Another Option for Mississippi River Cruises

[Host Jazzbeau]

 

[IamAlyce]

Does anyone have experience with American cruise line?

TIA E

[LDVinNC]

Yes.  I took a New England coastal cruise on the American Eagle last fall.  It was a lovely trip.  The accommodations were top-notch, and so were the food and entertainment.

 

A different experience from AQV (we took about 6 trips on the AQ) but I liked ACL so much that I booked another trip while onboard the Eagle.

 

Pearl Seas is another line that I liked.

[br111]

13 hours ago, LDVinNC said:

Yes.  I took a New England coastal cruise on the American Eagle last fall.  It was a lovely trip.  The accommodations were top-notch, and so were the food and entertainment.

 

A different experience from AQV (we took about 6 trips on the AQ) but I liked ACL so much that I booked another trip while onboard the Eagle.

 

Pearl Seas is another line that I liked.

 

Can I pop in and ask an ACL food question? We've seen great reviews of them, but wondering about the amount of choice... A few menus I've seen online list just one appetizer, one soup/salad and then only three entrees. I realize smaller ships won't have extensive menus but it seemed a bit limited.

[Tom47]

3 minutes ago, br111 said:

 

Can I pop in and ask an ACL food question? We've seen great reviews of them, but wondering about the amount of choice... A few menus I've seen online list just one appetizer, one soup/salad and then only three entrees. I realize smaller ships won't have extensive menus but it seemed a bit limited.

We were on an ACL Columbia river cruise in 2022 and found the food very good.  Pearl Seas is owned by ACL and they have now merged loyalty programs..

[LDVinNC]

10 hours ago, br111 said:

 

Can I pop in and ask an ACL food question? We've seen great reviews of them, but wondering about the amount of choice... A few menus I've seen online list just one appetizer, one soup/salad and then only three entrees. I realize smaller ships won't have extensive menus but it seemed a bit limited.

I really don't recall numbers of choices, but that sounds about right.  With only about 100 passengers they cannot have a huge menu.  I never felt I was missing out, but of course people have different ideas about food.  I thought the service was very good, and the open seating provided a great opportunity to meet lots of people.

[LDVinNC]

10 hours ago, Tom47 said:

We were on an ACL Columbia river cruise in 2022 and found the food very good.  Pearl Seas is owned by ACL and they have now merged loyalty programs..

I did not know the loyalty programs had been merged.  Thanks. Have to look into that.  On my ACL trip I felt like such a newbie - so very many people who had taken lots of trips with them!

[3rdGenCunarder]

Is it just me (and the TV choices I make), but does it seem to anyone else that ACL is suddenly increasing their advertising? Maybe hoping to pick up passengers from AQV?

[bob brown]

15 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

Is it just me (and the TV choices I make), but does it seem to anyone else that ACL is suddenly increasing their advertising? Maybe hoping to pick up passengers from AQV?

I too have noticed recent ACL ads.  I am not sure if they are running more, to target former AQV customer's, or maybe I am just more aware of them now...🤷‍♂️

[bob brown]

On 2/22/2024 at 9:03 PM, Tom47 said:

We were on an ACL Columbia river cruise in 2022 and found the food very good.  Pearl Seas is owned by ACL and they have now merged loyalty programs..

I am one of those displaced from an AQV booking for their Ocean Voyager Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway cruise this year that chose to try the Pearl Seas, Pearl Mist version of it.   Nice that I will be able to use that status on the ACL brand later...

I am hoping that Pearl Seas will expand to fill the vacuum, and maybe with a new ship for that market, more like the two that Viking has...

[Host Jazzbeau]

16 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

Is it just me (and the TV choices I make), but does it seem to anyone else that ACL is suddenly increasing their advertising? Maybe hoping to pick up passengers from AQV?

Wait – you mean there are ads on TV?  Next you'll be telling me there are ads on the internet!!!

[DaveinCharlotte]

On 2/23/2024 at 8:41 AM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

does it seem to anyone else that ACL is suddenly increasing their advertising?

Yes, I have noticed a lot more ACL advertising, but starting a number of months ago, not just now.

 

This month I opened my AARP magazine, and first thing I see is a 2-page ad for cruises on the southeast coast, highlighting their new Complete Southeast cruise.

 

The irony: I signed up for the Complete Southeast cruise early January, and this week they just cancelled it (not just mine, but all Complete Southeast cruises).

[denmor428]

We were on ACL for a Christmas cruise on the Mississippi.  Differences from American Queen that I noted were:  ACL has open bar included all day, ACL has junk food snacks available all day (chips, cookies, etc.), ACL brings two cookies at evening turn down, ACL has open seating in the DR so only one show at night at 8:30, ACL has limited menu in the DR and bare bones in the "alternate" dining upstairs, ACL has free washers/dryers, ACL rarely had anyone at the "front desk" to answer questions.  I very much preferred American Queen but will have to adjust since American Queen is gone and we still need one more leg of the Mississippi to complete.  So sad.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

The two negatives I see in your list are the limited menu in DR and alternate dining, and the lack of staffing at the front desk.  My question is:  how was the quality of the food?  DW and I are pretty adventuresome eaters, as long as the food is made from quality ingredients, flavorful, and cooked as ordered. 

[denmor428]

The food was fine.  There were as many hits as misses and I don't remember anything as the best I ever had.  The menus are sometimes unclear and the philosophy seems to be "if you want it, ask for it" so if you want toast or fruit with breakfast, ask for it since it is not listed on the menu. I learned to ask how something is prepared after ordering the seafood salad (shrimp, crab and scallops on a bed of greens) and receiving an emulsified concoction of jelled seafood, wrapped in a cucumber slice. The alternate dining was much simpler and the description matched the food received. We ordered the burger and the pizza and were happy with both.

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 hours ago, denmor428 said:

seafood salad (shrimp, crab and scallops on a bed of greens) and receiving an emulsified concoction of jelled seafood, wrapped in a cucumber slice

Wow!  I think we're adventuresome, but not that adventuresome!

[3rdGenCunarder]

It's a lot of years since I sailed on ACL, but I remember that most descriptions--from the cabin to the food--were overstated. The website showed a menu with three choices at every course, but we always had just two.

 

I remember one starter that was a "mozzarella Napoleon." What arrived was layers of mozzarella and tomato. No pastry! In what universe is THAT a Napoleon?? The only thing they had in common was that they were in layers. Why not just call it what it was, Caprese salad? 

 

I was very impressed with the food on AQV--quality, taste, and presentation. Sad to see them gone.

[DaveinCharlotte]

21 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

The website showed a menu with three choices at every course, but we always had just two.

For the past several years, all of our ACL menus offered three choices. Usually beef, chicken, or seafood.  Rarely a vegetarian offering.  Appetizer always salad or soup (excellent soups, though small),  Entrees well prepared, and served quickly.  Great deserts. Good wine selection. Quality did vary somewhat from one ship to another.

 

We've only been on AQV twice, but both times excellent food, better than ACL.  Service not quite as fast.  Overall, I'd give AQV an "A" and ACL a "B+". Just my take.

[bob brown]

Anyone do the St. Lawrence Seaway on the Pearl Seas, Pearl Mist?   Wondering how their food compares with AQV...

[Tom47]

2 hours ago, bob brown said:

Anyone do the St. Lawrence Seaway on the Pearl Seas, Pearl Mist?   Wondering how their food compares with AQV...

We did it last Sept and found the food to be very good, except for 1 meal, where the lamb was terrible.  The waiter offered me lobster tail, which I accepted.  It was delicious.