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Which cruise is best?


Jambone
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Hello! I'm new to this forum, but wanted to give it a shot. My wife and I (and her extended family) just returned from the Lower Mississippi tour on the American Queen, Memphis to NOLA. I found this cruise to be less than I expected, especially among the restaurant staff (although they tried hard). I also didn't like the boat. It was obvious it needs some serious upgrades, some of which will probably not happen because it would require adding drains in front of some state rooms, adjusting the canopy on the 5th deck or adjusting the pitch of the deck itself.

 

The family wants to travel with AQSC again, but I'm hesitant to do so on the same boat. I would anticipate the same bad service and old boat.

 

My questions are, is the American Empress a better boat with better service and better staterooms? Is the Snake River tour better? Are there threads on this forum that already cover this topic? I've read many threads, but couldn't find any I found helpful. For instance, I found multiple threads raving about how wonderful the American Queen vessel is. I just don't understand such reviews, but, I understand everyone has different expectations and experiences. Anyway, I'd be happy to hear some honest and straightforward opinions.

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Jambone

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I’ve only river- cruised in the US on the AQ (I’m one of those ‘rave reviewers’ you mentioned.) I have also cruised the Hawaiian Islands on NCL - also a ship with a US crew. If you are expecting the same level of service here that you’d receive on a Viking or other foreign flagged ship/crew, it’s just not likely to live up. Different cultures. Not judging, just my observation.

 

We did have super service and accommodations on the AQ Mississippi cruise in 2014, and we are headed out on her again soon...but it still doesn’t rise to the level of attention we’ve gotten in SE Asia with Viking or Europe with HAL and P&O. Not bad, by any stretch - just different. I just modify my expectations accordingly, and roll with it. I want to do the Columbia River one day, too.

 

As for the condition of the ship, much depends on the age and last refurb dates. That info is available elsewhere on Cruise Critic. I traveled a lot for work and for fun over the last 30 years and had my share of tempermental plumbing and such along the way, but the incidents were pretty random and not representative of a given hotel chain or cruise line as a whole - what’s most important is how they handled it. So far, so good! Good luck to you!

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