AMERICAN CRUISE LINES      Inland waterways of U.S. east coast from Maine to Florida, including rivers & coastal islands; U.S. west coast. Alaska, Mississippi River cruises AMERICAN EAGLE, AMERICAN GLORY, AMERICAN SPIRIT, AMERICAN STAR, INDEPENDENCE Passenger Capacity: 49, 51, 100, 104 Built:  2000, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2010 Length: 170 ft. Beam: 40 ft. Elevator: Yes Officers: American Crew: American Wheelchair Access

• Itinerary: Cruises along the eastern coast of the U.S. to explore the history and fabric of America while cruising along rivers, bays, estuaries and canals. Cruise itineraries include 7, 8, 10 and 14 days of the New England islands, Chesapeake Bay, historic antebellum South, Maine coast and harbors, Mid-Atlantic Inland Passage, Hudson River, Potomac & Delaware Rivers, rivers of Florida. Alaska cruises are roundtrip from Juneau and between Juneau and Seattle. Mississippi River and tributaries will include cruises from New Orleans, Memphis, and other river ports and go as far as St. Paul and Pittsburg.
• Cabins: 25, 31, 52. Cabins (and public areas) are air-conditioned. All have entrances from interior corridors, have picture windows that open, and private bath with shower. Some staterooms have outside verandahs; some are handicap-equipped; one is a single. Independence will have 80% private balconies.
• Dining: One seating. Cuisine is American with local specialties.
• Facilities and Activities: The ship docks in the heart of each town so that shopping, museums and other points of interest are within walking distance. There are historians, naturalists and local experts who speak on history, culture, ecology, and wildlife. There are several open decks and several glassed-in observation lounges for watching passing scenery. There is a library with a collection of videos previewing areas to be visited as well as current and classic films; there is a putting green on the recreation deck. The ships are used frequently by corporate groups and has satellite TV.
• Recent Fares Reported to Us: 6-day $3,010 to $5,280 per person; 7-day cruise $3,595 to $6,085 per person; 11-day cruise $4,995 to $8,625; 15-day cruise $6,980 to $11,765.  Full charter groups can have custom-designed voyages from study of antebellum architecture to bird-watching on the Okeechobee.

QUEEN OF THE WEST                                 
Passenger Capacity: 120
Built: 1995, renovated 2011
Length: 230 ft.
Beam: 50 ft.
Elevator: 1
Officers: American
Staff and Crew: 47; American
Wheelchair Access

• Itinerary: There are 7-night Columbia and Snake River cruises of 1,000 miles along the Lewis & Clark Route, Oregon Trail, and parts of the Pacific Northwest.  

• Cabins: 60. All cabins are outside and have TV/VCR, individual thermostat, and bathroom with shower. All have entry from inside companionways except two suites on the top deck. Some cabins have private verandah. Vista suites on the top deck have a view of both sides of the river. There are two wheelchair-accessible cabins.

• Dining: The dining room has large windows for river-viewing. There is open, single seating. Special diets are accommodated. There are wines from the cruise regions. In-season fruits, vegetables, and seafood are purchased from local vendors. Breads and pastries are fresh-baked. Early breakfast and simple lunch are also available in the grill on the top deck.

• Dress: Casual during the day. On captain's night most men wear a jacket and women a cocktail dress; other nights are casual resort wear or slacks and shirt.

• Facilities and Activities: This is a shallow-draft sternwheeler river boat in the Victorian style of the paddlewheelers that cruised in the 1800s. Public rooms and staterooms have large windows for river viewing. There are lectures by onboard historians. Bow landings. Shore excursions may include a rodeo demonstration, visit with Nez Perce Indians, a jet boat ride into Hells Canyon on the Snake River. Excursions by motorcoach may include Mt. St. Helens volcano, Multnomah Falls, the Maryhill Museum of Art, Bonneville Dam, Lewis and Clark's Fort Clatsop, Pendleton, Tamstlikt Cultural Institute, and Columbia Gorge.

QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI                              
Passenger Capacity: 140
Built: 2012
Length: 230 ft.
Beam: 50 ft.
Elevator: 1
Officers: American
Staff and Crew: American
Wheelchair Access

• Itinerary: The riverboat will operate over the entire Mississippi River System, mostly with seven-night cruises that take passengers as far as St. Paul, MN on the Mississippi River and Pittsburgh, PA on the Ohio River.

• Cabins: 70. All cabins are outside, are large, and have TV/VCR, wi-fi, individual thermostat, and bathroom with shower. 85% of Queen of the Mississippi’s staterooms feature private balconies. There are several single cabins.

• Dining: The dining room has large windows for river-viewing. There is open, single seating.

• Dress: Casual during the day. On captain's night most men wear a jacket and women a cocktail dress; other nights are casual resort wear or slacks and shirt.

• Facilities and Activities: This is a shallow-draft sternwheeler river boat. It has several lounges, a grand salon, card room, library, sky lounge, showroom, and internet lounge. Unlike the previous riverboats that had offered cruises on the Mississippi, this new paddlewheeler will have the option of cruising at a significantly higher speed to make longer port stays possible.