May 16, 2013

An American Queen Steamboat Company river journey is a combination of many elements ranging from our friendly American crew and antebellum décor to comforting yet contemporary cuisine and an atmosphere infused with the memories of Mark Twain. Traveling with us is a voyage through America’s Heartland and as much as the past is part of your vacation thanks to the rich history of the destinations we visit, the American Queen has an elegance about her that elevates travel to an entirely new level. Many of our guests choose to pamper themselves with a visit to our AQ Spa by Pevonia. At first, it might seem unusual to have a spa aboard a riverboat that was built to resemble the vessels of another century, but that’s not the case at all.

May 15, 2013

A riverboat is a truly unique form of waterborne transportation. We find that while many of our guests have enjoyed ocean cruises in the past, they prefer the intimacy of a river journey. Instead of carrying over 4,000 passengers, the American Queen accommodates just 400 guests in grand style. Riverboats are always within sight of land so there’s always something to see out the stateroom window, from your balcony or out on deck. Traveling on a river gives a true sense of the country and the communities in which you’re spending your vacation.

May 9, 2013

As we discussed in our blog earlier this week, the greatest treasure of travel is uncovering the unexpected. The American Queen visits some amazing ports of call, some of which are on the tip of every tongue and a few others that are familiar but perhaps not as well-known. This August, we have two voyages, our 14-day August 9 journey from Pittsburgh to St. Louis and a shorter segment of the same voyage, a 7-day vacation between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, which present the only opportunity to visit a lovely town known as Portsmouth, Ohio. It’s one of the most amazing places you’ve probably never heard of.

May 7, 2013

Not all voyages are created equal. If you look through our sailing schedule online or order a brochure, you’ll see adventures between New Orleans and Memphis, from St. Louis to Minneapolis/St. Paul and from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh, among many other destinations. Each has been carefully crafted to offer an intriguing blend of small towns with unique attractions, cosmopolitan cities, historic sights, poignant battlefields and a spirited dose of Americana presented with both love and elegance. We offer similar ports on numerous dates to provide a consistently rewarding experiencing and make sure your ideal journey fits within your travel plans. There are numerous cruises that visit Mark Twain’s boyhood home of Hannibal, Missouri, for example and several opportunities to walk among the towering oaks shading Houmas House Plantation and Gardens in Louisiana. And what would a trip through the South be without a stop among the colorful gardens and cobblestone streets of captivating Natchez?

May 3, 2013

Certain songs are so closely associated with certain places that you can’t help but hum the tune when the name comes up in conversation. Some are more than just a song written to showcase a place, such as Tony Bennett’s “I Left My heart in San Francisco.” While that’s a fantastic song by a legendary singer, the song is contrived. It doesn’t speak of the history of the city or give a true sense of place.