Ohio river cruise was a bust!

Paddle wheel was brocen when we boarded and they did not tell us.

Then generator problems and Z-drive problems. We missed 75 % of our ports. It turned out to be maintenance cruise with no money back, only $100 on board credit an 25% credit for a future cruise. Like I am going to spend more money on on AQ cruise. In the past couple of years they have had two paddle wheel failures and four generator failures. This is the first Z-drive problem I have read about. Very little is offered in compensation. I feel cheated!

Full review to follow.

I am so sorry about your cruise. We were on the AQ the week before you were - the two short Cincinnati round trip cruises. They were disassembling the paddlewheel the day of our last stop, but it did not affect us at all. Our whole trip was just fine, but I would also be annoyed if all they offered was 25% off a future cruise and a small OBC. I did read that they also offered a free trip back to Cincinnati, but I suppose most folks would have plans that would make that option impractical.

Yes AQ did offer are turn trip Cincinnati It did not cost thim much because there was not many passengers scheduled on the return voyage. It only cost them a little food. I heard that about twenty-five people took them up on the offer.they also offered free booze but if you don't drink a lot and you could not take another week off, it did not mean much.

The point is that without the paddle wheel, they did not have enough speed to make the ports they sold us on, :mad:even if they did not have any other problems.

Sorry to hear the cruise was not good

We did the reverse itinerary last year & frankly the ports did not have much to see there anyway

The towns were dead ..not much there

We did enjoy just sitting on the front porch & enjoying the river

YMMV

Last I´ve heard is that they are running slow downriver (meaning they are late). They don´t run on full power with the Z-drives (actually they can travel on regular speed using the Z-drives only but that will stress the Z-drives).

In Maysville at least one of the Z-drives had been removed for repairs and built in again (Z-drive is pretty simiar to an Azipod on big cruise ships, a screw which can be turned around 360°).

steamboats

The more I read about the AQSC the more I think that they will have a hard time staying afloat. When their competition will have another boat joining the Queen of the Mississippi next year as well as other boats on the agenda soon after, AQSC will have a hard time getting bookings at half price. The only thing AQSC has going for it is a slick brochure and nicer web site than ACL! They can't operate on smoke and mirrors for very long.

And the Delta Queen is probably going to back on the river in a year or so.

Thanks for the report!

Sorry about your cruise.

Keith

More Ohio River cruises to replace upper Mississippi cruises, but no mention of repairs. Sure not geared to being transparent.

We didn't miss the paddle (however we look forward to seeing it next time!). The trip was delightful top to bottom. We left on the 4th of July and were entertained with Pittsburgh fireworks on the river before heading to Cincinnati. Accommodations and staff were wonderful...everything was well planned and executed. :)

More Ohio River cruises to replace upper Mississippi cruises, but no mention of repairs. Sure not geared to being transparent.

All cruises, whether blue or brown water, must operate NCP, Navigational Conditions Permitting. With the current flooding conditions on the Upper Mississippi the AMERICAN QUEEN simply cannot currently operate there. Upper Mississippi River towns are indeed flooded. Not to mention that there are power line crossings and bridges that she could not pass under with the water so high. The best option that passengers could be offered is travel on the Ohio River. The Mississippi below Cairo, Illinois does not have the beauty of the Ohio River nor as nice of shorestops. Without her paddlewheel and the swift current of the Mississippi it would be very difficult to operate anywhere on the Mississippi even without the current unusual conditions.

I was onboard the boat when the shaft cracked; repairs were started immediately. Before the boat got to Pittsburgh on her next trip the wheel was already disassembled in preparation for the shaft's removal which was done shortly after the boat left the Iron City on her return to Cincinnati. As you know, the z-drive was repaired during an extended stay in Maysville, Kentucky, and for safety's sake a towboat remained to assist the AQ during her run upriver. I honestly don't believe that at that time the AQ's management knew what to do. Could the shaft possibly be repaired or must a new one be forged? There certainly were old steamboats that had their shafts crack and then repaired in place. Many years ago the world's largest steam towboat SPRAGUE's shaft was repaired insitu after it cracked. You can't go into a local Sears Store, or for that matter, a major ship yard and purchase a stock paddlewheel shaft. Also the U.S. Coast Guard has final say as to any repairs. As mentioned above, the boat would have difficulty operating on the Mississippi. Realistically, without a towboat assist maintaining a schedule on the Lower Mississippi would be very difficult. I have no doubt that every effort is being made to have the wheel back on and rolling before the boat's schedule has her returning to the Lower Mississippi this fall. The cost to have a towboat alongside for an extended period of time would be astronomical.

I am not an apologist for the AQ Co. I'll admit that they have problems, but I am a well educated river enthusiast who has worked on two different steamboats. My father was a U.S. Coast Guard licensed chief engineer of steam vessels and great grandfather was a captain who owned and operated paddlewheel steamboats. I do know how past breaks of the AQ's shaft have been dealt with very quickly by the various owners of the vessel, and I expect no less this time.