We had been on the mega ships before, and had already seen a great deal of the Caribbean, Europe and Alaska. When I saw that the Great American Steamboat Company was beginning voyages up the Mississippi River, I was thrilled.
I am not going to rate this cruise or tell you what it didn't have that other cruises do offer. Instead, I will say that this ship is so beautiful, evoking an often romanticized era in American history. To see the big red stern-wheeler turn was remarkable, as was the very corny, but memorable sound of an old-fashioned calliope (a musical instrument that forces steam through various sized pipes to make that circus-sounding music well know all too well). The public rooms included the men's parlor, the ladies card room, a map room, and a sitting room, all decked out in a Victorian style. The dining room offered both a buffet option, as well as ordering from a fixed menu.
At the front of the ship is a small, indoor room serving basic food and drink. A door on either side of the small buffet area takes you to the Front Porch of America, an outdoor area with rocking chairs lining the view of the Mississippi. It wasn't the prettiest room, but most people really enjoyed sitting there up front, getting a chance to meet and talk with their fellow shipmates.