We are from the East Coast and have not had the opportunity to see the much of the west. The United States pioneers are of great interest so we wanted to follow the Lewis and Clarke trail out to the Pacific. So, we started in Portland Oregon and went to Clarkston, Washington and it was over the top, amazing! Every aspect of the cruise was simply breathtaking and beyond our expectations! From visiting Native American sites, to climbing to the top of the Multnomah Falls the trip was terrific. My husband didn't make it to the top of the falls but the cruise ship allowed the cruisers the time to climb all the way to the top of the Falls which from that vantage point made the vista beyond......just beyond anyone's imagination! One of the best aspects to American Cruise line is that they have complimentary excursions that are incredible. They pick you up from the ship in luxury buses to take the guests to a winery, Mount St. Helens, a jet boat excursion down Hells Canyon etc. On the way to your excursion there are expert speakers telling you all about the sights you are about to experience!

Now I would like to tell you a little bit about the ship and the staff. The ship was built in 2019; making it rather new, sophisticated and an amazing design feat! The front or bow of the ship hinged on a hydraulic system and would open up like a can enabling us to disembark anywhere; literally anywhere! We got off at a beach and simply placed a temporary dock up to the grassy knoll and got off! It was the coolest thing ever! Almost my entire family is in the maritime industry and this technology was really amazing to me! The designer needs to be highly commended! The staff was really super helpful as well. The waitress at our table told us about a very chic jewelry store in town at one stop and another staff member told us about the fresh open air market at another. We bought the biggest cherries from that market and shared them with our friends! Our cabin was on the second deck and it was at the stern. What was amazing was it had a balcony as well as the deck right behind us which was stocked with fruit bars, candy, drinks etc...for a snack at any time!

In addition, they had American Indians teach us their tribal dances and customs right on board and they also had an amazing artist who enabled everyone to paint awesome environmentally associated paintings of eagles, owls, Mt. St. Helens etc. All in all, this cruise was one of the best ever and we've sailed on NCL, Royal Caribbean, Cunard, Celebrity and love them too! But, we will definitely be cruising on American Cruise Lines again!