Five Things We Love About River Cruising

My husband, Charlie, and I have been on four river cruises – three in Europe and one in the U.S.  We’ve sailed from Burgundy to Provence in France on the Soane and Rhone Rivers, from Prague to Budapest on the Danube River, and from Amsterdam to Basel on the Rhine River.  We’ve also sailed from St. Louis to Louisville on the American Queen steamboat.  All four of these cruises have been unique.  The scenery on each was extraordinary.  The ships had their own personalities in their layout and design.  The itineraries, needless to say, cannot be compared, as each was so different.  From the vineyards, lavender and sunflower fields in France, to the castles along the Rhine, to the history of World War II along the Danube, to the flavors of the small cities of the U.S., we found that there were similarities on all of them.

River cruising is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry.  We are booking more and more of these types of vacations weekly.  A number of the river cruises in Europe, especially, are already booking up quickly for 2013.  China, Vietnam, Egypt and the Nile and the Zambizi in Africa, as well as the Po River in Portugal are fast becoming exciting river cruise destinations.

Why is this form of cruising becoming so popular?  Here are five things we love about river cruising:

1.       All-inclusive Value – River cruises typically include shore excursions in the cost of the cruise.  This is a tremendous value.  And, most of the river cruise operators (Avalon Waterways, Viking River, Tauck River Cruising, and American Queen Steamboat Company, to name a few) include wine and beer with lunch and dinner.  Many river cruise lines even offer complimentary Internet access as well.

2.       Easy to Go on Your Own – River cruises typically dock within walking distance of a city or town along the river.  This makes it very convenient if you want to explore on your own, or enjoy a lunch or dinner in town.

3.       Smooth Sailing – There is no motion on a river cruise, and for one who has an issue with motion sickness, this is a major plus.  So, if you are sensitive to motion, a river cruise is definitely something to consider.

4.       Relaxed Liquor Policy – River cruise lines are much more accommodating when it comes to consuming alcohol that you bring onboard.  If you purchase a bottle of wine in port, you can bring it back onboard and enjoy it up on the sun deck or in your cabin.

5.       Casual Dress Code – There are typically no “formal” nights on a river cruise.  The atmosphere is classy or “Country Club Casual”.  This makes it much easier to pack for your vacation.

If you haven’t tried a river cruise, now is the time to look at 2014 and a new adventure. 

Steamboat's A'Comin!!

Friday, July 6, 2012 - Steamboatin’

Sleep, glorious sleep!!!  The air-conditioning system on the American Queen is superb.  For the first time ever, we have actually had to turn-up the temperature on the air-conditioning system in our cabin!!  The good news is that we both were able to sleep comfortably through the night.  With temperatures over 100 degrees, and at 10:00 last night in the 90s, we welcome all the coolness we can get.

This morning, we went down to the J. M. White Dining Room for breakfast.  You can either order ala carte from the menu or enjoy a wonderful buffet of great Southern delicacies including some of the most wonderful grits I’ve ever had.  There was everything from eggs, a waffle station, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit and wonderful pastries.  And, did I mention that the coffee all over the ship is Starbuck’s?

Today was a day for relaxing and enjoying the boat.  It was so hot outside that sitting on the Front Porch was like sitting in a sauna with the heat blowing on our faces.  Needless to say, we stayed in a lot.

This morning, we enjoyed a demonstration by a true riverboat gambler.  Bodeen “How Do You Do It”, was a fantastic card shark/magician, and had us all mystified with some of his tricks and prestidigitation.  We were sitting not five feet from him, and couldn’t figure out any of this tricks.

We attended a talk by the riverlorian and learned all about Cave-in-Rock, our first stop on this cruise.  More on that after we visit there.

I had a wonderful massage from Michelle, the masseuse onboard, and was completely relaxed when it was over.

Apparently we had a tailwind last night coming up the Mississippi to the Ohio, and because of this we had an additional port call in Paducah.  We were expecting to arrive in Paducah at 4:00 pm, but due to traffic on the Ohio, we were delayed in getting through the two locks before arriving at Paducah.  The words, “Steamboat’s A-Comin;”, came to life for us this afternoon as we arrived in Paducah.  The local people came down to the dock to see the boat as we were pulling in, and even as late as 9:00, they were driving through, taking pictures and just looking at the magnificence of this beautiful vessel.

We opted not to go ashore, and instead, stayed on the boat and attended a show by “Blend”, an acapella group that sings 50s and 60s music.  These four young men were wonderful singers and entertainers.  Dinner was at 7:45 and again, was excellent. 

                                                                                                            

This has truly been an exceptionally relaxing cruise for both of us. 

Cruising America's Waterways

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Charlie and I have been on more cruises than we can count – all of them either ocean-going cruises or river cruises in Europe.  Until today, we have never been on an honest-to-goodness steamboat in the United States.

Our journey began early on this morning, July 5^th, as we flew from Nashville to St. Louis to embark on the American Queen, a step back to the days when riverboats were the mode of transportation on the rivers of the U.S.  We arrived late-morning, and went straight to the Downtown St. Louis Hilton within walking distance of Cardinals’ stadium.  July 5^th happened to be the hottest day on record in St. Louis at 106 degrees, which was 3 degrees cooler than Nashville’s hottest day the previous Friday.

After checking in at the American Queen Steamboat Company’s desk, we had lunch and at 3:00 departed on the “Steamcoach” for the boat.  It’s been really difficult for me to call the vessel a boat because all other vessels we have sailed on have been called ships.  This boat was built in 1995 by the Delta Queen Steamboat Company.  There are 222 staterooms and suites on the boat, and she holds 436 passengers.  There is a crew of 172.

Here's some things that distinguish the American Queen from other cruises we've been on:

• She is the only authentic overnight paddlewheel steamboat in America
• The acclaimed cuisine of famed American chef, Regina Charbonneau from Vicksburg, MS
• She is the only steamboat with multiple specialty dining options, all at no additional charge.
• Complimentary specialty coffees, cappuccino, espresso, soft drinks and bottled water throughout the voyage
• Complimetary wine and beer at dinner
• Southern hospitality style service from a professionally trained all-American staff
• Casual attire throughout the cruise = no formal wear reuired
• Daily lectures by a Riverlorian, an onboard river historian
• Professional showboat-style entertainment and dancing nightly
• Calliope concerts and a opportunity for guests to play.
• Complimentary shore excursions
• All-inclusive packages that include an overnight stay in a select luxury hotel in the city in which the cruise originates, plus transfers to the boat

We opted not to take the pre-cruise hotel night, and boarded the boat the day we arrived in St. Louis.  At the hotel, we met the shore excursion manager, the maitre’d, the boat’s ambassador, and others, all who made us feel welcome and special. 

Our cabin was a Category B stateroom.  It was approximately 175 square feet.  The wallpaper, furniture, and other décor are all reminiscent of the 1800s, when paddlewheelers cruised these rivers.  The bathroom was black and white tiled, but surprisingly, had a full-size bathtub.  The sink was a pedestal sink, like those that I remember from my grandmother’s house when I was a child.  We enter our cabin from the promenade deck, rather than from a hallway.

We met our friends, Linda and Jim Tidwell, who are cruising with us after we got to our cabins and immediately went to the Front Porch of America at the bow of the boat where there we could have soft-served ice cream, coffee, soft drinks, hot dogs and popcorn!!  How American is that?  All of this is included in the cost of the cruise.  And, this is open 24 hours a day!!  Can’t sleep?  Just go down to the Front Porch, and sit in one of the rocking chairs or porch swings, and enjoy cruising down the river.

Dinner tonight was open seating and was a buffet that was wonderful!!  From now on, we will have assigned seating at one of two dinner times – 5:15 or 7:45.  We opted for the later seating and will have a table of eight.  Linda, Jim, Charlie and I will meet four new folks who will be cruising with us.

Because we have late seating, we are able to attend the earlier show each night.  Tonight’s performance was called “ Showboat Jubilee”, and four very talented singers entertained us with music from the musical, “Showboat”, from Stephen Foster, and taking us to present day ending with “Proud Mary”. 

Our cruise is scheduled to stop at Cave-in-Rock, IL, Henderson and Brandenburg, KY.  We will end in Louisville and will have travelled 586 miles on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

After dinner, we sat on the Front Porch and rocked ourselves almost to sleep.  We have a day of cruising the Mississippi and Ohio tomorrow and are scheduled to arrive Cave-in-Rock on Saturday morning.