American Queen DEC 12, 2014

[hondorner]

Hi All,

 

We're back on American Queen for the 4th time for this holiday-themed cruise from New Orleans to New Orleans, sailing in 402. I'll try to report a little from the cruise, and be happy to answer any Questions.

[milleruszk]

Please make a report. I just received their brochure in today's mail and the round trip out of New Orleans looks very interesting.

[Calliope]

Don't expect to be blown away by the spectacular scenery on a round trip out of New Orleans. Old Man River is an industrial giant down there. You'll travel along with ocean ships up to Baton Rouge. From there to Vicksburg there will be levees, cottonwood trees and willows to look at along with an occasional cotton or soy bean field. If the river is low there will be some lagniappe; the sand bars will be up for air. It's not like the Upper Miss. above St. Louis, nearly the entire Ohio River, nor the Tennessee or Cumberland Rivers for wonderful vistas. With that being said, my next AQ trip will be the seven night round trip out of The City That Care Forgot.

[hondorner]

Yep, I'm aware of the river -- but I will be disappointed if the plantations and manor houses aren't decorated for Xmas. I expect the boat will be well decorated, as well.

 

We really don't "need" thus cruise at this time; we're off on the 180 day Around The World Cruise on Oceania Insignia on Jan 10, less than 3 weeks after this cruise. But, the Xmas cruise out of N.O. has been on our bucket list, and they made us an offer we couldn't refuse. The other river cruise on our list is St. Paul to St. Louis, but that will have to wait at least until 2016.

 

We've already sailed Chattanooga to Vicksburg (cut short at Memphis by low water) and the following cruise supposed to start at Vicksburg, to Louisville. Last year, we sailed Cincinnati to Pittsburgh (I was raised near the Emsworth locks). So, we've seen the Tennessee, part of the Big Muddy and a good bit if the Ohio, missing only the middle from Louisville to Cincinnati.

[Folk Singer]

Hi All,

 

We're back on American Queen for the 4th time for this holiday-themed cruise from New Orleans to New Orleans, sailing in 402. I'll try to report a little from the cruise, and be happy to answer any Questions.

 

 

Thank you for that.

[hondorner]

Just learned that our best friends are going to join us on this cruise. It will be the first time for them on American Queen, and only the second cruise of any sort. In addition to Don and Betsy Horner, look for Butch (her Dad wanted a boy ;)) and Bob Post.

 

We'll both be driving our RVs from Florida to New Orleans and parking in the Port of N.O. oversize lot. That's a change from my previous plan to drive our car and park in a garage, but we will probably arrive in N.O a couple of days early, stay in an RV park and tour a little.

[Calliope]

I might suggest taking a trip on the Str. NATCHEZ before your AQ cruise. Like on the AQ you can visit her engineroom and watch the steam machinery. Unlike the AQ those two big steam engines are her only form of propulsion. Like the AQ the NATCHEZ's machinery came from another boat which was built in 1927. In the NATCHEZ's case, they're from an Ohio River towboat that you might have seen in the Pittsburgh harbor during your younger days. That boat's most recent name was CLAIRTON. She was owned by U.S. Steel and was retired in 1964.

 

I hope you and traveling companions have a wonderful time in "The City That Care Forgot," and an enjoyable cruise to Vicksburg on the AQ.

[hondorner]

Thanks for the suggestion; I'll Google it. I may very well have seen the Clairton; I worked for McKesson and Robbins, right above the Monongahela wharf, until 1962. But, I don't specifically recall her among the dozens of towboats at that time, or ealier at the Emswoimage irth locks (around 1948 to 50). The only one of which I have an açcurate mental image is the Avalon, now the Belle of Louisville, I believe. Perhaps because my mother was from Avalon, PA, right on the river. I was raised in the next borough of Bellevue, on the border of Pittsburgh's north side.

[marshacher]

We're looking at the round trip New Orleans in June on the AQ. Waiting for your report. Personal request, could you sort of try and determine which rooms or deck would be suitable for someone who uses a wheelchair? I'd like to hear your opinion. Thanks. We're looking forward to our cruise.

[Calliope]

We're looking at the round trip New Orleans in June on the AQ. Waiting for your report. Personal request, could you sort of try and determine which rooms or deck would be suitable for someone who uses a wheelchair? I'd like to hear your opinion. Thanks. We're looking forward to our cruise.

 

There are ADA rooms onboard. They have wider entrance doors and grab bars in the large sized WC. Unless changed from when the boat came out all of these rooms have tubs and not walk in showers.

[hondorner]

We're looking at the round trip New Orleans in June on the AQ. Waiting for your report. Personal request, could you sort of try and determine which rooms or deck would be suitable for someone who uses a wheelchair? I'd like to hear your opinion. Thanks. We're looking forward to our cruise.

Getting around the boat should not be much of a problem. There are two elevators in the midsection that service all the floors (except the sun deck, I think. They let folks in wheelchairs use the elevator to go to the main deck for entering and leaving the boat (everyone else uses stairs). All of the cabins are accessible from the outisde promenade decks or the passageways. As Calliope said, I think the biggest problem would be the combo tub/shower, unless you can handle stepping over the side of the tub. I thionk most of the bathrooms are also too small to roll inwith a wheelchair. I haven't seen the accessible cabins.

[Calliope]

They're there. You just have to know where to look.