This cruise was completely not organized. Room problems, food problems, tour problems, plus bus problems. It appeared on one bus trip that the driver must not of been licensed to drive. I thought we were going to go over a cliff several times. Several crewmembers walked off the ship in the middle of the cruise. From what I heard the cruise director was fired and left the ship. All tours set up pre-cruise had to be booked a 2nd times on the ship. I have a second cruise booked with the mayor and will cancel on my return home. There is also a problem with American’s website. American seems to be very late and updating the website and many things I missing regarding your particular cruise. Tour times changed from what was originally stated and tour times change. One evening while we were cruising the deck divider that dividing our cabin from the neighbor cabin blew open. Read Less

We booked because we wanted to really experience ultimate luxury cruising but the facility of toys such as helicopters and submarine. We could not have been more disappointed. Facilities on board ship are very limited in terms of outside space and inside activities. There is no outside pool and the only inside one is bizarrely placed in the middle of a café. Paying guests were clearly second priority over the endless TV/media/travel agents and VIPs who were given free run of the ship at every port. The toys were all locked away and not made available to guests. The submarine was not allowed to be deployed in US waters, zodiacs, kayaks and bikes were kept permanently looked away and the helicopter was flown just once on the whole voyage and this was for the media to enjoy. Staff seemed to be poorly trained but did their best. Pockets of excellence were present but this came from staff who had a luxury cruise background. But senior management were virtually invisible and when they did appear were very defensive. This ship is an example of poor leadership. Many staff however just seemed to think guests were an imposition. Food was ok but not fine dining 9except for Lumiere's). There were only 45 guests out of a potential of 224. It was a ghost ship and in addition staff morale was very low. Many volunteered that many key staff had already left after just three weeks and that others were planning to leave shortly. In short, this was an excuse for luxury, ultimate cruising and a very poor discovery cruise. There are far better luxury cruises and far more focused discovery companies. We spent a fortune on this cruise but will be spending far less next year for better facilities and service. Goodbye Scenic and good luck. You're going to need it. Read Less

The Grand Puget Sound Cruise on American Cruise line was our 40th cruise on a variety of cruise lines with ship ranging in sizes from 120 passenger to 5,000+ passengers. We chose the cruise because we wanted to try one in the northwest. The web-site and brochure depicts "Simple Sophistication" and a "culinary experience". Unfortunately it was not our experience. From the minute we arrived to the time we left it was a series of miss-steps, poor food and service. Embarkation: We were met on the dock when we arrived by car. The staff took our luggage and said it would be placed in our room. We checked in at the gangway and were told someone would escort us to the lounge to await our room to be opened (check-in from 10:am on but rooms to be available at 11:30). We walked on the ship and there was no staff within view. We waited 10 minutes before we started wandering the ship. We found the lounge on our own and got something to drink. We were told we would be advised when our room was available (it was 11:10). We were never advised and at 12:00 we decided to check on our room ourselves. It appeared to be ready so we moved in. Public Areas: The ship has two lounges and one dining room. The lounges were generally comfortable and had trays of chips and sodas available 24hrs a day. Cookies were also made available twice a day. Unfortunately the early bird breakfast in each lounge were not replenished properly. If you did not get a rolls or juice in the first 15 minutes, you didn't get any. I only observed the juice to be replenished once and that was only after I ran down a crew member and asked for it. (he only brought up OJ but left the other juices empty) There are a couple small sitting rooms, one that serves as the library. The dining room only has tables for 8 and gets very crowded. The tables should only be set for six as it was very difficult to get the large heavy chairs close to the table. There is a very small laundry room with two small washers and dryers. This is completely inadequate for a ship with 175 passengers and does not offer a laundry service. Average wait time for a washer was over two hours. The workout room had 3 bikes and some type of rowing machine, no treadmill. Service: The service level was all over the board. I liken it to a high school play -a few knew the script, but most were faking it. Nothing clicked. There was no anticipation of your needs and little notice of items that needed attention. If you didn't complain or ask for something, it wasn't done (and sometimes not even then) Sometimes it was easier to do it yourself than to find someone. The office was often empty. It was impossible to reach any staff by the phones on the boat. I tried on 5 separate occasions to reach housekeeping, room service and guest relations only to have the message say they were on the phone and to leave a message, but then when you try to leave a message it would say that no more messages could be left. I mentioned this at our dining table and the other guest tried it with the same results. The initial Captain was a ghost. We never saw or heard him. The second Captain (Captain Brown) was only there the last 3 days and he was involved in everything and was very personable and approachable. The Cruise Director (Aundrinea) tried very hard and overall did a good job but there were some items that were not well planned. It appeared she had too many responsibilities and some details were just overlooked. Room attendants: Throughout the cruise all I heard were complaints from other passengers regarding room attendants and that matched our experience. Dirty glasses not being replaced, paper goods (TP & tissues) not being replaced (I had to hunt both down myself) missing towels or bathmats, room or bathroom not being cleaned. (The cookie crumbs in our room were not vacuumed up for 10 days.) I noticed two blood spots our bedspread the first night that should have been obvious to the room attendant but it was never cleaned. Sheets were not changed very often. General housekeeping: The common areas of the ship were kept pretty clean, however there were spots on some of the furniture that should have been addressed. Maintenance: I reported our safe not working the first afternoon and then 3 times after that. (Once directly to the maintenance person) It was never fixed. Several other cruisers complained about lights not working and those were never addressed. Dining Room: Service varied from atrocious to very good depending on the server . It took us several tries before we found Tamara and we sat at her table from then on. Unfortunately even she was at the mercy of the kitchen staff and they were terrible. (The chef and a waiter were replaced during the cruise). Room Service: The girl that delivered the breakfast was very nice but almost always forgot something. Despite having a large do not disturb sign on our door we hear someone pounding on our door. I am in the shower and my wife is in her nightgown. When she opens the door a girl (not the same one that delivered our food) pushes past her saying "I need to get your dishes" .The girl grabbed my wife's half full coffee off the dresser, put it on the tray (we had already stacked the rest of the dishes) and left without saying another word. My wife was so dumbstruck she didn't say anything. Food: Food was definitely not up to the quality I would expect from a cruise costing this much. Lunch the first day all at our table ordered the BLT. Some received a BL (no T) and some received a BT (no L). This was a forewarning of things to come. The fish the first night was the driest I have ever experienced. I was going to send it back but every person that had the fish was complaining about the same thing. Breakfast the next day took 45 minutes after ordering and potatoes were cold. Several at our table got up and left because they never received their food. The selection of entrées was limited to 3 items and there were nights there was nothing we cared for. Luckily we soon learned we could order a hamburger or steak as a substitute. The hamburgers were dry as a bone. The steaks were excellent. Other meals were adequate but not reflective of a high end cruise but more like cafeteria food. If the food had been served in a restaurant, the steak would have been the only thing I would have ever ordered again. The soups were usually very good. Our table had a game guessing what chef cooked our food. We nicknamed the cooks Overcook and Undercook as the food usually fell into one of those categories. Rice was always undercooked (until the last night) and meat was usually undercooked. Six of us at our table ate lunch or dinner in town 6 times. The fact we would spend $45-$50 a meal per couple to avoid ship food tells a lot. The pastry chef usually did a good job. The deserts were good and the scones excellent. Breakfast Room Service. Limited selection. Food was average quality except something would always be cold or missing all together. The day before debarkation they missed our entire breakfast causing us to wait an extra 40 minutes and miss the tender into town. It became a game to guess what would be missing or cold in our breakfast order. Lounge Evening cocktail hour: There was a good selection of hard liquor but the wine selection was limited. The hors d'oeuvres were plentiful but what should be served hot were always cold or lukewarm. We would always try them but rarely finished them due to the temperature issue. The only ones we could eat are the ones that were supposed to be served cold. The "late Bar" included root beer floats and popcorn. Both were very good. Itinerary: Puget sound is beautiful and the cruise stopped in some great towns. Unfortunately the sailing schedule did not allow sufficient time in two of the towns. In Poulsbo we had less than two hours in town when you subtracted the tender time. (We only had one hour since we missed the earlier tender waiting for breakfast) The sailing times were a mystery as they did not provide for the best experience in the towns. Excursions: The choice of excursions was somewhat limited and few were without issues. On the beer tasting excursions we were promised four breweries but only reached three. The last brewery we were allowed a whopping 10 minutes to order and drink our beer. Some participants never even had a chance to order. The itinerary in the brochure would make you believe that the ship stops in Victoria. It Doesn't. You must take a 1.5 hr ferry to get to Victoria BC and a 30 min bus ride to Butchart Gardens. This did not leave enough time in town and since the ship purchased a group ferry ticket we had to leave on a 3:00PM ferry or pay again for a ticket on a later ferry. Debarkation: While it started out smoothly it soon went downhill. There was 4 buses but no organization as to who got on what bus. The smart way would have been to load by airline(s) but there was no organization. At the airport only 2 buses could unload at each terminal. This resulted in our bus unloading at the international terminal when almost everyone was flying Alaska airline (a 1/4 mile away). Speaking of our bus, items were stacked in front of the exit door, blocking them in case of emergency. An emergency was likely as the driver spent the whole time talking on the phone and continually wandering into the lane to our left. Few cruises are without some issue(s) but usually the good far outweighs the bad and the cost. This was not the case for this cruise. Based on all our other cruises and the cost of this cruise, we had high expectations. Unfortunately they did not delivery. There was nothing to justify the cost. We can get better food and service on cruises for a third the cost. Read Less

This was our second river cruise - the first was a few years ago down the Danube in August. The American Queen is a very special ship,not only because of the beautiful furnishings, collectibles and artwork which is abundant, but because of the paddlewheel. Its power is ever present, and is mesmerizing. Visits to the engine room are encouraged. We cruised from New Orleans to Memphis. The printed material they distributed were clear and well-presented, from the daily newsletters to the material you receive pre-cruise. There were some discouraging reviews that I read prior to departing, so was ready for anything, but I found most everything about this cruise to be very satisfying and agreeable. Our room was excellent - well located, comfortable and beautifully decorated. The shower had good water pressure and plenty of hot water. The steward made up the room twice daily and left Godiva chocolate on the pillows nightly. The beds were very comfortable. The food - the menus were varied and changed daily - everything labeled with information for cruisers with allergies or other special diets. The food came out hot, if a bit too quickly. I often ate fish, and my husband beef, and no complaints about either. The staff looks a bit disheveled, but everyone was friendly and aimed to please. We sat at a table for 2 (this was not requested) so were a bit disappointed about that. When we asked to change, we were led to a table on the opposite side of the room which was above the engine room. DO NOT sit here (left side rear when walking in). We had one meal here and returned to our original table - it was so noisy that you had to strain to hear anyone speaking. We took breakfast and lunch on the Front Porch, which had excellent food even though it was a buffet. There were not an endless amount of choices, but enough and of good quality. The staff assigned to work there were helpful and kept everything very clean. I found the coffee to be just OK, including the self-serve cappuccino. The soft-serve ice cream deserves special mention - I am not a fan usually, but this was really good, available 24/7, toppings with it, and choice of cone or cup. Daily excursions - The hop on - hop off bus was an excellent way to get around and all pre-paid tours were indicated on the map of the town. There was more to do than we were able, even though we got off the boat early (it was also hovering at 100 degrees every day, so we could not move very fast!). Natchez was my favorite port while cruising. There were 8 hours of port time at each stop, except for St. Francisville. We couldn't stop at Greenville due to heavy traffic coming down river because of dredging. My husband did the optional excursion to Vicksburg battlefield, which he said was excellent. I was happy with the ones included. Entertainment - Without question, the best on any cruise. The shows each night were not to be missed. There were 4 performers which included the Cruise Director and Asst. Cruise Director (Ryan and Ashley), and all were very good to excellent. The back up band was excellent. There was nightly music in the Engine Room bar (rock and roll) and in the lounge pre-dinner for each seating. He had sing-a-longs booklets for all, played with a flourish, as well as being an engaging storyteller. All music on the ship was live. On-board activities - We spent 2 full days cruising instead of one because of the river traffic traveling south. The options are limited, but the staff does have some organized activities that were enjoyable. I like to read and there was a larger pool than anticipated, so was pleasantly surprised and kept cool in there. There was a small gym with 4 pieces of equipment (usually unoccupied) and mats for stretching. I do yoga, so found that to be ideal for me. There were many board games, puzzles, daily crosswords and sudoku, and tables for playing. The chart room was always open and you could borrow books about the river and history of the South. Jerry, the Riverlorian, gave daily talks, and was very knowledgeable and engaging. He also gave daily tours of the Control Room. I learned quite a bit about the river, the history of the Civil War, and the many nuances that we did not learn in school. Service - I was happy overall - service was good, not flawless.I am not a fan of mandating gratuities, and thought $18.50/day was high. Overall - This trip was on my bucket list and well worth doing. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it for "older" clientele, even those with physical limitations. Also, they have you arrive one day prior to embarkation in New Orleans. I would recommend you spend at least an additional day there, as well as an additional day or 2 in Memphis. Read Less

We decided to take this trip to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary, and every moment of the trip was wonderful! Being on the ship was like living in a museum. The crew and Captain were just great, and the food was outstanding. We watched our young chef cook gourmet meals on a wooden stove! You can't beat Maine scenery for beauty. Everyone had an opportunity to work the sails and lines, raise and lower the anchor and sail the ship. There was a lot of time to read, reflect and/or just watch the gorgeous Maine coast and islands of Penobscot Bay go by. Sleeping quarters were a little tight, but we had everything we needed, and the chance to see the scenery, be on the water, watch the full moon rise, and set, were great memories we will keep forever. Not recommended for folks with physical handicaps that impede walking or climbing up rope ladders or stairs. Read Less

This was our fifth cruise with this company. We did the cruise called, "New England Islands". As usual the food was memorable. And as usual service at meals goes at a slow pace. For the first time on a cruise I had servers dump food on me - twice! They also had a specific problem at breakfast. I believe most people are eager for the first cup of coffee in the morning. That was very very slow. They have a self-service buffet with fresh fruit available. I would take some fruit on my way to be seated for breakfast. Wait staff is in no hurry to approach the table. When they get there they have order pad in hand - but no coffee. They will take orders for food and drink - coffee. They MIGHT come back with coffee before the food is available (or they might not). The boat is one of the smaller and oldest in the American Cruise Lines fleet. When I asked if they had any note pads available I was told those are only available on the larger ships. They also have only one on-board "expert" while the larger ships (in my experience) have two of them. The larger ships have more staff and will serve you breakfast in your cabin. The other four cruises we took with this company were all on US rivers and the scenery was far superior to this trip. We saw fishing boats. We saw pleasure boats. We saw water. We saw islands. We had bus rides where we heard the names of wealthy folks who owned the houses along the road. Information about the shore excursions was limited and often wrong. Most of the passengers were (as usual) very senior citizens. Most of us would like to know: 1) how much walking on this excursion? 2) How challenging is the walk? 3) How long is the bus ride? 4) What is the availability of rest rooms on this excursion? This trip, like all American Cruise Lines trips, had organized activities on board. Unlike every other cruise we took, many of the scheduled activities did not happen. Other activities were bungled. With all my complaints, we signed up for another cruise with the company. Read Less

We traveled the Great Lakes from Chicago to NYC via the Welland Canal, 4 Great Lakes, Erie Canal, Lake Sinclair. Only Lake Huron was a bit rough for a day. Our cabin was basic 8 by 10. Separate shower and stool, 2 drawers and about 15 hangars. Next time I would upgrade to the 10 by 13. Food was outstanding. Yogurts, rolls, fruit, hot cereal and then 2 warm dishes either, waffles, French toast, eggs, sausage, bacon etc. Lunch was a soup and a sandwich and a huge cookie. Dinner was always 2 choices meat or seafood. Tuna, Mahi mahi, scallops, catfish, NY strip, prime rib, chicken, pork etc. Beer and wine were offered for dinner and lunch. Soda all day. On board lecturer did about 5 lectures, some evenings a movie, a dice game. One morning a bloody mary bingo. We had 65 passengers so there was always room in the lounge to sit and read, socialize. Passengers were very well traveled. It is a BYOB policy for happy hour with the ship hosting two happy hours. We never felt claustrophobic as there was room. Shore excursions were in addition and well attended. Jasmine was our cruise director and she was excellent. The ladies who were the wait staff and the room attendants were very accommodating. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to travel the Erie Canal, meet like minded people who do not expect a cruise liner atmosphere. Read Less

We wanted to tour the Great Lakes on a small ship in style. To start our days, the breakfasts were always excellent with a nice variety. The portions at each meal were just right. We enjoyed the open seating at each meal. The cabin and bathroom were a good size with a nice shower. The cabin steward was very attentive and friendly. The ship was well maintained and clean. We appreciated the overnight laundry service. The cruise director and her assistant were always available and on top of everything. They were very informative about the next day's activities. The entertainment duo had a good variety of music and vocals with changing themes night to night. In summation, our goal for this cruise was to familiarize ourselves and learn more about the beautiful Great Lakes. We learned about the people past and present and the surrounding towns/cities. Also, our goal was to have an enjoyable vacation with people with the same interests. We achieved our goals and enjoyed ourselves very much. We will be looking forward to cruising with Pearl Seas again. Read Less

My husband and I are seasoned cruisers with experience on Seabourn, Regent, Ama Waterways & SilverSea. A two week journey down the Mississippi River. St. Paul Minn to NOLA, was a completely different type of cruising. Expect to learn more about American history; exploration, wars and expansion conflicts....the pioneers vs Indian tribes, mining and lumber industries. Music. Heartland Cuisine. It was an adventure and we enjoyed seeing the beautiful upper Mississppi River florishing Eagle population. The people we met living in the Mississippi River towns were absolutely charming and gracious. So many colorful characters willing to share their stories of living on the Mississippi River and proud of their towns. Do not have high expectations because the company labels it as a Luxury cruise. It is Not. Go for the adventure, and travel down river....start on the Upper Mississippi which is manjestic and stunning. Less industrialized than the lower Mississippi. Read Less

My husband wanted to see the Great Lakes and he loves cruising. We read the reviews and all said “older” passengers. Somehow we didn’t imagine that meant most would be mid 70s to 90s. At 62 that meant we were a whole lot younger than most of the passengers. There were possibly 10 passengers around our age or younger. We had cabin R303 - a nice large stateroom . Because of the odd layout however we did not have a couch only 2 semi comfortable chairs. The tv and air conditioner worked well. We had a lunch very balcony w rocking chairs. The meals were good but I’m not really a fan of the group tables. The wait staff ran hot and cold as far as personality. My biggest complaint is the lack of activities on the ship. The 2 large lounges were nice and they had snacks and beverages all day. However if the Lounge was being used for a talk or presentation you had to leave. The entertainment was really geared to older people. A presentation was on “The Golden Age of Radio.” The excursions were lacking. Local historical societies or WWII activities. The day spent at Mackimac Island was wonderful but we missed lunch at the Grand Hotel due to a scheduling issue as the ship was late leaving the previous port due to a late food delivery. The trip was relaxing for us and we got a lot of reading done but I would have loved something to do on the ship while in port. The older passengers seemed to enjoy the choice of excursions more than we did. For the hefty price tag I found this cruise lacking. Read Less

We went on the Grand New England Cruise offered by American Cruise Lines and enjoyed it very much. The Lobster Bake in Rockland, ME was wonderful...from music to our lobster. In fact, we found every port interesting especially visiting the Portland, ME Lighthouse, and the excursions we signed up for (Lobster and Lighthouse in Camden, ME and Schooner Sail in Gloucester, MA). We found the ship and our stateroom very clean. Weather made it impossible to tender at Bar Harbor, but safety of passengers should be the main concern which it was. The food was delicious and we were thrilled with all the seafood offered. The waitstaff, for the most part, was excellent. The crew was very friendly and attentive especially our Cruise Director. We also enjoyed the on board Historian. This was our first cruise experience and would go again with American Cruise Lines. We met some wonderful people and will have great memories. Read Less

My wife and I love the fact the ACL ship has 100 passengers max. The ship is cozy, casual and very well run. The crew, top to bottom, are friendly, responsive and efficient. The cabins are roomy with private balconies. The food and service is excellent. We have done the big ship cruises (3000+ + passengers, and swore we will never do another big ship again!) We discovered ACL last summer when we did their New England Island cruise, and loved it. We have already signed up for our third cruise with ACL for Nov. 2020. It was fun to be able to mix and mingle and sit with different people at every meal. Since many passengers, like us, were older, retired people, and from a variety of states, cities, businesses and professions, mealtimes were always interesting and entertaining. American Cruise Lines have smaller ships so they can visit more of the coastal and river ports than the big ships, so we you get to see more of the country up close and personal. Landing in port, there are at most only 100 passengers who disembark or go on shore hikes and excursions vs. 3000 people descending on a port at the same time. Read Less

1. Wanted to see the area via a cruise 2. Very poor food quality. In fact it became so poor that they brought in quality chef for two days mid crew. 3. Poor dining room service 4. Attention to detail was sorely lacking. While the wait staff was congenial they were mostly new and seemed like as though they were in a training aspect. 5. The cost of the cruise was outrageous. The cost was $9200 for the two us and we have been on quality cruise lines so we just trusted that this would be just the same. At the best, the cruise would be only worth somewhere in the area of $2100/guest. 5. The cabin # 219 and it was very poor. It smelled of crude engine oil.I was near an exit opening where the crew went in and out 24/7. The furnishing was dated to the 1960’s and 70’s. The window shades were cheesy and didn’t work well. When we docked on two occasions our windows were at the level of the dock and walkers could see in privacy was all but absent. 6. We complained on the cruise to the cruise director and the hotel manager: but rather fell on deaf ears. We filed a lengthy complaint which we would be happy to share with your Editor-in-Charge. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of its itinerary (which was unique and they were good ports that we enjoyed). Unfortunately due to the very poor quality of the ship and crew we were not pleased with the cruise overall. There was poor service, marginal food, dirty and unkept ship and cabins. A couple of people left the cruise after the first 24 hours apparently due to the underwhelming conditions. They do have good marketing skills because their brochures describe a luxury 5 star cruise and they charge 5 star prices. The ship is designed well for what it does (small ports) but it was not built as a 5 star luxury ship. The entertainment was marginal, but we were not going on this cruise for the entertainment. Some of the lectures were good but most were not. By far, the service was the most disappointing. We always ordered two glasses of ice tea or water, because they rarely came by to provide refills. We usually had to wave down a waiter to come take our order and sometimes waited 45 min to get the meal. The crew was inexperienced and simple jobs like docking and tying off the tender were laughable. The best laugh was when a crew member let a wheelchair roll off the dock and into the water (they tried using a grappling hook, but they never found the wheelchair). Unfortunately American Cruise Lines is just not up to par. Read Less

We chose to cruise the Hood and Columbia River’s for the scenic beauty. We selected American cruise lines because they had the best selection of sure excursions for our photographic needs. We were disappointed. The American Song is a nearly new river cruise ship will still undergoing Break-in. The water in our cabin smelled spoiled. We did not taste. We requested and will refused bottled water both in our cabin and for the meals for the first few days until the number of complaints grew sufficient that they brought water on board. So many people sent back bad food but they fired the chef after the second day. Meals later in the week were tasty but uninspired. The truly disappointing part was that rather than moving the ship at night and allowing all the beautiful excursions they promised in the brochure, they move the ship each day and gave us only a short time on sure for the abbreviated excursion. This is just unacceptable. We, and many of the other couples, wrote and called American Cruise headquarters to complain during the week. They reported back to us that they were told problems and be corrected when in fact nothing is changed. If you’re looking for Captiva Drive down the Columbia and hood rivers, this is for you. Looking for a variety of short excursions each day with varying degrees of physical difficulties as promised in the brochure, keep looking. Read Less

Cruised several times on American Queen boats and loved each of those. Wanted to try their new acquisition, Victory Cruise Lines and their Great Lakes itinerary. As with the Queen and Duchess, we weren't disappointed. The ship is a small version of an ocean going cruise ship. 200 passengers, very intimate, easy to navigate. The ships decor is beautiful, very updated and did not experience a single problem or issue. The cabins are small, but very well designed with a lot of storage space. We found that by separating our beds, we had much more space and the cabin seemed larger. Beds very comfortable. Bathroom is very nice with ample storage, small shower, but we've had smaller. We call it a one person bathroom unless one of us was in the shower. Dining in the large dining room or the smaller casual Grill buffet. Never crowded and food was very good. Menu items displayed in the hallway entering the dining room for dinner. Nice to be able to see what you might want to order. Also 24 hr. coffee machine in the main lounge and coffee and ice cream machines in the Grill. Public areas are: the 1) main lounge where we met before dinner for cocktails, talks on next day's activities, daily activities, nightly entertainment and afternoon teas: 2) tavern with a pub type atmosphere behind the lounge with a bar and tables: 3) two separate seating areas on the top deck (note: the elevator does not go to the top deck. The itinerary and excursions were awesome. We were on all 5 Great Lakes with beautiful scenery and wonderful ports of call. The excursions were well planned, seamless in execution and all guides were interesting. Nightly entertainment was a three piece band made up of a piano player (also the cruise director), drummer and a guitar/trumpet player. They were very talented and played popular songs that we know and could sing along or dance to. Different theme each night. The staff aboard Victory I were excellent, hard working and their service was impeccable. This was right up with the best service we've ever experienced. If you're looking for a relaxing cruise on a great small ship with wonderful food, service and excursions, in or close to America, this would be a great choice. Read Less

We wanted to experience the Great Lakes and thought this cruise was a good way to do it. The crew was well trained, friendly and happy but the ship itself was a disappointment. It was rather shabby and in need of a refurbishment. The furniture was well worn with nicks and scratches and most of the carpeting needed cleaning. The lounges were set up like an old fashioned parlor and not appointed well at all. Afternoon Tea consisted of a coffee/tea machine, paper cups and a few hors d’oevres. We only went once. The food was very good and presented well but don’t order breakfast in your cabin. It always came out wrong. Several other people said the same thing. We did enjoy the entertainment very much. Kenny and Kat were very good and enthusiastic. But the entertainment ended at 10pm and you couldn’t even get a drink after that. We had a good enough time but wouldn’t use this ship again. Read Less

This was my first small cruise, determined not to go on a ship with a thousand other people. Overall I found it relaxing. However, though I had anticipated a small single cabin as not being very large, to call it small would be an understatement. What was particularly galling was the ship I was told, was designed for 80 persons and many of the double cabins were empty, as there were only 38 passengers on board. I could easily have been upgraded along with the other singletons to a larger cabin. The Ac was very noisy and erratic. My sleep was constantly disturbed. For this reasons regarding the cabin I would not go on another Blount cruise. Furnishings in the room were a bit shabby. Most of the other passenger were pleasant and friendly, except for one or two who expressed their right-wing opinions loudly. One could sit with different people at meals. Food was served plated and there was always two choices, including fish,for dinner. We had fresh lobster twice. The kitchen was always willing to make accommodations for me as I am pescatarian. Over all the food was very good. One could bring your own tipple on board and wine and beer were served at lunch and dinner at no extra cost. Excursions were very overpriced. All in all, was a bit expensive for what was provided cabin wise. Read Less

We enjoy river cruises as opposed to ocean cruises. We enjoy the silence of the river, and the history surrounding it. On this Lewis and Clark themed cruise along the Snake and Columbia Rivers in Washington and Oregon, we relived a most important part of our nations past, forged in part by these two infamous explorers. Great shore excursions and presentations by the River Historian added to the experience. The hospitality of the ship and crew was outstanding. The food and drink was excellent. It should be noted that the Queen of the West is the line's oldest ship and the rooms and bathroom are smaller than newer ships. But so little time is spent in the room, we found the accommodations to be adequate. The one difficulty was a high step into the bathroom which may be difficult for an elderly person. We enjoyed the entire cruise so much that we immediately signed up for another cruise next year! Read Less

We just returned from an 11 day American Cruise Lines cruise of New England. Overall this is an average cruise with a very above average price. There were both pros and cons: Pros: 1. The food was excellent, although the selection was quite limited. 2. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We got to know two staff people in the dining room and enjoyed interacting with them (Ike and Marquita). They provided very good service. Some of the other dining staff were not as engaging or as talented, as in all cruise ships. 3. The Cruise Director and her direct report were very accommodating to me to provide me with Wifi service on our cruise, they let me use an I-Phone from the ship to use as a "hot spot" source for Wifi. This was above and beyond the call of duty to help correct a serious flaw in American Cruise Lines Wifi issues. (see below). 4. Overall the ship was clean. 5. The stops on the cruise were nice. We had not been to New England before so it was enjoyable seeing this part of the country. Cons: 1. The Wifi is a serious problem on American Cruise Line ships. This ship is only a year old so this should not be an issue, but it is. Its understandable to have sketchy Wifi access when out at sea, but this problem persisted when we were in port. I was unable to download email or access websites despite my phone and laptop stating that I was connected. In talking with the crew this is a known problem that has not been corrected yet. This is serious flaw for those who need dependable Wifi on their trip. 2. The clientele on this cruise line is VERY elderly. I would estimate that the average age on our cruise was in the low 80's. Most of the passengers were very friendly and it was nice to get to know some of them, but it really felt like we were vacationing in an elderly retirement community. A large number of folks were unable to ambulate easily with many using canes and some with walkers or motorized carts. This was a factor in the tours we went on. It took a fair bit of additional time for people to get on and off tour buses as you can imagine. There were some who had difficulty understanding basic instructions related to the tours. We are in our 50's and throughout the cruise we were identified as the "youngsters"! I think its great that these folks are getting out and enjoying life and I say more power to them, but I'm looking for a different environment for our vacationing. 3. The entertainment was average, I think mainly due to the clientele the cruise line is catering to. 4. Although the ship was clean overall, our stateroom had some issues. The bathroom had a urine smell. There was half a cookie on the carpeted floor with associated crumbs that was left under the desk. There were some small paper wrappers on the floor that were left. At this price range this was unexpected. 5. The dining area is cramped. There are 8 people at the majority of tables, which is a bit overcrowded for the table size. You are unable to eat a meal with just you and your spouse. This can be enjoyable or not depending on who sits with you since its open seating. I noted that in their official pictures the tables show 6 places at each table, this is inaccurate. 6. This is an expensive cruise line. Our 11 day cruise up the New England coast with a one night stay in Boston before the cruise cost around $18,000. We opted for the pre-cruise package in Boston which cost us $900. This is not worth it. Its one night at the Four Seasons, breakfast, a 90 minute bus tour of Boston, and dropping you off at the ship. It was nice, but very overpriced. 7. The tours are very sedentary, pretty much all bus tours. There is opportunity in several of the ports to explore on your own, but again, its an older crowd that this trip is geared toward. 8. The ship had an exercise room but all it contained were a couple of free weights and a few recumbent exercise bikes. In summary, overall it was nice seeing New England, but we would not use American Cruise Lines again. Read Less

We wanted to cruise the Snake and Colombia Rivers to trace the last part of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The route was very good and the onboard historian added immeasurably to the cruise. The cabin was roomy for a river cruise but the bed was in need of upgrade. The cabin was astern on the second deck so it was noisy when underway. Ports were interesting and tours offered mostly interesting. The tour to Mt Saint Helens was a long bus ride for a short time there. The port of Astoria was interesting because it was at the mouth of the Columbia River and Lewis and Clark’s first encounter with the Pacific.. The final port of Portland was worth staying for a post cruise day.. The precruise port of Clarkston would have been more interesting for us if travel delays prevented us from doing the Hells Canyon jet boat tour. Read Less

We selected this cruise as we were traveling with 2 other couples who live on our street. This is not the best of the ships in this line but selected as one couple needed a lower cost cruise. Rooms small and cramped and flooded during rains. Employees who work hard were up at 5am pushing rainwater off deck, but the problem, aside from the noise, was that water was pushed inside the cabin. Cabins not soundproof as next door phone conversations could be heard regularly. Awful fumes noticed inside cabin. The Hop On Hop Off buses do NOT have tour guides onboard in the afternoon so if you are not an early bird you are out of luck. Excursions booked through the cruise line were not as advertised,, and when a complaint was made to the excursion director, Alex, it was totally ignored. On the last day of the cruise, which disembarking the ship, we inquired about our concern and were told nothing would be done as it was not a cruise line excursion: BS! We booked with the ship. Forget the Elvis Graceland adventure through the ship and get a better deal with a local tour company. Our friends who had a problem with their swamp adventure were given a g=credit for the problems they had. Their excursion, like ours, was booked through the ship. Nothing is worse than being lied to by a ship representative. Room service on several occasions failed to deliver our order completely; this was for breakfast only. Dining room selection of food and service was excellent. All but one waiter (Kathisa) was fantastic. She was one who refused us a table for 2 at lunch when many tables were available and finally seated us at a table with no view---we declined it and asked for a different table. After a bit of attitude we were seated properly. Patio restaurant closes at 2 pm which is a problem when returning late from a morning excursion. You are left which a choice of hot dogs or hot dogs. Laundry machines broken at times and no hot water for showers on the last day. We had the beverage package and service varied a the different bars. Brian on deck 5 was excellent as was bartender outside the patio restaurant. The pre-cruise hotel,, The Sheriton in Memphis was less than satisfactory; air-conditioning problems and issues with door locks. We had to have a room change analog with one of our friends. Definitely not a 4 star hotel. Entertainers very enthusiastic and shows enjoyable. The band was great. Read Less

My wife wanted to cruise the Great Lakes and i found this ship that was sailing from Toronto, ON Canada through the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay ending in Milwaukee, WS . The ship's facilities were very good but cabins and rooms are dated. The crew members were excellent and very attentive to passenger needs and requests. Entertainment and activities are geared to retired (60+) and service was excellent as was the dining. Shore excursions were good and ports, for the most part, were very easy and efficient. WiFi didn't seem to work when you needed it most and was very spotty to say the least. TV reception (for NBA tournament) was also hit and miss, although some passengers had it on their phones. The disembarkation port was too small though and this made getting off the ship awkward and time consuming. Not good planning on the part of the cruise line. Read Less

Our 44th cruise was with a river boat company, American Cruise Lines, but it was not on a river. We sailed around Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, aboard the American Constellation for 10 nights and 11 days. It is a very nice boat, quite new and offering a good range of river boat amenities, a hardworking and a very pleasant crew. But we felt it was overpriced, and had some weak points. Embarkation We boarded shortly before noon at a marina in Seattle, and the check-in was very fast. We were handed names tags on a ribbon and encouraged to wear them all the time. We were given the usual room key, but were not asked to provide a credit card imprint – a first in our experience. The Captain was there to greet us; and helped with the luggage. We had a snack in the main “Cascade” Lounge on deck three and then went to our cabin. The Stateroom, This is a quite new ship, and the stateroom was in excellent condition. It was quite roomy for a river boat with plenty of drawer space and a small but adequate closet. The bathroom was about the same size as on most cruise ships. The verandah has a sliding glass door, two chairs and a small table. The walls were painted a nice beige shade. There were two armchairs as well as a desk with its chair. Almost all the staterooms were the same, the price differential was according to location. We were on Deck 2, but since it is a small vessel, it was not inconvenient. We were just a few steps from the center of the boat. The Ship If you are on a cruise ship, you are told to call the river vessels “boats”. But American Constellation really looks like a small cruise ship with six decks and a sharp prow. It was built for sailing on open waters, and, as we saw on our visit to the bridge, is controlled by a navigation system that matches the oceangoing vessels we have been on. The top deck is open, with a small putting green. Deck 5 has the “Owners Suites”, a fitness room and a rear sun deck. Deck 4 has staterooms with a library/computer room and the Sky Lounge aft with an open deck. Deck 3 has the main Cascade Lounge forward and staterooms as well as a lounge. Deck 2 is all staterooms except for a lounge. The Main Deck has the Office and Dining Room, as well as some rooms without verandahs. All the decks except the top deck were connected by two roomy elevators in addition to a stairway. The Crew The crew, with one exception, was entirely American. Captain Brown had served in the Coast Guard for many years. He was most pleasant and helpful for the entire cruise. The Cruise Director, Annie was also outgoing and helpful, and most of her comments on the ports were accurate. The wait staff in the main dining room was cheerful and tried their best, but still lacked the skill of those found on the major cruise line. The only non-American on the whole ship was the pianist, from England, appropriately named Jon England. Fellow Passengers As noted, all our fellow passengers were from the United States. We were actually provided with a list of everyone’s names and staterooms. Those who had sailed with American Cruise Lines had their names marked with a star. While the ship would carry up to 175 passengers, we only had 112 on board. Of these 73 had sailed with the cruise line before. Since the company has only been around for a few years, this shows a high degree of loyalty. Since it is easy to forget the names of one’s fellow passengers, the list was quite helpful. As usual, virtually all our fellow passengers were of “a certain age”. The meals were all with open seating, but after a day or two we found a small group with whom we usually ate. The name tags and passenger list did help with recalling people. By and large we were a cheerful lot, and happy to share our differing port experiences and past cruising histories. Dining This was the first cruise in which all meals were served by the wait staff. Each diner was provided with an individual menu, and the back side asked for our choices for lunch and dinner. There was a partial buffet for breakfast, but the hot items were obtained only by ordering them. Actually the breakfast had the widest selection of “main” servings. The lunches were somewhat inadequate in term of choices offered; but it was possible to order items not on the menu. One of our table regulars always had chicken tacos for lunch. I tried them, but this Arizonan with a wide experience in Mexican food, found the Constellation version to be lacking in true south of the border flavor. The dinners were generally pretty good, although no boat this size can match the cuisine on a cruise ship; even smaller ships like the Oceania Regatta or the Crystal Serenity and Symphony. In fact, these smaller cruise ships, including Marina and Riviera as well as the Viking ocean going vessels, set the mark for cruise dining. But the efforts on our trip were commendable, with three main dinner entrée choices plus a vegetarian option for my wife. Desserts were limited, but the baker did an excellent job, and treats were available almost all the time all over the boat. One nice feature was the ability to order half-size portions. As we noted in the “Crew” section, the inexperience of the wait staff led to some mixed-up orders, and on one occasion, a delay of half an hour in getting the lunch main meal served after the appetizers. Shipboard Entertainment This facet of the trip was not bad for a riverboat. We had three pretty good female singers and a five piece band in addition to Jon England and his piano offerings. There was supposed to be a Dixieland band the final night but they did not make it. The Ports Ports and their excursions are normally the highlight of “river” cruises. However the options offered in the Puget Sound area were somewhat limited for first time passengers and the complimentary excursions very restricted, unless you were a prior passenger. We received a one page “Captain’s Sailing Instructions” sheet which detailed all our various arrivals and departures. As on all river cruises, there was a session in the main lounge each night with Annie going over all the shore options for the following day. We had already received a printed sheet of these choices in our cabins after dinner in the daily “Ship to Shore” sheet. We had also been provided on arrival with three pages of all the off-ship offerings and another document showing the prices. Many of these options were too strenuous for me, but the ones we took we did enjoy. Our highlights included a visit to an alpaca farm in Friday Harbor, and a “game farm” near Port Angeles where we fed a variety of large animals such a bears, llamas, bison and deer from the bus. Anacortes, north of Seattle, was our first stop with an interesting history and some tours. We arrived at 8:00 P.M. the first day after a 1:30 P.M. sail-away, stayed all the next day and sailed the following morning west for a two hour trip to Friday Harbor. Whale watching was offered there twice a day, in addition to the alpaca farm, but only the afternoon group saw more than one kind of whale. Friday Harbor is on San Juan Island, one of the San Juan group of islands which are actually northeast of Vancouver Island and Victoria, B.C. The islands became part of the United States after a long running dispute with Canada. It was here we did a tour of the island which included a delightful visit to Krystal and her alpaca farm, where we got to feed and pet the alpacas. We also had a visit to a lighthouse and the town of Roche Harbor. We stayed overnight at a small harbor nearby and then sailed south the next day to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula arriving in the afternoon. There we enjoyed a view of the snow covered Olympic Range. The following day was spent in Port Angeles, because this was the spot from which people could take a boat to Victoria and visit Butchart Gardens, a somewhat pricey trip requiring a passport. Since we had seen the gardens a few years prior to this cruise, we skipped this adventure and instead enjoyed the visit to the game farm in nearby Sequim [which should always be pronounced “Skwim”]. We left Port Angeles early the next morning and sailed east to Port Townsend, which is at the northeast corner of the peninsula, arriving at 10:00 A.M. and again spending the night there. Not too much was offered there by way of excursions except a complimentary walking tour. We sailed early the next morning to Paulsbo, just off Puget Sound, where we tendered ashore on a small ship’s launch and visited the Squamish Museum and Chief Seattle’s grave site. This is a small but very well done museum containing a great deal of history concerning the Native American tribes which inhabited this area. We left Paulsbo in the afternoon and sailed south, arriving in Tacoma at 6:00, spending the night and the next day there. This is a good sized city, but the ship offered only a complimentary excursion and two museum tours. The excursion was by bus and was enjoyable. We left the next morning, sailing north to Bremerton on the west side of Puget Sound. We arrived at noon and left at noon the next day. The only item of any interest in Bremerton is the Puget Sound Navy Museum (free), and that is a somewhat limited venue. Annie had said there was a nice shopping area, but one of our table companions who visited the area said most of the shops were closed. We had a small rain shower here, the only bad weather we encountered on the cruise until our return to Seattle the next day. Back there in the afternoon we took a complimentary bus ride (with a very inexperienced bus driver) to the Pike Place Market area, which was of some interest. We returned to the boat for the final evening and packing. The next day we simply got aboard a complimentary bus (with a much better driver) to the airport and home. We had received our statement the night before with three excursions, and no other charges on it. They have just today appeared on my computer credit card listing. Overall As we noted at the beginning of this review, we felt this cruise was very expensive for what was offered. We have been on some higher end cruise ships; but felt that we got our money’s worth on them. Not so on this cruise. The simple fact is that the food selection was not up to that of an ocean going ship, and it never can be on a riverboat. The entertainment was also far short of what one gets at sea. A friendly crew is nice, but this is true on ships in which the skill and experience of the crew is far better than what we experienced on this cruise. The fact that we were at small ports limited our on shore options. It is also true that most American ports offer fewer tours that can be booked on linethan overseas venues. We noted on our European river boat trips that the vast majority of shore excursions were complimentary, with only a few trips carrying small extra charges. All this being noted, did we enjoy this cruise. Yes, we did. American Constellation is a very nice boat with lovely staterooms, a delightful crew and very attractive small towns on its itinerary. The food was quite good, and the entertainment not bad. We are glad we took this cruise and would recommend it. Read Less

About us - my husband and I are in our early 40s, no children, spending time with my well and healthy but aging parents on this cruise. Initially concerned about the expense, average age of the cruisers (65 and older) and if we would be bored. Parents are not footing the bill so to speak. My husband and I have hectic, stressful jobs from which it is hard to obtain this amount of time off. This is our first river cruise. Pre-cruise hotel: Red Lion Inn, Jantzen Beach. Clean, large, and with great views of the Columbia River. Hotel restaurant had good food but service was slow. Surrounding area with a Target and other convenient stores (ie. liquor and pharmacy) within walking distance or very short Uber/Lyft ride. Embarkation: Not a great first impression as they asked to be in a meeting room at a certain time and let us sit for over 30 minutes without word from a cruise representative on why things were running late . There was also not enough seating in the room especially when many had disabilities. My husband, parents and I stood for most of the time allowing others with disabilities to be seated. My husband and another younger (in his 50s) passenger went and got additional seating from outside the meeting room for those without seats. Hotel staff, after 30 minutes, arrived and finally provided more seats. Embarkation finally proceeded after 45 to 60 minutes of waiting if memory serves correct. Initial impression of the boat: clean, well kept in all general population areas. All staff was very friendly and rarely did you walk by a staff member without being greeted through out the cruise. Dining: excellent. Fresh fruit at breakfast everyday - loved! Lunch and dinner always with an appetizer (soup or salad), three different choices for entrees (two meat options, one vegatarian) and dessert. My husband is a big guy and a big eater and he was never hungry after a meal. Snacks are available 24/7 including Coke products, Chex Mix, Sun Chips, granola bars and cookies. We were glad that we did bring our own insulated cups for consuming beverages in our room. Cups were small plastic cups in general areas and standard Styrofoam coffee cups in the room. Serving staff and chef's would do their best to satisfy every dietary need. We brought our own snacks and liquor just in case but overall they were not needed. We ate a small amount of our snacks when the on board snacks did not appeal. We barely touched our own liquor. Happy hour and "late bar" were open bars and generous. We'll just say my rum and coke did not taste like coke. Entertainment/Enrichment: We did not attend many as they are "age" appropriate - bingo, music talent sang mostly older songs. The lecturer on board was a naturalist which was interesting but many things were held inside and my husband and I did not want to miss the scenery and cool weather therefore much of those times we spent on our balcony or on the 4th and 5th decks. Ports/excursions: Our favorites were Mount St. Helens, WAAAM and the Hells Canyon Jet Boat (definitely worth the extra money). Many of the ports are small towns/cities and are walkable (we averaged about 2 to 5 miles per port). Thoroughly enjoyed going through the many locks on the river. Disembarkation: went smoother than embarkation. Spent the extra for the Spokane shuttle -pro: off the boat at 7 am and at the airport by 9:30 AM; con: costly and our flight wasn't until 2 pm so had a long wait at the airport. If we had do it over, we probably would have rented a car, gotten a hotel in the Clarkston, Lewiston or Spokane area and explored then left the next day instead of the on the day of disembarkation. In summation: we were concerned about the cost at first, but now we are glad we went and feel the cost was worth it. Were we bored? No. Although many things are tailored for an older population, we still enjoyed the quiet, leisurely and slow pace. Would not recommend for children, there is a lot of down time that only adults would enjoy. Recommendations: take binoculars for bird watching and better views of the scenery; take a few DVDs with you - there were times that the satellite TV did not get good signal and one night we did end up using the DVD player; make sure you have a large data plan on your phone if you need to check e-mail etc. - the WiFi on the boat never worked for us. Read Less