American Queen July 5 - 10 up the Ohio River

We arrived in Cincinnati on 7/4 for our 7/5 – 7/10 AQ cruise. Our plan was to get lunch, and go to a Reds game, see the zoo on the next day and then go to the boat.

When we arrived in Cincinnati, no one wanted to go to the game so we walked to Mike Finks for lunch. The signs at Mike Finks said that it was open for lunch and dinner. The tables were set; the specials board was out and listed the specials. Also, the door was locked and there was only one car in the parking lot, so much for trying Mike Finks.

On the walk back to the hotel we passed “First Watch” at 50 East River Center Blvd in Covington. This place serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch and is five star food and service at family restaurant prices. We all highly recommend it.

From there we walked back to the hotel, after we got there it started to pour (good thing we weren’t at the ball park), so we went to the hotel pool and hot tub for what little was left of the afternoon. That night we ordered standard delivery food and watched a movie in the hotel room. When the movie was over we had a great view of seven different Ohio community fireworks displays. We were also right by the railroad bridge, so I watched the trains while my son watched the Fireworks.

The next day we discovered that the curtains on the hotel room completely blocked out the light. It was just about 9 am when we woke up. By this time not only was the AQ up river from us, but also the passengers were gone. If we were flying on this day we would have been at the airport for two hours already and just boarding our plane.

Instead we had a slow and easy morning. We made arrangements to check out of the hotel (which was free btw, because of points I ‘earned’ on company business trips), and we went back to First Watch for breakfast. (Ask for one of Jim’s tables. He treats you like you are in a five star restaurant; including helping you choose your selection and not rushing you.)

When we finally checked out of the hotel, we took the TANK Southbank one-dollar Shuttle bus that runs between Covington, Cincinnati and Newport. After a ‘tour’ of downtown Cincinnati it dropped us off at the boat. Everyone wanted to stay close to the boat, so after we checked our baggage in with the porters, we boarded and went to the pursers office for our ids.

My brother and his wife had been on the boat since 11 am. They had booked E434 on the fourth deck. A few minutes later my parents arrived, they had booked E432.

The purpose of the cruise was to celebrate my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. My dad proposed at the Marietta landing, and when they were dating they watched the Avalon as it came through Marietta, and listened to the calliope. Finally they were going to be able to go on an overnight cruise and the family was going to be there as well. (A total of 8, since my wife and I brought our 2 youngest kids.)

Just before the cruise, the others in our group were notified that they had been upgraded. We didn’t get upgraded, but I think it will be clear why. My parents were moved to the Spirit of Louisville Suite!!!!!! So, not only were they on their dream vacation, but also there was a picture of the Avalon in the room!! The final configuration of rooms was, 502, 504, 506. There was a gate and a huge smokestack between the first two rooms and a walkway between the next two rooms, and the ‘internal door’ was actually just a covered external door in the walkway to the pilot house, but we were together which was unexpected. The room itself was bigger than our living room and the bathroom was bigger than our daughter’s bedroom.

Our room had a ‘semi private’ veranda that it shared with 501. The crew offered to put a sign on the gate that it was private, since we had a large group. We declined the offer since there would be times that none of us would be up there. The result of this was that the second evening, there were so many people on our veranda watching us go through the Greenup locks that if any of us stood up, someone took our seat. This was probably because the deck in front of the chart room had been roped off when the stacks were lowered. As the crowd on our deck increased, they removed the ropes in front of the chart room. Finally, I grabbed the kids and we went into our room and pulled out the upholstered loveseat. They went back in and grabbed the rolling two-person hassock.

Anyway back to the first evening, the Emergency Drill was interesting. They had to get a fourth life jacket since 502 only had three. We put them on and waited on the veranda, while talking to the rest of the family that were each outside their doors. Micki Sigmon, the shore excursion manager, checked to be sure that everyone had their life jacket properly attached, and then we waited for what seemed like a very long time while the crew checked the rest of the passengers.

The first full day of the cruise the bridge reported to the Greenup locks that we had 289 passengers. After we left Point Pleasant they were reporting 288 passengers. I do know that two people departed with their luggage in Wheeling.

We went to dinner and discovered to our delight that we had a table by the window, table 12 early seating with Carolyn and Julius. This is the same table that Peter Knego had for late seating. The beverages that we ordered that first evening were what we found at our table each dinner the rest of the cruise. The food was fantastic. Chef Barry Bennett put together some great meals, and even worked the breakfast buffet tables. The only night we had a problem was the last night, and there was a solution for us, and they apologized for the single piece of undercooked tuna.

Carolyn made it clear that while the menu had Starters, Salads, Entrées and Desserts, we didn’t have to order one of each. We could order multiples of some, none of others, and there wasn’t a maximum or minimum that had to be ordered. She did recommend that we not order multiples until we had seen the size of the item on the first night.

With the exception of the feast on the night of the captain’s dinner, we found the quantity of the food to be just right. Each meal took into account what had been offered at the other meals, so you could have a four-course meal without feeling stuffed. Julius kept the table clear of crumbs and cleared the dishes to make room for the next course. Carolyn kept the conversation lively.

The night of the Captains Dinner the staff noted that no one at our table was drinking alcohol, so they offered non-alcoholic Champaign for anyone that wanted it (I think it was Michael Crowley, the Bar Steward). One of the kids tried it, the other didn’t.

My brother did have a problem with people forgetting to ask him what he wanted, but we noticed that it happened on shore at the Marietta restaurant, as well as on the boat, so I don’t think it was specific to one staff or another.

After dinner we went out on deck to watch the departure from Cincinnati. With the Reds – Giants game right there it seemed that the Calliope didn’t play very long, but they must have scored at the right time, because they let out a well timed cheer! When we departed Cincinnati and Maysville we used the air horn. After that the whistle was used, and one extra time thanks to Peter Knego asking for a special whistle so that he could record it. (Thanks!!) The first time it sounded I was in our room and mid sentence I stepped out and got a recording of it. Later I did manage to get a still as well.

We watched the river go by for a little bit and then went to the crew introductions. I didn’t stay for all of the entertainment staff introductions and missed some interesting pieces. There was a lot of that on this cruise. Making a choice to not miss something meant missing something else. There was always something to do.

After spending more time watching the trip up river, I went to the Engine Room bar to see a little of Jackie Bankston’s “Getting to Know You” show. I introduced myself and she was very glad to be able to put a face to the name. By the end of the cruise she knew had figured out which passengers were members of my family. The dining room staff working the starboard side of the dining room made comments about our group. I guess we stood out. Since there was a lot of joking and good-natured banter, I guess it was ok.

The first morning was Maysville KY. The breakfast special was blueberry pancakes. My breakfast was outstanding, as was everyone in our group that went to breakfast. My wife and my daughter went down to breakfast at the end of the serving and were seated at the table of some ladies that complained about everything. Nothing was right, and from what my wife could see, they had the same food, prepared the same way as hers.

I went on the pilothouse tour. It was funny to see the top of the pilothouse sitting on deck with a folding hoist nearby. There were not many people on the tour, unlike the next day when a huge crowd packed into the Chart Room. Maysville was an interesting little town. Much of the standard services that people use every day were beyond a reasonable walking distance. Anyone needing to purchase those types of items would have to wait until Point Pleasant.

It was good to see that the theater in Rosemary Clooney’s hometown was being restored, although the only thing remarkable about her childhood home was that I wouldn’t want to try to drive a car up that hill on an icy winter day. My dad and I stopped in the Tin Smith’s shop. They had been closer to the center of town but were forced to move to make way for the health department. Like Marietta, they still had sections of the trolley tracks in the street, but no one knew when the last trolley ran. In Marietta they ran until just after WWII when General Motors purchased the trolley line so they could replace it with GM buses.

Since we were eating at the early dinner, we went to lunch early as well. The entire cruise had great lunch options, and we were seated with people that we didn’t see on other days, so we had a chance to meet new people. There were several that were doing a Cincinnati round trip. Friday was a light lunch, Saturday was the picnic that I had heard so much about. They had everything including fresh sliced roast beef and Bob Schad and Jackie Bankston entertaining. Sunday we ate in Marietta, and Monday was a lunch similar to Friday. That day we sat at the table of a former Navy Submariner, and the conversation with my dad, retired Navy Captain in the Chaplains Corp, was so memorable I don’t recall the food.

After lunch in Maysville, we departed, and then it was time for the Vox Calliopus. My kids were in the pool at the time and they said that if they heard ‘Heart and Soul’ one more time they would go nuts. Everyone in my family knew which one was me, no matter where they were on the boat at the time. The funny thing was that while I was standing near the Calliope, I was the only one that Jackie ‘corrected’. So after I attempted to play, (or bang the heck out of the keys depending on if you ask me or ask Jackie) she played the same thing with more success.

My problem was that I was using notes that no one else had used so the condensation made for a very long pause when the key was pressed. My certificate appeared under my door later in the cruse, complete with Captain Dugger’s signature. Some of the places where the certificate is valid are: Snake River; Hood River; Missouri River; Ohio River; Joan Rivers; Mississippi River. It includes a warning that the Surgeon General has recommended not combining calliope music with the sounds of a banjo. There are several other humorous comments on the certificate.

Friday afternoon included Micki Sigmon’s talk about the shore tours. This confirmed that the one tour that we already signed up for was the only tour that interested us. Also, The first Discovery Guide talk included basic information on what to look for on the river, and why the changes from DQSC days to Majestic America Lines.

Clara told us about Toots, and the name ‘Riverlorian’. She also stated that the only things that DQSC sold were the DQ, the MQ and the AQ. Delaware North retained all other trademarks etc.. At one point in the cruise a woman asked about the Red and Blue flag with the snake on it. Clara explained that it was the swan that was the MAL logo. The woman said that it looked like the same snake that was on the chocolates that appeared on the beds each night.

After Clara’s talk was the Past Passenger Captain’s reception. As first timers we didn’t go. My wife did play bingo. They charged five dollars a card. Each card was good for all games played that day. I think at the end of the cruise she had won the same amount she spent, and she had a great time.

My favorite activity was watching the river go by and keeping track of our location on my copy of the chart. As a rail fan it was great to watch the trains go by and at one point we went under a bridge as the train was going over it. Didn’t get a picture from underneath because I was having so much fun watching the train, by the time I understood the message from my wife, it was too late to get the picture from the angle she wanted (straight up). Until that time, my thought was, “what good is a picture from underneath, you can’t read the markings on the rolling stock?”

Saturday was Point Pleasant and the Point Pleasant Regatta. We arrived in Point Pleasant as my family was getting ready to go to breakfast. Our announced time into the landing wasn’t until 1 pm that day, so I was surprised. No one in Point Pleasant was surprised.

Just before we arrived in Point Pleasant we passed the MV Fred Way, which was tied up on the Ohio side of the river.

Clara’s talk was about the Battle of Point Pleasant and Moth Man.

When I went ashore in Point Pleasant my first stop was the grocery store. Also in the store was Bob Schad, in the same clothes that he wears for working around the boat. That was a bit of a surprise because when we saw Carolyn and some other dining room staff later in the afternoon they were in very casual clothes that didn’t tip anyone to their connection to the boat.

The Point Pleasant parade was typical small river town stuff. There was one marching band. It had 8 percussionists and 6 winds (brass and woodwind). My son loved the pilothouse at the river museum, but he was disappointed to discover that the controls didn’t affect the display, and the display had the boat going fast enough to pull someone on water skis. I did manage to get my wife into the museum, but she didn’t want to try the stairs, so she didn’t see the displays on the upper floor.

Many of the stores in town closed right after lunch, which seemed strange since they had a treasure hunt where 21 stores had AQ cabin numbers, and if it was your cabin, you won a prize. We were not due into town until 1 pm and by 2 pm just about everything that wasn’t special for the Regatta was closed for the day. Also, people on the boat were surprised to discover a Regatta that didn’t have a boat parade or races. There were enough sternwheelers in town to do something.

As my wife and I walked around she saw a Christian bookstore. Since she had just about finished all of the professional books that she brought with her for the cruise (she thought she brought more than enough), she wanted to see if she could pick up some more. This store had the treasure sign on the door, so we asked the number and it was our cabin. While the prize was a free t-shirt, it was still funny that the person in the cabin at the Christian bookstore was a pastor.

After we came back to the boat, I discovered that someone had started a puzzle in the card room. All that was together at that point was the edge, so I worked on the roof on the covered bridge until it was time to depart, and then I went back to our veranda to take pictures of the departure.

This was Jackie Bankston’s 49th birthday. I brought a ‘Happy Birthday’ banner with me to leave on the piano in the Captain’s Bar, and in the Engine Room bar. I noticed that when she came to play in the Engine Room bar that night she put the card I left for her on the piano. We also arranged for a cake for her, which she shared with her crewmates. The next day was our family’s special day, and Jackie was doing something for that and we wanted to thank her in advance.

I joined my wife and daughter in the movie theater to end the day, so that we could do something together.

We arrived in Marietta Ohio at 6 am in the morning fog. When I first looked out at 6:30 you could not see Williamstown WV. It was very much like Brigadoon. My son and I went down to breakfast, and then while more of the family was making their way to breakfast, I went down to the shore.

The Marietta Convention and Visitors Bureau made arrangements for us to have a van for the day. When they went to pick up the van that I had reserved, the company didn’t have the van from the previous rental. The staff of the CVB out did themselves making phone calls and going the extra mile to be sure that a van would be available Sunday morning.

I picked up the keys, and greeted David White, who had agreed to take pictures of our day. Since the Watertown Presbyterian Church’s services were at 8:45 A.M. we decided to attend the United Methodist Church in Marietta instead.

Afterwards, we went out to the church in Devola where my parents were married, and visit the gravesite of their college advisor and his wife. Then we went up to lookout point on Harmar Hill to get a full view of Marietta, and then lunch at the Marietta Brewery.

By the end of lunch the kids wanted to go back to the boat, which looked like a building at the end of Front Street. So they went back to the boat, and then I took the rest of our group up to the college so they could walk the campus. Just about the only thing that looks the same as it did from years past was the west side of what was Fifth Street, so that was where we walked.

Then it was back to the AQ for some rest before departure and the Captains Dinner. As departure time approached, we gathered on our veranda, by a Marietta College banner that I put on the railing. When it was time to go, the captain sounded the horn and we pulled away.

At this point my mom was thinking of the Marietta College song ‘The Navy Blue and White’, also known as ‘Time Honored Marietta’. At the same time, Jackie Bankston was warming up the calliope, and when she started playing ‘The Navy Blue and White’ it took my mom a few measures to realize that she wasn’t imagining things. This was a special treat that Phil Westbrook arranged for us before he departed the boat the day we arrived. The tune is based on ‘Sadie Ray’, which was written by J. Tannenbaum in 1870, so it is an appropriate song for the calliope.

After waving goodbye to the Marietta landing, while David took pictures from the shore, we went to the captain’s dinner. Where we had our official family celebration of my parent’s anniversary.

We spent the rest of the evening watching the river go by. My daughter and I went to see the Astronaut Farmer, which meant that we missed watching the fireworks in Sistersville. I saw our fireworks back home, and she had skipped them so neither of us was very upset. At midnight when we went through the Hannibal lock there were a large number of families with very small children waiting to watch us go through. They saw us go by during and after the fireworks, and decided to catch the boat as it went through Hannibal. Sounds like something out of the 1972 movie version of Tom Sawyer.

The rest of the cruise was very relaxing. We stayed close to the boat in Wheeling. My dad, son and I played cribbage on the Front Porch. My daughter and I went swimming in the evening. It is strange to see the trees go by when you are in a pool. After attending Bob Schad’s show (couldn’t miss the banjo) I worked on the puzzle in the card room and watched us go through the last two locks and tie up in Pittsburgh. Watching the deck hands was interesting. There was one that was clearly new to what he was doing and had to have someone either help, or fix what he had done. It was clear that he didn’t completely understand the concept of throwing the monkey fist, not the heavy line.

We finished the trip with the Pittsburgh shore tour and then the flight home.

All of us had a great time. My parents felt that the service was several levels above what they paid for and above what the expected. Clearly everyone on board was working to ensure that we had a great time. My wife and I followed the Majestic guidelines for the tipping pool, and then we used the envelopes to tip using the DQSC guidelines, plus extra for the electrician that came to the room and people like that.

My dad’s idea of relaxing on a cruise is a cup of coffee and sitting back in the engine room talking. This was a lot more than that and he had a blast.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, especially the “don’t worry about the details, just make sure you relax and have fun”. My parents waited 50 years to take this cruise, and it was an event to remember.

If your kids wanted to go back to the boat while you finished your Marietta tour, I guess they did like it! Glad that things worked out so well for you, and that you got someone to photograph your Marietta departure, if not your landing. Isn't it beautiful coming into Pittsburgh at night? Thanks for the great postings - doesn't sound like you missed much of anything.

Judy Patsch;6665 wrote: Thanks for the great postings - doesn't sound like you missed much of anything.

We didn't see the dance band, or most of the evening shows: Lewis Hankins as Mark Twain, Lauri Jones and Glenn Springs show "Come On Get Happy, Smiles from the silver screen" and that kind of thing. My dad would have been happy to pick up a mop and help out.

But that is my dad. He was a deck hand in high school.

When he was a Captain in the Navy, his crew came in to find him in his Captain's uniform, fixing the toilet. When asked about it, he replied that he wanted it fixed right away, and he knew that if he left it to the maintainance staff they wouldn't work on it until more important things were completed. He had the time, knowlege and tools, so he just did it.

I have gone back and added pictures to my posts in this thread.

Bruce,

Thanks a lot for your review and the photos!! Sounds like the cruise was a big success! And obviously your kids did like it too :-).

Carmen

Glad your cruise went well! I am so thrilled for your parents. Wow! Your postings brought back many happy special memories of our cruse the week before! Just going with the flow is what steamboating is all about. You even remembered to breath!! Hope you feel as I do that Majestic will do right by us.
Marian Nusekabel

I have seen on line comments about the reduced entertainment on the boats. My thought was that it may have had to do with the number of bookings by the time they were contracting with the entertainment. For example on our cruise we had 288 passengers out of a capacity of 436. That means that we were at 2/3

Our cruise didn't have a photographer, but that was because there was a new baby in the family and she left to be their for the family.

The activity that the all the adults, not just the Marietta College grads, are still talking about is watching the river for the next can or nun. Passing Daymarks were an extra bonus.

The only real change in the entertainment we saw, instead of four singers/dancers, there are only two. In between their shows Steve, Phil, and Greg presented their individual shows in the Grand Saloon. We had a fill-in photographer on both our cruises 6/25-7/5th by the name of John. Very good! Phil always performed in the Capt. Bar, and there was nightly entertainment by Greg in the Engine Room, dancing in the Grand Saloon.
We are now going to be on the Aug. 5th/10th St. Louis/Cinti. We will see what happens. Your cruise report just made us want to go back again for more of the river. Yes, and I know BREATHE does have an "e" at the end!!!
Marian Nusekabel

Reading all the reviews here and on other boards there is a change in the entertainment. We´re not only talking about the shows and music but also about the entertainment during the day like the kite flying, calliope capers, dance lessons, bingos, trivias, games, arts&crafts things (like hat making contests, door decoration contests), Mike Fink Party, and so on. Many of those activities were guided by the singers. And it´s obvious that with only two singers you can´t offer as much daily activities as before.

Most of the stuff I haven´t attended and I won´t miss it. Sure I´d prefer a kids program of some kind. And Leonie will miss it if there´s no arts & crafts stuff anymore.

But regarding it from the view of a first timer who is used to an extensive daily program on a big cruise ship I totally can understand that a first timer might feel bored. But if you prepare yourself properly you aren´t disappointed (meaning: if you know what to expect your expectations can´t be disappointed).

Carmen

Ok, I can understand that. This was my first cruise on a ship that had anything more than a small band in the dining room, that only played during meals. My parents are cruise vetrans, but the AQ was the biggest boat for their travels.

not a quote but a side comment:The boat where my dad used to work is 1,115 feet long, and he doesn't see the point in going to sea if you are on vacation.(if a leadsman was checking depth, his boat would need Mark 7 to clear the bottom) BTW, on that boat he requested sea rails in his stateroom. He was informed that no matter how bad the weather, the boat never listed more than 10 to 14 degrees, so there was no point. He insisted.

When they did hit a big storm one year, my dad was the only ships officer that wasn't hit by flying books

.

And then some of us (who shall remain nameless! 🙂 ) create our own daytime entertainment by stashing kites in our baggage and handing them out. But I would vote for more Calliope Capers--why only once the whole trip??? Um, well, yeah, if it's my playing, perhaps once is enough! I promise to practice more!
S'
David D.