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

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

ATV outdoor shore excursion at Natchez was the highlight for us! Well done to David and the Team for putting this outdoor adventure together. Civil War battleground tour at Vickisburg was also excellent. Our particular thanks to the thoroughly informative speakers/guides - especially the gentleman who dressed and acted the part of a soldier of the day - he really made a difference! Plantations at St Francisville were amazing - such informative guides at Rosedown and host at Catalpa willing to share her home - such wonderful hospitality! The food and the service on board the American Queen has been second to none! All of the waiters & staff have gone out of their way to make us comfortable & have the most amazing honeymoon of a lifetime! We feel truly special that we've been able to join this cruise and spend it making friends for life! We will definitely take another cruise again! Thank you & a special mention to Ambrose & Brian - the most deserving of recognition out of a truly exceptional crew Read Less

We had been recommended the American Queen by a close friend, who is quite choosy so we felt confident all would be prefect! Not quite! Disappointed with quality of some of entertainment. Particularly the lounge singer- we felt very poor, could have been much better. Sadly dinner service was lacking, although did improve so I guess someone at a neighbourung table may have said something? We were served wrong meals repeatedly, had to ask for drinks to be served and the attitude of some staff was very off hand. Front porch cafe- always great service and choice- both at breakfast and lunch. Top deck bar- likewise, always good. This isn't a cheap trip and expectations were so high and I have to admit we were disappointed with these areas! In other areas they excelled, organistaion around trips, both additional and standard were excellent- we did both. Ease on and off at ports was great- never been so easy! The 'Hop on/Hop off' bus service fab! In terms of value for money- depends on your point of view - I know some of my fellow dinner partners felt it wasn't. However if you use all the facilities, all the trips provided as part of package, along with buses it does feel like you know what you are paying for. I think the poor service at dinner and 'not so good' entertainment in places left it feeling wanting. We , for insatnce , seldom ate lunch- but suited ourselves and made a sandwich which we took with us when on shore for a trip. Had fruit etc to eat during the day so we gained in other ways. Satff in general really great, helpful, friendly. Staterooms as expected- really clean, comfortable and well serviced- we had a private verandah which was great. Read Less

I had a wonderful time on the initial cruise on the American Song. The food was like a 5 star restaurant and there were plenty of choices available. The staff was friendly and very interested in making sure your every need was met. The accommodations were first class and they addressed any concern immediately. The cabins were spacious and it had a surprisingly large bathroom. We took this trip as our honeymoon! Our honeymoon was celebrated by the staff by sending us champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. The onboard entertainment could use some improvements, but was adequate. I was extremely impressed that the owner and his sons visited us while we were onboard. He spoke to the group, addressed any concerns and agreed that they are working on improving the onboard entertainment. I was very impressed with this river boat cruise line. I hope to sail with them again and would recommend this cruise line to my friends and family. Read Less

My wife and I booked a great 23 day Cruise up the Mississippi River. Teri Robbins the agent I purchased the cruise from at American Queen Steamboat Company Office, was AWESOME ! Every time I called or e-mailed her in the months leading up to the cruise, Teri always returned my calls or e-mails within a few minutes. I have never had a more honest, organized, and sincere agent, that I had with Teri. The Cruise on the American Duchess was very good, as we moved up the river day after day taking the Hop On-Hop Off, American Queen Buses for tours of the cities. The Drivers Karen, Tami, & Mark were so professional, funny, and had a great personality. They were so fun to be with. Angie the Golf Cart driver who drove Handicap people from the docked Duchess, up the ramps when getting off the boat, was very nice. In side the boat, our stateroom was cleaned very nicely everyday by Cleon & Francis. The American Duchess also provided us with outstanding one day complementary laundry service, once a week. Michael the bar tender in the Grand Lobby Bar was so good, as he visited with guests, and mixed great drinks everyday. In the Main Dinning Room Jeremy the Maitre d, and servers Kenneth, Sidney, and Soufian were very nice and professional. Gerald the Butler, who did a little of everything on the boat, was very funny, and worked hard pleasing everyone. At the front desk Purser Shayna Tatz was so nice and worked a lot of hours with a Big smile on her face. Teresa Marcou the Shore Excursion Specalist was such a hard worker, making sure all of the Shore Excursions, and Hop On-Hop Off buses were working on time. The Riverlorian/Stage Manager Mike Chapman was very knowledgeable, interesting, and entertaining, as he gave his daily lectures on the history of the Mississippi River. The Entertainment on the American Duchess was OUTSTANDING ! Lead by the Cruise Director, Lead Singer, and Entertainer Dustin Cunningham, his wife Courtney Cunningham, & Jeff Hudson who were also Asst. Cruise Directors/Entertainers. Their Singing and Stage performing was outstanding. The four man American Duchess Band was so good, and was lead by Band Leader/Drummer David O'Connell, Bass Player Will Wagner, Pianist, Adam Marchand, and Sax/Reed Player Ike Spivak. There were also 9 different entertainers who came on the American Duchess to entertain us. My favorite walk on shows were the comedian and magician " Dante," and the Different Instrument playing and singers Dave Para and Cathy Barton, who were so different and entertaining. One of the major highlights of our 23 day cruise was attending a special educational lecture in the Pilot House by Aaron Sidora the American Duchess Chief Mate. Later that night we also had a private dinner with Aaron for 2 hours. Aaron was so nice, very smart, and answered all of the questions we had during our dinner. That was very special. My wife and I had a great relaxing time on this 23 day cruise, as we learned a lot of History about the Mississippi River and cities around it, and we met some great people. Read Less

This was our 4th river cruise on the American Queen. Each one was a very special treat and we love the experience. However, on this trip, we noticed more superior level of crew friendliness, service and attitude. Our compliments to John Waggoner and his staff for hiring, training and maintaining a fantastic crew. We actually felt like we interacted more with the crew than with fellow passengers. That is a great compliment to your fine cruise experience. Although there are many crew that we really enjoyed, we'd especially like to thank Jessie, cabin steward; waiters Burnel & Nick; maitre'd Joe & Oscar; pilot Lucas who we met several years prior when he was a cadet; watchman Kelso, front porchers Kim & Shanay and finally, the great entertainment staff including riverlorian, Bobby. This is a cruise if you want to relax, if you want to stay extremely busy, if you enjoy American history, if you enjoy a wonderful selection of great food, if you like fantastic entertainment, if you like great personal and friendly service, if you want to stay in and see America and if you want what could be the best cruise experience you could find. Read Less

My wife and I have done 29 cruises, mostly ocean but several European river cruises. My wife likes new ships so we decided to do the American Duchess. Overall, the ship is fine but we seemed to notice that dinning room service was lacking. We couldn’t quite determine the problem. Not sure if the dinning room was poorly designed in that the tables were too far from the kitchen or maybe they were under staffed or even poorly trained. It didn’t matter which meal it was all the same. For breakfast it took for ever to get that first cup of coffee and a refill later was sparse. We had to ask for juice always. The waiters seemed to be very busy despite the dinning room being less that half full. In fact some of them walked very fast back and forth from some where but nothing seemed to get done. The waiters were very kind and friendly and apologized often for late food, etc. I have one suggestion, and that would be to hire a helper or two for the waiter staff just to fill coffee, water glasses, rolls, juice, and bus some dirty tables. Some tables were left cluttered the whole time we were in there. The buffets were not any better, sometimes there were no plates or bowls or they were out of soup or salad item,etc. Overall dinning seemed to be very disorganized and at best I would have to rate it 2star. Other guests we talked to concurred. At times my wife and I would bet each other on whether we would get that dinner roll or that second cup of coffee,etc.. Overall, the ship is in good shape, the cabins are large for a river boat, and the staff is very friendly. It is just the dinning experience is not any thing close to 5star. These cruises are expensive, and when paying over $1000 per day per cabin plus tips you should expect good dinning service. In short, we did not find this good value for the money. I think we will stick to European rivers and the Ocean. Read Less

This was our first trip aboard ACL and the small ship experience was totally perfect for us. Staff were friendly and helpful. Loved the food by Chef Jose - tried almost all the seafood they had to offer each meal. Happy hour in the lounge included drinks and appetizers. Sometimes those appetizers were enough to be a dinner by themselves! Being from the west coast the history of each port was fascinating to both of us. We had never heard of "tabby" as a building material nor the "Gullah" community in the low country. Our docent on that trip was extremely knowledgeable about the history/people/culture of the Southeast. The rear cabins can get a little noisy when sailing / docking since they're over the props/engine & thrusters. Otherwise we loved the room and balcony. Be aware the Jacksonville dock isn't available currently, we had to disembark in Fernandina, Fla and bus ride to the airport / hotels after that. Read Less

This was my first cruise on a small ship. The cruise itself was the 7 night New England Island Cruise. The ship was fine and the food was very good but that's a given. They offer a complementary happy hour each evening and complementary alcoholic beverages at lunch and dinner. This ship does not have stabilizers and one morning we spent 4 hours really rocking and rolling. Many passengers and crew got sea sick and they had no Dramamine on board. Most passengers skipped breakfast and stayed in their rooms. The room and bath were fine but the "outside veranda" was 8 feet x 3 feet - barely enough for a small table and two chairs. 3 pieces of fitness equipment were on the top deck. No laundry facilities or capability. Sheets and towels are not changed throughout the trip unless requested. Free WiFi was spotty and usually worked only in common areas, not in the staterooms. The evening entertainment was a mixed bag; some good some not so much. A New England Clambake was the hit of the trip. Some shore excursions were free but I was a bit miffed by the fact some "premium" shore excursions were $50 per person. After paying almost $5,000 per person for this cruise, I felt ALL shore excursions should have been complementary. Generally a satisfactory cruise but IMHO, very much overpriced. Read Less

First, very good friends recommended it - they had been on the American Cruise Lines steamboat/Mississippi River cruise in 2016 and loved it; found out about this brand new cruise while on the Mississippi trip, signed up right away and urged us to join them. I had always wanted to see the coast of New England - and this brand-new cruise – Grand New England – in Mid June 2017 had just the itineraryI was wanted, so we didn't hesitate to sign up. This is a small ship - 175 passengers/ I believe there were about 145 of us. Perfect size, I think, easy to get everywhere! Very good value for the money. The staff is probably 90% American (can't speak for those who work below decks) - young, enthusiastic, friendly, helpful, and fun! The tour directors were excellent and able to answer all manner of questions re: shore excursions. Almost felt like some of them were family by the end of the voyage. Demographics are mostly over 55, although there was a family of with college age daughters and a Grandfather traveling with his two late-20s/30s grandsons. I will say most of the passengers were pretty lively and interesting and fun to exchange pleasantries with. Food was consistently excellent. We had the most wonderful Chief Chef (Joselito H.) on board - and he made a point of visiting a few tables each and every night to inquire about our dinners/ask if there was anything else people wanted to see on the menu, etc. all alcoholic drinks were included in the cost of the fare (as were standard gratuities for the staff). No "nickel and dining as some larger cruise ships do! Always a cocktail party at 5:30, and entertainment after dinner. Onetwo nights the entertainment was excellent, the other evenings I opted to retire early and read. Bear in mind this is coastal new england so no broadway stars on board to sing or dance for the passengers! Our lecturer, Rachel P. was so much fun - she knew so much and made her lectures (with a white board to illustrate various parts of the coast) so entertaining). She also lead early morning walks in each port - with of course, a walking commentary about the area/flora/fauna/fish/ etc. JUST GREAT!! The excursions / bus transportation ranged from good to excellent, and these small ports can allow one to just wander around on one's own, but keep in mind there are also WONDERFUL things to see and learn about which did require transportation. The scenery and sunrises and sunsets were breathtaking. I can't wait for our next ACL cruise, and we're sure to sign up for more in the future. Cheers! Read Less

Usually, there are glitches on any trip. Not this one! The food was more than 5 star, the staff were extremely accommodating, the ship clean and just the right size. Loved not sharing it with 2000 other people. If you needed anything, they would help you get it...even for meals. Had a birthday and the pastry chef made me a special cake...it was wonderful! You will never starve on this trip as you could eat as much or as little as you wanted...you have a choice of half or whole portions. As a foodie, I give the food rave reviews! Saw great harbors on the Maine coast and had just the right amount of time at each port. I keep sharing my great memories with every friend I see. If you want to disco or gamble all night long, this isn't for you but if you want a classy, highly memorable trip, we had it on the Independence on American Cruise Lines. Highly recommend this cruise line!! Read Less

We chose this cruise to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, and to check off some bucket list items; specifically to visit Mackinac Island and Niagara Falls. We definitely got a lot more. The excursions were very enjoyable, and made good use of our time. We have taken mega-ship Caribbean cruises and a European river cruise, but our Great Lakes cruise on Pearl Mist was better than those alternatives, by far. The accommodations were comfortable, with a very spacious bedroom and bathroom and a private balcony. The service and food were outstanding, and the destinations informative and enjoyable. Life on board the ship was very pleasant and relaxing, with great evening entertainment. We made many new friends on the trip, thanks to many opportunities to dine and socialize together. The all-inclusive policy meant no hassles with bar tabs and other inconveniences. All in all, a very good vacation choice. We recommend this cruise very highly! Read Less

Really love the idea of seeing AMERICA! We went on an 11 night Cruise to New England. There were about 120 guest on this new boat. It was smooth and the rooms were amazing with nice balconies. The staff is all American and made up of respectable young people who really want to make your vacation relaxing and wonderful. The FOOD was 5Star and we ate lobster almost every day! We went in late May and it was cool, so if doing this again, June might be better for weather but there were no crowds and the towns were lovely. Started in Boston, MA, Went to Bar Harbor, ME; Boothbay Harbor, ME; Camden, ME (my favorite); Rockland, ME, Portland, ME; Newport, RI; Martha's Vineyard, MA; Provincetown, MA and back to Boston, MA. In Newport, RI we went on a really cool trolley tour of several mansions including the BREAKERS. Will definitely recommend this for anyone wanting to see America's East Coast. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we have sailed with American Cruise Lines before and had a fabulous experience. We try to alternate between theEast Coast and West Coast... last year we did the Snake and Columbia Rivers. This year we chose the Chesapeake Bay because we have never been there and we wanted to experience this wonderful new ship. We were on the second cruise of this ship ! Everything was wonderful. Food is top notch, fresh and well prepared. The staff is very professional and go out of their way for the passengers and lovely rooms... amenities and off ship tours are exceptional. We enjoyed the Constellation so much we booked next years trip to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. We are looking forward to our next Read Less

The maiden voyage of the brand new Constellation was outstanding. This was our 7th cruise with American Cruise Lines and they surpassed our expectations again. We booked our 8th cruise in Alaska for next summer. The food was very good - a lot of crab since it was the Chesapeake Bay. Didn't like the beef one evening, but the rest of the time the meals were presented nicely and delicious. Good to see Chef Tom again and Jonathan. Servers in the dining room anticipated our needs. Saw Drew and Kyle, which was nice too. We love how they know our names when we arrive to the boat. The decorations were very nice. The older ships in the fleet should be renovated to look like this. The tours were nice, especially Annapolis. Cambridge was lacking, but we enjoyed the schooner tour. Oxford was lovely, St. Michael's was beautiful. Wish that they would arrange a tour to the ship yard. Great time and we are looking forward to being back soon. Read Less

I always wanted to visit the birthplace of Rock 'n Roll, Memphis, and this seemed the ideal way to get there from another of our favourite spots, New Orleans. From the time we checked out of our pre cruise hotel we were very well taken care of by one one the American Cruise Lines hostesses who escorted us onto our transfer bus and from there we were welcomed aboard with a glass of "Bucks Fizz" and music from a small jazz combo. From there on it was all fun, good food, drink and entertainment. Every member of the staff was warm and friendly, the stops and tours were most interesting, backed up by Bill, an interesting "Riverlorian" who told tales of that river and the history of the civil war. He really was a first class entertainer. The highlight if each day was the cocktail hour at 5.30 every day where one could drink any kind of beverage for an hour and nibble away at delicious hot and cold snacks. Indeed, so good were the snacks it sometimes made it difficult to do justice to the excellent fare on offer for the evening meal at 6.30. As Europeans we found cocktails and dinner were served a little earlier than we were normally used to, but as they say "When in Rome do as the Romans do!" It wasn't that much of a hardship, in fact all the meals were excellent, good sized portions, well prepared food and drinks included in the package. It really was an all inclusive trip. The only small criticism we had was that it was sold to us in the UK as "Jazz Themed Cruise" and although there was some jazz it somehow got changed to a "Music Cruise" which was a little disappointing, though a comedienne/singer called Judy Davis was the outstanding star of the week. It was my 80th birthday during the week and again all the waiting staff went out of their way to ensure that I had a truly memorable dinner. In summary we would rank it as one of the best holidays we have taken. Thank you American Cruise Lines. Read Less

This was our 3rd cruise with American Cruise Lines and we have booked our 4th. doing the upper Mississippi. Have never dealt with a company that is so completely customer oriented. All cruise people have your best interests at heart "ALL" the time. They do anything possible to have you enjoy the experience. Would and do recommend to anyone. Ship and crew were great. Capton friendly and knowledgeable. The food was outstanding. Being from Maryland we pride ourselves with crab cakes. Had the best crab cake ever on the boat. All plated meals and much more then we could eat. Requested 1/2 portions. Extra snacks available 24 hours, and popcorn and ice cream sundaes served during entertainment if you have any room. Shore tours very interesting and well conducted. Our cabin was plenty large enough including the king bed. Always kept clean and the bed turned down for you in the evening. Plenty of room for a card game or dominos in the evening. Do yourself a favor and try American Cruise Lines. Read Less

We don't like big ships and researched river boat cruises leaving from New Orleans and chose this cruise line as we had heard good reports from precious passengers.We were pleased with our owners suite, the dining was excellent and of course the service was as well. The staff were courteous at all times and made sure that your questions were answered in a gracious way. We were so pleased with this Mississippi River cruise and are already looking in another cruise on another river in the future. The small amount of passengers was what drew us to this small boat. We were never crowded and were able to meet many people on board. The staff were always greeting us with a smile.We were spoiled and will not only recommend this cruise line for friends but looking forward to our next adventure. It was slow paced and what we needed to enjoy our time together. We were never bored and enjoyed the many lectures by Bill. His wife Laura was also a delight. I am afraid if I started naming the many staff that went out of their way to help us in any way, I would leave someone out, so just rest assured that each person made us feel special. Read Less

This was my 4th trip on the American Queen this year. Quite frankly, I found the music to be addictive! The whole experience is quite nice, but the music is the biggest draw for me. All the musicians are top notch. I especially enjoy Greg Lupton, who plays piano in the Captain's Bar twice a night. He is so engaging, with his sing-a-longs and warm humor. He's also a very, very talented musician. He makes everyone feel welcome and happy. Also terrific are the twice-nightly staged shows, the blues jam, the afternoon dixieland jazz show, and the late night dance music. The boat itself is really classy without being snooty. You will feel comfortable in casual clothes. The food is quite good, and quite varied. The staterooms are mostly very nice (though there are a few issues with water and room temperatues that need to be sorted out; I expect that those will have been remedied when the boat comes out of dry dock next season). The stops are very interesting, and some good options for side trips are provided. I especially recommend the BB King Museum! The ship is large enough that no one will feel claustrophobic, but not so large that it feels impersonal. The crowd tends to be seasoned and relaxed. We may all enjoy some wine with their dinner, and the occasional cocktail, but this is not a ship of drunken fools. The riverlorian lectures are quite interesting, and other onboard activities are available as well. The staff are friendly and helpful. Overall, I would highly recommend this boat, assuming they can take care of those few repair glitches. And, as fun as the Memphis to New Orleans route is, I actually prefer the run up to Red Wing (a charming port of call). Whichever route you take, you're bound to have a good time. Don't forget to catch Greg's act! Read Less

have been cruising the mississippi with american queen steamboat company and had a great time , I figured that American cruiseline would be as nice with same type of food and a beautiful ship as well. The food was like cafeteria meals, No great choices , breakfast was a small table with two types of pastries, with a limited menu ,Dinners and lunch were nothing to talk about.Lots of pork not much chicken dishes and not great veggie dishes. American queen steamboat company had a huge table with unlimited amt of choices and great choices for meals. The difference between the two companies are like day and night, American cruise line hasn't even got a pursers office, the maid service is done by the staff that serves you at the restaurant, not very professional, and their outfits are the look like blue scrubs that you see in hospitals,how unprofessional is that. I was at the owners suite thinking it would be beautiful since I paid almost twice the price as the other rooms , what a shock that was, The Star is an old ship , it was so drab.No colors on the long hallways to your rooms One shore excursion was on an island in which they had an oyster bake, you would think the ship would let the guest know that we would get bit by certain bugs and warn us about it. Lots of us got home all bit up ,I was scratching for a week after ,I still have marks on my arm American cruise line has the monopoly on the eastern coast and probably doesnt care since it has no competition. I would not recommend anyone to cruise with them at this time .Although they were very nice and polite and service was great , I was very disappointed. I spends thousands of dollars and did not feel I at all got my moneys worth. .. Read Less

This trip was all that we expected and we enjoyed it very much. The America is a beautiful river boat. We found the boats tours very good--they gave us a good overview of life in the South along the River in the in the 1800's and now. We stayed at the Roosevelt in New Orleans for a couple of nights pre-cruise and The Peabody in Memphis post-cruise which also added a lot to our trip. Don't miss the World War II museum in New Orleans and Graceland in Memphis. Some have written about the quality of service in the dining room--these are mostly college age young people and what they lack in experience they make up for with enthusiasm. We found the food very good and to American tastes. We are experienced ocean cruisers and found river cruising very enjoyable. If you reserve another cruise while on board they give you a 15% discount. We enjoyed this enough that we signed up for a 14 day East coast inland waterway cruise this Spring. Read Less

I went on my cruise Oct 7th 2016 with my girlfriend. Our original cruise was suppose to go to Cozumel, Mexico and Key West, FL. Hurricane Matthew came through the Bahamas on Oct 5th and our cruise was set for Oct 6th but it was canceled and pushed back for Oct 7th. We were told that we could no longer go to Mexico and would be taken to the Bahamas. Since the Bahamas was damaged due to the Hurricane, carnival was only able to take us to Key West, FL, mind you we live in Tampa, FL and could have drove to Key West. We was only given $71 back for the trip. Mind you we did not board the ship until about 9pm on Oct 7th which means we missed a full day of the 6th and 7th. So we paid $770.00 for a trip that was not worth it in the end. The ship was empty due to all the last min changes. only about 600 guest showed up for the trip. we only went because it was my 30th birthday!! The food was good and the room was okay. There was no production shows on this trip. This is my 6th cruise and expected more but made the best of the trip overall. I will use Carnival again in April only because I have already paid for the trip. Read Less

We had always wanted to see the Maine coast from the water side. This one is listed as a special lobster cruise out of Portland Maine, returning there, which made it easier to plan transportation to the ship. We decided to drive over there from Ohio and arrive a couple of days early so we could do some sightseeing. Our hotel, the Ramada Plaza, allowed us to leave our car there for free while we were on the trip. The ship personnel met our taxi at the port and transferred our luggage to the ship and our room. They also offered golf cart rides out to the ship for those who didn't want to walk out. We were greeted at the gangplank, signed in and given our name tags and room access cards. They had blueberry sangria, cookies and an appetizer ready for us to sample while we waited for access to our rooms. It gave us time to find old friends and make new ones. We were into our room around 11:30. Unpacked our suitcases and went to the lounge for our safety talk. Then we went down to the dining room for our first meal. We had a red pepper bisque, seafood salad and Maine blueberry pie. Everything was excellent and preparation was so pretty. I think we have an excellent chef on board, so much for my waistline! There was an informational talk in the afternoon about the tours that were available. Happy hour for the hour before dinner was well received as were the wonderful appetizers that were available. All the meals had several choices, including dessert. We had no complaints about the food! Our staff was all American, young people being given a chance to do intermanships and see a part of our United States that they wished to visit. They were always smiling and willing to help in any way. Every one from the Captain down was very personable. Our guest speaker, Harold Cones, answered our questions and was readily available during the cruise. The entertainment was different every night, with one night relegated to BINGO. Something for everyone! All in all, we would definitely recommend any of the American Cruise Line cruises. We have loved the Upper Mississippi and Puget Sound ones. It is small ship cruising at its best! Read Less

Taking the Civil War paddle-wheel cruise down the Mississippi has been my US Army Ret. history-buff husband's dream (and mine) for many years- his father actually did a "Huck Finn" thing as a young man, shoveling coal on a Mississippi steamboat! This was a very expensive but wonderful cruise, and I highly recommend it for people interested in American history and literature, and for those who really want to see the USA from a totally different perspective than you will see it by driving or flying. We had been to several of the ports on this cruise, but arriving by paddle-wheel steamboat makes for a Totally unique way to see and enjoy them. The American Queen herself is extraordinary- she was built around a real 1926 steam engine, and the charming crew is (justly) proud of her, and will give you an in-depth tour of her! The bright red paddle-wheel is fabulous in and of itself- I still have Tina Turner singing "Proud Mary" going through my head!- and yes, one of the ship's entertainers DID sing it on this cruise! We especially loved the bar that's right by the paddle-wheel, where they had live (and excellent) music every evening, and we LOVED the real steam calliope, which the pianist played as we left port in the late afternoon! The entertainment was excellent- both the nightly musicals and the "period" Civil War entertainment, which included live music, and talks by both an historian, and AQ's "Riverlorian", and my husband and I danced more on this cruise than on any other cruise we've taken! The ship is beautifully appointed in period style, with original Tiffany glass, books, antiques, and reproductions, and the public rooms are truly gorgeous. The towns we visited as we cruised slowly down the Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans were very interesting and fun to visit, and we got to see some fabulous things, including original Tiffany Glass church windows, a number of interesting museums, and historic sites. We took a variety of AQ's excursions, to Vicksburg, the Frogmore Cotton Plantation, the Louisiana "Swamp Tour", etc., and used AQ's free "hop on-hop off" bus, as well, and were pleased with both. Natchez was especially fun, with many things to see and do, including the Charboneau Distillery, and historic Kings Tavern next door where we had a delicious lunch (and bought their rum, of course!), and the fun & historic "Natchez Under-The-Hill Saloon", which was right where the boat was docked! The service aboard the ship was excellent (as it needs to be with an older clientele), our stateroom was very tiny but also very lovely (we booked a cabin on the "public" balcony), wine with dinner was complimentary, unlimited, and Very nice, and the food was excellent- even better than the very good food we've enjoyed on Celebrity cruises. Searching high and low I managed to find one (wonderful) travel agent who was able to get us several hundred dollars in on board credit- as AQ gives nothing, I Definitely suggest you look for a travel agent when you are ready to book an AQ cruise! It is an "older person's" sort of cruise- while there is a lovely little pool, there are no water slides or games or things for active children to do, and the average age was over 60. I am 57 and my husband is 69, and there were WWII Veterans on our cruise who were over 90, which was very cool! I will say that the cruise was made up of a VERY active & intrepid group of seniors- we all tromped through the rain and mud around the Frogmore Plantation, and through pouring rain Baton Rouge, as well! As we are in the hospitality business- we have an inn in West Virginia, and I have a travel/food blog- I blogged about the cruise- and the Civil War history/"foodie" road trip we did through Tennessee to get to Memphis for the cruise, and then New Orleans at the end of the cruise- extensively on my "We Live In The Country!" blog with lots of photos and links to all the many things we did and enjoyed. Read Less