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.
The cabin was comfortable enough for 2 people to move around and store belongings. There was TV and DVD's to be rented if one chose to do so. Bathroom was big enough to not feel "crowded". We had a private balcony and we enjoyed that feature.