I am not a professional reviewer, and this is just my opinion. Two years ago my wife and I cruised down the Mississippi River from Memphis to New Orleans and we returned enchanted by our voyage. So much so that we decided this years to go the opposite direction and sail from Memphis to CIncinnati - and we convinced six of our friends to come long. American Queen never even acknowledged that, let alone give us any credit.

Well, what a difference two years make..! Structurally there have been changes in the boat, because every time it rained the "squeegee brigade" was hard at work trying to get rid of accumulated water on the deck outside walkways. Other things have not changed, such as nice staterooms, and a generally terrific crew. I say generally, because in the dining room, especially at breakfast, some of the personnel clearly showed by their demeanor that they wished they were somewhere else, and others wandered aimlessly around the dining room, empty-handed and ignoring soiled plates accumulating on the tables. Entertainment during the first week was excellent, but on the second week it was all different. The musicians and singers were all different and the shows turned out to be rather mediocre.

Compared to two years earlier, the food was quite a letdown. It seems that Regina Charbonneau is no longer supervising the cuisine, and it showed. Buffets (breakfast and lunch) were generally fine, except for cloying, unimaginative desserts, but anything that came from the menus at lunch and dinner were a disaster. It should also be noted that the menus did not change from week to week so we had the exact same stuff served during the two weeks we cruised. Our impression was that anything which was baked, roaste, sautéed, or fried had been prepared hours earlier and kept warm under infrared lights, because it was all overcooked, limp, or lukewarm. Portions of some items were ridiculously small. Compared again to two years earlier, the kitchen failed in the execution of most dishes. Read more