August 7,2016. Portland to clarkston

Hello, just a shout-out to anyone who might be on this cruise. We are Paul and Carol from South California, looking for others who will be on this trip. I have read thru the threads here and gathered wonderful information. Thanks to all CC contributors. We have pulled back on travelling abroad, for obvious safety reasons. This will be our first US river cruise, and we are in great anticipation. Hope to hear from some others....only 9 days to go!

Won't be on your cruise but will be doing that same one October in the reverse direction. Our first river cruise as well.

Look forward to hearing how your cruise went.

Hi John. Thanks for the reply. I will post some thoughts on CC when I return. Logistically, I think going the East-West route is more favorable. We have been on many European River Cruises...........which I have LOVED. This will be our first US river cruise. Being on a floating hotel, where you wake up in a different village everyday is wonderful! We fly out this Saturday!! :)

We're going in June next year. Will very much enjoy hearing feedback from you.

So many people are not going to Europe, I'm pretty amazed that this is still wide open. Does anybody have any experience with what they do to fill the riverboat, if sales are slow?

We just booked today for next October (10/22/17). Our first choice, 10/8/17, was completely booked except for 1 cabin! Hoping to read some good, in depth reviews from others between now and then. Oh, and like others, we were not comfortable going back to an overseas river cruise at this time. This sounds like a great alternative!

Last time I checked, there were many available cabins in all categories. I wonder why it would be that Oct. of '17 is more heavily booked. Anybody know?

Last time I checked, there were many available cabins in all categories. I wonder why it would be that Oct. of '17 is more heavily booked. Anybody know?

My TA said a large group booked the 10/8/17 cruise on the Empress. The one on 10/22 was pretty open.

My TA said a large group booked the 10/8/17 cruise on the Empress. The one on 10/22 was pretty open.

I checked again for my June date and the same cabins that were there two weeks ago are still available. Now I just have to get all four of us to make a decision!

Btw, the agent told me that starboard side, westbound, is preferable. I asked why and she said b/c, arriving into the Portland area, the mountains are on that side.

I'm just hoping some folks will provide info here for those of us going next year. Helps with planning and building trip anticipation! :)

I will address the topics brought up here, and give my thoughts on the trip:

When large groups book, they usually book way in advance, in order to get the number of spaces they need. In general, vacations/trips don't get filled more than 6 months in advance. As the trip date gets closer, each Company will begin marketing more heavily. This might include giving 'extras' or having 'Flash Sales'. I did not find that AQSC reduced prices...since we booked only about 7 weeks in advance, and no price reduction was offered. Certainly, the goal is to have the boat 100% filled.

I did notice while onboard that there were some price reductions offered on a few cruises coming up in late 2016. So, AQSC, at discretion, will offer some 'sales' if you watch closely.

In bullet format, I will address our wonderful vacation down the Columbia and Snake River:

*Boat kept immaculately clean. Lovely boat and décor. Cabin Attendants very accommodating. Room always perfect. Frank and Teresa get gold stars for customer service.

*Dining-River Grill more subdued. Pleasant atmosphere. Better views of the landscape while dining. MDR also pleasant. Menus in the MDR changed each day. Same menu throughout entire voyage in River Grill. Carmen, Mandy, Krystal, Ann, Anton, Seth, Johanna, and Skylar get gold stars for customer service. Also, want to mention the very pleasant dish washer (female, light brown hair in ponytail). Didn't catch her name, but she always had a smile and was willing to help. Food presentation A+. Variations in wine was outstanding.

*HOHO Buses in every port. Did the job of showing passengers the ports. The times were a bit limiting. We found that we had to rush through a few sites...not enough time allotted to fully enjoy some of the stops. Highlights for me were #1 Bonneville Dam (loved it)!! Also, Columbia River Interpretive Center, The Reach, and Astoria Column.

*Premium Excursions also available. We heard numerous passengers have problems on their excursions. Sorry to hear that. We took the B Reactor Excursion (very interesting), and we left 1 passenger behind. This type of thing shouldn't happen. Also, took the Jet Boat Excursion. This is definitely worth it to see the amazing scenery. We will most likely never return to the area so I am glad we took it, but I think it was a bit overpriced. Because of the human activity on the River, there is NOT an abundance of wildlife. We saw 'a few' sightings, just a few.

*Trip direction-I think overall, the best route is East to West. I loved the desert-like landscape in the East, but ending in the lush greenery of the West would seem to be better. Also, there will be more daylight transit of the locks, going west. Heading East, we had evening shade on our balcony (port-side)which was great! Using Spokane Airport at the end of the trip caused passengers to be forced to pay an extra fee for the 2 hour bus trip to Spokane. Heading west, and beginning in Spokane, you did not have to pay.

*There was no included transfer from the Portland Airport to the hotel. This should be considered, since the cost of this vacation is a bit pricey. You were also on your own for dinner that first nite.

*Entertainment was great. The unique husband-wife team of Cruise Directors was amazing. They really worked well together and their talent was top-notch. The Cowboy was GREAT! Magician good also. Historian gave informative lectures.

*Internet access was available in the Paddlewheel Lounge. 4 computers. Worked quite fine, except some slow times while we were travelling. Can also print out boarding passes here. WIFI also in rooms, tho sketchy at times. It was nice to have internet available for those of us who need it (yes, even while on vacation).

Overall, we saw a new part of this great country in a fashion that was very pleasing! We had a wonderful trip. I hope you all have a wonderful one, also!

*Trip direction-I think overall, the best route is East to West. I loved the desert-like landscape in the East, but ending in the lush greenery of the West would seem to be better. Also, there will be more daylight transit of the locks, going west. Heading East, we had evening shade on our balcony (port-side)which was great! Using Spokane Airport at the end of the trip caused passengers to be forced to pay an extra fee for the 2 hour bus trip to Spokane. Heading west, and beginning in Spokane, you did not have to pay.

*There was no included transfer from the Portland Airport to the hotel. This should be considered, since the cost of this vacation is a bit pricey. You were also on your own for dinner that first nite.

!

Thanks so much for the feedback and great info! We too have done a European river cruise, and this is our first in the US. Going to be hard to match or beat our Rhine cruise, but we have our fingers crossed! We chose the East to West route.

Couple of questions, if you don't mind:

* How far in advance were you informed of the pre-cruise hotel? Did the hotel have airport transportation available?

* Can you give us an idea of the cost of wine/beer/cocktails at non-dinner times? And can you bring wine or beer on board for cabin consumption that has been purchased in a port?

* Are drinks available for purchase during the shows?

* Did you make your reservations for the River Grill as soon as you boarded?

Thanks so much - hope to see some photos and a detailed review!

It's great to hear all of your helpful feedback, and certainly wonderful to know how much you enjoyed your trip. Thank you!

--May

K9pal:

*There is a bar in the showroom. And a hostess who can take your order from your seat, or you can go to the bar, to get drinks before/during shows.

*You are not checked when you return from being on land. I believe that you can bring beverages onboard, without a problem.

*I don't know the cost of beverages at non-dinner times, since we don't drink alcohol. I am SURE I did read it somewhere....maybe on the website. Do some looking on the website, and I think you might find the answer. 15% gratuity automatically added.

*Our hotel in Portland (pre-cruise for us) did not offer Airport Transfers. We stayed at Hilton Vancouver (across the river), maybe that was why. We got a taxi....quick and easy. $40. You receive travel documents about 3 weeks prior to departure and the hotel is confirmed there. I am a planner, so I called AQSC and they were able to confirm the hotel. It is arranged months in advance, I am sure. Call AQSC for confirmation.

Note: There is a shared ride transport service in Portland. Called Blue Star Transport Group. You will get this info in your travel documents. I am sure it sets certain times and takes a group....we didn't use it, since we just wanted to go when we wanted to go. :)

Cost was listed as $16pp...plus tip...cost is about the same as a taxi for 2.

*You can make reservations for the River Grill during check-in. There was a very long and slow-moving line at this time. Not a good first impression...maybe they can fine tune this a bit. Or you can go see Carmen at any time once you get onboard. She is very accommodating.

Any other questions, just ask. :)

Thank you much, wishlist5! I too am a planner (only 14 months to go! :) ) and the trip anticipation and planning are a major part of the fun.

I'm planning to start a new thread on here for those folks planning a cruise on the American Empress in 2017. Hopefully, we'll generate some interest and can share info. Last year we had a great group on a thread for our Viking cruise, so I'd like to pay it forward.

Sue

I suspect that the same hotel is used all or most of the time.

Sue, I will be planning a 2017 trip, too, so I look forward to your new thread.

A great big thank you again to Paul and Carol. I hope your friends and family are enjoying hearing about your trip!

I will add that on our AQ cruise there was no transfer from the airport tyo the hotel or if there was I missed it

AFAIK they just provide free transfer from their hotel to the ship

If you want a transfer after the cruise to airport there is a fee

we used a taxi

There is good information at

http://www.americanqueensteamboatcompany.com/your-voyage/essential-travel-guide/

view the travel guide

http://www.americanqueensteamboatcompany.com/your-voyage/getting-there/

If you ask AQSC they can tell you the hotel they use in each port city you can even book extra nights (for a fee of course)

I will add that on our AQ cruise there was no transfer from the airport tyo the hotel or if there was I missed it

AFAIK they just provide free transfer from their hotel to the ship

If you want a transfer after the cruise to airport there is a fee

we used a taxi

 

There is good information at

http://www.americanqueensteamboatcompany.com/your-voyage/essential-travel-guide/

view the travel guide

 

http://www.americanqueensteamboatcompany.com/your-voyage/getting-there/

 

If you ask AQSC they can tell you the hotel they use in each port city you can even book extra nights (for a fee of course)

A friend just did that, booking an extra night in New Orleans. Their rate is not bad at all, and then she'll be right in her same room for the night before she embarks.

Thx for posting those links. I love CC.com for exactly this type of thing. Many posters enjoy helping others!

A friend just did that, booking an extra night in New Orleans. Their rate is not bad at all, and then she'll be right in her same room for the night before she embarks.

 

Thx for posting those links. I love CC.com for exactly this type of thing. Many posters enjoy helping others!

Do they use the Hilton in NOLA?

Do they use the Hilton in NOLA?

Yes, seems so appropriate, doesn't it?

My friend doesn't go until March. I'm looking forward to her reaction -- to the whole NOLA scene. Spent my 65th b'day there and looking forward to spending my 70th, G-d willing and the Creek don't rise.

Yes, seems so appropriate, doesn't it?

 

My friend doesn't go until March. I'm looking forward to her reaction -- to the whole NOLA scene. Spent my 65th b'day there and looking forward to spending my 70th, G-d willing and the Creek don't rise.

Thanks I thought I read that was the hotel

Happy 70th ...I am not far off :D

For anyone thinking of going on the Empress in 2017, I just opened a new thread on the Roll Call board. Please join us there!