American Queen Review

[bob brown]

If anyone’s interested, I did post a review of my recent cruise on the American Queen in the CC ‘members reviews’ section…

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=689829

[wandb]

Thanks for the great review, Bob. You had a similar experience to ours. We loved the Queen---it's beautiful Victorian decor, cheerful and helpful staff, the fun calliope, a great cabin. I agree that the dining room servers could have used a bit more training (but maybe I was just spoiled by the service on ocean cruises.) At any rate, the food was great and the dining room was beautiful!

 

I think I would have given the entertainment a 5*---it was SO much better than we expected!!  And we loved getting to chat with some of the band and performers while getting snacks after the show!  So fun!  
 

We decided to try all 4 of the riverboats before cruising on the Queen again. So far we've done the Countess, the Duchess is in about 2 weeks, and the Empress next year. Can't wait to be back on the Queen!

 

 

[shipgeeks]

Here's an interesting development.

An article appeared on my news page today; a reprint of a review of part of this trip, by an intern at a Pittsburgh newspaper.

It was a positive review, especially regarding lack of crowds, and leisurely pace.  She had previously done one ocean cruise, which she reports was so crowded that she hid in her cabin a lot of the time.

  She warns that eating in the dining room on the riverboat is like being invited to the Captain's Table on a cruise ship: formal wear required every night. (??)

The menu choices were so overwhelming that she panicked and ordered the first thing she saw.

She ate dinner in the buffet the next night.  She reports that the food was quite good at both.

She was amazed to learn that crew live on the boat for weeks at a time!

 

Did any of you meet this young person?  Is she as naive as she appears in print?

 

[donaldsc]

4 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Here's an interesting development.

An article appeared on my news page today; a reprint of a review of part of this trip, by an intern at a Pittsburgh newspaper.

It was a positive review, especially regarding lack of crowds, and leisurely pace.  She had previously done one ocean cruise, which she reports was so crowded that she hid in her cabin a lot of the time.

  She warns that eating in the dining room on the riverboat is like being invited to the Captain's Table on a cruise ship: formal wear required every night. (??)

The menu choices were so overwhelming that she panicked and ordered the first thing she saw.

She ate dinner in the buffet the next night.  She reports that the food was quite good at both.

She was amazed to learn that crew live on the boat for weeks at a time!

 

Did any of you meet this young person?  Is she as naive as she appears in print?

 

 

I believe that this is the article that Shipgeek is referring to - https://www.post-gazette.com/life/travel/2022/08/19/steamboat-american-queen-voyages-ohio-river-pittsburgh/stories/202208080088

 

DON

[shipgeeks]

That's it; thank you.

[wandb]

Interesting article, and a pretty good overview for a first time riverboat cruiser on just a two day cruise. However, I don't know where she got the idea that eating in the dining room means you have to dress formally. The dining room on the Queen is beautiful, but on our cruise there was just one woman who dressed formally every night. She seemed to be having a wonderful time!  Every one else on board dressed informally every night and also seemed to be having a wonderful time!!  Some folks changed for dinner into fresh (but still very casual!) clothes. Others wore to dinner what they had worn during the day. 
 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

10 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Here's an interesting development.

An article appeared on my news page today; a reprint of a review of part of this trip, by an intern at a Pittsburgh newspaper.

It was a positive review, especially regarding lack of crowds, and leisurely pace.  She had previously done one ocean cruise, which she reports was so crowded that she hid in her cabin a lot of the time.

  She warns that eating in the dining room on the riverboat is like being invited to the Captain's Table on a cruise ship: formal wear required every night. (??)

The menu choices were so overwhelming that she panicked and ordered the first thing she saw.

She ate dinner in the buffet the next night.  She reports that the food was quite good at both.

She was amazed to learn that crew live on the boat for weeks at a time!

 

Did any of you meet this young person?  Is she as naive as she appears in print?

 

The main conclusion I was able to get from this review is:  no wonder nobody buys newspapers any more.  Quite a comedown from the travel writing of John Gunther!

[shipgeeks]

1 hour ago, wandb said:

Interesting article, and a pretty good overview for a first time riverboat cruiser on just a two day cruise. However, I don't know where she got the idea that eating in the dining room means you have to dress formally. The dining room on the Queen is beautiful, but on our cruise there was just one woman who dressed formally every night. She seemed to be having a wonderful time!  Every one else on board dressed informally every night and also seemed to be having a wonderful time!!  Some folks changed for dinner into fresh (but still very casual!) clothes. Others wore to dinner what they had worn during the day. 
 

 

Yes, I wondered if perhaps she is a college student, boarded in sweats or similar, and saw men in long pants and shirts with collars...and considered that "formal".  

At least her review was quite positive, so that's a good thing, and I'm glad you appear to have had a good experience, too.

[DaveinCharlotte]

Yes, her reference to formality at dinner was strange and off the mark, but other than this, I thought her article was very well written! 

[DaveinCharlotte]

Another thought:  On our European river cruises, it was common that on the last or next-to-last night, dinner was advertised as a bit more formal than others.  This newspaper intern was only on the AQ for the last two nights of a long cruise.  Haven't been on the AQ myself, but wondering if maybe this one dinner was more formal than the other?  That might explain it...

[bob brown]

The American Queen has a very relaxed 'dress code'.   During our first day aboard, the cruise director asked passenger's to "dress a bit fancier, if going to dine in the fancy (J M White) dining room for dinner."   Most, but not all, complied, some wearing shorts.   There was no mention of any special "dress up" night.

[bob brown]

Cruise Critic staff review of the cruise that followed mine....

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/7079/