We had an incredible Thanksgiving cruise on the American Star. We've never spent Thanksgiving on a cruise ship but after the experience we had with American Cruise Lines this year on the Star, I think we will always plan our future Thanksgivings aboard ACL. No cooking, no cleanup, no relatives!!! I hope you can read the menu, it was unbelievable the amount of dishes they had. Cocktail hour was Alaskan Crab Legs, Jumbo Prawns, Trout, platters of Vegetables, Cheeses and numerous other dishes. The pastry chef made a beautiful cornucopia of bread, just amazing. Of course every dinner was great but what a fabulous day with 6 turkeys (I asked the chef how many he cooked), ham, prime rib and every salad, side dish and desert you could imagine. Thanksgiving aside, every meal we had was great and the deserts were to die for. I wish I had the recipe for the Cheesecakes, light and fluffy, never had any like these before.

We loved all the cute little towns and cruising Florida's inter-coastal waterways. Each town had a walking or trolly tour. Indeed something for every mobility level. This was a beautiful itinerary (Great Rivers of Florida) with lots of opportunities to see Florida's unique wildlife. Be sure to take the Blue Springs State Park Manatee Excursion, wonderful. A nice, lazy pontoon boat ride where you can see Alligators, Turtles, Bald Eagles, lots of Birds and of course the Manatee's. The water is sparkling clear, you can see them easily. Overnighted in St. Augustine and it was the first week of their "Night of Lights" for the holidays. You could see the entire town from the top deck or you could take a nighttime trolly tour of the lights. (Only during the holidays).

As for the ship, the cabins were very spacious and had excellent beds and quality linens. Great water pressure in the shower. The public rooms like the lounge were recently renovated with beautiful light and modern decor. The Star might be a little older than most of their fleet but she's extremely well maintained. We loved her small size. We really enjoyed all the crew, from the deckhands to the Captain, they're all very friendly and attentive to every guests request. Servers in the dining room seemed to be able to answer any question about the menu items and were very quick with service. Of course we ate way too much all week. The Captain came and visited with the guests during cocktail hour he was very personable. American certainly does live up to its motto, "Small Cruising Done Perfectly". We're already planning our next Thanksgiving cruise with American Cruise Lines.