We had been on ACL America and LOVED the experience. Then we tried their competitor which was really awful. We returned to ACL and enjoyed such a lovely time, we booked another cruise while on board. The staff is so very friendly and treat passengers as welcomed guests. Every crew member went the extra mile to make certain each person enjoyed their vacation. Open bar serving top shelf mixed drinks, delicious and varied hors oeuvres. Excellent wine on tables during supper with wine offered during lunch. Entertainment was excellent. Every night root beer floats, sundaes and popcorn were served right before floor show--fun treat! Since Mississippi river was unusually high, boat was unable to dock in some ports. Crew made arrangements for us to be bussed to activities and went above and beyond to make certain we enjoyed our experience. We were pampered and all enjoyed the casual and personal attention. It is clear this ship line knows how to cater to an older more refined, well travelled group. Read Less

My husband and I choose this cruise to celebrate our 30th anniversary (2 weeks down the entire length of the Mississippi River). As experienced cruisers, we knew what we should expect from a cruise at this price point ($24k). I cannot tell you how disappointed we were. The housekeeping was terrible, the food at times inedible, the "service" was laughable (the housekeepers and waitstaff were all kids from a hospitality training program) and the communication throughout the trip was inexcusably nonexistent. And to add insult to injury, they failed on the recovery. I wrote a detailed 5-page letter to the CEO (Charles Robertson) and the VP of Hotel Operations (Paul Taiclet) to give them feedback. Both called me to apologize for our bad experience. Mr. Robertson promised that I would hear from him again in a week or two. I never did. Mr. Taiclet followed up with a letter offering us 25% off a future cruise. Worthless to us as we would never spend another dime with this company. It was the worst value for our money that we have ever experienced in our travel all over the world. Save yourself from the same pain. Please don't book with this company!!! Read Less

As retirees, this is our seventh cruise with American Cruise Lines. Small ships are the way to cruise! With less than 200 passengers, getting on and off the ship is easy and quick (no standing in a line). The cuisine is excellent and the menu changes daily. There is only one setting for the noon and evening meals, which provides the opportunity for all passengers to be together at least twice a day; with no assigned seating you are able to dine with the same passengers or sit at a different table as often as you like to meet more of the passengers. The Staterooms are roomy and well serviced. The on-board entertainment was top of the line. The Historian was on-board the entire cruise and gave presentations of the historical significance of the areas of the cruise as well as current information about the itinerary of the cruise and the towns along the cruise route. Excellent-never missed a single presentation. Would I cruise with American Cruise Lines again? We have been on 7 cruises with them so far and have booked another one next year. Read Less

Location of cruise and area that interested us. Had been on New Orleans to Memphis cruise in past and wanted to try different area of river. Much different views unencumbered by the levees lower on the river. Staff was more than accommodating. A lock on he river was inoperable and the staff went above and beyond to redirect the boat to other destinations and made the disembarkation have many different options with hotel rooms and dinners on the company, help in changing airline flight accommodations. The staff was great and I am sure lost some sleep while rearranging destinations. Was not aware cruise was directed at seniors, most of the passengers were in there late 70's, 80's and 90's, this was not a problem and in fact was enlightening to talk and share stories with the other passengers. Staff was very friendly and easy to talk to and acknowledge each of us. Read Less

Everything was perfect from start to finish. All activities started when they were supposed to. Meal options were varied and very delicious. Staff went above and beyond to ensure satisfaction. Everyone had a great smile and a happy greeting when you passed by. They say Disney is the 'happiest place on earth' but the staff on this cruise rivals them. The stateroom (category AAL) was clean and was tended to daily. Turn down service at night was a nice touch, with the next day's itinerary on the bed. The room was large and the balcony very nice. One option is breakfast room service, which you can enjoy on the balcony. We took advantage of that one morning, and it arrived in the 15-minute time frame requested. Service was exemplary. We gravitated between 3 servers because they were so friendly, fun, and efficient. Our Riverlorian had some interesting talks while we were cruising. It was such a wonderful experience that we signed up for our second cruise before we left the first. Read Less

This is an excellent trip for a Civil War buff as well as anyone interested in small town south. People and crew were lovely and the crew was most accommodating. Vista St. Louis, Paducah, KY. Clarksville, Nashville and other Civil War sites in Tennessee and Kentucky. Highlight was Nashville with the music on Broadway and the Grand Ole Opry. Meeting people from all over America and getting to know the different cruises they have taken. These people are the best references for selecting your next adventure. The food is outstanding, without overdoing it. The portions are just enough and you can choose what you want to eat at all meals. The liquor is top shelf with no off brands. The beer is locally brewed which adds to the adventure. Friendly service throughout with every crew member always smiling and willing to help if necessary. I highly recommend this trip or any other by this company as previous travelers with this company had nothing but high praise for it. Having gone on river cruises in Europe, this company is outstanding. Read Less

I was travelling with a travel group out of Hewitt, TX My friend and I travel quite a bit and are always looking for something different. When this opportunity became available we were very excited. We have been on several ocean cruises but had never been on a river cruise. The rooms were very nice and our gal assigned to our room did an excellent job of taking care of us! The food was excellent both in the dining room and the front porch. I celebrated my birthday on board and the waiter did a great job surprising me. The entertainment was fun to watch and was varied. Everyone was so personable. We just really felt like we were part of the family. Our only disappointment was that when we went to buy one of your sweatshirts you didn't have any mediums left in navy. I have called the company to see if we can purchase them on line. I will have to say this was the most relaxing vacation we have taken! Read Less

Traveled with 86 year old Mother in law, Sister in law, her husband and my husband. Fantastic cruise! So relaxing and comfortable. You want for nothing on this ship! Beautifully appointed Staterooms and each room offers a nice sized balcony and beautiful view of the River. Interesting Ports of call. Learned so much about Mark Twain and the history of the Mississippi River. Met so many interesting and wonderful people! Very courteous and friendly staff. Meals were a culinary delight! Had breakfast delivered to room each morning so we could enjoy coffee on the balcony watching the world go by! Cocktail hour was always fun with delicious hor d'oeuvres and lively conversation. Jim was our Riverorian/Naturalist on board. He gave such interesting talks covering the history of the Mississippi River, the local environment and wildlife. My favorite was the Seminar on the Monarch Butterfly and also Bald Eagles. Was exciting to see so many Bald Eagles on the trip! Richard Geary (aka Mark Twain) was also entertaining and added so much to the trip! Read Less

We have not done cruised this river before. It is not offered that often and we just wanted to see some of the cities and sites on the itinerary. We had a hotel included for the night before we boarded the ship, the Queen of the Mississippi Paddle-Wheeler, in St. Louis and traveled to Pittsburgh. The embarkation was handled smoothly and so was the disembarking. If you have never gone through the locks on a large river, it is an interesting experience. We toured the Trail of Tears Museum in Cape Giradeau, MO. Very well done. The highlight for us was to tour Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. There were 2 tours offered in Cincinnati and both were interesting. The service on the ship was excellent. Food is very good and one has the option to choose 1/2 portion of each meal. Be warned,,,desserts are outstanding! Each of the lounges has coffee, tea, juices, sodas, water and snacks available at all times. Read Less

We've always wanted to cruise the full length of the Ohio River and this cruise was a wonderful opportunity to do so. The ship is small enough to get to know passengers and very comfortable. Built specifically for American Cruise Lines, the cabins are generous in size and well designed. Food was excellent. We appreciated the option of half-sized portions of the main course at noon and evening meals. Our riverlorians were quite knowledgeable and presented appropriate and informative talks. A surprise hatch of mayflies became an occasion for a presentation on the many aspects of this interesting species. The tours were well-organized with good choices but the option of just relaxing on the boat was also very welcome. My husband moves slowly and with some difficulty. He had no trouble getting around. All the excursions were able to accommodate even someone in a wheelchair. Deckhands were always available to assist when we left and reboarded the boat. Read Less