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Elizabeth Rhodes is a special projects editor at Travel + Leisure, covering everything from luxury hotels to theme parks to must-pack travel products. Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to New York City from London, where she started her career as a travel blogger and writer. Discover Memphis, the birthplace of Memphis blues and a center of civil rights history.

Night America's Great RiverDetails
Be entertained by onboard performers who will perform the music born from the river. Welcome to New Orleans, world-renowned for its round-the-clock nightlife, vibrant live music scene, and unique cuisine reflecting its history as a melting pot of French, African and American influences. The Lower Mississippi has the longest season, typically running from November through December and April to mid-June, with most sailings on the bottom one-third of the river (New Orleans round trip or New Orleans to Memphis). American Queen Voyages, previously known as the American Queen Steamboat Company, operates three classic paddlewheelers on eight- to 15-night sailings on all of the Mississippi, along with the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. Its fleet includes the American Queen, which holds the record as the biggest river steamboat. Our 2024 season offers 1-day, 2-day, and sightseeing cruises departing from LeClaire & Dubuque, Iowa.
Mississippi River Cruises
Back on board, be pampered by our gracious crew or find solace as you relax in your spacious stateroom and relish the rolling river views. Savor authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine, embodying the influences of the fascinating people who live there. Explore elegant antebellum homes and notable landmarks brimming with history, led by a local guide who provides an insider’s perspective. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. As an owner, of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Le Claire, IA and the President of Great Lakes Management Group which manages the hotel’s day to day operations, I wanted to say thank you.
Louisiana Ports on a Mississippi River Cruise
Mississippi River cruises take hit as American Queen shuts down - MinnPost
Mississippi River cruises take hit as American Queen shuts down.
Posted: Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Meanwhile, American Cruise Lines offers complimentary beer, wine, cocktails, and soft drinks. All three cruise lines offer similar itineraries along the river, so we recommend looking into the ships, the amenities, and what's included in the rate (like pre-departure hotel stays and excursions) to help make your decision. Beginning and ending in the vibrant city of New Orleans, this incredible journey celebrates the rich heritage and festive spirit of a region where music is the common language and history can be found around every bend in the river. Travel in the comfort of our new fleet as you discover fascinating port towns, including Natchez, with a unique blend of African, British, and French culture. Cruise from New Orleans all the way up to St. Paul on Viking's 15- or 17-day America's Great River itinerary aboard the 193-stateroom Viking Mississippi, a vessel designed just for this river.
Mississippi River Cruise Itineraries
The Restaurant serves both Southern regional cuisine and global favorites, and the ship welcomes local musicians onboard for evening entertainment. In addition to visiting monuments and museums, you'll enjoy onboard lectures and presentations and interaction with other Civil War buffs. These sailings are aboard 150-passenger American Heritage and 180-guest American Melody, American Serenade, American Splendor and American Symphony. Some excursions and a pre-cruise hotel stay in the Big Easy are included in the cruise fare. We've rounded up the best Mississippi River cruises for seniors, history buffs and Americana lovers, so you can find your perfect U.S. river cruise itinerary based on your interests and travel preferences.
Vicksburg, MS
Enjoy one of our themed Mississippi River cruises, perfect for music aficionados, culinary connoisseurs and history enthusiasts. The two cruise lines sailing America's most legendary river offer itineraries for every interest on ships designed with mature travelers in mind. The Deep South attracts history buffs with its Civil War battlefields and cemeteries and 18th- and 19th-century mansions guarded by regiments of live oaks. Both cruise lines offer a Lower Mississippi river cruise, sailing round-trip from New Orleans, but only one features multiple excursions geared to those with a keen interest in the 19th-century conflict. Revel in the charm of “America’s Great River” as you set sail along the Mississippi.
The Best Mississippi River Cruises to Discover America's Heartland - Condé Nast Traveler
The Best Mississippi River Cruises to Discover America's Heartland.
Posted: Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Eight Day Mississippi River Boat Cruise
Meaning “red stick,” Baton Rouge’s 1699 French name references an ancient geographical marker and reflects the city’s long history. As Louisiana’s state capital, the city still echoes with tales of the characters who lived here, most notably Governor and Senator Huey P. Long. Learn about his dramatic career at the magnificent 1852 Old State Capitol Museum and visit Long’s 1932 State Capitol building, an architectural marvel of granite and marble. Later, experience the opulence and natural wonder of the Oak Alley estate with its breathtaking parallel row of 28 ancient and massive live oak trees. Here, you can savor a complimentary taste of one of the best mint juleps in the South. Step on board the newest and most modern ship on the Mississippi with all outside staterooms, private verandas, spacious public areas and our signature, clean Scandinavian design, reimagined for the Mississippi River.
Or, visit The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa, is the largest aquarium in the Central United States. Then stop by the Red Wing Marine Museum and have a chance to see the American Queen, the largest river steamboat ever made if she happens to be docked nearby. You’ll want to take a trip to The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. You’ll find a lot to appreciate at this popular tourist attraction, which is a beautiful piece of architecture surrounded by nature.
The new ship also features an onboard fitness center and many spacious lounges where you can relax after the day’s adventures. You’ll also experience wonderful Natchez, Mississippi, home to indigenous culture stretching back hundreds of years. You can even visit Longwood Plantation, which remains unfinished because workers abandoned it to fight in the Civil War. Once serving as an antebellum sugar cane homestead, Oak Alley Plantation is named after its most distinguishing feature, a row of 300-year-old oak trees. This leafy canopy forms a quarter-mile path leading to the Mississippi River.
From rolling fields of prairie flowers to some of the most architecturally important buildings in Minnesota, enjoy all there is to see and do here. St. Louis is often referred to as the “Gateway to the West.” Take in the Gateway Arch Riverfront, highlighted by the Gateway Arch, the largest man-made monument in the U.S. Enjoy St. Louis' many world-class attractions, including the Art Museum, Science Center, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, and the Missouri History Museum. End your day by relaxing at the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the world’s most popular public gardens.

Travel to the birthplace of jazz, blues, and rock–n-roll as our talented onboard musicians entertain you with songs born along the river. Dine on the finest Cajun and Creole and mouth-watering Memphis BBQ prepared by our team of master chefs. Enjoy a complimentary cocktail hour every evening, a time when you can share the day’s adventures with like-minded travelers, while enjoying a refreshing mint julip. If you travel upriver, you’ll disembark at Memphis, but there’s a lot more to explore along the Mississippi, including St. Louis, Missouri, just a few hours upriver from Memphis.
And it’s not just a cruise; it’s a conduit to reconnection, relaxation, and renewal. After American Queen Voyages shut down in February, only two Mississippi River cruise lines currently remain in operation. Winona, Minnesota, boasts some of the state's most architecturally significant buildings, many featuring the beautiful stained glass for which the city is known.
We go into more detail about the cruise lengths offered by each line and the port stops below. The more popular Mississippi River cruises typically occur in America’s Heartland on the Lower Mississippi River. Popular states on this route are Louisiana, Tennessee (home of Elvis Presley), Arkansas, and of course, Mississippi. A ship can’t sail if it is stuck in the river muck, nor can it safely sail if high waters and currents pull the ship up or downstream or are so high the vessel can’t fit under bridges. For example, Upper Mississippi River levels rise during spring and the beginning of summer due to snowmelt from the northern states. This means that most upper river trips commence in late June or early July.
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