American Queen Voyages

Cruise Specialists Voyage Hosts Steve and Wendy recap their adventure cruising on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Their story shows what you can expect on an American Queen Voyages cruise. (Note: American Queen Steamboat Company became American Queen Voyages in 2021.)   After almost 25 years and more than 2,000 days at sea on cruise ships, we decided it was time to try cruising on a river. And so, we recently completed our first voyage on the American Empress, navigating the Columbia and Snake Rivers through Washington and Oregon. Here’s a summary of our experience. ... Read more

If there were a style of travel designed specially for the solo traveller, it would be river cruising. With fewer passengers onboard than a typical ocean cruise, guests wishing to travel by themselves are never ‘one of a crowd’ on a river cruise. This is particularly true on the rivers of America. American Queen Steamboat Company offers cabins designed for single-occupancy on its ships, including the venerable American Queen; the graceful American Empress on the Columbia and Snake Rivers; and American Duchess. ... Read more

“I’ve never seen a ship this big here. I couldn’t imagine they can fill it,” one curious bystander said as he peered up at American Duchess, an elegant paddle wheeler moored to the grassy banks of Levee Park in Red Wing, Minnesota. I had the opportunity to tour the riverboat when it was experiencing a “turn day,” meaning passengers from the prior cruise had disembarked, and crew members were preparing to welcome a new group of travelers to cruise down the Mississippi. ... Read more