. Very easy and pleasant if you have any mobility issues. No long waits for the elevators - hardly ever waited at all. Lovely cabin - even though we had the least expensive cabin - plenty of storage, nice balcony. Easy cruising with stops in small towns every day. At least three excursions were included at every stop, with at least one being complimentary. Fascinating going through the 8 locks and dams on the Columbia. Some long bus rides to get to the places of interest on the excursions, not too pleasant. We greatly enjoyed Multnomah Falls, Mount St Helens, and Cape Disappointment. They seemed to waste the day we got to Portland - arrived too late in the day to really see anything. Lecturer told us about the history of Lewis and Clark, the Columbia River - she was all right, nothing special. The entertainment on board was basically conversation with the other passengers. There was a modest musical act each at night after dinner - ranging from not too good to pretty good. I think that for quite a few passengers the main attraction of the trip was the free and unlimited wine, beer and liquor offered all day long. Food was pretty good. All meals served in open seating dining room. There was also a small snack bar called the Back Porch Cafe on upper outdoor lounge - hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. Service and attentiveness to passengers was excellent. Loved the self-service laundromats. The cruise was all-inclusive, just as advertised. Made all arrangements and transactions very trouble free. Read Less

I had always wanted to take this cruise of the Columbia River. The scenery and history was so interesting and the ship was lovely. Being a small ship with 184 passengers, everything was close. The staff was young and very hard-working and did an excellent job. The food was great and plentiful. The history of the area, following the path of Lewis and Clark, was fascinating and the geology and scenery in the area was so interesting. We loved floating down the river and seeing Washington and Oregon from a different perspective. The shore excursions were mostly included in the price of the cruise. We especially enjoyed seeing Mt St Helen. Most of the ports were in rural areas, which was fine. There’s something interesting to see everywhere. Overall we would highly recommend this cruise. Although the cost is on the high end, it is all-inclusive and we would do it again. Read Less

We chose this particular cruise for location/itinerary and the fact that it included a new riverboat. It was a very pleasant cruise overall; but there was some room for improvement. The crew/staff was especially friendly and helpful from the captain to the officers to the servers and housekeeping staff. The dining room and snack food was tasty, plentiful and frequent, but not at a gourmet level and featured meats over chicken and local seafood. The casual cafe needs improved offerings and food preparation. Rolls, muffins, pastries and other bakery items were especially good. The wine choices--mostly local-- were varied and very drinkable, One entertainer (2 nights) was excellent, one put us to sleep and two entertainer couples were very pleasant. On board daytime activities were not for us and too many involved alcohol. The scenery was quite beautiful. A small onboard gift shop with logo souvenirs and a small toiletries selection, as well as a library would be nice additions. Read Less

I chose this cruise because it advertised as a NEW boat with a 900 sq ft. Grand Suite. I thought it would be a good way to see the Pacific North West. It assuredly does not meet "high end" expectations. The dingy suite was my biggest disappointment, and initially I thought I must be on the wrong ship. The food was very good. It was American cuisine, unpretentious, and better than most cruise lines. I think the food was their strongest selling point. We had a lecturer that spoke several times about the Lewis and Clark expedition, and he was quite good. They also had a guitarist-singer who portrayed a cowboy one night and a sailor another. He was also quite enjoyable. Aside from that entertainment was lacking. The lounges were nice and attractive. The personnel were all American and very nice. Unfortunately, they lacked training in the service industry. You may find yourself without the proper eating utensils, and the waiter will never notice, or forget to bring them. I was told that I could not have a certain flavor of ice cream for lunch because it was frozen solid. (?) The age of the passengers looked to be mostly over 70, and many had difficulty walking. Read Less

My husband is very interested in history. Retracing Lewis and Clark's journey and making it come alive was a dream come true. The guest lecturers were very knowledgeable and interesting. I had never seen Washington or Oregon, so I was looking forward to some beautiful countryside views. It was fun to do a lot of the traveling during the day instead of at night so we could see more scenery. We went with friends and the cruise line made sure our balconies were connected (they removed the partition between them) even before we boarded the ship. Lots of personal attention from the staff made the cruise fun and pleasant. The artists on board were FABULOUS and gave art lessons to those of us who weren't as interested in history. The small size of the ship, made it easy to get to meals, cocktails, the decks and lounge, coffee, etc. The pre-cruise hotel, Historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington was an unexpected delight with its architecture and history and fine dining. Read Less

Great comfortable cabin on nearly new ship, but open closet hanging space is limited. Lectures were good and musical entertainment was generally adequate, we came prepared with own DVD's. Shore excursion to Mt St Helens required 90 minute bus ride for 60 minute visit, but DVD on bus about eruption helped. Pendleton excursion definitely not worth it, would have preferred to remain on board. We enjoyed the locks and the lecturer gave commentary in the lounge. Really no other commentary or map described the areas we were passing by. We kept changing tables in the dining room until we found a server we liked - they usually cover the same 3 or so tables. Usually only a couple choices of appetizer/salad, main course and dessert. They try really hard to accommodate dietary issues, we had none. Snacks and all kinds of sodas/juices always available in several lounges. Jet boat ride on Hells Canyon did not include the sheer canyon walls I expected, but did see an eagle and big horn sheep. Three free washers/dryers with soap pods and dryer sheets provided. Embarkation is walk on from Red Lion Hotel and disembarkation was well organized. Read Less

We explored Portland, OR for a couple of days prior to boarding the ship, which enriched our cruise experience, since the cruise did not include a shore excursion there. Embarkation was very easy, as the ship was docked right behind our hotel. All our documents and information was well organized. The ship was new, clean and beautiful, less than a year old, and decorated very nicely. Our cabin was spacious and included a private balcony. We were favorably impressed with the size of the bathroom compared to the other cruise we had taken (on a different cruise line). The staff was friendly, helpful and efficient. Food was excellent with plenty of choices, including vegetarian. Our nightly entertainment included some very talented (and funny) people. We had numerous shore excursions to choose from, something to fit everyone's interests and fitness levels. We especially enjoyed Multnomah Falls and Cape Disappointment State Park. We definitely plan to travel with American Cruise Lines again! 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

The American Song is a newer ship, so everything was fresh and new. The staterooms are roomy, with a large bathroom. Plenty of storage, but not a lot of hanging space. The (very) young crew was very professional and tried hard to please everyone. The food was good, and drinks are included during happy hour, dining and with the evening entertainment. There os no assigned seating, so you can meet many other people this way. The entertainment was ok, two nights were excellent and other nights not so much. The bar closes right after the entertainment, so if you want drinks later that could be a problem. The excursions that were offered were good, and on this cruise along the Columbia and Snake Rivers the scenery was amazing! We went on the jet boat ride into Hell's Canyon, which was a lot of fun. This cruise Line caters to a senior crowd, and wouldn't be suitable for younger families. Read Less

We were seeking a vacation that could accommodate my husband in a wheelchair and chose the river cruise on the Columbia River on the American Song. This new boat is beautiful with lovely cabins and public rooms. The dining room was lovely and accommodated all guests at once. The cuisine was excellent and locally sourced, and the service impeccable. Since this cruise travels in a fairly rural area, one goes for the scenery and history/ local culture rather than big entertainment. We would recommend an extra day or two to explore the Portland area pre or post cruise. For our needs, the boat was completely accessible. Every room has showers with safety bars. There are also bars in the hallways.The staff were exceptional in all regards. Getting on and off the boat for shore excursions was challenging for my husband, but fantastic staff assistance made it all possible. I would recommend this cruise line to anyone, but especially note its ability to handle someone with mobility issues (assuming an able-bodied companion). Read Less

American Cruise lines is reasonable efficient, and well organized. Ship was relatively new. Excursions were excellent. The entertainment was outstanding. On-board historian was fun to listen to and gave excellent previews/reviews of the places we would be. Great information (quite enlightening) on the Lewis and Clark expedition. The add on to the Snake River via jet boat was well worth the cost. The scenery on both the Snake and Columbia rivers was spectacular. The few excursions we added on (in addition to the free excursions in each port) were worth the money. Entertainment (the cowboy / sailor comedy singer, Liberace's arranger) were wonderful! The pre-cruise hotel in Lewiston, Idaho was a Quality Inn and lived up to the name. The rooms were excellent, the food wonderful, and the personnel quite helpful. The Indian evening with the Nez Perce Indians was a complete and wonderful surprise with excellent history, speakers, and dancers. This was not part of the cruise but we added it once we were at the hotel. Read Less

We actually started in Lewiston and went to Portland and it was good trip. Boat is great and food was very good. Would have like a few more "low calorie" options. Entertainment left a lot to be desired. Also the shore excursions need a little work on the timing so you do not spend so much time on the bus and at one stop most of the stores were closed as it was a Sunday. In my mind, it was an important stop. Historian was great and had so m much information about the area and both the Oregon Trial and Lewis and Clark Expedition that was not in most books you read. We would have liked to have arrived in Portland earlier, and that was doable and been able to see Fort Vancouver. I have suggested that to them. Washer was perfect, but can not guarentee that fore everyone and very windy so bring clothes for that. 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

We decided to try riverboat cruising in the US for our first cruise .Before our cruise we took advantage of the jet boat tour up the Snake River and that kicked our cruise off with some great scenery and knowledge of the river. On American Song, we were VERY impressed with the food, service, onboard lectures and shore excursions! There is not anything we think could have been done better. This is a new ship and is beautiful inside and out. Our cruise focused on Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery. Our onboard historian, Todd Weber, was a wealth of knowledge regarding the exploration, as well as the Snake and Columbia Rivers we were cruising, and he spoke to us every day and accompanied us on many of the shore excursions. His presentations were VERY well done and entertaining, as well. Complimentary snacks were available at all times, as well as cocktails and appetizers before dinner. No expectation of tipping onboard, so it was nice not to have to pay extra for anything. American Cruise Lines seemed to have good plans in place for all parts of the trip, from meeting us at the hotel prior to the cruise, to sending us off at the end. They won us over, and we had been two skeptical non-cruisers.We booked a second cruise while we were still onboard! Read Less

Our first voyage with American Cruise Lines. Top marks for friendliness and helpfulness of "above and beyond" staff, especially Courtney, Amber and Sally. Ship captain gave an informative tour of the pilot house and kept things running on time and smoothly. The American Song was built in 2018 specifically for the Snake and Columbia River. The smaller ship provided for smooth passage through the locks and dams. Enjoyed the smaller guest capacity of 184, as it provided a more friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Friendships were made and stories exchanged! My father and I enjoyed learning of the history of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery with the remarkable Todd Weber, dressed in period clothing, weaving the stories to create a living history. The daily excursions were amazing. Highlights were the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center (amazing raptor program with live birds of prey), Fort Dalles (wonderful guide interpreting the surgeon quarters), the Multnomah Falls (the second highest year-round waterfall in the nation of 620 feet), Lewis and Clark National Historical Park at Fort Clatsop (refurbished layout of the fort the Corps of Discovery wintered 1805-1806), and Cape Disappointment State Park (furthest point westward of the Lewis and Clark expedition with a view of the lighthouse built in 1856). Dining - food was excellent. A few more tables would have provided more seating options for smaller groups with a desire to dine together. More buffet style lunches and dinners would have reduced dependency on wait staff. Vinyl or easy to clean dining room chairs, may improve unfortunate odor. Cabin - very comfortable, plenty of drawer space, and lovely balcony. Wonderful adventure creating memories for a lifetime. Read Less

Oregon was on my bucket list, so for a retirement gift, I took this tour on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. American Cruise Lines has their ships made in America, and their staff booked my trip flawlessly, always able to answer my questions, and sending me information and luggage tags, etc way ahead of time. They provide a complimentary precruise package, which is a night at the Red Lion Hotel on the River, a deliciouis breakfast, and the boat docks by the hotel, so very convenient. You schedule your own transportation to Portland, and sadly there is no shuttle from airport to hotel ($50 taxi for many); I have suggested the hotel supply a shuttle. The ship itself is new and lovely, small and friendly. Four levels and very fast elevators, much faster than large ships. Although I had a single room, I had plenty of room and all rooms have a balcony. The bathroom was stocked with lots of extra amenities under the sink, so I had everything I needed; there is a shower and water is plenty hot. There is a flat screen TV in the room, but it is apparently on Direct TV and it it lost signal quite often while I was watching the Final Four, so I was anxious and hope they solve that issue. The Hotel Manager Nico, and the Cruise Directors as well as every single person on that staff are helpful, pleasant, and bend over backwards to help you. Twice daily at 10am and 3pm they serve warm cookies, and they had turtle, snickerdoodle, oatmeal raisin, sugar cookies and others alternating...yum! There are enough seats in the large dining room for everyone apparently, and meals are whenever you come down: Breakfast 730-9 (early riser 630); lunch 12-130, and dinner 530-730, with cocktails/hors d'oeuvres 530-7 and Back Porch Cafe 11-230p and 4-8p.In the dining room you get a menu to choose from about 5 entrees, some usually local fare, and the soups are always great. The hot bread was great, in fact everything was great. There is free wine/beer beginning at lunch, with cocktails later on through evening. During the evening entainment, usually a singer or duo with funny/song singing, the servers bring popcorn, ice cream sodas, ice cream sundaes. There are sodas and snacks left all night in the lounge such as chips, nuts, granola bars. There is no infirmary or casino or pool/hot tub. There is a small workout area with machines, bottled water, but I didnot use it. There is a library with TV and two PCs and printer. There is a complimentary laundry room with free Tide Pods and dryer sheets. You get a lanyard with your name and an RFI card to open your room, etc, and since there is no tipping, it is cashless. There are a few simple activities like art class with a water color artist providing supplies so we could learn to paint, some scrabble and cardgames, trivia. There is a daily movie playing in the rooms pertaining to the area we cruised through, like a movie about Mt St Helens or Fort Clatsop. There were excursions included at every stop, but some premium signature excursions that cost more. The trip was relaxing, with smooth river sailing, so bumps or rocking. Some of the seniors had jazzies and walkers and canes, but they all were able to navigate this small ship well. If the ship ends in Lewiston/Clarkson, there are arrangements to the airports or taxis. I cannot emphasize how very wonderful everyone on the ship was. If I wanted something, when they stopped at every port to get fresh produce, etc, they told me they would pick up anything I wanted. I was glad I got to learn so much about Oregon, saw the Multnomah Falls, and so much history and I recommend this cruise line. :) Read Less

We sailed the Columbia/Snake River cruise. The American Song is a beautiful ship with spacious staterooms and very comfortable design and furnishings. The public deck areas are exceptionally nice with probably the most comfortable deck furniture I have experienced on a cruise ship. The crew was very personable, friendly and accomodating. The hotel director went above and beyond to ensure guests needs were met. The onboard historian brought the river alive with storytelling that made you appreciate what your were seeing and experiencing. It was more than just a cruise, it was an educational experience. The other passengers were very compatible and friendly and it made for a very pleasant journey. The itinerary was very good with a good selection of shore excursions that made it interesting and enjoyable. Going through the locks at each of the Dams was fascinating and interesting. Overall, I give American very high marks. We would definitely cruise with them again. Read Less

Our ship, the American Song, was brand new and had only been in service for two weeks before our cruise. Everything was sparkling clean and shipshape. It was a real treat to be onboard such a clean, beautiful ship. One very nice feature is that our room heating/cooling system worked great. The cabin temperature controls were easy to use and the system performed well. The staff was unfailingly courteous and helpful. Most of the complimentary shore excursions were very interesting although a little slow-paced for my wife & me. We’re in our early-to-mid-60s and prefer a more active pace. Most of their tours range from an hour to three hours and involve little walking. But most of the passengers looked older than us so the tours probably fit American Cruise Lines’ demographic well. The onboard pilothouse tour given by the ship’s cabin was very interesting. (But I’m an old sailor so I have a bias toward anything nautical.) Riverboat historian Bill’s lectures were terrific. They focused on riverboat history, the Civil War and the Louisiana Purchase. We found them fascinating. He has a great delivery and infuses the subjects with humor. Bill’s wife & entertainment partner is singer Laura and her tribute to women singers was great. Her knowledge of the repertoire starting back in the early 20th century and continuing up to the current day was amazing. The food was very good but designed to appeal to the standard American palate. It’s centered around a large chunk of meat or fish and accompanied by a starch such as potatoes or white rice. Vegetables are an afterthought. I had a hard time getting veggies even when I ordered the vegan options. Salads were mostly lettuce with a very small dollop of dressing. At least, the lettuce was not iceberg. Some fruit was available on a buffet table at breakfast but some was unripe. Dessert was available at both lunch & dinner. Alcoholic beverages flow freely starting with complimentary beer & wine at lunch. Next is happy hour with the added option of free mixed drinks. Happy hour is followed by free beer/wine/mixed drinks at dinner. The WiFi was very slow, so slow as to be mostly unusable. I tried it in a few different locations throughout the ship. I found that I could get a faster connection by using my cellphone to set up a hotspot. We paid for a couple of the “signature” excursions. One was the Atchafalaya tour; we were very disappointed by this. On the day we went the swamp boat’s steering had apparently been worked on recently and put back together backwards; i.e., steering to port sent the boat to starboard and vice versa. Watching the skipper try to leave the dock with this mechanical disability did not inspire confidence. Once away from the dock we didn’t see much wildlife and the tour narration was lacking. On the way back we had a miserable lunch in a local hole-in-the-wall diner. I’ve had better meals at Denny’s. It sounded like the people who took the free tour that day had a better experience. To top it all off when we boarded the bus to return Rush Limbaugh was on the radio, not at all what a couple of lefties like us want to hear. Read Less

I had a wonderful time on the initial cruise on the American Song. The food was like a 5 star restaurant and there were plenty of choices available. The staff was friendly and very interested in making sure your every need was met. The accommodations were first class and they addressed any concern immediately. The cabins were spacious and it had a surprisingly large bathroom. We took this trip as our honeymoon! Our honeymoon was celebrated by the staff by sending us champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. The onboard entertainment could use some improvements, but was adequate. I was extremely impressed that the owner and his sons visited us while we were onboard. He spoke to the group, addressed any concerns and agreed that they are working on improving the onboard entertainment. I was very impressed with this river boat cruise line. I hope to sail with them again and would recommend this cruise line to my friends and family. Read Less