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 a wonderful trip. Captain Garth and his crew were excellent and fun to be with. They really made the trip great. The Lewis R French is a great boat and was fun to sail on. We would do it again. The perfect trip to get away from it all and enjoy nature and the fun of sailing. The food was excellent, it's amazing what Jason could do on a wood burning stove. We had a wonderful Lobster bake on an island that was a lot of fun and all the lobster you can eat, really. The weather was perfect and we only had a small amount of rain as we were docking. It is best to bring a jacket and as usual, follow the advice they give you on what to pack. It was a very well run trip and all went very well. We would do it again. Read Less

I am in my 70s, an Australian solo traveller, love seeing new places and love cruising. I enjoyed an upper Mississippi cruise on the American Queen a couple of years ago and, as I had never been to the Pacific Northwest before, knew that a paddle boat cruise would be a great way to go. I was not disappointed - the accommodation was VERY comfortable, food was delicious, all of the crew from the Captain down were so helpful, and very approachable. I was so impressed with the standard of entertainment, particularly for such a small boat - all were excellent. Lindy, the Hotel Manager, ran a "tight ship", with everything running smoothly on board, and external problems (eg. a dodgy lock, which wouldn't fill) were handled efficiently. Love the Hop On Hop Off buses, painted to look like riverboats, which took us around each of the towns we docked at, and on the premium excursions. My favourite was Zip-lining, which I hadn't tried before, and the jet boat cruise up the Snake River. I met lots of lovely people, so had plenty of good company when I wanted it. Thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others. 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

American Cruise Lines- Historic South and Golden Isles Cruise March 19-26, 2016 We arrived in Charleston two days prior to the cruise departure and stayed at the Hyatt Place historic district on King St. The hotel is only 5 months old and the accommodations were very nice and convenient to shopping and dining in the King St. area. I would caution anyone against ordering any foodstuffs from the “Pickup and Go Menu” in the rooms as these items are all pre-packaged and hardly edible to say the least. There are plenty of local eateries offering a wide selection of lunch and dinner options all along King St. that would be a far better choice and cost about the same. On the other hand, the downstairs daily hot breakfast at the Hyatt was quite good and plentiful. We left for the City Marina on Lockwood Dr around 10 am on Saturday and were the second to check in. ACL representatives met us at the end of the pier and took all luggage to the ship at that time. They also provided golf cart rides out to the ship for those with limited mobility. Cabins were not available until 11:30 or so and we were directed to the Chesapeake lounge where warm cookies, soft drinks, coffee, water and espresso were available. These were available all throughout the cruise at no charge. Surprisingly enough the ship also furnished free WiFi during our cruise. When we entered our cabin there were nice ACL lanyards, nametags, and room keycards along with a folder of information about our cruise and staff. We were in cabin 212, an AAL balcony cabin adjacent to the mid-ship lounge. We liked our location so much due to the proximity that we booked the same one for our next cruise. The décor was a bit dated looking but the cabin was very clean and the staff maintained that during our cruise. The AC was good as I kept the temp in the high 60’s most of the time. Each day offered delicious meals in the dining room on the first level and were among the best we have had in our cruise history. Breakfast service began at 7:30 am and choices included both hot and cold items. A table just inside the dinning room featured cold selections such as yogurt and fruit parfaits, smoked salmon and capers with bagels and cream cheese available on request, and various pastries. Hot, cooked-to-order options were provided on menus at each place setting. The reverse side of the breakfast menu featured the day’s selections for lunch and dinner as well as places to indicate whether you’d be dining off-ship for any meals. You would make a selection from offered appetizers and entrees so that the chef would have a better idea of how much of the various dishes to prepare. This was an excellent way to prevent a lot of waste with uneaten foods which ultimately helped the kitchen deliver better-cooked, more flavorful meals. Lunch commenced at 12:30pm. In addition the appetizer and entrée, dessert options were available. If you missed lunch onboard due to an excursion, the staff provided options for boxed lunches with ham or turkey sandwiches that you could take with you. We did this one day and were really surprised at how good the sandwiches were and how much they put into the boxes. The evening’s meals began with a cocktail party at 5:30 in the Chesapeake lounge and featured heavy hors d’eouvres which changed nightly. It’s worth noting that if you have a favorite brand of liquor, you can simply call the home office with your booking number pre-cruise and they’ll have it onboard for you. Dinner followed in the dinning room at 6:30. They started with appetizers and always had a soup option. The soups were outstanding and some of the best any of our four had ever had. Entrees followed and varied from seafood to beef, chicken, pork and lamb. One evening we enjoyed filet so tender you could cut it with your fork. Desserts were good as well and there were about 8 different kinds of ice cream which were always available. The servers were attentive and friendly which made for pleasant meals. We took at least one shore excursion in each port and were pleased with the cost of each. The ship was able to dock in all but 2 ports (Hilton Head and Sapelo Island) and for those we had only a short tender ride to shore and back. Toward the end of the cruise there was a presentation about future cruises with an offer to book while onboard for 15% off and free port charges and taxes ($500). If should be stated that there was no pressure and we were not asked but the one time. We were not hounded to book additional cruises. However, after consulting with our traveling companions, we did book a future cruise to the New England Islands. Being long-time Princess cruisers we were amazed at the free drinks, cocktails and coffees not to mention the free internet. The only downside we could come up with was the lack of laundry as we usually send out clothes a couple of times during a cruise. There were no telephones in the cabins; but since nothing was more than 100 feet from our cabin door none were needed. On the wall next to the desk was a large red emergency call button if anyone were to have need for assistance. All in all, we had a wonderful time and felt the value for the money was very good. The crew were all very friendly and accommodating. They really wanted us to have a great time. Obviously we’d do it again as we booked another cruise with ACL. Read Less

The American Queen is a beautiful gracious lady, old fashioned in style, wonderfully appointed, and lovely. Traveling aboard her is similar to staying in the Waldorf, the Plaza, the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Sailing on her on the Mississippi is a lovely, relaxing experience with beautiful friendly service, good food, nice entertainment and a wonderful boat. This cruise is much more similar to European barge cruises where you enjoy the scenery, conversation, food and service. The Entertainment was terrific and so appropriate to the audience. Revue shows, single performer shows, lounge entertainment and enjoying the River. This boat is terrific for anyone with a disability or impaired mobility. It is completely set up for that. Excursions were appropriate to the areas when the boat landed and very interesting. Several included in the fare. Entire cruise was wonderfully organized and very pleasurable. However, know what you are booking. If you are looking for a mega ship and a busy itinerary with many many activities, this is not for you. Check out their promotions for sales on fares and do be prepared cabins are small. However, common areas are plentiful and nice to spend time in. Read Less

The cruise was a blast! I've never gone on a cruise before, so I figured this was a great way to get my feet wet. The Norwegian Jewel had just been renovated earlier this year, and I was looking forward to the cruise. The cruise was from Vancouver, British Columbia to Los Angeles, CA with stops in Astoria, OR and San Francisco, CA. The entire cruise was marked with excellent weather. I traveled to Vancouver the day before and got a small hotel room within walking distance of the ship at Ballantyne Pier. The hotel was an older one in a part of Vancouver where you did not want to be out at night, but it was okay as a transit room. The day of the cruise was uncommonly sunny for Vancouver, so I walked to the ship. My first view of the ship was incredible. I was one of the first people to queue up to check in at the pier and had to wait about a half an hour, but the check-in started right on schedule. Security wasn't as onerous as I was anticipating, so check-in went smoothly. The crew of the Jewel were still getting setup for embarkation, so there was not much going on. The Garden Buffet was open and I had some time to kill before my interior stateroom was ready so I went up to get some lunch. The amount of food was incredible, and it was good quality. The staff was attentive but went about their duties unless called for. I probably ate more than I had intended, but after walking about exploring the ship my stateroom was ready. The view of cruising under the Lionsgate Bridge leaving Vancouver was incredible. The next day, our luck with the weather held crossing the Columbia River Bar and the sea was calm. Astoria is an interesting port; I took the Historic Astoria and Fort Clatsop tour that went to the Columbia River Maritime Museum (a great stop if you're interested in history), the Astor Column (not for those afraid of heights) and Fort Clatsop (where the Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered over in 1805-1806 until leaving that spring to return to Missouri). The departure from Astoria was just as calm. After Astoria was the first full day at sea. The first somewhat noticeable waves started today, but the Jewel easily kept steady. There was plenty to do, even if all you wanted to do was walk about the ship and see what was going on. The ship's schedule was provided to each cabin the previous evening, so it was easy to mark out what you wanted to do. I participated in the trivia challenges and attended a display of the cooks form the main premium restaurants. That evening was the Formal Evening for those who wanted to dress up. I did so and had an excellent roast beef dinner in the main dining room. We pulled in to San Francisco early in the morning, but there was no fog so the view of the Golden Gate Bridge still lit up at night was incredible, as was the San Francisco waterfront early in the morning. On our way in we passed the fishing vessels that provide the fresh seafood San Francisco is known for. I had spent more money than I had allowed for getting to Vancouver, so I spent the day on board ship. Even being in port there was still plenty to do. I had made a reservation for La Cucina, the Italian restaurant on board, and had the best Chicken Parmesan while the ship passed under the Golden Gate Bridge. A moment to remember, always. The fourth day was spent cruising off the coast of Southern California. I attended an art lecture given by the senior auctioneer who was the head of the art auction later that afternoon. I kept my hands in place and admired the art I liked. The auction house, Park West, gave free prints for attending the auction. The Jewel pulled into Los Angeles in the Port of San Pedro early the next morning. We woke up to find ourselves moored right behind the USS Iowa museum. Very cool. I would have toured the old battleship if I didn't have a reservation for the bus from the pier to LAX that morning. Disembarkation was simple; my bags were waiting for me on the pier, and clearing US Customs took only a few moments. I found my bus and was soon on my way home. Read Less

This was my first cruise on Princess and my wife's first cruise ever. My wife was very impressed with her first cruise experience and now has a better understanding of why I love it so much. The Sapphire Princess is a beautiful ship with excellent amenities. My wife uses a wheelchair full time so we booked an interior handicap room and I was so excited when we first stepped into E-310 and found it to be double the size of the stateroom I had as a solo, At 318 sq ft it is like being in a suite.The accessibility features (such as the roll-in shower and lowered clothes closet) were better that most handicap hotel rooms that we have stayed in and she had little trouble getting around and was quite comfortable living in the room for the week. The food in the MDR was quite good (not great) for me but my wife is vegetarian and her meal selections were quite limited and the food she was served was inferior in terms of quality and taste. We particularly enjoyed the Piazza with Alfredo's Pizzaria where we ate lunch 3 times. Soooooo much nicer than the buffet. Entertainment on board was also quite good with nice music in the Piazza and impressive talent from the singers and dancers in the Princess Theater. The Pacific Coast itinerary was not one that I would care to repeat. The weather was too cool and rainy in Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle and we did not stop in Astoria because of the weather. California weather was nice enough but not as nice as the Caribbean. This first cruise on Princess was nice overall but did not exceed my expectations. Having cruised a couple times on Celebrity I thought this would be a similar experience. Based on this cruise Princess falls below Celebrity in terms of food and entertainment. This cruise was more like Carnival (which I do like because it is an excellent value for the price) but on a more tastefully decorated ship. Read Less

This was a short getaway to relax after a family visit in California.   I was not unhappy with the change from Ensenada to Catalina - I've been to both before and either one was fine with me.  I didn't plan to do an excursion in either place.  I had a spacious 1A cabin - it was perfect for one person.   Never met my cabin steward, but he did a great job.  I haven't had an inside cabin for a while, but it was fine for a short cruise.   Room service every morning was a nice way to wake up.  I had late dining and was assigned to a table for 8.    We were only 3 for dinner but my dining companions were very pleasant and we had a great time.  Our waiter and assistant were terrific.  I also ate in the dining room for breakfast and lunch on the sea day - all very good.   At the buffet, I prefer the grills and pizza to the other offerings.  I didn't do much as far as activities went, preferring to spend most of the days on the adults only serenity deck.   I saw a couple of shows, which were good and visited a couple of the lounges for karaoke and other music.   I spent just enough time in the casino to make a small deposit - rare for me since I usually win.  Embarkation and debarkation were quick and easy.  I carried my one small roll-on on and off myself. Read Less