Harley Rdr

We were told by a member of the crew that AQ will not return to Dover, Tn. We docked at about 10:30 pm. Two black crew members walked up the hill to go to a convenience store. When we got off the boat at 8:30 we were chatting with a sheriff dispatcher who said a deputy gave 2 crew members a ride back to the boat and got a tour at about midnight. The crew member we talked to said the 2 crew members were told the convenience store was not open (even though it clearly was). They were told to return to the boat and followed back. A boat tour would not be given to anyone at midnight. The captain was told what happened. Since he selects the stops he has decided he will not return to Dover. I don't know which side of this story is correct.

We are on the bus to the Chattanooga airport now. In all honesty most of the problems (lock and wind) were not the ship's fault. Rumor had it the front of the boat ran aground. The back end then swung around and hit the rock on the port side (not starboard). I don't know if this is accurate or not but sounds like an error was made by the pilot. Food was good. I'm not a huge fan of the onboard entertainers other than the musicians. My biased opinion is the entertainment was adequate. I heard several people grumble that the open bar was of no significance to them so it was an empty gesture. A lot of people had drinks but I didn't see anyone abusing the bar priviledges. If you could stay on the boat another week the offer was probably a good deal. I didn't hear the number of people able to do this. There were 50 staterooms available. Future cruise credits are ok if you are willing to try again. They are good through the end of 2015 and apply to either the Queen or Empress. I would have preferred a partial refund for the trip that was messed up. We book trips for the stops not the boat. I know what the passage contract has in it but still feel like we did not get what we bought. The captain had manditory town hall meetings to annouce the bad news each time. I have to give him credit for facing the crowd and answering questions. Probably the largest challenge was trip end transportation and logistics. First we were told there would not be a Chattanooga tour, then there would be then as an afterthought we were told there would not be. They were going to get us to Chattanooga by 9:00 but after many complaints they changed it to 10:30. The shore excursion office was probably the weakest link in all the changes.

This trip just gets better. We are docked in Clarksville, Tenn. There is a wind storm coming so we cannot leave dock nor make it to Nashville. We were supposed to leave at 6:15 tomorrow morning to be bussed to Chattanooga. Then a Chattanooga tour followed by a drop off at the airport. Now we have to be on a 5:45 bus. This has to be a Halloween jinxed trip.

Interesting spin from AQ. I guess the "as scheduled sailing time" was changed from Saturday to Sunday. We left Nashville 24 hours late. Since then we have skipped 2 stops, Dover and Paducah. We were able to get off the boat for the first time since Saturday from noon to 4:30 today at Savannah, Tenn. Two men who paid for the deluxe tour of Shiloh reported their wives did the Hop On Hop Off and didn't like it but they liked it better than that husbands liked the Shiloh tour. The repeat customers were invited to a Captain's champagne reception at 4:30. We were told a valve is broken in some locks further down river. AQ has been turned around and we are headed back to Nashville. Tomorrow will be our 3rd "river boating" day. We are now supposed to stop at Dover and Clarkston (?). We will be bussed 2 hours from Nashville to Chattanooga to catch our flights home. If we change our flights to Nashville we have to pay for a cab to the airport. All Chattanooga tours are cancelled. The next cruise has been changed to a Nashville to Memphis route. We can stay on the boat for another week for free (except for taxes and tips) in one of the 50 unsold cabins, we can book another trip while onboard and get a $1500 credit/per person toward the next trip, we can book another trip after we get off the boat and get a $1000 credit/per person. There are open bars for the rest of the trip. Maybe this is jinxed since it's over Halloween but we probably won't be giving AQ any more money to book another trip with them.

Boarded American Queen1 hour late yesterday in Nashville. Boat was delayed by a bridge not opening up far enough for the boat to pass. Then they hit a rock and knocked a hole in the rear starboard hull. People worked on the patch all night. Hole is now fixed and Coast Guard is aboard to give clearance to leave. Hope to depart Nashville at 3:00 pm today. Rough start. A port will have to be skipped but no decision on which one yet.

Thanks for the info. I'm in Iowa (about 40 miles west of Davenport) so staying on central time will be nice. So far AQ is not offering a Nashville pre-cruise tour on their website. Does anyone know if one will be offered or if it would be better to book one from a tour company? Husband has not been to Nashville and would like to see some of it.

I used a TA to book this trip. She was told the hotel will be at the airport. Any ideas which one?

Have booked another cruise on AQ leaving Nashville on October 25. Will make sure to turn down the volume.

I saw the controller by the head of the bed. I thought it said something about "emergency" so I didn't play with it. Guess I'm as bad as our neighbors who didn't think they could change their cabin temp. LOL

Back home now. For what it's worth, here are my feelings on the cruise.

I still feel the check in at the pre-cruise hotel could be streamlined. Having to stand in 3 different queues seems excessive.

As stated by LDVinNC the cabin size is clearly shown on the website and literature. However, seeing it on a website and knowing it will be small is different from actually walking into it. It just took a few times of bumping into each other before we started standing still so the other person could go to the closet or into the bathroom.

The beds were narrow but comfortable. Even my thin Mother could not just roll over without almost falling off her bed.

Larger cabins at the back of the boat were not filled because they had all the furniture and carpet removed during the trip. It looks like they are being repaired and new carpet will be put down.

Food was good in the dining room and on the front porch. Dining room service remained slow but it gave us time to talk to table mates between courses. Wine glasses during supper were frequently refilled without having to ask. Servers, like all other staff, were friendly and happily helped with special requests. The 24 hour soft serve ice cream machine was heavily used.

Included side trips and hop on/hop off buses are great. These are good ways to see more of the countryside and towns.

Unlike the ocean cruises I have been on, the passengers are very social. Everyone seems to at least say hello to everyone else. We had many wonderful conversations with people from all over the US.

There are a few improvements that could be made and it may not be suitable for people who need to have 24/7 activities available. But, this is a great cruise and a wonderful way to see part of the USA.

We are currently on the AQ going from St Louis to Cincinatti. I have mixed feelings. At the pre-cruise hotel the AQ Welcome Desk was manned by St Louis tour guides, not AQ staff, the day we arrived. The next morning we had to stand in line to get our security pictures taken, for dining table assignments and for shore tours. It seems this could be handled more efficiently than having to wait in 3 different lines. Many people had walkers and canes which made long lines difficult for them.

Cabins are very compact. There are larger cabins not being used. It would be nice if people in lower category cabins had been offered a free upgrade rather than leaving these cabins empty.

All staff have been very friendly and helpfull.

We boarded on Saturday with Monday being the first day I can access the Wi Fi. Our neighbor still cannot access it.

Food in the dining room was good the first night but service was slow. We have first seating and it took 2.5 hours from start to finish. The Front Porch seems to be just as good but more relaxed. It is self-serve so it's much faster.

Calliope is very loud. It was played today while in some locks. The sound echoed off the walls of the locks and many people were plugging their ears.

Annoucements over the PA go into the cabins instead of only on the decks. This means limited napping.

Times are always subject to change. We left one town 3 hours earlier than originally scheduled. Arrived at the next town at least 1 hour early.

There are not a lot of activities offered so this may not be the best option for active people. Age range seems to be 50 and up. There are several people using walkers, canes and oxygen.

I booked about 4 weeks prior to cruise date on a 50% off offer. When I called to reserve there were 6 cabins available in the category I wanted (category C).

Woo Hoo!!!!! Thanks for the update.

Calliope - Thanks. I must have missed the name of the boat on the post.

hrprof - I'll take a look at Lindblad Expeditions. How physical was the trip? Mom will be 90 years old in December so we need to pick things she will be able to do. She also wants to do an Australian cruise (doesn't have the stamina for the flights to get there) and a Galapagos cruise. She needs a traveling companion so I get the "terrible" job of going with her.

Another question, please. Is Wi Fi available onboard and is it free? Mom wants to go to Iceland next. While on the boat might be a good time for the two of us to look at all the Iceland cruises available and pick one.

The regular cabins (Category A and lower) on the American Queen do NOT have coffee makers of any kind. I don't know about the suites. You can ask your cabin attendant to deliver coffee or tea in the morning, but on our last trip she only managed to bring it once. That's why we like to be close to the Front Porch. I recommend travel mugs for ease of transport back to the cabin.

Thanks! Not packing k cups will save a little space in the suitcase.:)

I saw somewhere that each cabin has a Keurig coffee maker. Can anyone confirm this?

FB usually means Face Book.

My mother would like to take a cruise that has at least 3 stops in Iceland. She is primarily interested in seeing glaciers and volcanoes. She might be open to flying to Iceland for a guided bus tour. She will turn 90 years young this December and will need non-strenuous access to the sights. Travel dates will probably need to avoid July and August.(I travel with her and need to be able to celebrate our August 1st 45th wedding anniversary with my husband.) I'd appreciate any input and recommendations.

ehschief, thanks for the update. Mom and I will be on the Aug 30th cruise from St Louis to Cincinnati. It sounds like the paddle wheel should be back on by then. We have also booked an open balcony and hope to spend time people and river watching.

My mother and I just booked AQ leaving the end of August. We also have experience on large ships but no river cruises. I chose AQ because of the 50% off sale. Keeping my fingers crossed all goes well.

Thank you everyone for your input. We're going to try to get into the travel agent tomorrow to book the full transit of the Panama Canal. Due to booking so late we may decide on the April 16th one instead of April 1. Mom has agreed to a balcony cabin forward or aft instead of mid-ship due to the large difference in cost. However, she has never let Princess assign her a cabin. Not sure she will agree to it this time and it looks like we can pick our own cabin if we go mid-April.

Thank you for the input on the scooter. I'm trying to gently push her toward renting one. She is afraid it will be difficult to drive and she'll hit someone. I told her today it will be easier to use than the John Deere yard tractor she routinely drives. I'm going to take her to Walmart so she can learn on one of their scooters.

Mom can walk but is limited to about 2 blocks. She is actually planning to stay on the ship most of the time. We may need to rethink the need for a scooter. We thought it might be useful if there are shops by the end of the pier like in Alaska and the Caribbean.

Thank you. You make a very valid point. It's certainly something to think about.

Pam, I'd love to join you for the March 1 cruise and do the Canal. We will also be flying to Texas in the next 2 months for a family visit so we have to limit it to 1 cruise during the first half of the year.