1st American River Cruise: What to Expect?

[editor@cruisecritic]

Having done a number of Europe river cruises, I'm looking forward to checking out American Queen, beginning next weekend, on a Memphis-St. Louis cruise and having read through lots of threads (and also lots of member reviews), what tips do veteran Mississippi River cruisers have to share?

 

And in return, if there's anything specific you'd like to know about American Queen, I'm happy to check it out while onboard. So let me know here.

 

Last: Anyone else cruising beginning next weekend?

 

Thanks.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

[Rosethorn40]

Well since you asked, I would like to know if it's possible to actually swim in the small pool on the top deck, and the depth of the pool.:)

[garlinn]

Don't miss the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies ont the Front Porch.

[CraftsOnCruises]

Well since you asked, I would like to know if it's possible to actually swim in the small pool on the top deck, and the depth of the pool.:)

 

Swim? :D Did you see the picture I took of the pool when you looked through my AQ photos? You could soak in the pool, wade in the pool, splash around in the pool, but swim? Uh, I don't think so! (And, I am a U.S. Masters Swimming competitive swimmer, so my comments are valid!)

Seriously, if you wanted to do some kicking drill work at the edge of the pool, you could. You could even bring a bungee and attach it to the railing, I suppose. I could think of plenty of ways you could get exercise in that pool. But, actual swimming? Perhaps if you're Nemo! :cool:

[CraftsOnCruises]

Having done a number of Europe river cruises, I'm looking forward to checking out American Queen, beginning next weekend, on a Memphis-St. Louis cruise and having read through lots of threads (and also lots of member reviews), what tips do veteran Mississippi River cruisers have to share?

 

And in return, if there's anything specific you'd like to know about American Queen, I'm happy to check it out while onboard. So let me know here.

 

Last: Anyone else cruising beginning next weekend?

 

Thanks.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

 

 

You may want to read my blog posts, so you can see photos and learn some tips about the boat: www.ElaineiaKsTravels.wordpress.com

And, check out my photos at: www.ExquisiteCards.Fototime.com . There are more photos there than what appear on the blog.

I agree about the cookies; definitely budget calories for some of those!

[LHT28]

Swim? :D Did you see the picture I took of the pool when you looked through my AQ photos? You could soak in the pool, wade in the pool, splash around in the pool, but swim? Uh, I don't think so! (And, I am a U.S. Masters Swimming competitive swimmer, so my comments are valid!)

 

 

LOL

I was wondering if they had seen the photo of the pool ...

[steamboats]

Carolyn,

 

Relax and enjoy! :D

 

Don´t miss the rocking chairs and swinging benches. Simply watch the scenery pass by.

 

Definitely do not miss Travis´ riverlorian talks and learn about river cruising! (and give him my regards!)

 

My favorite room is the Chart Room especially in the evening to watch the nightly navigation.

 

steamboats

[editor@cruisecritic]

Happy to check this out, Rosethorn40. Have heard it's pretty small, though.

 

Carolyn

 

Well since you asked, I would like to know if it's possible to actually swim in the small pool on the top deck, and the depth of the pool.:)

[editor@cruisecritic]

Elaine, thank you! Wandering over to your links now....

 

Carolyn

 

You may want to read my blog posts, so you can see photos and learn some tips about the boat: www.ElaineiaKsTravels.wordpress.com

 

And, check out my photos at: www.ExquisiteCards.Fototime.com . There are more photos there than what appear on the blog.

 

I agree about the cookies; definitely budget calories for some of those!

[hondorner]

Hi, Carolyn,

 

I've been thinking about this, and I think the thing that interested me most (and it was unexpected) was traveling through the locks. I was fascinated by them and would stay up late for a particularly interesting one.

 

Then, as Calliope mentioned, the night navigation -- in the "old days", the river boats would tie up for the night. Now, with ultra-powerful searchlights, they can pick out the navigation markers, bridge abutments, etc. and continue through the night.

 

The charthouse does literally have charts of the river open on the table for guests to peruse, with the proper page kept up by the Riverlorian.

 

Don't miss the pilot house tour. Our cruises did not have a formal engine room tour, but we checked it out, anyway. You can probably get a more guided tour by asking.

 

Try out the second tier boxes in the theater at least once -- they were our favorite place to watch the shows, but they went fast. The theator is a fairly close reproduction of Ford's Theater in Washington, so you could sit in "Lincoln's box" if you like.

 

I think they've done away with my favorite, the 24 hour popcorn machine on the Front Porch. But, I hope they still have the ice cream machine. I'm pretty sure they stilll have the soda machine; I think I saw it in recent pictures. If so, you can make your own root beer floats (or Diet Coke floats, even if the combo of ice cream and Diet Coke is an oxymoron ;)).

 

I quickly bought a sports cup in one of the first ports because the provided cups for soda, water, lemonade, etc. were a little small. I would head to the Front Porch for a refill before a show or lecture.

 

Contrary to the lecturers on many of our ocean cruises who can be "hit or miss", we never had a bad lecturer on AQ. Try not to miss them, especially the riverlorian. In addition, on our Civil War themed cruises, we had Mark Twain, Abraham Lincon, Generals Grant and Lee and others as speakers. The effort to tie everything into the theme of your voyage is a highlight.

 

Enjoy!

[steamboats]

Carolyn,

 

I assume you´re on the June 28th cruise from Memphis to St. Louis. Unfortunately you won´t see any locks on that part of the river. The locks start upriver from St. Louis.

 

Don´t miss the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers at Cairo, IL. Below that confluence you´re on the Lower Mississippi river, above you´re on the Upper Mississippi river which are technically regarded as two different waterways.

 

The ports are not really thrilling on this trip but I like those smaller towns. The New Madrid museum has lots about the New Madrid earthquake. Cape Girardeau is usually greeting the boats with a comittee and you get a pin and information material.

 

Seems like Mary Sward Charlton and Bill Wiemuth are on your cruise too. Don´t miss out Jackie Bankston in the Engine Room Bar!

 

The engine room can be visited nearly all the time. There is a nice viewing area and the engineers are happy to give you more information about the engines (coming from the US steam dredge Kennedy) and how they are working.

 

And the pool is definitely not for swimming... it´s more like a larger hot tub :D!

 

steamboats

[editor@cruisecritic]

Loved your blog, Elaine! Thanks again for sharing it....

 

Carolyn

 

You may want to read my blog posts, so you can see photos and learn some tips about the boat: www.ElaineiaKsTravels.wordpress.com

 

And, check out my photos at: www.ExquisiteCards.Fototime.com . There are more photos there than what appear on the blog.

 

I agree about the cookies; definitely budget calories for some of those!

[editor@cruisecritic]

Thanks, Carmen, awesome info. Was trying to google Mary Sward and wasn't coming up with anything (American Queen doesn't give any info describing the speakers) so thanks for the last name.

 

Bill is familiar for some reason. I'll google him, too.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn,

 

I assume you´re on the June 28th cruise from Memphis to St. Louis. Unfortunately you won´t see any locks on that part of the river. The locks start upriver from St. Louis.

 

Don´t miss the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers at Cairo, IL. Below that confluence you´re on the Lower Mississippi river, above you´re on the Upper Mississippi river which are technically regarded as two different waterways.

 

The ports are not really thrilling on this trip but I like those smaller towns. The New Madrid museum has lots about the New Madrid earthquake. Cape Girardeau is usually greeting the boats with a comittee and you get a pin and information material.

 

Seems like Mary Sward Charlton and Bill Wiemuth are on your cruise too. Don´t miss out Jackie Bankston in the Engine Room Bar!

 

The engine room can be visited nearly all the time. There is a nice viewing area and the engineers are happy to give you more information about the engines (coming from the US steam dredge Kennedy) and how they are working.

 

And the pool is definitely not for swimming... it´s more like a larger hot tub :D!

 

steamboats

[editor@cruisecritic]

Great advice (love the tip about the cups) and laughed out loud about the diet coke/ice cream comment. Thanks!

 

Carolyn

 

Hi, Carolyn,

 

I've been thinking about this, and I think the thing that interested me most (and it was unexpected) was traveling through the locks. I was fascinated by them and would stay up late for a particularly interesting one.

 

Then, as Calliope mentioned, the night navigation -- in the "old days", the river boats would tie up for the night. Now, with ultra-powerful searchlights, they can pick out the navigation markers, bridge abutments, etc. and continue through the night.

 

The charthouse does literally have charts of the river open on the table for guests to peruse, with the proper page kept up by the Riverlorian.

 

Don't miss the pilot house tour. Our cruises did not have a formal engine room tour, but we checked it out, anyway. You can probably get a more guided tour by asking.

 

Try out the second tier boxes in the theater at least once -- they were our favorite place to watch the shows, but they went fast. The theator is a fairly close reproduction of Ford's Theater in Washington, so you could sit in "Lincoln's box" if you like.

 

I think they've done away with my favorite, the 24 hour popcorn machine on the Front Porch. But, I hope they still have the ice cream machine. I'm pretty sure they stilll have the soda machine; I think I saw it in recent pictures. If so, you can make your own root beer floats (or Diet Coke floats, even if the combo of ice cream and Diet Coke is an oxymoron ;)).

 

I quickly bought a sports cup in one of the first ports because the provided cups for soda, water, lemonade, etc. were a little small. I would head to the Front Porch for a refill before a show or lecture.

 

Contrary to the lecturers on many of our ocean cruises who can be "hit or miss", we never had a bad lecturer on AQ. Try not to miss them, especially the riverlorian. In addition, on our Civil War themed cruises, we had Mark Twain, Abraham Lincon, Generals Grant and Lee and others as speakers. The effort to tie everything into the theme of your voyage is a highlight.

 

Enjoy!

[LHT28]

 

I quickly bought a sports cup in one of the first ports because the provided cups for soda, water, lemonade, etc. were a little small.

 

Don ..how small is small

just a guesstimate in ounces

 

Some places have like a 4 Oz or 6 Oz cups

[hondorner]

Don ..how small is small

just a guesstimate in ounces

 

Some places have like a 4 Oz or 6 Oz cups

Not as small as 4 oz -- maybe 8 oz? Could even be 10 or 12, and it would still be small for me :rolleyes:. I bought a plastic container that holds 28 oz, and it would last me through a show or lecture. But then, I'm addicted to soda -- I don't drink coffee or tea, or even much water, just a glass of wine with dinner and lots and lots of diet coke or diet pepsi or even (god help me) Caffiene Free Diet Sams Cola. So, my experience is not typical.

[LHT28]

Not as small as 4 oz -- maybe 8 oz? Could even be 10 or 12, and it would still be small for me :rolleyes:. I bought a plastic container that holds 28 oz, and it would last me through a show or lecture. But then, I'm addicted to soda -- I don't drink coffee or tea, or even much water, just a glass of wine with dinner and lots and lots of diet coke or diet pepsi or even (god help me) Caffiene Free Diet Sams Cola. So, my experience is not typical.

Thanks Don

Iwill be fine ..we do not drink much soda usually water is fine for us ;)

[garlinn]

Look for the rainbow over the paddlewheel!

For sure go down to the engine room. The guys down there are proud of their engines and will be more than happy to tell you all about them.

 

Go to the River Grill for the Calliope concert during silaway and to the front to watch the stacks come down.

 

I second the motion, go to the front porch and just relax in one of the rockers or the porch swings and watch the river go by.

[steamboats]

Thanks, Carmen, awesome info. Was trying to google Mary Sward and wasn't coming up with anything (American Queen doesn't give any info describing the speakers) so thanks for the last name.

 

Bill is familiar for some reason. I'll google him, too.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn,

 

I just saw on FB that Travis (Vasconcelos) is on his way back home. Travis, Mary and Jerry Hay are the regular Riverlorians. So I assume that Mary is taking over from Travis. All three of them are great so it doesn´t matter whom you got. Definitely don´t miss any of their lectures!

 

steamboats

[Calliope]

The theator is a fairly close reproduction of Ford's Theater in Washington, so you could sit in "Lincoln's box" if you like.

Enjoy!

 

 

I'm sorry, and I don't say this to be confrontational, but the Grand Saloon on the AMERICAN QUEEN looks nothing like the interior of Ford's Theater in Washington, DC! I cringed when I first read that back during the early 1990's in Delta Queen Steamboat Company's press releases, and I cringe now. It just isn't the truth. The color scheme is entirely different, the lighting is different, even the shape of the room and the design of each of the venues' balconies is entirely different from the other's. The American Queen Steamboat Co. should just stop using that erroneous bit of information to describe the look of a beautiful space that can stand alone in the panoply of cruise ship show rooms.

[hondorner]

I'm sorry, and I don't say this to be confrontational, but the Grand Saloon on the AMERICAN QUEEN looks nothing like the interior of Ford's Theater in Washington, DC! I cringed when I first read that back during the early 1990's in Delta Queen Steamboat Company's press releases, and I cringe now. It just isn't the truth. The color scheme is entirely different, the lighting is different, even the shape of the room and the design of each of the venues' balconies is entirely different from the other's. The American Queen Steamboat Co. should just stop using that erroneous bit of information to describe the look of a beautiful space that can stand alone in the panoply of cruise ship show rooms.

I don't consider it confrontational; I was quoting from the same company verbiage you are disparaging. I've not acutally seen Ford's Theater, Looking a pictures form the official Ford's Theater web site, I can see how the American Queen theater designer was at least inspired by Ford's, within the limitations of a steamboat. If that was the designer's intention, and he/she was the original source for the bit of information, it's OK with me.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Elaine, I lived in Peachtree City for a time, oh so many years ago! I remember a terrific Chinese restaurant in Peachtree City, and a wonderful frame shop in Tyrone.

 

Fun to see your photos....

 

Carolyn

 

You may want to read my blog posts, so you can see photos and learn some tips about the boat: www.ElaineiaKsTravels.wordpress.com

 

And, check out my photos at: www.ExquisiteCards.Fototime.com . There are more photos there than what appear on the blog.

 

I agree about the cookies; definitely budget calories for some of those!

[editor@cruisecritic]

Looking forward to learning something new! And did I tell you that Mark Twain (aka Samuel Clemens) is a distant relative? My mom's family goes way back in Missouri....

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn,

 

I just saw on FB that Travis (Vasconcelos) is on his way back home. Travis, Mary and Jerry Hay are the regular Riverlorians. So I assume that Mary is taking over from Travis. All three of them are great so it doesn´t matter whom you got. Definitely don´t miss any of their lectures!

 

steamboats

[editor@cruisecritic]

Beautiful photo, Gary. Could Cruise Critic use this on our FB page? If that's okay, please send it to me at editor@cruisecritic.com. I don't think I could take a better shot :)

 

Carolyn

 

Look for the rainbow over the paddlewheel!

For sure go down to the engine room. The guys down there are proud of their engines and will be more than happy to tell you all about them.

 

Go to the River Grill for the Calliope concert during silaway and to the front to watch the stacks come down.

 

I second the motion, go to the front porch and just relax in one of the rockers or the porch swings and watch the river go by.

[Gingee]

We are looking at a river cruise. So is the "hot tub" a warm thing or like pool water? How deep?