American Queen Review
Fantastic way to celebrate our parent's 50th wedding anniversary
Rating by category
Additional details
We traveled in a party of 10: 4 boys aged 5-12, parents in their 70s (one w/ memory issues), and two couples in their 40s. We loved the service, delicous food, live music, custom drinks & friendly manner of all the staff. Our rooms were on the outside of the 4th &5th floor decks, so we enjoyed the views as well. We all loved the engine room - you can walk down and see all the working parts when the ship is in motion. We enjoyed the pilot house tour (when the boat is in port) and riverlorian talks. The lady in the gift shop was delightful & gave my 5 year old a box in which to hold his treasures. The bars allowed kids and our kids were free to roam the boat; they truly treasured that freedom. The kids played bingo and chess and even cavassed the passengers to find additional chess opponents (the passengers were quite friendly). On several evenings we found an unreserved box in the Grand Salon (the theater for live entertainment which is modeled after Ford's Theater in DC).
For adults drinks cards are available for purchase which allow included drinks and gratuities for the duration of the voyage ($200).
Shore excursions were great fun. We opted for hop on hop off which meant we could visit a variety of stops each time the boat docked. I reccomend departing early because the stops are only 3 or 4 hours and the time passes quickly. On each bus for hop on hop off a local guide gave detailed information about the town and its history. You can purchase shore excursions for additional cost ($60 + per person per stop) but we were happy with the bus. For this leg I'd reccomend the Angonla Prison tour (we missed it and were sad) and the Vicksburg Battlefield tour.
Cabin Review
We had twin beds which were outfitted with down comforters. The cabin had antique furntiure and cable TV. You can request coffee to be delivered in the morning. The bathroom was generous for a boat with a full-sized tub and shower. Hair dryers were in the bathroom and luxuriant terry cloth robes and slippers were provided for use during the stay. No need to bring shampoo or conditioner- Clarins products are provided in the bathroom too. Our cabin had two sitting chairs inside and 2 deck chairs with a small table outside. You could open the french style cabin double doors to enjoy the view right from your bed! Loved the outside cabin. If mobility is a issue study to boat deck plans to minimize elevator use. For example the "Front Porch Cafe & Bar" is on the 3rd floor, dining room on main, engine room bar & box seats on 2nd.