November 9, 2019
American Cruise Lines ~ Single Room with Balcony ~ Queen of The Mississippi
Memphis, TN to New Orleans, LA ~ 130p 800a(November 16th)
Although I awoke to a clear sunny morning, it was not as warm as it looked outside. Temperatures were in the fifties and rather amazingly, snow flurries were forecast for the Memphis area later in the week. Funny how when most of us envision cruises, we envision sunshine and warm weather and, given that most cruises this time of year are in the Caribbean or Mexico, those sunny scenarios are generally true. Not so much when youre cruising on the continent though
My cruise today is down the Mississippi River a seven day journey aboard a paddle wheeler named the Queen of The Mississippi with a total passenger occupancy of just 150. Compared to the 2600 passenger Star Princess, I think this boat will be much more to my liking. The Queen has a total of 78 staterooms, all outside and 66 of them with balconies.
The Queen of The Mississippi
Picture courtesy of American Cruise Lines
The Queen of the Mississippi Layout
Picture courtesy of American Cruise Lines
Back in the late 1970s I went to a seminar put on by the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. It was a most impressive presentation and I was quite taken with the size of the companys two paddle wheelers and the beauty of their furnishings. They had beautiful dining rooms, lively bars and even a swimming pool. There were multiple ports of call along the way and of course in between those you had the beautiful scenery along the shoreline as opposed to endless miles of ocean as youd have with a cruise. Ever since then, Ive always wanted to go on a cruise down an American river. It should be noted here that river cruises have been around for years over in Europe, but unlike the U.S., there are no paddle wheelers over in Europe. Indeed, the European boats Ive seen look more like luxurious barges.
River cruising here in America is a lot more expensive than hopping on a big ocean liner for a weeks cruise around the Caribbean or Hawaii. The only reason I finally bit the bullet and decided to pay out nearly $6700 for this one week river cruise was that Id just sold a property up here in Alaska and what can I say? It was an impulsive, spur of the moment decision. I had a bunch of discretionary income on hand, over the past three or four months Id been seeing all these ads for American Cruise Lines in a magazine to which I subscribe and, what the heck it just felt like it was time to finally do it!
And so here I am along with about one hundred fellow cruisers standing in the lobby of the Memphis Sheraton while awaiting bus transport down to the Mississippi River where our boat awaits. There were three busses parked outside and soon we were on our way to the river.
Prior to this morning, I had envisioned our boat being pulled up alongside some well-established dock. I had imagined thered be a large departures area, maybe a big deck with some type of a formal ramp leading onto the boat. I didnt have long to ponder as it was only about a ten minute ride to our waiting boat.
Boarding the Queen
Whoa! I definitely wasnt expecting this! What a change from last weeks boarding of the Star Princess! The Queen of The Mississippi was pulled up to the bank of the mighty Mississippi as easily as a rowboat might have pulled ashore for an afternoon picnic. I was impressed! Is there anywhere this boat cant go?
The medication Id been prescribed two days earlier definitely made getting about easier, but by no means was I pain free. Additionally, one of the long term problems Ive faced with my condition is a right foot drag. Some days are worse than others and on uneven ground, every step is an adventure with potential for misadventure. As such, I was thankful for the presence of electric carts to assist in getting those of us who needed a bit of extra help to the boat.
You know, Ive never taken advantage of early boarding at airports. Even though Ive walked with a limp for some time now, Ive always felt like I get around well enough that I didnt need to take advantage of that. If anything, I would have felt more old and decrepit had I done so. Not so, today. Today, I can definitely empathize with those who utilize these services. At the same time, I look forward to once again being able to get around to the point where I can make do without these extra services.
As our bus approached the river, I got my first view of The Queen. I cannot imagine a prettier or more fitting departure point for our boat. This was much nicer than boarding from some large established building. I loved the simplicity of our boat sitting all alone at a pretty river landing with a nice shade tree to provide contrast. As for the shade, we really didnt need it. Remember, temperatures were only in the fifties with snow flurries on the way later in the week.
Stepping onboard, I was greeted cordially by a crew member and informed that my room a single with balcony would be on the level above, the last one down on the left. I had dropped off my roll-a-bord with a cruise representative at the hotel in Memphis and was told it would be delivered directly to my room onboard the boat. Below is a floorplan for the Queen. My room was #203, right next door to the Magnolia Lounge.
Floorplan for the Queen of the Mississippi
Halfway down the hallway was an open foyer with an elevator to access the upper levels. On a nearby wall was a plaque commemorating the Queens construction seven years earlier. As for the elevator, I took an immediate liking to it. When I pushed the button, the doors opened quickly, closed after a reasonably short period of time and ascended smoothly to the level above. I cant stand those super-slow elevators like they have in the concourse C/D Alaska Lounge in Seattle that take forever to open, close and go anywhere.
Certificate of Construction
I was thankful for handrails that ran the length of the hallway. Those, in addition to my new cane, made getting around fairly easy. The door to my room was open when I arrived and inside I found a folder of information as well as two door keycards. I was immediately impressed with the size of the room as well as the natural daylight flooding in and the spacious balcony with its nice wrought iron table and chairs.
My home for the next seven days
Spacious balcony
Promotional material published by American Cruise Lines claims that the Queen of the Mississippi has on average the largest staterooms of any boat of its type. This includes ocean going cruise ships. To be sure, the wide angle lenses used to photograph most rooms for brochure purposes can make a broom closet look like a ballroom, but on the whole I was pleased with the space afforded me in cabin #203. The bed was reasonably firm and comfortable. The same held true for the pillows. I cant stand super soft pillows. The bathroom was spacious and included a nice sized walk-in shower my favorite! There was a decent sized desk with a Coffee Maker (Keurig style) and a small flat-screen television with about a dozen channels. Very nice. I can definitely make do here.
For those of greater means who require a bit more space, the Queen has some lovely suites. Imagine yourself with this as your home base while cruising the waterways of America
Where the really well-to-do get to stay
Keep in mind it was still fairly early in the day. Our busses departed the hotel at about 10:30am and now, as I stood here admiring my new home, the time was just approaching 11:00am. Departure time was scheduled for 1:30pm. In the meantime, a nice welcome reception was being held next door in the Magnolia Lounge. Its worth noting that at the time I booked this trip I got the last single cabin with balcony available. I had expressed concern about the proximity of the Magnolia Lounge but was told that the cabins are very well insulated and that the people that typically booked cruises on the Queen tended to call it a night fairly early. To be sure, most people on this cruise looked to be in their 60s and 70s, but then hey 70 is now the new 50, nest ce pas? I was thankful to discover that the claims of good insulation were accurate though. Despite the growing crowd in the Magnolia Lounge, when my door was closed I could hardly hear a peep from them.
So then, lets head next door to the lounge and join the festivities.
The Magnolia Lounge
The Magnolia Lounge
This large television was a popular spot for Sunday evenings football game
Crew members circulated amongst us with trays of hot hors doeuvres. At various stations around the lounge were attractively stocked trays of salmon with capers and onions. Other locations offered vegetables with dips and crackers with cheese. In the corner an open bar served everything from beer to bourbon to Beaujolais. I was happy to see that the bar stocked Abita, a tasty beer out of New Orleans. It had been years since Id last had one so it was nice to reacquaint with an ice cold pint glass. I then found a seat and enjoyed the Dixieland type jazz being played by a small ensemble set up in the front of the lounge.
The Beal Street Strutters
While enjoying the music, I took a few moments to check out the days activity sheet:
Day One: The plan for the day
Lunch was available from 12:00n to 1:30pm. There were no set seatings or table assignments. With capacity for only one hundred passengers, we could show up whenever we wanted to and there would be plenty of seating available. There were also plenty of tables, so those desiring to dine on their own either singularly or as a couple or group could usually do so.
Queen of The Mississippi Dining Room
Picture courtesy of American Cruise Lines
Id been chatting with a couple from Tulsa, Oklahoma as we were listening to the band and munching hors doeuvres. Once 12:00n rolled around, we decided to go in and check out the offerings. Although Im usually pretty good with my notes, somehow the mans wifes name escaped me but I remember that his name was Lowell and he owned a construction business in Tulsa. This was he and his wifes second time cruising with American Cruise Lines. Their first cruise was on the Ohio River from Pittsburgh down to Cincinnati.
As I mentioned, seating was pretty casual. Just walk right in and find yourself a table. Menus had been set at each place setting and shortly after wed sat down a server arrived with water and a basket of bread rolls. Good bread rolls, too! Well alrighty then, lets check out that menu!
Luncheon Menu Day One
Our server indicated that there was an additional entrée choice, barbecued pulled pork atop macaroni and cheese. Whoa! Thats some serious comfort food there. But hey were in Memphis where barbecue is a big deal, so thats what I decided to go with.
To be honest, I was a bit surprised that the menu wasnt a bit more extensive but I guess with a smaller boat comes a smaller kitchen and cold storage facilities. That said, with soup, salad and an entrée choice there was more than enough to eat each meal. On the whole Id say all of the meals on this trip were good but not gourmet. Some of the evening appetizers seemed gourmet at times but the main meals seemed more on par with what youd expect at a good local everyday restaurant.
Barbecued pulled pork atop macaroni and cheese
It came to me! Lowells wifes name was Pam! Its weird how that can happen sometimes months after the fact. Anyway, we had a good chat, exchanging travel stories and wished for future destinations. And, talk about coincidences, we had both ridden across the breadth of Australia aboard the Indian Pacific. I have done it twice once in First Class back in 1988 and once in Economy in 2005. Lowell and Pam had ridden it more recently about five years ago and had traveled in Gold Kangaroo Class a.k.a. First Class. From their descriptions the onboard product and service was very nice considerably nicer than my experience in 1988. But then, back in 88 I snagged a large shower equipped room to myself for the special rate of just $350.00 or there about whereas their transit had cost them over $1500 each.
The comparisons continued when it turned out wed also both been to South Africa and Namibia, though their trip included a wonderful sounding safari through Kruger National Park with a side trip up to Victoria Falls. Im still waiting to get to Victoria Falls, and I want to do so on the train from Bulawayo. Someday after we get past this virus
Departure time from Memphis was scheduled for 1:30pm and by the time we decided to break from lunch, departure was imminent. Lowell, Pam and I said our goodbyes, looking forward to meeting again later in the trip. I headed back to my room to watch our departure from the perspective of my balcony. Alas, it was nowhere near as formal as the Star Princesss departure from Canada Place just one week ago, but it was still cool to power out into the main current of the mighty Mississippi.
The very beginning of the trip is always such an exciting part of it for me. When flying in International First Class it comes once youre finally airborne and youve adjusted your seat to a comfortable position. Youve gratefully accepted that first glass of your favorite libation and can now begin to truly relax and unwind. As your First Class cabin crew moves unobtrusively about the cabin delivering drinks and taking meal orders, from the galley come the faint clinks of glass and cutlery as the promise of the wonderful inflight service ahead begins to be realized. Ah Taking another sip from your drink, you gaze out the window and revel in the wonder of it all Ah its a good life, indeed.
Here on the Queen of the Mississippi, while my accommodations were not quite the same as a First Class suite, sitting out on the balcony and watching us pull away from the shore was a perspective unavailable from an airplane. Seeing the magnificent Mississippi River and the quaint small towns along the way from the perspective of a grand river boat is a special experience and knowing that I had another seven days of relaxation and fine service to look forward to also contributed to an overall sense of excitement.
Cruisin on the Mississippi
Picture courtesy of American Cruise Lines
Although the passing scenery of the lower Mississippi is not particularly dramatic (If you want dramatic, do the Columbia and Snake River Cruise) it was a pleasant experience as we glided along under brilliant blue skies, enjoying the peace and tranquility of the passing scenery. Occasionally wed encounter long barges with several units in tow, plying their way up or down the River. These barges were interesting and entertaining in their own right, some pushing up to 5 or 6 units! I found it doubly interesting from the perspective of my considerable experience rafting western rivers. Most of them out west can be thought of in terms of recreation whereas here on the Mississippi, the river was more one of commerce. Indeed, I dont recall seeing even one pleasure boat or craft during the entire trip.
At 2:15 pm there was a Shore Excursion Briefing in the Magnolia Lounge where ship personnel explained the many different excursions offered during our 7-day cruise, most being complimentary with only a few being available for a fee, usually about $35. We were given a schedule of all shore excursions and asked to indicate our choices, keeping a copy for our personal reference.
Were it not for the recent escalation of pain in my lower back and legs, I would love to have taken advantage of most of these excursions. They offer a great opportunity to see what southern living is all about both past and present, the latter being served by plenty of time to walk about and explore the towns we stopped at if you so choose. Additionally, there were often walking tours offered, another great way to get some exercise while also exploring the surrounding environs. Indeed, I would say that the opportunity to explore and learn about the South would have to be the highlight of this cruise for most people because the riverside scenery, while verdant, was otherwise fairly bland. Additionally, given the sheer size of the Mississippi over a half mile wide in some areas the shoreline is often fairly distant.
That said, as experienced readers of my reports all know by now, Im into the actual travel experience every bit as much as the destination - sometimes more! so even though Im unable to take advantage of most of the shore excursions, Im perfectly happy just enjoying shipboard life while cruising down the Mississippi.
Afternoon Delight
Soon after the Shore Excursion Briefing had concluded, we had a brief break before the afternoons next scheduled activity, a presentation called Meet The River with historian Mike Link, a retired history professor and still president of the Northern Minnesota Audubon Society. This was one of the daily presentations available discussing everything from the history of the river to the geology and biology of the region. Additionally, there were talks about the South and its unique history including that of the Civil War as seen from the perspective of our other guest speaker who just happened to be the great great grandson (I mightve missed a great in there!) of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy. For me these talks were a much enjoyed benefit of this cruise, and I think a good number of the other passengers shared my enthusiasm as well.
As to the make-up of those other passengers, Id say at least half of our total was comprised of British tourists associated with a tour operator called Noble Caledonia. According to its website, Noble Caledonia is generally recognized as being the leading small ship cruise specialist in the UK. Its stated purpose is to provide a unique, interesting and educational travel experience; a journey shared with like-minded travelers. Given the structure of this week long cruise down the lower Mississippi River, Id say theyve delivered on that promise in spades.
Be that as it may, small ship cruising does come at a price considerably higher than a similar week long cruise aboard a large cruise ship. Again, allow me to quote from Noble Caledonias webpage which describes the hoped for cruise experience quite nicely:
Noble Caledonias raison d ètre, has from our earliest days been to offer varied cruises on vessels of a certain style and size. Such small ships allow us to create itineraries and an onboard ambiance that is conducive to exploring the world and learning of its wonders in the company of like-minded travelers. It is our view that the best way to achieve this ideal is to limit the number of passengers to such a size that allows the camaraderie to grow between passengers thereby creating a warm and friendly atmosphere onboard. Small numbers onboard also allow the crew and staff to provide a more personal and caring service, something which is not feasible on larger vessels.
Ive heard it said that the Britain has five distinct social classes. If I understand it correctly, at the top of the order would be Aristocrats, comprised of the Royal family and people with titles such as lords or earls. Next level down would be the Upper Class, populated by those who are generally well off via good and/or well-paying jobs (Think company CEOs, etc) or even family money. Middle Class is next, including shop owners, white-collar professionals (businessmen and office workers), teachers and journalists. The list is long and varied. Below them are the working Class, comprised of those with no university or college education such factory workers and general laborers. And finally, scraping the bottom of the barrel would be the Lower Class, rather a derogatory term used to describe the chronically unemployed or homeless types.
Where this all comes into play was in my interactions with the Brits - All of the Noble Caledonia travelers that I met were seemingly well educated, assumedly well off and definitely well-traveled. On those occasions where circumstances conspired to have us sharing a table at mealtime, most of them were very nice although in some instances I did catch a whiff of occasional condescension, an unfortunate byproduct perhaps of having been steeped for years in that British class system.
How much of that perceived condescension might have been brought about by me and how I carry myself? I mean, I certainly dont hide the fact that I live in a cabin without running water and I drive a bus in a national park for a living. College education notwithstanding, in some peoples minds those two aspects of my life would definitely knock me down a rung or two in perceived social standing. Add to that my penchant for sleeping in airports, hitchhiking and preference for staying in budget motels make me rather an oddity amidst people who generally comport themselves in a much different style at home and while traveling.
That said, should people ask I have no qualms about describing how I live and what I do and have done. If its a bit awkward for some people to accept, so be it. Its not like Im a criminal or anything. Truth be told, Id gladly live my life all over again, health impediments and all. I feel blessed to have had such a fun and to me at least interesting and exciting life. I mean, who else do you know who lives in a dry cabin and just last week got a sweet deal on a nice Harris Tweed jacket at the local thrift shop yet has also logged fifteen flights on Emirates all of them in First Class? So, on those rare occasions where Ive encountered a whiff of condescension or dismissal as being irrelevant, I just row on. Theres seven billion people on the planet and most of them are pretty nice and interesting.
In any event, I mention this all not because I take offense lifes too short to get uptight over such things, especially when they dont happen with regularity but rather to provide a bit of color to the tale of my interactions with people who were for the most part not only very successful and well off but were also quite a bit older than me.
One thing that might have cast me in a different light amongst some occurred on the first night during happy hour. Earlier in the day at the 2:15pm Shore Excursion Briefing, we were handed a pre-printed form asking us to list three things about ourselves that wed done that probably nobody else on the boat would have done. Participation was not mandatory. It was just a fun little thing to add a bit of color to the onboard experience. The completed forms needed to be turned in the Pursers office by 5:00pm and would be read off during Happy Hour in the Magnolia Lounge at 5:30pm. Here are the three things that I listed:
A. I have been to over 125 Grateful Dead Concerts
B. I have flown over 5.5 million miles on 202 airlines
C. I have not lived in anyplace that has running water since 1994
I do remember that when the Cruise Director asked me to identify myself and she then read off my list, the response amongst the fairly straight-laced assemblage was perhaps best described as stunned silence. Or was it polite silence? Perhaps I should have added that Ive hitchhiked on four continents, spent over 600 nights sleeping in airports and read every one of Ace Atkins army Ranger Quinn Colson series books.
Anyway, given the age differential between myself and most of my fellow cruisers along with the general eccentricity of my listings, I suspect many of them probably didnt know what to make of me. If Id told them that I used to train people on airline computer systems (Apollo and Sabre), spent two years managing a travel agency and currently held Diamond Level status in Wyndham Hotels loyalty program, Ive no doubt wed have found much more in common but hey wheres the fun and originality in those accomplishments?
Truth be told though, I enjoyed this cruise and met a lot of nice people of all nationalities along the way.
One of them was Mike Link, who was serving as the boats historian on this trip. Mike was an engaging guy who has authored 27 books and was able to dispense with his plethora of knowledge in an interesting and folksy style. In talking with Mike during Happy Hour, we discovered we had something in common. When I mentioned that I lived in Alaska and worked in Denali National Park, Mike mentioned that his wifes brother used to drive buses in Denali. Really? Who was he? OMG! John was my neighbor in employee housing for five years. Ive been down to visit him, his wife and two girls down in Seattle on a couple of occasions as well as having gone out to eat with John and his mom on a couple of occasions. John was the youngest in a family of five. Mikes wife was the oldest. Sadly, John passed away at a young age from cancer just a few years ago. I still have on my music library in my laptop the playlist of a CD I once made for John comprised of his favorites. I later made a copy of that and mailed it to Mike.
Sunset on the river
A couple things should be noted here - Happy Hours feature open bars with complimentary cocktails and a large selection of wines, beers, and A nice assortment of hors d'ouevres. The appetizers were good, too. Were talking trays of crudités, cheese and crackers, sliced sausages and other meat preparations I had to make myself stop so Id still have room for dinner. As for the drinks, normally they were complimentary during meals and Happy Hour but as I later found out, due to specifications for the Noble Caledonia group that included complimentary drinks throughout the trip, that benefit was extended to all of us.
Additionally, given that this is an American-flagged riverboat, the crew was all American made up primarily of college kids who were very enthusiastic and helpful but had little to no training. They would try to do anything that was asked of them but as I heard noted by some of the more well-traveled Brits amongst us - they did not have the training to provide high-level service commensurate to the price of the cruise. Well, no doubt this was a very expensive cruise but the over-all service atmosphere was what I would call friendly American laid back. So yes, these kids were not what I would call polished with regard to how they went about providing service but they were all really friendly and respectful and I felt they all came across as sincere in their desire to be helpful. To that end, I can forgive a lot of technical mistakes in exchange for a friendly, can-do attitude.
Dinner was served between 6 and 7:30pm. One downside for some might be the fact that there were no dine anytime options onboard this boat. If you missed a meal or wanted to eat later, your only option was granola bars and banana muffins in the lounge.
At dinner I was joined by Mike Link along with David and Valerie from England. Heres tonights dinner menu:
Dinner Menu
I ordered the soup, the seafood ravioli and the seared red snapper. Mike and David went with the prime rib while Val opted for the chicken breast. All of the food from appetizer to main course was very nicely presented, of decent size and of course taste. Over the course of the cruise I did hear some grumbling from a few people who, based upon the price paid for this cruise, had expected more or fancier food. While I could certainly understand and concur with their complaints to a point, overall I found the meals served to be tasty and filling. I rarely ever ordered dessert on this trip because I was reasonably sated after the appetizers and main course, especially at dinner after loading up on hors doeuvres at Happy Hour.
David and Val were on their first cruise with Nobel Caledonia, but they were seasoned veterans of North American travel. Their son lived and worked in San Francisco and they had traveled widely around the American West as well as New England and much of the east coast all the way down to Florida. This was their first time visiting The South, inspired partly by Vals having read Paul Therouxs book The South earlier in the summer. Im familiar with Theroux, having read a few of his books, especially those covering his epic train journeys. I had no idea hed written about the American South and made a mental note to add that to my book list. Both David and Val were looking forward to spending a few days in New Orleans upon completion of the cruise.
Mike regaled us with stories of his own travels which included walking around the entire perimeter of Lake Superior, a five month 1,555 mile hike that he did with his wife. One of his 27 published books is about that trip. Its called Going Full Circle and is an excellent read. Of course I bought a copy when I got home and finished it back in December. The journey is told both from Mike's and his wife Kate's viewpoints and focuses on flora and fauna as well as the many different people they encountered along the way.
One of the most enjoyable parts of traveling aboard the Queen of the Mississippi was the nightly entertainment, which was varied and of universally good quality. It began each night at 8:15pm and lasted until about 9:30pm. It was a shame that it couldnt have lasted longer, but as I quickly discovered most of the elderly passengers were off to be by 9:30 and so it wasnt worth playing much longer. To be sure, you would never mistake the [i]Queen of the Mississippi as a party boat. Me personally, I guess I was hoping for something in-between and as for the nightly entertainment, I could have easily enjoyed another hour or so. But then, I was definitely one of the younger passengers on this boat!
Tonights entertainment offering was a four-piece bluegrass/folk outfit that was pretty good. The songs were interspersed with some humorous stories about the background of the song or some aspect of the bands personal history. I would have enjoyed hearing these guys again, but they were only booked for one night and would be disembarking at Vicksburg the next day.
Other acts included a singer/comedian named Judy Davis, a large black lady who was really good! She had loads of good energy with a lot of hilarious material interspersed with an occasional song or two, also quite good. On another night we had a wonderful jazz duo with a piano player and a trumpet player. They played really well off each other in addition to offering quite a bit of education about the music, its writers and some famous performers of each song. On our last night we were treated to a show by a trio of ladies called the Victory Belles, performing music of the 1940s much like the groups that entertained soldiers during wars of old. These gals were based out of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans and apparently maintain a fairly extensive touring schedule. We were lucky to have them.
Once the music was over, the bar closed down. You were welcome to hang out in the lounge if you wanted to but with no bar, it quickly emptied out. After that the only food and drink available was coffee, soda, juices and a couple trays of snacks that included Sun Chips, peanut butter crackers, breakfast bars, etc. I would really have appreciated bar service even a cash bar until say, 11:00pm, but again, given the advanced age of most passengers on this boat, its easy to understand why this was not offered.
Returning to my stateroom I found my bed turned down and the drapes pulled. I looked on and under the pillow but alas, there was no chocolate mint. I turned the television on and watched a bit of CNN before switching over to my book and calling it a night at around midnight.
* * * _ _ * * *
Here is a picture I took of our planned itinerary for this cruise:
Cruise Itinerary
Although our scheduled arrival time into Vicksburg was 12:30pm, we actually docked there at around 7:30am. Shore excursions would not begin until 2 pm, which led me to wonder why they had scheduled such a late arrival time. I mean, its not like there was traffic or even any locks to be traversed. As such, it had to be a bit awkward for those who were up and raring to go to have to sit onboard the boat for so long. That said, people were welcome to get off and walk into town if they so desired, but since I couldnt clearly see anything that looked like a town within eyesight of our dock, I suspected walking into town wouldnt be so popular with some of the older passengers.
With regard to shore excursions, there were a good number of them available, many of them complimentary. Rather than type them all out, allow me to provide you a link to an excellent listing. Just click HERE and then be sure to click on the Day by Day tab and then click on Excursions and Entertainment at the upper right and youll get a comprehensive listing of the shore excursions available at each port stop. ] and then be sure to click on the Day by Day tab and then click on Excursions and Entertainment at the upper right and youll get a comprehensive listing of the shore excursions available at each port stop.
Meanwhile, back on board, after a nice hot shower I made my way down the hall to the elevator, took the elevator down one level and then made my way into the dining room. Breakfast is served from 7:30 am until 9 am and my arrival around at around 8:30 found the room already fairly full.
It should be noted here that when American Cruise Lines promotional material states that Open seating dining allows you to dine where and when you want," it doesnt really account for the fact that with only a single dining room and relatively short meal times, most passengers go to the dining room at about the same time with the result being that most tables fill up quickly and the young and inexperienced staff can occasionally become overwhelmed. Such was the case at breakfast this morning.
I found an empty seat at a table with four other people who were just finishing their breakfasts. They might have spent five minutes chatting with me before excusing themselves and leaving the dining room. Meanwhile, with the detritus of their breakfast service littering the table, perhaps the wait staff saw me sitting amidst it and thought I was just lingering over coffee. No one ever came over to bring coffee or take my order. And, once they finally did, my Western Omelet was a long time in coming. The solution would appear to be to arrive early on, but as I am not by nature an early riser, that never did happen as a result my breakfast woes continued. In this instance perhaps we might be better served by a breakfast buffet, something which I dutifully mentioned to my servers on a couple of occasions.
I might add that as a single traveler, this problem of arriving at tables while others already there were having, say, dessert was a bit awkward. Given the overall size of the ship, it might be unreasonable to add another dining room but I might recommend increasing the dining times for each meal by an hour. Then again, with the majority of the clientele being in the 70+ year old age group, it could be theres no getting around the current system. Below is my not so unusual view dining alone mainly at lunch after others had departed the table.[/url]
Tasty salad and crawfish bisque
I generally did not take pictures of the food after the first day. Im not shy about taking pictures of food from an airplane seat but somehow, when seated amongst a table of new acquaintances, taking pictures of each course seemed inappropriate, so I just left the camera in my room. This was good because I was able to then use my free hand to grab onto things for balance.
Anyway, at this point I dont think its really necessary to go through a day by day accounting of my time on the boat. As I mentioned earlier, for most people a major highlight of any cruise like this would be taking advantage of the many shore excursions especially given that most of them were complimentary. Unfortunately, given the recent worsening in my condition I was unable to do take advantage of most of these.
That said, I still had a good time aboard my floating hotel. I had a comfortable room, three meals a day, free booze and a variety of nice lounges outfitted with charts, maps, books, and DVDs for in-room viewing in which to sit quietly and read or just enjoy the pretty river scenery. Add to that the afternoon talks on everything from southern history to natural history and the occasional organized activity such as card games or yes! What group of septuagenarians wouldnt enjoy a rousing game of bingo?! Along with free Wi-Fi throughout the ship and all told, I never felt bored. Theres even a putting green is located on the top deck, along with a few pieces of exercise equipment and complimentary washer and dryers.
The view from the Paddle Wheel Lounge
Traveling overnight from Natchez, Mississippi n our fourth night out, we arrived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana early in the morning of November 14th where, after some expert manipulation in the fast-moving waters of the Mississippi River, our riverboat tied up to a new pier near downtown Baton Rouge. Our location was adjacent to the permanent home of the destroyer USS Kidd which is open to the public. An electric cart delivered me from the boat down to the dock where I was met by fellow Flyertalker jlemon and his wife Kate. We had a nice lunch in town before I was dropped off back at the boat while JL returned home to Lafayette, 65 miles away.
On our last day I felt well enough to take advantage of the afternoon trip to Houmas House, an antebellum plantation located just down river from Baton Rouge. One of the attractions was that this place had electric carts to assist in getting visitors around the grounds. Well then sign me up! As it turned out, the Houmas House was more than just a simple plantation. It was a full on estate with numerous outbuildings, a restaurant and an extremely well stocked bourbon bar complete with a rather snooty but otherwise competent bartender. Check out these bourbon listings!
Bourbon Menu at Houmas House
Bourbon Menu at Houmas House
The Big House
Returning to our boat, I passed to grab a couple pictures of the pretty setting along with the setting sun.
The Queen docked at Houmas House
All Aboard!
Louisiana Sunset
The Victory Belles provided the entertainment on our last night out. Ive always kinda liked 1940s music, but never enough to go see it live. Well Im glad I did on this night because these gals definitely brought it to life in a rollicking and overall excellent show. Performing on board the riverboat has got to be a great gig for them as all they have to do is catch a short ride up to Houmas House, perform and sleep on board the boat and arrive home at New Orleans the next morning.
The Victory Belles
Photo courtesy of the WWII Museum
On my final morning, I awoke to find our boat already docked in New Orleans. I had pre-booked a shuttle direct from the docks to New Orleans International Airport, and that shuttle departed at 9:00am. I barely had time to grab a quick shower, finish throwing a few things in my daypack and make my way to the Magnolia Lounge next door where hot coffee, fresh muffins and a few of my fellow travelers were saying their goodbyes. I ran into David and Val in there as well as a couple of others who Id met over the past week. Good byes and well wishes were all the rage and I was surprised that amidst this group of well-traveled folks, most everyone still seemed shocked that I would be back home in Alaska by tomorrow. Truth be told, I could be back home tonight if I wanted to take the red-eye, but my preference is and always has been to get a hotel in Seattle or Portland and then fly home at a more civilized, not to mention more scenic hour the next day.
Disembarkation went incredibly smoothly. We had been told to put our tagged bags out at midnight, and when we walked off the ship, our bags were laid out in neat rows on the tarmac. From there it was about a one hundred yard walk to the waiting bus and thus ended my nice week on the Mississippi.
In closing, the river boat is a great platform on which to tour the American heartland. Its ability to nudge up against the shore at just about any point and drop its bow gangway allowing shore access is unparalleled. The pace of life on the river was just right for me and over all I had a really good time.
That said, I do not believe I would want to do the Lower Mississippi again, even though I missed out on taking advantage of so many of the interesting shore excursions. From what Ive seen of the Upper Mississippi while riding alongside it on Amtraks Empire Builder, I think Id enjoy seeing that from the river. The river is not quite as wide up there and the landscape is more varied and hilly, less industrialized than on the Lower Mississippi. Additionally, the cruise up the Columbia and Snake Rivers sounds like a real winner as well. Ill just have to wait until I get on a game show or win the lottery to do that trip in the style Id like to.
On a final note, I think the concerns of some of my fellow cruisers about the quality of service and meals on board the boat relative to the price paid for the cruise are valid. I paid almost one thousand dollars per day for this cruise and although my sense of adventure and overall joy of travel allowed me to enjoy this cruise, I do believe that those who are expecting a luxury experience a la an ocean going cruise ship could be disappointed. For those folks, I would recommend one of the many excellent European river cruises such as those offered by Viking River Cruises.
And heres one more bit of good news Viking River Cruises will be coming to U.S. rivers soon!
