micoman Posted November 28, 2017 #1 Share Posted November 28, 2017 On September 10th my wife and I and 34 neighbors from our Del Webb community took the American Empress riverboat from Clarkston Washington to Vancouver Washington (not Canada). The costs were $9189 not including flights, gratuities or transfers. I am happy to report that service was superior, food was excellent, Entertainment (Frank Chase) was exceptional,and everyone had a great time as we were all friends prior to this trip. We were however, disappointed that we completely missed the major scenic portions of the river due to the Oregon fire and the Native American salmon fishing rights which prevented our docking at The Dalles. Due to the fire, we completely missed the Columbia gorge, Mt. Hood, Multnomah Falls, The Old Scenic Highway, Bonneville Dam, and Timberline Lodge. We did feel American Queen SteamshipCompany let us down, when they decided to compensate us with a day in Vancouver Washington, a very small suburb of Portland Or, with an included 15 minute hop on-hop off bus trip, and a second day in Astoria Oregon with anincluded shopping trip to Cannon Beach and Seaside beach (local beaches). The bottom line is the fire and the blockage of The Dalles port were completely out of American Queens control, however their replacement options simply fell way short of the missedexperiences to say nothing of the $1000 a day cost. Fun on the boat, but missed much of the scenic Columbia River. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROCRUISE Posted November 30, 2017 #2 Share Posted November 30, 2017 On September 10th my wife and I and 34 neighbors from our Del Webb community took the American Empress riverboat from Clarkston Washington to Vancouver Washington (not Canada). The costs were $9189 not including flights, gratuities or transfers. I am happy to report that service was superior, food was excellent, Entertainment (Frank Chase) was exceptional,and everyone had a great time as we were all friends prior to this trip. We were however, disappointed that we completely missed the major scenic portions of the river due to the Oregon fire and the Native American salmon fishing rights which prevented our docking at The Dalles. Due to the fire, we completely missed the Columbia gorge, Mt. Hood, Multnomah Falls, The Old Scenic Highway, Bonneville Dam, and Timberline Lodge. We did feel American Queen SteamshipCompany let us down, when they decided to compensate us with a day in Vancouver Washington, a very small suburb of Portland Or, with an included 15 minute hop on-hop off bus trip, and a second day in Astoria Oregon with anincluded shopping trip to Cannon Beach and Seaside beach (local beaches). The bottom line is the fire and the blockage of The Dalles port were completely out of American Queens control, however their replacement options simply fell way short of the missedexperiences to say nothing of the $1000 a day cost. Fun on the boat, but missed much of the scenic Columbia River. I can certainly understand your dismay, and American Queens certainly knew about this before you left on the trip. I will not be booking this cruise next year as planned. Thanks for letting others know about this unfortunate experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dolllover Posted December 24, 2017 #3 Share Posted December 24, 2017 On September 10th my wife and I and 34 neighbors from our Del Webb community took the American Empress riverboat from Clarkston Washington to Vancouver Washington (not Canada). The costs were $9189 not including flights, gratuities or transfers. I am happy to report that service was superior, food was excellent, Entertainment (Frank Chase) was exceptional,and everyone had a great time as we were all friends prior to this trip. We were however, disappointed that we completely missed the major scenic portions of the river due to the Oregon fire and the Native American salmon fishing rights which prevented our docking at The Dalles. Due to the fire, we completely missed the Columbia gorge, Mt. Hood, Multnomah Falls, The Old Scenic Highway, Bonneville Dam, and Timberline Lodge. We did feel American Queen SteamshipCompany let us down, when they decided to compensate us with a day in Vancouver Washington, a very small suburb of Portland Or, with an included 15 minute hop on-hop off bus trip, and a second day in Astoria Oregon with anincluded shopping trip to Cannon Beach and Seaside beach (local beaches). The bottom line is the fire and the blockage of The Dalles port were completely out of American Queens control, however their replacement options simply fell way short of the missedexperiences to say nothing of the $1000 a day cost. Fun on the boat, but missed much of the scenic Columbia River. If you bought insurance for this trip would that help cover the loss? I was thinking of doing this cruise but having second thoughts now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micoman Posted December 24, 2017 Author #4 Share Posted December 24, 2017 Unfortunately insurance would not help as AQSC did run a trip. They attempted to provide an additional experience to make up for the missed experiences. The problem was that the experiences they provided were of little value. Compare to being promised trip to the Vatican then being switched to "enjoy a free pizza in Rome". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare lyndarra Posted January 3, 2018 #5 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I can see you were disappointed with the alternatives but you failed to mention if there were better options. Were there? If not, one can hardly blame the company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wacruiser77 Posted February 1, 2018 #6 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Sorry for your missed excursions. However our family deems Cannon Beach a gem of Oregon. We have relished visits there for over 40years. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy4 Posted March 20, 2018 #7 Share Posted March 20, 2018 Unfortunately insurance would not help as AQSC did run a trip. They attempted to provide an additional experience to make up for the missed experiences. The problem was that the experiences they provided were of little value. Compare to being promised trip to the Vatican then being switched to "enjoy a free pizza in Rome". just wondering if you had "cancel for any reason" insurance. did you purchase the insurance through AQSC or independently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkbiiii Posted February 18, 2019 #8 Share Posted February 18, 2019 How was the all inclusive nature of the trip, including unlimited comped drinks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calliope Posted February 22, 2019 #9 Share Posted February 22, 2019 The AMERICAN EMPRESS does not offer this amenity. As of now it is only the AMERICAN DUCHESS that is all inclusive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck1949 Posted April 16, 2019 #10 Share Posted April 16, 2019 I realize this is an old thread......but am hoping that someone is still getting notices that might be able to answer a couple of questions. I have noticed that the HOHO buses/tours get good reviews overall..but am curious what people thought of the premium tours. Specifically the Multnomah Falls private tour, and the Portland City tour at the end of our cruise. (we go East to West. Is it advisable to book the premium tours before the cruise, or is it ok to wait till we board to book. One person in our group is limited with mobility, and walks with a cane...... is there any issues at any of the ports with getting around....either boarding buses, or walking etc. Thanks for any information ! Our cruise is Sept 22, 2019...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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