RIVERBARGE EXCURSION LINES    Cruise Report
Mississippi River and tributaries
RIVER EXPLORER (not cruising in 2009)
Passenger Capacity: 198
Itinerary: River Explorer travels on the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, the Atchafalaya River Basin and Texas-Louisiana Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. It has 4-10 day excursions.
Cabins: 98. Cabins have air-conditioning, satellite TV/VCR, telephone, and private bath. Staterooms on upper decks have balconies.
Facilities and Activities: This boat is actually two custom-built barges permanently attached together and propelled by a towboat. The forward barge houses the dining room, a two-deck showroom, lounge, meeting facility, and other public rooms. The aft barge houses staterooms. Local entertainment is featured, including gospel music, Delta blues, and zydeco. The cruises emphasize local culture and guests are given the opportunity to experience the food, music, attractions, and events unique to the areas visited.  Shore excursions are included in the fare.  There are early booking incentives.

MID-LAKES NAVIGATION COMPANY
New York
Lockmaster hireboats, European-styled boats designed for cruising the canals of New York including the Erie Canal and the Cayuga-Seneca Canal.  You can choose from two departure locations, one near Syracuse and one near Rochester.  Fare includes 7 nights on board, fuel, tolls, instruction and boat cleaning.  They also have cruises from Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany on Emita II, cruising on the boat during the day and lodging ashore at night. 

ERIE CANAL CRUISE LINES
Erie Canal
The have 42 ft. canal boats, 12 ft. wide, that have two cabins with private baths. There is wheel steering and bow thrusters for easy handling. You can cruise one way or roundtrip, full week or half week, from several ports of departure. Itineraries include the entire Erie Canal from Buffalo to the Hudson River, Champlain Canal, and the Finger Lakes.  Boat handling lesson (4 hours).