I chose American Cruise Line because they have a good single traveler policy. The also have single cabins. The entire staff were friendly, helpful, and professional. No complaints about anything Love it. Room was clean and very nice n I have sail with American Cruise Lines 4 times. I will also cruise with them. I think they are the best small cruise line. The dining experience was great. The food was excellent, the service was good and very efficiency. Very professional. The entire cruise was great. It was called the Cumberland River Cruise from St. Louis, Missouri to Nashville, Tennessee. (7 nights, 8 days). I just love small river cruising especially with American Cruise Lines (the best). The Queen of the Mississippi is a riverboat, total 150 passengers. The ship is absolutely beautiful and is run professional and efficiently. Your get your money worth. It is a beautiful cruise. The ship lounges are decorated beautiful. Read Less

On day 1, we arrived at Lambert's Landing in St. Paul to find no boat at the dock. When we called the office to find out why, they said there was a last minute change and the boat had been docked in Red Wing, MN and that we would have to find our own way there. No company rep nor a bus was at the dock to update us and transport us to Red Wing, though they did say they would pay for the taxi ride (I'm still waiting for reimbursement as the ship's staff said they were unable to refund directly to me). Our Uber driver agreed to take us there, and I tipped him generously because he would have to go back to the city empty. But the most irritating aspect of this is that the ship apparently hasn't been able to dock in St. Paul for quite some time, perhaps all season, and it wasn't a "last minute" change. And even if it was, they should have called us. We finally arrived at the ship at lunch time, and no one greeted us or apologized for the situation, or offered any reasons (or compensation) for the foul up. As we met other guests during the cruise, we found that others had been left in the lurch just as we had. Our cabin, no. 209, smelled strongly of mildew, and our towels (which we were encouraged to reuse) never dried out overnight; when I reported it on the mid-cruise questionnaire, a dehumidifier was delivered to our room; however the room steward didn't know how to empty it so I figured it out myself... I also reported how dirty our veranda was, and though they said they would clean it, that never happened. It was covered with spider webs and dead bugs, which made it unpleasant to sit out there. I don't understand why the room steward didn't have time to at least sweep it, because all she had to do in our room each day was make the bed (they don't change the sheets during the week), deliver dry towels, wipe down the shower and sink and empty the waste baskets. Though the Queen of the Mississippi is only in her 6th year of service, she is suffering from some deferred maintenance. There is chipped paint, dirty windows and balconies, scuffed upholstery, stained lamp shades, and stained carpets, all contributing to a general aura of shabbiness. There is simply no excuse for this level of neglect on a cruise for which you've paid nearly $10K for a week. We've been on 4 European river cruises (with Viking and Vantage) and several ocean cruises (with NCL and Cunard), and one thing they all have in common in constant maintenance. They're always pressure washing or painting or cleaning something, without interfering with the guest experience. ACL seems to have decided not to do this type of maintenance during the season. The room was quiet and spacious enough, with the typical tiny bathroom, but storage, both in the room and bathroom was more than adequate. Wifi was slow, and we usually had decent tv reception, though the screen is tiny. There were a few places along the river where we had no cell phone reception, but that was okay. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth and quiet the boat is while cruising at night. Even when we were going through locks, I was rarely disturbed by noise or motion during the night. There are many lounges and decks on the ship, and you could easily find a place to socialize or sit quietly and read or contemplate the beautiful scenery. Cocktail hour at 5:30 each evening was also lively and fun, with generous pours of beer, wine and liquors. A nice assortment of hors d'ouevres was also offered each evening. After dinner, we enjoyed a variety of entertainers in the lounge; a guitar singer one night, a motown duo for 2 nights, a barbershop quarter another night. The onboard lecturer, Dale, was fun and entertaining and filled us with information about the Mississippi and each of the ports we visited and even conducted a few sing-alongs. At every port, except the first day in Red Wing, we docked very early in the morning and had the whole day to visit the town. We were warmly welcomed by local guides in each town, and they genuinely seemed happy to have us there. Fort Madison has recently been added to the itinerary, and they were especially gracious, though there was a scheduling issue and the visit to the old penitentiary was cancelled while we were actually on the bus on the way there. They have some kinks to work out in their tours. We had a nice dose of warm, mid-western hospitality at each port. Most of the tours were rather heavy on bus time rather than actual on-the-ground touring, but perhaps this is in deference to the rather advanced age of the typical traveler on this cruise. I wish they would use buses that have 2 doors, because waiting for all the people with canes and walkers to exit the bus at each stop was very time consuming. Food service varied from barely acceptable to very nice. We learned to get to the dining room promptly when they opened at 7:30 each morning; any later and you could wait a long time for your entree. They really should offer a buffet for breakfast, because the wait staff becomes quickly overwhelmed and they seem to not have enough short-order cooks in the galley. Lunch seemed a bit less hectic; perhaps because the limited number of entrees offered were pre-cooked and just needed to be plated. Dinner also featured uneven service. If you arrived promptly at 6:00 when they started to serve, you might get served quickly. But people are allowed to wander in any time from 6:00 to 7:30, so one couple at a table might be finishing up dessert just as another couple joined the table. ACL should adopt the strategy utilized by the European cruise lines that we've traveled (Vantage and Viking), who seem to have figured this all out. Sometimes entrees were delivered lukewarm; sometimes the lettuce in the salad was soggy and appears to have been pre-dressed. Both the lunch menu and the dinner menu changed each day, and you had to make your selection in the morning at breakfast so the cooks could plan accordingly. The only item that was consistently good were the desserts, though one in our party complained that the tres leches cake was still frozen. Many on the wait staff are very young and inexperienced, and it was actually the first time serving for some of them. It was painful to watch one young man try to nervously balance a tray of drinks without dumping them down the back of a guest... We heard that they pulled quite a few from the staff to populate the new ship that is coming on line next week, leaving our ship with a very inexperienced crew. Similar to the beginning of the cruise, we were advised on the next-to-last day that we wouldn't actually dock in St. Louis (for reasons not divulged), and would instead dock in Alton, Illinois and be bused into St. Louis for our afternoon excursion. We sat in Alton all morning with nothing to do, no shuttle bus and no excursions or suggestions offered. It was a 30-45 minute drive each way, time we would have liked to spend enjoying the city rather than on a freeway. I do realize that the shipping lines can't be held responsible for the ever-changing conditions on the river that cause itineraries to be altered. What was lacking was their communication of such changes and the reasons for the changes. If they said high water or flooding made it too dangerous, everyone would have understood. They haven't been able to dock in St. Paul or St. Louis at all this season, so why are they still advertising this as a St. Paul to St. Louis tour? It's actually a Red Wing to Alton tour. Disembarkation was the smoothest part of the process. We had to put our tagged bags out at midnite, and the bus to the airport was scheduled at 7:30. We walked off the ship, identified our bags out on the tarmac, and got on the bus. The combination of inadequate communication, being stranded in St. Louis and having to make our own way to Red Wing, the smelly room, the dirty windows and balcony, the uneven food service, and the unprofessional service in general, added up to a less-than-exceptional experience for us. We are experienced travelers used to "going with the flow", but the negatives on this cruise somewhat outweighed the positives for us. Seeing the magnificent Mississippi River from the perspective of a grand river boat, and the quaint small towns along the way, was memorable and interesting, but the overall experience with the ship itself was rather disappointing. Read Less

The Boat was dirty, bug infested, food was fair, service was terrible, speaker was clueless to anything about our destinations. Time in port was very short, if you got on 2nd bus for a tour, you missed out on most of the tour do to lack of time. Entertainment started out pretty good, by the end of trip it is not so good. People were nice, however, they were always apologizing for lack of serve or how dirty everything was. According to some of the crew we talked to, they just did not have enough staff and prior to us boarding, did not have enough time to clean up. The Boat advertised free Wi Fi, which really meant no Wi Fi. It was so poor, most of the time we were unable to send or receive until we got into port. Best part of this cruise was we met some very nice people and in each of the stops, found the town people very nice and friendly. Read Less

Cruise began in New Orleans (on my bucket list) and we went on a Wednesday and our cruise didn’t begin until Saturday, so we had time to see NOLA or a couple of days. The French Quarter was having a music festival so it was packed with people, but some of the food vendors had some delicious food. We boarded the ship Saturday AM and got underway at 1:00 PM heading towards Memphis, with various stops in between. We had a riverarian and a historian onboard, who gave very interesting talks about the Civil War and the history of the Mississippi. Very interesting talks. Our stateroom was very nice, clean and included a writing desk, a king size bed, 2 end tables, a small closet and an upholstered chair, enough drawer space for some clothing, but we didn’t have to take a lot because the boat had free laundry facilities for the guests. The bathroom was adequate with only a shower, but not enough towel racks or door hooks for clean clothes. We also had a small balcony, which was nice to sit and have a drink or read a book while the boat was on the move. There were plenty of excursions you could sign up for or if you wanted you could explore on your own. Some were complimentary, but most had a fee if you wanted to sign up. There was entertainment every evening after dinner, usually music or a comedy act. The dining room has open seating, so you have the opportunity to meet many people, and these small cruise ships usually have less than 200 passengers. All the servers and deck hands , kitchen staff and cruise directors, etc., are Americans, the boats/ships are all built in the USA, so there is never a problem with communication. Food is usually pretty good, but for some reason the kitchen seemed to be disorganized, therefore food service was very slow. This was our 4th cruise with ACL, and the most disorganized in general. Public areas on the boat were nice and comfortable, whether in the lounges or out on the decks. Happy hour ( 5:30-6:30). is always nice but a bit crowded, sometimes with a line of people waiting for a drink. There were servers with trays of appetizers being passed out and a table with more food and 2 servers to pass out your food of choice. Be careful or you won’t have room for your dinner ( 6:30-8:00). Overall we’ve been really happy with our cruises with ACL and have signed up for our 5th cruise next year. Read Less

I almost didn't write this review as I feel that we were not the demographic that this cruise caters to and comparing it to our other cruises might be unfair. However, if we had known a few things upfront, we could have made a better decision or been more prepared for what we got. The boat: The boat is very cute. The rooms are adequate in size but furnished in a drab and cheap-looking style. Bathrooms were very small in comparison but were functional. The closet is small, there are several drawers for storage, and there is no safe in the room. There is no refrigerator or water provided in the room but you can go to one of the lounges to get water at any hour. The outside seating areas are nice when sailing although I think more comfortable seating vs. the numerous rocking chairs would have been better. There are three lounges which were used for various activities such as bingo, river talks, evening entertainment, happy hour, etc. and were open all the time. The snack selection was not very good in the lounges as there were soft drinks and packaged snacks such as cheese crackers, fig newtons, and sun chips. Water and coffee were available but no iced tea and no healthy snacks. The cookies that were brought around twice a day were good and a nice touch. The crew: Most of the crew (interior staff) were college kids who were very enthusiastic and helpful but had little to no training. They would try to do anything that was asked of them but did not have the training to provide high-level service without being prompted--not their fault but don't expect much. They were super-nice people and we enjoyed meeting many of the crew members. Dining: What needs to be clearly stated here is that when the website states "Open seating dining allows you to dine where and when you want," what it really means is that every single passenger goes to the dining room at the same time since there is a short window of service and is squeezed into a room with tables that seat large groups of people with no option to sit as a couple. The way it was done is that passengers who came first might be on dessert and passengers who came a few minutes later would be forced to join them if there were empty seats. This was obvious chaos and didn't make a nice dining experience for everyone. Some folks probably really enjoy dining with strangers and that is fine but this could have been much better organized with options for passengers who aren't comfortable joining an already-in-progress table. I have to mention the food quality although this is a tricky subject. As someone who travels in search of the best restaurants and chefs, I feel qualified to say that the quality of the food was sadly very disappointing. It may not have been for some passengers but we found it to be uninspired and bland and some dishes seemed like an experiment of things that don't go together. Maybe the cooks were students in training also. Take that for what it's worth to you as I realize that everyone has different tastes and requirements for food and this may not be the opinion of some. Breakfast was probably the better meal and our room service (only offered at breakfast) was delivered promptly each morning. Dinner is at 5:30 pm and is over by 7:30. Happy hour was also disorganized with a long line for drinks and staff who were doing double duty and weren't really bartenders. Only a few knew how to properly mix drinks. They could have made it easier by having waitstaff take orders or having two lines and having the staff who didn't know how to make the drinks just pour wine and beer and soft drinks. But again, they were willing to try and were very polite and friendly. Entertainment: The evening entertainment that was provided was very enjoyable. It began at 8:15 and lasted about an hour. The first two nights were a musical and comedy show from the Riverlorians on board that gave educational talks in the afternoon and sang in the evenings. They were lovely people and were good singers and a lot of fun. We liked them a lot. The third night was a wonderful jazz duo with a piano player and a trumpet player. Both were amazing and we loved that they played songs we all knew as well as gave us tidbits of education about the music and the writers and famous performers of it. The last night was a cute show with the Victory Belles, three ladies who were performers based at the WWII museum in New Orleans and they did appropriate music for the time period and were very entertaining. Drinks, popcorn, and root beer floats were served. Daytime entertainment consisted of river talks, bingo, and such but that was fine for the size of the boat and the relaxing pace. Excursions and the cruise: One thing to know is that river cruises can change with the conditions of the river and excursions are sometimes changed or cancelled. The Mississippi is very high right now which prevented docking at some of our predetermined stops. This means we missed Oak Alley plantation but Rosedown Plantation was substituted in its place. It also meant that we docked for two nights at Baton Rouge and were bussed out to Houmas House on a longer drive than we would have been. I wish we would have been sailing at night instead of docked but I think that was largely beyond the control of the captain and crew. Both plantations were very nice with Houmas House being our favorite. Our guide there was wonderful and the owner was greeting guests on site which was nice. The grounds are spectacular. There wasn't any communication about these changes beforehand and I think there should have been but they did try to do as much as possible with the situation. Fellow passengers: As others have stated, most passengers are in the over 60-plus category with several over 80. We were younger but always enjoy meeting nice people and everyone was very nice. There is nothing for kids to do and excursions will not interest kids if they have no understanding of the history of the area. Read Less

First, the cruises offered by ACL are geared towards mature audiences - 60's and up, although there very people much younger on this cruise. Actually who's on the cruise really doesn't matter to me, as long as people are enjoying their experience. I have taken 7 ocean cruises and on rivercruise (20 years ago). If you are expecting in your face activities and craziness, pick something other than a river cruise. This was a celebration cruise for my husband and I, and when greeted when boarding the boat, we were congratulated and on the second day, after returning from a shore excursion, we found champagne and strawberries in our cabin! Every crew member is there to serve you and extend extraordinary customer service, which was evident every minute of the day (we had to ask someone to thread a needle, and they did so with a smile!). When crew members say they love their jobs, that says something about a company! Because the river was running high, a last minute change of itinerary was made and I thought it gave us an even better experience; also, Because we were in the height of Mardi Gras season, instead of staying in a hotel pre-cruise (part of your fare), we stayed on the boat - we were greeted by a lovely buffet and drinks. We were not able to dock at Houmas House or Oak Alley, but those excursions were changed to days when we were in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. We cruised up to St. Francisville instead on the first day, and had the choice of three additional excursions (only 2 of the many offered were premium at an extra charge, by the way...). Also in Baton Rouge, which is not the most exciting stop, they added a walking tour by their river guide, which made is all worth while. And because we returned to New Orleans a half day early, excursions to the WW2 museum and a French Quarter walking tour were added! I think this was all handle exceptionally well!!! On the ACL cruises, beer and wine are included at Lunch, cocktail hour, dinner and during the evening entertainment, so you are not running up a tab. The food was excellent and you could request half portions. There were also snacks, coffee, tea, fruit, juice and soda always available in two of the lounges. My husband had never cruised before and I knew that an ocean cruise was out of the question - he thoroughly enjoyed this and we are considering other itineraries in the future. The cost seems high at first, but when I compared it to an ocean cruise with similar accommodations (balcony), and considering that there is no charge for adult beverages, no tipping, free excursions, free WIFI, the cost is comparable. Read Less

Great Cruise with top notch food, entertainment and service. In addition, very enjoyable and informative cruise tours at the ports. This cruise is focused on older adults as not much that would interest children. Small number of people on-board which gives ample opportunity to meet new people. There were some traveling alone, some in groups as well as couples. The ship was kept immaculate and our room was a nice size. We enjoyed the view from our balcony. We saw beautiful sunrises and sunsets. There was more than enough to eat and drink at all times! There was accommodation for those that needed accommodation to reach the tour buses and tour destinations. We also were very satisfied with the hotel the first night in New Orleans that was part of the cruise package. Loved that the food and entertainment was inclusive of the local area of the cruise. We highly recommend taking this cruise! Read Less

4 night cruise from New Orleans, enjoyed the ports very much, though not a lot of a variety of things to do at each one, to be expected on this itinerary. Visited a few very nice plantation houses, plus Baton Rouge. For those who have cruised on the larger ships, this cruise will come as a bit of a shock. The ambiance is very low key, no fancy décor, with basically no activities and nothing to do while on the ship. After dinner for 3 nights a banjo player performed for an hour, that was it for the evening entertainment. Seeing this once was fine, but it got old fast, and I didn't need to see it all 3 nights. Other than that, after dinner there was nothing to do, no schedule activities. The daily happy hour at 5:30 with tasty snacks and open bar was a nice touch, as well as the daily fresh baked cookies, and always available snacks and beverages. The ship staff and crew are friendly, dining room service was fine too. The boat is small, which means no crowds, no lines, getting on and off simple. My overall rating would actually be "good" if that was offered between very good and average. Read Less

I wanted to travel to upper Mississippi to 4 states I had not visited. The cruise was promoted as Fall Foliage on the Upper Mississippi. My group had been planning for this trip for over a year. The route was changed due to flooding, and we were officially notified AFTER the boat left St Louis port. Management knew the situation and could have notified us before we flew from NC to St Louis the day before departure. The trip that was substituted was of lesser value/cost and the destination was of no interest to me, as I had already been several times to Nashville. The cruise lines has made no effort to compensate our group of 17 travelers. I was trapped on this boat to a destination that held no interest to me- not a very good taste to leave in a customer's grasp. The trip was the biggest disappointment in my travel history, and I have traveled quite a bit over the past 6-7 years. I will neither use nor recommend this company. Their interest is not customer satisfaction. This was a group of 17 people, and I believe American Cruise Lines should step to the plate and offer some compensation to this group, at least a monetary amount equal to the difference of the price of the trip that we paid for and the trip we were given. Letters have been written to management and they have not even bothered to respond. Read Less

We had a wonderful “small ship” experience on the American Cruiselines Queen of the Mississippi. The food was fabulous and the crew was top-notch. The ship was only a couple of years old, so rooms were comfortable size and bathrooms were clean and up to date. We had a room with a balcony, which offered space for a nice table and chairs for eating with a spectacular view, or to just enjoy the peacefulness of the river. Once on the ship we didn’t have to pay for another thing! Shore excursions at each stop were included at no additional charge and offered a variety of enrichment opportunities from museums, art and history to local flavor. At St. Louis, the boat docked right under the arch! All drinks on board were free, from soda and juices, to bottles of wine at each table for dinner. At the evening entertainment we were offered popcorn, ice cream sundaes and cookies and open bar. And then there were the cocktail parties every afternoon. We can’t say enough nice things about this trip. After 20+ cruises on Princess this trip was expected to be just a short fill-in. Boy, did we have a great time! With a passenger count of about 125 people, we experienced personalized service with an extremely happy crew. We booked another trip with American Cruiselines before we disembarked. Can’t wait to go again! Read Less

Wanted to do a river cruise, but didn't want to fly to Europe. Shopped for itineraries, and decided on the Mississippi. Shopped Cruise lines and decided on American Cruise Line. It was a really good package, including a pre-cruise hotel in St. Louis, all-inclusive cocktails and wine, highly rated cuisine, relatively new river boat, and an itinerary that sounded interesting. All-in-all, it matched our desire for a pleasant, relaxing vacation. Came home rested....not exhausted. It was an "age appropriate" experience for us They fed us well, kept us entertained with river talks, wildlife talks, evening entertainment by two very enjoyable entertainers, plus guest entertainers. It was all quite low key, with no high energy razzle dazzle to wear us out. The excursions were all nice, considering that the destinations weren't very exotic. Interesting, but no Taj Mahal.....or Eiffel Tower. We met many very nice folks along the way, and everyone on board seemed to be in the same mellow place as us. Loved it. Would highly recommend it for any active seniors. Read Less

We wanted to live like Mark Twain and watch the world go by while cruising the Mississippi. Our experience was exactly what we wanted! We spent most of our days out on our balcony, eating breakfast, reading and enjoying beautiful scenery. Being pampered by the staff was just a bonus. The food was delicious and the menus were very interesting. Vegan foodies will also enjoy the dining experience. There were a variety of activities aboard like daily river talks, warm cookies, bingo, family feud and happy hour. All of the various lounges were very comfortable with lots of seating and configurations for playing games or cards. The laundry facilities were first rate, and we were even provided the detergent and fabric sheets for free. The exercise room had many pieces of equipment, but most people got their exercise by walking up or down the stairs, which were not too steep and easy to use. We highly recommend this tour! Read Less

This was my second cruise with American Cruise Lines. I was a solo female traveler. I gave myself two days in downtown Pittsburgh and enjoyed myself very much. I stayed at the same hotel as the cruise line's designated night-before stay and appreciated that the hotel transition was smoothly done (Hampton Inn Downtown). We hit a snag the first day; we had to be bused down to Marietta, Ohio (three hours) as the ship could not get into Pittsburgh (too high of water, I believe). This was my first encounter with such a drastic schedule change (this is my fourth river cruise) but I found in speaking with other passengers that it happens. My single cabin was clean and roomy enough for my stuff. I loved having my own balcony! There were lots of places on the ship to go and enjoy the River (inside and outside lounges). I loved JoAnn and Steve who showed their love of the River in their talks and they were great entertainers! I loved the food. I took full advantage of the port and shore excursions (many complimentary) and enjoyed them. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of Churchill Downs. I knew next to nothing about the Kentucky Derby and enjoyed learning about it. We were not there during the racing season but got to see some horses during their morning workout. Our young lady guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. It is generally an older crowd and I found many pleasant table companions. Read Less

Wonderful facilities and splendid service. Friendly and helpful staff. Excellent air conditioning in hot and humid weather. Other passengers were a friendly and agreeable lot. The scenery was excellent with several days of just cruising without shore stops. The only hitch was an unavoidable upstream occurrence of heavy rains which caused the river level to rise above anticipated height making upriver travel somewhat hazardous and forcing the cruise to terminate on time, but a couple of hundred miles downriver. American Cruise Lines was very decent about this and compensated us with a sizable discount on our next trip which we’re about to commence this weekend. Onboard meals and beverages were universally excellent and the dining staff was most accommodating of all requests. Meals routinely provided a choice of three entrees at dinner and two at lunch, as I recall. I look forward to doing business with these folks again soon. Read Less

On July 7th this year, my wife and I boarded the American Cruise Line Queen of the Mississippi for what we thought was going to be a wonderful and relaxing Ohio River cruise experience as promise by the information advertised on the latest sales catalog and expecting a nice relaxing and adventurous cruise. Unfortunately, this cruise was the cruise from HELL. My wife and I are seasoned cruisers (Large Ships, European river cruising and American Cruise Line). This was the worse cruise we have ever taken as well as being taken to the cleaners by ACL. Before you book with American Cruise line please check out “American Queen Cruises”. www.americanqueensteamboatcompany.com Please read all the negative comments and you will find mine similar to the problem’s others had. We contracted ACL for 10 stops and a cruise itinerary that resulted in stopping at all of the schedules cities as advertised in their cruise catalog, instead we cruised the river for more than 5 days and missed stops and excursions in 4 cities and only 1 day in Louisville instead if 2. Other MAJOR Issues: Dining & Food served On the first day, ACL’s the head chef came to 0ur table and told everyone if you wanted something special cooked let him know and he would prepare it: THAT WAS LIE #1. On about the 5th day for lunch I requested shrimp and grits which is a staple served on the America (another ACL BOAT). Our server (who was really wonderful and professional) came and told me he did not know how to prepare it. 2 days later it was on the menu – this time our server told us was he did not have all the ingredients the first time. Let’s break this one out – Grits, served every day at breakfast (which I had every morning) – shrimp – served with a number of meals – Cajon spices – most soups he prepared had Cajon spices incorporated in them I guess if you are going to lie to ACL’s passengers at least he needs to get his lies straight. On this cruise, this was some of the worse meals I have ever had (this is my 10th cruise both in the US and Europe). I was unable to consume at least 5 meals served – the meals served were not fit for human consumption – other guests were also complaining about food coming out of the kitchen. In 2 of the cities we stopped at, my wife and I had to go off the ship and dine at the local establishments to get a quality meal. ACL’s cook (he was not a chef in any stretch of the imagination) put out some of the world’s worse meals I have ever had in my life. The cook was probably fired from a CCC level diner. Unethical & Lack of Integrity with ACL’s Personnel Upon going to our stateroom, we were greeted by Guest Services Manager in our stateroom. We had asked her to replace the Pinot Noir wine with a Merlot which she did. Towards the end of the cruise, July 16, when I had had enough of the poor food coming out of the kitchen. So, at lunch I asked our server for a simple cheeseburger. We were discussing the cheeseburger with our server when the Guest Services Manager came up in a huff and asked what the problem was. I explained all I wanted was a simple cheeseburger. The guest services manager became ugly and tried to bully me into eating what was severed on that meal. I immediately got up and went and searched for the Hotel Manager. I was explaining to him the situation and told him I wanted to file a complaint against the guest services manager for what she did and wanted it in her personnel file. About half way through our conversation. The Guest Services Manager stomped up to us and broke into our conversation and started shooting her moth off very rudely. That was the last straw. I called and filed a formal complaint with the Manger for the Ohio and Mississippi river. Nothing happened. Later that evening I noticed the Merlot was gone. A staff member came in our room and STOLE the wine. So, now ACL has a member of their staff entering a guest room (outside of housekeeping) without our permission and stealing our wine. So not only did they enter illegally but also committed theft. Cruise issues The regional manager for the Ohio and Mississippi river came on board and talked to the passengers during the cruise trying to explain that there were issues with the river and we were going to miss some of our stops and the schedule was going to change slightly. Several passengers inquired on what authority this decision was made. The regional manager for the Ohio and Mississippi tried to evade the question and point back to corporate. The passenger’s inquiring about the source of information were getting irritated and wanted a substantial answer. I observed the regional manager for the Ohio and Mississippi and watched him continually lie through his teeth to ACL’s paying passengers. He talked to us like we were dumb and stupid and would believe whatever we were told because as he said came from corporate. The passengers asking the questions were highly intelligent people So, is this the new ACL Company Model, take the passenger’s money, change the schedule on the fly, lie to the ACL guests, steal item’s out of their room, bully the guests, feed them food not served at any decent restaurant? There was another couple we met that had their air conditioner leak and drip water in their bed. ACL refused to correct the issue. Their solution – put a bucket in your bed to catch the water. Ships Amenities Cabins The cabins were very small and the bathrooms were the size of two port-a-potties next to each other. The shower was so tiny a large person could not fit into it. House keeping made the bed and replaced the towels and nothing else. This was the poorest house keeping service I have seen in all of our cruising. Cappuccino Machine in the Sky lounge. A paying passenger would expect little things like a Cappuccino Machine to be functional 24x7, especially in a lounge most used by them. The Cappuccino Machine in the Sky Lounge never worked from day one and then after 5 days of complaints the crew removed and never replaced it. When guests asked the crew about when the Cappuccino Machine would be fixed – their reply was “You can use the one in the Wheel House Lounge” -- Really, go down 2 decks because ACL can’t provide something as simple as a working Cappuccino Machine. Ship’s Maintenance Crews washing Sky Lounge in morning while cruising. A couple of days while cruising the passengers were unable to sit outside of the Sky Lounge because the crew was power washing the windows and getting the outside flooring material soaking wet, which basically made the area (a shaded area) totally unusable (unless you wanted wet feet– wet socks, water absorption footwear, etc.) until it dried hours later. 3 of the 5 days while cruising the crew had a very loud compressor going around the Shy Lounge and the deck above which made it very uncomfortable to relax. The burning question I have – why didn’t the crew do the window cleaning and maintenance while in port when most of ACL’s guest were on shore or excursions? Was it necessary to disturb and irate paying customers? Tours The tours were grossly misrepresented and some were missed. This is another example of how ACL defrauded the passengers. Final I brought all of the to the attention to the Senior executives of ACL. Neither did I hear back, they did not return my phone calls or offer us any compensation. They just wanted our money. One thing they made very clear to us and our credit card company who tried hard to get out money back – OUR LAWYERS ARE BIGGER THEN YOURS SO GOOD LUCK. So, once you give them your money it is gone for good. ACL is just a greedy corporation that care mire about revenue that their customers. Hell will freeze over before we will cruise with American Cruise Lines again!! Read Less

Boat and service was very good at first. But did not follow the itinerary and had to disembark a day early and was bussed 4 hrs to Pittsburgh. The itinerary called for cruising at night but captain would not. If they won’t follow the basic itinerary in ACL Cruise Guide then change it. Lost a full day aboard ship. Letter of complaint was not responded to. Sad. We did very much enjoyed the accommodations, food, service and would have liked to see the 3 ports we missed. Our dissatisfaction is with the home office and the captain. He claimed that the river was too high and strong current. But river heights were normal. He also claimed there was too much drift wood in the river. I and other passengers saw none. The trip should have started in Louisville in order to make it to Pittsburgh. This was our second cruise on ACL. The first was of Maine coast. Excellent Read Less

We are quite elderly and didn't want the hassle of flying to Europe - this was a perfect solution for us - and it was easy and pleasant and educational - the amenities were excellent as was the service - altogether a delightful trip! We also met nice people on board - fun to sit with different ones every meal. We would certainly consider another trip on American Cruise Lines. There were no children on our cruise, but I am sure children would love it too - the waters were smooth and no one got seasick - and the boat was big enough so that children would never be a nuisance by being under foot. We loved the whole idea of this trip and would certainly consider going again to another part of the United States - in fact I am looking forward to doing that soon! A great vacation! Read Less

I am an experienced cruiser who knows the coasts and many international destinations, but never have been on or around the Mighty Mississippi. This cruise offered a comfortable ship with an interesting itinerary. The 8-day, 7-night package included a pre-cruise overnight hotel in downtown New Orleans, allowing some time to explore and an easy transfer to Queen of the Mississippi. To see more of New Orleans, I strongly suggest adding 1 or 2 more days in the Big Easy. There is lots to do and see in New Orleans. The Queen is beautiful with cabins like a modern cruise ship and nearly non-stop food opportunities. We sailed with 148 guests, close to capacity. The dining room, lounges and functions accommodated us all without overcrowding. The itinerary was New Orleans to Memphis, with stops every day but one. The river was pleasant, but carries almost exclusively commercial traffic in the lower Mississippi. Lots of tows and barges. Most of the offered excursions were complimentary, and many of them were so-so. Some felt crowded. Ask about "signature excursions" when you call. I didn't go on the "VIP Graceland" excursion and can't comment on that one. My favorite excursion was the Vicksburg battlefield guided tour. Awesome, but would be better if you could get off the coach more often. Dining was excellent; don't plan on losing weight. The cabin review follows. Free wireless internet is available and on par with most cruise ships. It always worked but could get pretty slow, especially during peak hours. A fitness center is available, as is a small guest laundry (free) with 2 washers and 2 dryers. Forget the casinos and swimming pools, it's a small ship. Should you go upriver or downriver? There is a strong current in the Mississippi. It takes a lot of power to go upstream and maintain an itinerary. This means a certain amount of shaking/vibration at high power. I didn't mind, but some cruisers complained about it. A cabin toward the bow is better in this regard. Shouldn't be a issue downstream. We had a great historian and pianist to illuminate the cruise. We also had an excellent banjo/bass combo that everyone enjoyed. The only miss (my opinion) was a jazz combo that made me think of hotel lounges and leisure suits. But they weren't bad. Debarkation was by 8:00 am on departure day. You can book an airport transfer if you want one. If you debark in Memphis, you can expect to arrive at the close-by airport by 9:00 am. I'm glad I took this cruise. Read Less

I wanted to learn more about life on the lower Mississippi now compared to Huck Finn's era, the use of paddle boats and southern plantations. Embarkation was smooth, luggage was treated well and delivered promptly. Disembarkation was very early in the morning and luggage must be in the hall before going to bed on the last night. There were five decks and an 8 person elevator that serve them all. Only 30 percent of the 8 days was ship movement, mostly at night, on this trip. The average age of the 147 passengers was about 65 with the youngest at age 26 year. Thus, not much entertainment for children. Attractions were: Tour of the pilot's room, entertainment every evening, all costs aboard ship were included, NO tipping on the ship, motor coaches pre-arranged for on shore attractions. Admission to on shore sites were of three price categories: 1. Included such as Vicksburg Civil War battlefield admission 2. Medium price ==> $40 to $70 for plantation visits 3. High price (Elvis Pressley's Graceland at $140) The extra benefit there was VIP status which included going to the head of the line, seeing a couple of extra sites, a $15 coupon toward food, souvenirs etc. A great vacation because you can travel without unpacking. Read Less

This was our 11th cruise with American Cruise Lines so we are clearly fans of the concept and experience. You have to understand what you are buying into - same price as Silversea, etc. but a totally different vibe. Yes, wine and beer at lunch and dinner, but nothing high end and very limited selection. One day the bulk chardonnay was not unpacked and the next day it was not chilled. Yes, some top shelf spirits at 5:30 cocktail hour. You book this cruise line for a domestic cruise experience without international airports, very small ships, the opportunity to socialize with other well traveled adults, and get acquainted with the robust young American staff. We will go again - already booked for September in New England - but there were some niggling problems this trip which made my overall rating Very Good instead of Excellent. The chef on this trip was excellent and the food was wonderful. Beverage service, i.e. water and coffee was slow and sometimes we had to ask multiple times for refills or even first cup of coffee with dessert. Pastry chef was great - don't miss the chocolate fudge layer cake, now seems to be a weekly American Cruise Lines tradition on any trip. We picked the same waitress at most meals and she was sweet but undertrained and we had to ask several times for butter, hot sauce and other things which should have been on the table. Ports were small southern towns and there was lots of scenery and quiet traveling. The musical entertainment every night was special and professional - we loved the Victory Belles and the Dan Knowles/Eddie Coffey duo. A real plus this year was extra golf carts in the ports for transport over rough terrain (river levees) to the tour buses - a much needed benefit for a somewhat older traveling crowd. Read Less

Had always dreamed of going to New Orleans and visiting the South. This cruise seemed to include most places we wanted to see and we were not disappointed. It exceeded our expectations with the ports of call and excursions. We enjoyed the small ship feeling but our single staterooms were very roomy with all of the amenities needed. The food was superb, best seafood I have had in along time. Best crab cakes I've ever eaten. There were a lot of choices, even for the Vegans. The crew were so enthusiastic and did a great job of looking after us. The positive attitude of everyone was a breath of fresh air and they were very professional even though most of them were new to the cruise. Kudos to the Hotel Manager, Jason, who kept everything under control. We enjoyed the experience so much that have booked another cruise for 2020. We look forward to travelling with American Cruises again. Read Less

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