American Queen Steamboat company

Not too much posted and I know there have been a few questions (and a few reviews) so I wanted to note that my in-laws are currently on the Mississippi on the American Queen. They are enjoying themselves, say the food is wonderful, and the cabin walls are paper thin.

That said, they also told us they're contemplating booking a 25 day cruise (assume that's a couple back-to-backs) next summer on the same boat:p

If anyone has any specific questions about the boat or the line, I'm happy to email them. I think they'll be on board until next weekend. It's an odd cruise, itinerary-wise, from what I recall - they mostly stay around MO, IA, IL - just in the center of the country.....

(for additional reference, my in-laws have ~5 cruises on Uniworld throughout Europe and went with us last year on Avalon. This is their first river cruise in the US)

Not too much posted and I know there have been a few questions (and a few reviews) so I wanted to note that my in-laws are currently on the Mississippi on the American Queen. They are enjoying themselves, say the food is wonderful, and the cabin walls are paper thin.

 

That said, they also told us they're contemplating booking a 25 day cruise (assume that's a couple back-to-backs) next summer on the same boat:p

 

If anyone has any specific questions about the boat or the line, I'm happy to email them. I think they'll be on board until next weekend. It's an odd cruise, itinerary-wise, from what I recall - they mostly stay around MO, IA, IL - just in the center of the country.....

 

(for additional reference, my in-laws have ~5 cruises on Uniworld throughout Europe and went with us last year on Avalon. This is their first river cruise in the US)

There is a new cruise that does the 5 Great Lakes that they might enjoy. It sales from either Montreal or Toronto and ends in Detroit. I believe it's Great Lakes Cruise Co. The brochure I got was for the Pearl Mist (not to be confused with Pearl Cruises) and I think the one Vantage is using is the St. Laurent. Just don't let them book anything with American Cruise Lines....they were terrible, but the trip itself is amazing, just go with someone else.

Wow, I thought European river cruises were expensive - that Chicago to Toronto trip is $4770 per person in the cheapest cabin for a 7 day cruise. No thanks for me:p

(and half my brain is going "gee that boat is big at 100 cabins" and the other half -that's booked on a R class ocean vessel again next - is saying "oh how cute & tiny :D)

ETA I looked directly at the Pearl Seas Cruises site

If anyone is interested, AQL has it's own listing under CruiseLines A-P

Sorry, didn't realize that - I've seen posts about it in this forum before as it is a river cruise line. Wonder how TBTB made the decision to give that one its own forum but not the other lines.....

There is a new cruise that does the 5 Great Lakes that they might enjoy. It sales from either Montreal or Toronto and ends in Detroit. I believe it's Great Lakes Cruise Co. The brochure I got was for the Pearl Mist (not to be confused with Pearl Cruises) and I think the one Vantage is using is the St. Laurent. Just don't let them book anything with American Cruise Lines....they were terrible, but the trip itself is amazing, just go with someone else.

Funny - Pearl Seas Cruises, operator of the Pearl Mist (Chicago to Georgian Bay & return, Chicago to *real* Toronto & return, et al.) is a sister company to ACL. Same owner, 'cept he didn't built this boat - contracted it out to Irving. Bigger than his ACL boats, but the office staff, etc are all ACL folks.

-R

Glad to see this post....We have 24 ocean cruises & just completed our 1st Viking River Cruise (Blue Danube) I looked this week into going on a Mississippi Cruise and was floored by the cost. For $4,000 per person, I can stay at all these places at a 5 star hotel. If someone can shed some light as to why these trips are so expensive, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Nobody has survived long-term in the Mississippi (et al) market since the old Delta Queen SB Co (3 boats), but with ACL and AQL being joined by two Viking boats in 2017, that puts a lot of cabins in a market that had -0- just 5 years ago . . . . something will drop, hopefully fares and not ships!

-R

I have no clue why the high cost but my in-laws aren't helping - they booked a 24 day cruise next summer while they were on board last week.

Glad to see this post....We have 24 ocean cruises & just completed our 1st Viking River Cruise (Blue Danube) I looked this week into going on a Mississippi Cruise and was floored by the cost. For $4' date='000 per person, I can stay at all these places at a 5 star hotel. If someone can shed some light as to why these trips are so expensive, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks[/quote']

 

 

I always assumed the rather extravagant costs were based on the smaller passenger capacity (as in all river cruises), plus the Mississippi ships (I believe) are US-flagged (no foreign ports), so need to be all-American crews on an American-built vessel, which would add a lot to the costs,

 

When Viking announced Mississippi River cruises, it was mentioned that the ship have to be US-built with US crews.

In the U.S.A., Crew and Officers must be paid High United States wages. :eek:

The Sailors from the Philippines and Eastern Europe do not expect, nor do they get the high U.S. wages. But we do have more handicapped accommodations here. ;)

I always assumed the rather extravagant costs were based on the smaller passenger capacity (as in all river cruises)

The boat my in-laws were on has about 430 passengers. Much larger than the boats on the Danube & Rhine.....But the point is still valid;)

The higher costs are because the boats are U.S. flagged and required to have a U.S. crew. Wages and costs of operation are different than on cruise ships. Cruises in and from US ports must be US flagged and crewed unless they stop at a foreign port.

Non U.S. labor is much cheaper - which is why we see so many of our jobs being outsourced - and the staff on cruise ships (none of which are US flagged except for NCL's Pride of America which only cruises Hawaii) do not make wages comparable to U.S. workers in similar positions.

I was on the Queen of the Mississippi (American Cruise Lines) last fall from New Orleans to Memphis and had a wonderful time. I'm going on the Queen of the West, Columbia & Snake River cruise next month. It is also a wine cruise, with a wine expert onboard and visits to Pacific Northwest vineyards. It's a unique and special way to see the U.S. I booked the Queen of the West cruise while on the Queen of the Mississippi and received an onboard discount of 15%off and a waiver of port fees. If I enjoy this next cruise, I will likely book a third.

I would add on my cruise, it was all inclusive. Shore Excursions were included, beer and wine at lunch and dinner, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres every evening, wifi, soft drinks and snacks throughout the day. There are also lectures onboard and other enrichment activities about the area of the country where you are cruising. Once aboard, I really had no out of pocket expenses except for the recommended daily gratuity at the end of the cruise.

The higher costs are because the boats are U.S. flagged and required to have a U.S. crew. Wages and costs of operation are different than on cruise ships. Cruises in and from US ports must be US flagged and crewed unless they stop at a foreign port. Non U.S. labor is much cheaper - which is why we see so many of our jobs being outsourced - and the staff on cruise ships (none of which are US flagged except for NCL's Pride of America which only cruises Hawaii) do not make wages comparable to U.S. workers in similar positions.

 

That's what I said!

:rolleyes:

 

That's what I said!

:rolleyes:

Honey, bless your heart.

I was on the Queen of the Mississippi (American Cruise Lines) last fall from New Orleans to Memphis and had a wonderful time. I'm going on the Queen of the West, Columbia & Snake River cruise next month. It is also a wine cruise, with a wine expert onboard and visits to Pacific Northwest vineyards. It's a unique and special way to see the U.S. I booked the Queen of the West cruise while on the Queen of the Mississippi and received an onboard discount of 15%off and a waiver of port fees. If I enjoy this next cruise, I will likely book a third.

 

I would add on my cruise, it was all inclusive. Shore Excursions were included, beer and wine at lunch and dinner, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres every evening, wifi, soft drinks and snacks throughout the day. There are also lectures onboard and other enrichment activities about the area of the country where you are cruising. Once aboard, I really had no out of pocket expenses except for the recommended daily gratuity at the end of the cruise.

I did the Columbia & Snake River cruise on the Queen of the West, and while I loved the cruise, the scenery, our room and the tours, I did have some issues with a few things that happened on our cruise. Please let me know your feelings after the trip. I am really interested to know if my correspondence had any kind of effect.

I did the Columbia & Snake River cruise on the Queen of the West, and while I loved the cruise, the scenery, our room and the tours, I did have some issues with a few things that happened on our cruise. Please let me know your feelings after the trip. I am really interested to know if my correspondence had any kind of effect.

I definitely will return with my impressions of the cruise. Just received my final documents on Wednesday. Cruise is early October.

I definitely will return with my impressions of the cruise. Just received my final documents on Wednesday. Cruise is early October.

The excursion to Mt. St. Helen's was absolutely fantastic....I don't remember if it was included or extra, but I definitely recommend it. :D

The excursion to Mt. St. Helen's was absolutely fantastic....I don't remember if it was included or extra, but I definitely recommend it. :D

Three years ago we did this excursion from a cruise ship when docked in Astoria, Oregon. I still tell anyone I meet who will be in that area that Mt. St. Helen's is a not to be missed site, especially if you remember the eruption. More than 30 years later the area (and it is an enormous area) still looks otherworldly.