Expert Line-Up For American Cruise Lines

The educational onboard aspect of cruises is becoming more and more noticeable these days, and it is no surprise to see the line-up of guest speakers being highly touted by many lines.

The move to provide that element is most noticeable on the small-ship lines, though, and it is really illuminating to see this being taken to increasingly high levels.

With that in kind, we were really impressed to see the latest press release from American Cruise Lines, which adds another layer to their thoughtful river-cruise style.

Their carefully selected array of experts offers a series of informal lectures, open discussions and activities that bring alive the local history, nature and culture. These experts also lead shore excursions while in port, providing even more insight into the destinations they visit.

And foremost among these is the Riverlorian, a knowledgeable person who shares the rich history and folklore of America's rivers with passengers. It is a notable feature of Mississippi cruises in particular (check out our special blog series in October 2012 on board ACL's Queen of the Mississippi).

With that in mind, ACL have unveiled their latest line-up of onboard experts as follows:

	Sam Ladley Sam is a New England maritime historian who has been travelling with ACL for many years, giving enthusiastic presentations on themes such as colonial settlement, Native Americans, whaling history, coastal and island communities, and shipbuilding. His expertise in America's nautical and colonial past guarantee a deeper appreciation for the regions he travels.
	Charles Petrocci Charles has travelled and worked in more than 35 countries and written over 900 articles and reports for universities, national and regional publications. He currently serves as a maritime cultural heritage researcher and consultant for numerous universities, museums and non-profit organisations. His lectures focus on coastal maritime history, fisheries, and the heritage of the Atlantic Coast.
	Karen "Toots" Maloy Toots is an expert river historian with a distinguished history on America's rivers. A perennial passenger favourite, "Toots" brings the history and culture of America's great rivers to life with her wealth of knowledge.
	Todd Weber Todd Weber brings tales of the patriots, fur traders, Indians and explorers of America alive through his period clothing and colourful presentation. This highly celebrated, river-running historian shares his appreciation for the stamina, ingenuity and character that existed in those who helped shape the history of America on the Columbia River.

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Mississippi Cruise - Epilogue

Concluding our recent - and hugely enjoyably - cruise along the Mississippi with American Cruise Lines on their new Queen of the Mississippi riverboat...

Now we're home again, it's good to look back on the 7-day trip and pick out some of our highlights from the journey, which is certainly an extremely different experience from anything else we've done cruise-wise.

Sailing down the sluggish river to the cheerful sound of the calliope is definitely one of those unique moments, while the sheer camaraderie and conviviality of the whole voyage really stands out.

The slow-paced nature of the journey was highlighted by a series of low-key, if quite charming, ports of call. Alton, Cape Girardeau and Paducah were all well worth a day's visit, but Columbus and New Madrid could easily have been combined, or missed out altogether, as they were barely a two-hour diversion.

On board, the new Queen of the Mississippi is absolutely charming, a modern reinterpretation on the classic river steamers of the past. Cabin space is excellent and the public rooms all a joy to spend time if, if lacking in the one large entertainment Saloon that boats of the past boasted.

The food was unfailingly excellent; a tad below five star but always appetising and well-presented and features like the soups and sandwiches were real stand-outs. The offering of half-portions at both lunch and dinner was also appreciated, as it's easy to over-eat in these slow, sedentary situations. The small on-deck exercise area did provide a bit of relief in this aspect, though!

The provision of free tea, coffee and snack stations in the public rooms was very notable and another highly pleasant feature. Certainly no-one went hungry and the ability to get a good-quality espresso or latte whenever required was much appreciated in these days of some cruise lines charging for small-scale incidentals (as was the free wi-fi throughout the vessel).

Service was unfailingly friendly and efficient, if lacking in a little polish with their lunch and dinner service. The young American staff are all bright and personable, but a little schooling on the proper way to serve formal meals (and not taking away unfinished plates!) would be a good idea.

The voyage was certainly a journey through small-time America, showcased at either end by the cities of St Louis and Memphis, and benefitting hugely from finishing in the Tennessee music setting. The shore excursions were all well thought out and well priced (from just $15-$65) and the provision of free shuttles at many points was definitely welcome.

And the presence of the onboard 'Riverlorian' was a master-stroke in terms of providing the necessary educational and informational content of the cruise, making the journey one of gentle learning and discovery in truly delightful surroundings.

Having never sailed with American Cruise Lines before, it was an absolute pleasure being in their company and, with so many other voyages around the country on offer - notably to Alaska and along the Snake and Columbia Rivers in the north-west - there is certainly much more to explore in future.

And I think we may well do that...

Simon Veness

 

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Mississippi River Cruise - Pt 3

Continuing our journey along the Mississippi aboard the new Queen of the Mississippi of American Cruise Lines from St Louis to Memphis…

 

It is quickly very obvious there is a real daily routine about our week’s cruise on this smart 150-passenger paddle-steamer. Everything starts with breakfast from 7.30-9am (or tea, coffee and pastries for early risers in the Sky Lounge for early risers).

 

Then it is time for our Cruise Director Nikki and Riverlorian Jim to give us a quick talk on the day’s events and some history about the River. At 10am there are fresh cookies to be enjoyed in the Sky Lounge (the regular availability of free snacks and drinks about the boat is quite notable) and lunch is served at 12.30pm.

 

If we’re in port, it is off on an excursion (or exploring under your own steam); if not, the morning lecture is saved for the afternoon, accompanied by afternoon tea at 3.30pm, a free cocktail hour at 5.30 and then dinner from 6.30-8pm.

 

Live musical entertainment is provided after dinner in the main Magnolia Lounge, accompanied by popcorn and, a bit later, by ice cream sundaes (because, apparently, we haven’t eaten enough during the day!).

Our first port of call after leaving St Louis, Missouri, is the town of Alton in Illinois (about 30 miles upriver). We arrive in the evening and it is possible to visit the riverside Casino for those who like a flutter. Instead, we stay aboard to enjoy a memorable dinner and get an early night ready for a 9am excursion.

 

Alton is a major stop on the former Underground Railroad that helped escaping slaves reach the northern states and, ultimately, the freedom of Canada, and our coach tour of the town is ostensibly to learn all about this history, although it actually turns out to be more of a town tour than Underground Railroad lesson.

 

We have slightly less than an hour after the tour finishes to see some of Alton on foot, as our steamboat sails again at mid-day, destined for Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Sadly, as it is a Sunday, most of Alton is closed, hence it takes about 15 minutes to complete a tour of the immediate downtown area.

It is a cute town, with some original 19th century brick-built streets and an impressive memorial to the owner of the local newspaper, a slavery abolitionist who was murdered back in the 1830s. More importantly, it was here that a certain lawyer by the name of Abraham Lincoln made a name for himself a few years later, both for his legal work but also for a series of public debates with a renowned pro-slavery politician.

 

The special statues and signage dedicated to the debates are well worth seeing, and, after a few photos and a quick look around the Casino (complete with its billion slot machines), it is time to be back aboard.

 

Next up – Cape Girardeau.

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Mississippi River Cruise, Pt 2

We’re sailing the Mississippi aboard the brand new Queen of the Mississippi of American Cruise Lines. Follow along with us as we go from St Louis to Memphis…

After finding our feet aboard this modern interpretation of a classic 19th century paddle-steamer, our first meal comes as a pleasant surprise.

There is just the one dining room aboard and it is open seating from 12.30pm for lunch and 6.30-7.30pm for dinner. And, interestingly, you get to pre-select your meals in advance (basically, so the galley doesn’t over-cater). At breakfast each day, every guest receives a form to fill in for their lunch and dinner choice from an either/or choice for starter and main course at lunch, and, in the evening, a choice of two starters (usually a soup or salad) and three main course options.

Our first lunch is impressive, with a relatively simple choice (soup or salad; sandwich or main-course salad) and lots of flavour. We are also told that if we don’t see something on the menu we like, they will be happy to accommodate most requests. In fact, given a little notice, the galley can come up with a wide variety of alternatives, including vegetarian, low sodium and kosher.

After lunch, our ship sails, leaving St Louis behind and sailing upriver to Alton in Illinois. Surprisingly, we go through two sets of locks and a canal that by-passes a rocky section of the Mississippi proper. It seems surprising to us this far down the river but our resident ‘Riverlorian’ – the onboard lecturer on all things Mississippian – tells us it is a relatively modern alteration that really helps the smooth flow of river traffic.

More importantly, it gives us chance to explore our home for the next 7 days, this new ship that may seem a bit small by the standards of past river-cruisers (which could be almost 400ft long and carry 400-plus, as opposed to our 150) but is certainly beautifully out-fitted and immensely comfortable.

This Queen is certainly more modest in terms of dimensions and amenities. In addition to the dining room, there are three separate lounges, including the main Magnolia Lounge, which is used for the daily lectures and evening entertainment, the Deck 4 conservatory Sky Lounge (below),with its outdoor patio and terrace, and the clubby Paddle Wheel Lounge.

Deck 5 is largely open air, with a large covering, with the addition of a small putting green and plenty of chairs and rocking chairs in which to sit and watch the riverbanks glide slowly by.

Each of the 4 main interior decks also have a small lounge/card/room/library type set-up, providing a nice small-scale retreat for those who just like a quiet place to read or chat.

This is certainly not the all-action, all-feature type ships we see on ocean-going routes and even some bigger river-cruise vessels, but, with a clientele that is largely 60-plus, well-travelled and keen more on listening than doing, it is superbly well-equipped for the job.

The staff aboard are all young, keen and fresh-faced, as well as immensely friendly. This isn’t the white-glove, six-star service of a Silversea, Seabourn or even a Uniworld, but they make up for it with a personable style that is enthusiastic and accommodating, very eager to please and very familiar with their river-going vessel.

The weather isn’t great so far – around 50F and overcast – but every stateroom has its own climate control system that works extremely well and the overall effect is of great travelling style.

Next – Our first stop, Alton, Illinois.

 

 

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Follow Us On The Mississippi!

It's time for another 'live' cruise with World of Cruising this month as we head out for a unique voyage along the mighty Mississippi on the brand new Queen of the Mississippi of American Cruise Lines.

Our voyage goes from St Louis to Memphis for a look at the heart of America's greatest river, taking in parts of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. This route is part of the great paddlesteamer era of the 19th century and offers a genuine view of some essential American heritage, from Native American history to the travels of Lewis and Clark and some of the essential Civil War battles.

Along the way, we will discover the likes of America's "most haunted city" (Alton, Illinois), a former French trading post (Cape Girardeau, Missouri), the Chicasaw village site of Paducah (Kentucky), the Civil War port of Columbus (Kentucky), the town that made history as the epicenter of the most powerful earthquake to hit the US (New Madrid, Missouri), the bustling historic town of Tunica (Missouri) and finally the City of Elvis, Memphis itself.

It promises to be a fascinating look at small-town America and the charms of a different age, when Mark Twain travelled the river and the world was a much slower, gentler place.

And we will also be travelling in some style. The Queen of the Mississippi was launched this August and is in her very first season of travels up and down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. A classic-style stern-wheel paddlesteamer, she is built in retro style but with all mod cons and features, including larger-than-average staterooms, gorgeous lounges and public rooms, and a reputation for fine dining in the best traditions of American Cruise Lines.

It promises to be a fascinating and charming journey, so be sure to check in with us every day as we bring you a daily look at this genuine five-star travel experience.

It all starts on Saturday, November 3, and will last a full week (internet connection permitting!), and we hope to have some great photos to go with the daily blog. The full review, of course, will be in the Spring edition of World of Cruising.

And make sure you keep reading next month as we travel to wonderful Hawaii! 

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Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.