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Why so expensive??


MomC
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I am very interested in this product, but have always wondered why the US river cruise is so much more than European ones? For the price of an A cabin on the American QUeen, I could book a junior suite of 320 square feet on the brand new AMA Waterways ship in Portugal. With free wine with dinner, bottled water, specialty coffees, and internet on AMA, I believe I am pricing apples to apples here.

 

Obviously, flying into a US port is much cheaper than flying to Europe, but WHY is the river boat cruising experience so much more expensive?

 

I don't mind paying for a quality experience; we often sail Oceania and Seabourn. But I don't understand why this older, refurbished ship with small cabins is so much higher than

other cruises on ocean and rivers have been.

 

I eagerly await your knowledge and insight.

 

Mom C

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That is 100% correct; American wages are a big reason why steamboating is expensive. There are other reasons too such as the work schedule. On the AMERICAN QUEEN the non-licensed staff will be on for 5 weeks and off 2 as opposed to working for a 6 month contract as on a foreign flagged ship. Licensed officers work a month on and then a month off on the AMERICAN QUEEN. The AMERICAN QUEEN has to pay American Federal, State and local taxes. Also building the boat was in an American shipyard and all repairs are done by American labor. Most of this does not happen on a foreign flagged vessel.

 

The famous Cunard Line within the past few months changed all of their ships' registries to Burmuda after having most of their ships registered in England since 1840. This was all done so non Europoean Union crew would not be paid what the European crew and staff is paid. In this instance it was to save money, the AMERICAN QUEEN can not do this with an American staff.

 

I have traveled extensively on the DELTA QUEEN, MISSISSIPI QUEEN, and AMERICAN QUEEN, and until MAL cheapened the experience I thought that my vacation monies were well spent.

Edited by Calliope
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Especially on a steamboat you need a lot more people in the engine room than you need on a diesel engine/screw driven boat. Usually it´s only one engineer and one assisstant and that´s it. On a steamboat you need a lot more people (engineers, firemen, oilers).

 

In Europe the system is pretty tricky. Hotel staff is hired by another company than the one owning the ship. Nautical staff is a third company and so on. Some crew are getting contracts with Eastern European companies which pay less than the regular payment would be in Germany (nice way not to obey the German labor laws).

 

steamboats

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I appreciate those with insight into this experience answering my question. I will read the reviews from those who travel on the AQ this spring and summer and then decide if this is the experience for us. We would really like to try this so part of me says, "damn the cost, full speed ahead." But I do want to be convinced that the experience is worth the higher cost.

 

Mom C

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I appreciate those with insight into this experience answering my question. I will read the reviews from those who travel on the AQ this spring and summer and then decide if this is the experience for us. We would really like to try this so part of me says, "damn the cost, full speed ahead." But I do want to be convinced that the experience is worth the higher cost.

 

Mom C

 

That's reasonable. I rode the all three boats when they were operated by the Delta Queen Steamboat Co over one hundred times as a paying passenger. When MAL bought the boats that was it. They cut the entertainment staff, food budget, broke the unions, and increased the price. It was not worth it for the experience provided. I then turned my affections towards Cunard and made nearly twenty five crossings and cruises on their ships. Now I'm ready to go back steamboatin', and I'm expecting the same high quality experience that was offered onboard the AMERICAN QUEEN during the late 1990's and before 2005.

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Please share your experience when you have sailed on this new product. This sounds like such a wonderful cruise experience. Can't wait to get some first hand knowledge when people start sailing on this. We want to do the sailing in November which goes from New Orleans to Memphis. We have never been to this part of the US and figure this might be a good way to experience it.

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MomC,

 

It definitely is a wonderful cruise experience! It´s a great way to learn about America from a total different point of view. You visit little towns and places you would never have visited on any other kind of vacation. And you´ll meet people on the boats and in the towns you´ll make lifelong friends with.

 

There´s a line in the song "Proud Mary" by Credence Clearwater Revival:

 

"People on the rivers are happy to give"

 

And I can confirm you that this is more than a true statement!! Like those folks in Paducah with their red jackets who are not only greeting the passengers but are happy to help you whatever you need - like giving you a ride to the next WalMart... Same in Cape Girardeau... In Point Pleasant members of an historic car club are waiting to give you a free ride in their treasures. In La Crosse people came down in historic costumes, a boy dressed up as a newspaper boy is handing out the local paper and a band is playing... In Hannibal there´s a horse driven carriage giving a tour of the town for a couple of bucks...

 

You´ll see it´s a totally different experience and although the ships might not have all the stuff the big ones have there´s a lot of things to do for children too! On our first trip with our DD (back then she was 18 months old) the crew did have a baby bed but no high chair. Next port someone went to the next WalMart and there it was for dinner :D.

 

The pace of the boat helps you to slow yourself down from all the hectic of your life. After a couple of hours you are ready to sit back in one of those rocking chairs and just enjoy the scenery passing by...

 

steamboats

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...The pace of the boat helps you to slow yourself down from all the hectic of your life. After a couple of hours you are ready to sit back in one of those rocking chairs and just enjoy the scenery passing by...

 

steamboats

Exactly why we chose the August 30 sailing from Vicksburg to Louisville. It has more pure river cruising days (like Sea Days on an ocean cruise) than most, if not all, of the American Queen's sailings. With only 3 ports in 8 days Helena, Memphis and Henderson, KY), it has 4 full days of steamboatin' on the river.

 

I was raised near Pittsburgh, on the Ohio River, and I remember watching those steam paddlewheelers going up and down the river and tieing up at the Monongahela wharf, and thinking to myself, I'm going to do that, someday. Now that I have the chance, I want to see as much of the rivers as I can during the day. Maybe on my next American Queen cruise I'll take a more port-intensive itinerary!

Edited by hondorner
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I was raised near Pittsburgh, on the Ohio River, and I remember watching those steam paddlewheelers going up and down the river and tieing up at the Monongahela wharf, and thinking to myself, I'm going to do that, someday. Now that I have the chance, I want to see as much of the rivers as I can during the day. Maybe on my next American Queen cruise I'll take a more port-intensive itinerary!

 

Perhaps you remember the paddlewheel steamboat AVALON tied up at the Wood Street Wharf, or you even made a short excursion on her? While you are in Louisville, you will want to plan on riding the Str. BELLE OF LOUISVILLE (http://www.belleoflouisville.org), especially if you remember the old AVALON. They are the same boat. In two years the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE will be celebrating her 100th year on the rivers of America. She truly is a national treasure, and is the only paddlewheel steamboat from the early Twentieth Century which still operates.

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  • 4 weeks later...
I am very interested in this product, but have always wondered why the US river cruise is so much more than European ones? For the price of an A cabin on the American QUeen, I could book a junior suite of 320 square feet on the brand new AMA Waterways ship in Portugal. With free wine with dinner, bottled water, specialty coffees, and internet on AMA, I believe I am pricing apples to apples here.

 

Obviously, flying into a US port is much cheaper than flying to Europe, but WHY is the river boat cruising experience so much more expensive?

 

I don't mind paying for a quality experience; we often sail Oceania and Seabourn. But I don't understand why this older, refurbished ship with small cabins is so much higher than

other cruises on ocean and rivers have been.

 

I eagerly await your knowledge and insight.

 

Mom C

 

Good Question! I wonder if it has something to do with the registry of the

boat or ship? For sure they have to register it in the U.S. so I'm sure they have to hire an American Crew, ( higher wages), food is higher, imported wine is higher, fuel, etc, everything is higher. And what is a port charge from $39 to $119? (not includeed in the price) Looking forward to that one! Anyway we booked a 8 day cruise June 9th round trip from New Orleans on the Amercan Queen. For sure it looks refurbished in a Victorian style, and who ever did the work wants the money back, and guess where its coming from? One of these days when I win the Lottery we will go on a Tauck Tour in Europe ( Fly First Class, 14 + hours in Econmy just doesn't cut it anymore. Has something to do with my age, I've narrowed it down to that!). Your not alone in being amazed at the price of River Cruises in America. I just feel for our Grand Kids and eventually their kids, they will or might not have a chance to do this, the prices will be so outrages they will be unatainable.

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Perhaps you remember the paddlewheel steamboat AVALON tied up at the Wood Street Wharf, or you even made a short excursion on her? While you are in Louisville, you will want to plan on riding the Str. BELLE OF LOUISVILLE (www.belleoflouisville.org), especially if you remember the old AVALON. They are the same boat. In two years the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE will be celebrating her 100th year on the rivers of America. She truly is a national treasure, and is the only paddlewheel steamboat from the early Twentieth Century which still operates.

 

Well, I just took advantage of [part of] a free afternoon, and watched the "Belle of Louisville" video. What a treat! Thanks so much for including the web address - I hope more people will see your post, and go see for themselves.

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Well, I just took advantage of [part of] a free afternoon, and watched the "Belle of Louisville" video. What a treat! Thanks so much for including the web address - I hope more people will see your post, and go see for themselves.

 

 

Thank you for your kind words. I greatly appreciate your posting, and I too hope others take a look at the paddlewheel steamboat BELLE OF LOUISVILLE'S website and get the opportunity to ride her.

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Thank you for your kind words. I greatly appreciate your posting, and I too hope others take a look at the paddlewheel steamboat BELLE OF LOUISVILLE'S website and get the opportunity to ride her.

 

Thanks for that Calliope

It really was a treat. Can't wait to go to Louisville and take a ride on The Belle of Louisville!

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Perhaps you remember the paddlewheel steamboat AVALON tied up at the Wood Street Wharf, or you even made a short excursion on her? While you are in Louisville, you will want to plan on riding the Str. BELLE OF LOUISVILLE (www.belleoflouisville.org), especially if you remember the old AVALON. They are the same boat. In two years the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE will be celebrating her 100th year on the rivers of America. She truly is a national treasure, and is the only paddlewheel steamboat from the early Twentieth Century which still operates.

I don't know how I missed this post earlier, but I really appreciate finding it, now. I DO remember the steamer Avalon; in fact, it was her to which I was referring in my earlier post about growing up near Pittsburg. I lived in the Borough of Bellevue, which was directly next to the Bopurough of Avalon (along with Ben Avon and Emsworth, known as the North Boroughs of Pittsburgh). I graduated from Bellevue High School in 1958, so I would have been just 15 or 16 when I saw her -- and heard her calliope.

 

Alas, I never sailed on her, and just had glimpses as she was tied up to the wharf. But, that was enoughto start the juices flowing, and to create the desire that will finally be satisfied, 56 years later, when I sail on American Queen shortly after my 72nd birthday.

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European River cruises start at $2700.00 per person, not in a suite. Just a regular cabin. We've been trying to go on one and it's just too expensive, except Spain and Portugal river cruises.

GAQS rates are reasonable if you consider the size of the ship, pre cruise hotel night, all excursions at ports, soft drinks and wine with meals are included.

Oceanliners can charge lot less because the have thousands of pax. This boat holds 400 pax. If you go on such size oceanliner the price of the cruise is very high. The smaller the cruiseship the higher the price.

We will sail on June 4 to celebrate out 17th WA and are looking forward to the trip. The ship will be important, but the whole experience should prove pleasant. I'll be posting. Stay tuned...

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The ship will be important, but the whole experience should prove pleasant. I'll be posting. Stay tuned...

 

I will stay tuned!

 

I have been on a bunch of ocean cruises and three river cruises (the latter with Viking) and one has to factor in airfare, which, from Hawaii, is more so than in the lower 48!

 

Then you have to realize that if you are on a 7-day river cruise, you are also flying to Europe or Asia which is a far distance and you should stay on that continent for a couple more days which adds more to the expense.

 

A river cruise on the Mississippi is less a drain on the pocketbook and the body (unless you are coming in from Europe or Asia).

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Leaving out the airfare factor, just compare an European river cruise to American river cruise, where the shore excursions included? Did they include the first overningt, wines and soft drinks? This is comparing oranges to oranges, would you think? Let's say you have a frequent flyer (free) ticket to get to the destination. I ask you, because we have never been able to go on an European River Cruise, finding the rates high. Even if you can there with miles.

In the end we have opted to Cruises, but after doing Alaska (2), Eastern Caribbean (4), Western Caribbean (1) South Pacific (1), Mediterranean (1), Greek Isles (1), we wanted to move to rivers.

We choose cruises mainly for the destination and/or ports of call, according to rates and our vacation schedules, never for the ship or cuise line.

Please do tell me about your European river cruises experiences.

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loucasi,

 

European river cruises do include shore tours (some are extra) and most (if not all) do include wine/beer for dinner and more (at least that´s valid for all global players focusing on the US market - it´s totally different with river cruise lines focusing on the German market, no tours, no drinks included - but German river cruise lines are much cheaper than those focusing on the US market).

 

So it´s pretty much comparable.

 

steamboats

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  • 2 months later...
I appreciate those with insight into this experience answering my question. I will read the reviews from those who travel on the AQ this spring and summer and then decide if this is the experience for us. We would really like to try this so part of me says, "damn the cost, full speed ahead." But I do want to be convinced that the experience is worth the higher cost.

 

Mom C

Us as well...

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We were on the AQ's June 4th voyage out of NOLA. Please read my review. River cruising is different. We think we got value for money. The major difference we found was at dinner, where execution of the plates was not very good (we are in the restaurant business, so we're picky) and the staff needed a bit more training. Meals at other times of the day were OK.

They did a fine job with the steamboat and generally service was good.

We took this trip because European River cruises are out of our budget, plus adding the air transportation cost. The other factor was the ports of call. Always wanted to visit an old plantation and visit some of the South. On this part the trip was educational, interesting and fullfiling.

I tried to post some pictures of the boat, but could not. If interested ctc me :lourdes_simon@hotmail.com

 

B:)n v:)yage!

Edited by loucasi
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