Help understanding steamboat cruising

well, for one thing it is totally different from blue water cruising. If you like the ambience of cruise ships you will probably be bored stiff on a riverboat. For me it is a trip back in time to a slower pace. From my experience the evening entertainment is quality entertainment. It is geared to the time period of steamboating. Food is as good as cruise ship. Dress code similar to cruise lines. Now mind you I am speaking from past experience. Haven't been on a steamboat in three years. Shore tours are also period type in that there is a lot of history in the south and that is what most of the tours are about. There is also entertainment in the bars in the evening. Some have a piano bar. For me I would take a steamboat over a ship any day but you have to understand that I was born 100 years late. Hope this helps

the steamboating experience

Its really impossible to describe, as it is different for each individual. But one thing is clear: the new ACL boat is being advertised as being able to go faster than previous boats. Wrong. If you want to go fast, take a plane. If you want to spend all day on land, take a bus tour. Traveling on a river steamboat is meant to be relaxing, leisurely. For some, this translates to boring. Those people are not meant to be steamboaters. There is so much to enjoy and partake in, or not, as the boat glides between the shorelines at 8 mph or less (high water excluded!). The boat itself is the destination, not the various shore stops. And what you do while on board is totally up to you!

Sally Harris;27106 wrote: well, for one thing it is totally different from blue water cruising. If you like the ambience of cruise ships you will probably be bored stiff on a riverboat.

That's not true. It greatly depends which blue water cruise line you are talking about. Yes, NCL, Carnival, Costa, Princess, Royal Carribean, and now HAL cruises are quite different from a river trip. I have traveled on each of the above, some numerous times, and the experience offered is indeed unlike a journey on the old Delta Queen Steamboat Co. boats.

But take a cruise or make a crossing on a Cunard ship, and the experience, in my opinion, has more similarities than differences. The two major being a third world crew, which can be every bit as charming as the American crew on the river, and a generally lower per diem on Cunard. The Delta Queen Steamboat Co. boats were most successful when they were presented as what they were. The Delta Queen Company offered a cruise that emphasized history, top notch entertainment, exceptional food, and a glimpse at life during the steamboat era. Cunard too offers their corporate history and tradition as a major marketing tool. Every North Atlantic crossing offers lectures by professors or those of note about the "Special Relationship" between the U.S. and Great Britain. Guest speakers give presentations on the golden era of ocean travel. The food and service is top notch. Except for having more multi-national passengers on Cunard both lines depended or still depend heavily on better educated, older, upper middle class passengers to fill their vessels. And neither line offered/offers beer by the bucket or belly flop contests.

I look forward with a passion to returning to cruising on America's inland waterways next year, but I'll still find time to enjoy the smell of salt spray coming across a ship's bow.

For many of us, it is the river, pure and simple. Watching sunsets and sunrises, cloud formations, scenery along the bank, the traffic you meet. Watching fishermen, making a lock or landing, the natural and man-made beauty. The crew is another plus. You have interesting people who are there because they want to be, not just because they want to make a pile of money, and the crew runs the gamut from quirky to the most interesting and talented folks you've ever met. Passengers also like the "show" of watching the crew perform their duties at landings and locks, and actually like seeing the Captain or Mate directing things from the bridge with a loudspeaker or megaphone, instead of using walkie-talkies as has become more common of late. Folks want to see a show, and that is part of it.

The boat itself is also an attraction - for those who love architectural beauty and details, the history of the boat itself, etc. If you have a mechanical bent, this aspect is also fascinating, especially on a real steamboat. You can visit the engine room and watch that power displayed, and five minutes of intelligent observation will tell you pretty much everything you want to know about it. If I am not mistaken, on the AQ they had an area where you could see well out the front of the boat, and had monitors to hear VHF marine radio traffic, and possibly a radar monitor for passenger viewing.

River Lore is another attraction, just the history of the river and the boats that ran it and continue to run it. Whether there is a full-time Riverlorian or river guide, or whether various crew members pitch in with tidbits of information, it is all interesting and makes for a memorable experience, unlike blue water cruising. People really eat that up. It is a much more intimate setting than ocean cruising. If you read Letha Greene's book, you come away with the theme of passengers becoming like family, and there is a great deal of truth in that; it is even evidenced by the posts on this forum. Some of the more recent passengers on the DQSBCo. boats are not posting as much these days as they once did, but they and the older heads on here now all share the love of the boat and their fellow passengers and crew members, and love to recount their stories of trips on the boat.

Entertainment on the boats has always been good, but it need not be Vegas-style spectacular. Your main entertainment is the boat and the river. The steam calliope is an unusual instrument, and to the surprise of some, is a point of intense interest. The chance to actually play this quaint and happy instrument is a draw for many, believe it or not. Food is very good, as is service. For my own part, I like the service and attention, but I think it need not be fawning, just good service. When it comes to entertainment, even somewhat "hokey" is okay and fun if it is not overdone.

I personally do not feel that extra-fluffy towels, super-high thread count sheets, boutique soaps, lotions, bathrobes, etc. make one whit of difference to the riverboat cruise market; in fact, it may be to a company's detriment to use those. The people who will ride your boat will actually make fun of it. Spend the money on something else, or lower fares. Most (not all, but most) do not care about televisions in the rooms. Of those who would ride the DELTA QUEEN, they cared very little about the rooms, if at all. Those rooms were for sleeping, changing clothes and showering, and that was about it. Admittedly, on the DQ the rooms were tiny, but even if they had been large, I do not see your prospective (repeat) passengers spending any time in them to speak of. I would also venture to say that private verandas are not a big draw for most. Some folks might think they would be, but after going on a steambaot river cruise and seeing what it is and liking it, most would rather sit where they can see and talk to anyone who walks by while they watch the river. Think along the lines of an old hotel in the mountains or at a somewhat exclusive club on the water, or maybe a chautauqua setting. All very folksy and you might even say intimate.

Shore stops: Some love 'em, some don't care and would just as soon explore on their own. Since the stops are in American towns, absorbing the local flavor is appealing to many, especially in towns on the Ohio and Upper Mississippi Rivers. On the Lower, not so much. There is always a market among pax for shore tours of historic sites, etc.

Dress code: times are a-changing from what they were in the 1960's and 1970's and 80's, but many actually like to dress up a bit at dinner. Otherwise, casual and comfortable are the name of the game.

I hope this helps you with what die-hard river cruiser find appealing. You can go through older threads on this forum and see for yourself what works and what does not.

Ditto what Judy has said, and please understand, people want to cruise more and stop less. The river is the attraction. Some operators of the boats in recent years have scheduled all-day stops in some town, getting underway around dinner time and being already tied up at the next stop by daylight. That's okay on the ocean, not on the river. If you have to tie up for schedule adjustments, do it after midnight. Keep shore stops a reasonable length and run during the day!

Jan Fishbein;27103 wrote: Hi everyone,

I have to admit publicly I know nothing about steramboat cruising with the exception of a horrible experience I had on Empress of the North before Majestic closed. (yes, I finally looked up what boat I was on)
Jancruz1

That was not a steamboat cruise. It just happens that MAL was the same company that mismanaged the DELTA QUEEN, MISSISSIPPI QUEEN, and AMERICAN QUEEN. Steamboatin' had a full range of live entertainment, excellent food and service, and a big welcome back to each of the many repeat passengers. Another steamboat plus was their long record of safety. MAL was plagued with a fire and then grounding of their diesel "ships" out west.

Bob nailed it

Bob got it right - and remember he's been both a passenger and a crew member on the DQ. I'll just reinforce a couple of his comments: I took 39 trips on the DQ between 1973 and 1983, and 2 more in 2002 and 2003. 22 of those were on the beautiful Upper Mississippi. Every trip was different. Every trip was the same. Different passengers, different crew, different sunsets (didn't see many sunrises), different people at the locks, different sights to see in town. Same fellow repeat passengers, same crew like Ed Smith, Ruben, Bob, Dave T, Henry, Vic Louise and Pete, Lexie, etc. Same beautiful evenings, same enthusiasm at the locks for the doubloons I threw out, same show and punchlines and Tasmanian garachiphones from Vic, and same old home on the river. After breakfast I would be camped out in my lounge chair (stored in the officer quarters by the stack when I wasn't aboard) on the sundeck starboard corner, where I could listen to the wheel slap the water, watch the scenery ahead and behind and on both sides, and tape the calliope concerts. I'd go in to the Texas Bar for the 5 o'clock singalong/show and then resume my lounging spot until showtime. During dinner I had my own private 285 ft. long boat, with only the maids doing the turndowns out on deck. Even during showtime, it was understood that should a lock appear, I would disappear with no disrespect to the band. Needless to say, I didn't waste away even though I only went downstairs for one meal a day. My liquid diet was very healthy: several fruit juices and a little something else... I never appreciated or even noticed sunsets until I rode the DQ. .That boat changed my life as I'm sure it did for many over the years.

For my 2 cents worth follow the old adage: KISS= Keep it Simple.

1-Operate the boat on interesting Rivers, The Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, Upper Mississippi and of course the Plantation experience in the cooler months.

2-No slots, table games.

3-The name of the game DISCOVER AMERICA BY STEAMBOAT! This is AMERICA, the American River EXPERIENCE. Make it a UNIQUE experience!

4-Decent AMERICAN fare, decent wine--American wine maybe from all parts of the country not the $500.00 dollar bottle from some "private cellar".

5-Decent bedding and room appointments. AMERICAN style--not French Empire!

6-Price this UNIQUE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE right.

7-On pricing remember it will take years and years to overcome the bad experiences travel agents had with the last immediate ownership(s).

Amen

One more thing...

Jan, you have received what I feel is good advice here. As you can see, nostalgia is one of your biggest draws, along with, as Capt. Jim said, the American Experience.

One concession I would make as far as modern times are concerned is to have wi-fi aboard. It doesn't bother anyone who does not care to use it, and I feel it would be a definite minus if it were not offered.

Jan,

I totally agree with Bob and Jim!!

As for me the Delta Queen was my first cruising experience - blue water ships came 12 years later for me.

For me as an European it´s a great way to learn more about America and to see regions, towns and villages I usually wouldn´t have traveled to. But those experiences were some of the best travel experiences I´ve ever made. To be greeted by locals at the landing which are happy to help and assist you and even go the extra mile and give you a ride to the next drugstore, WalMart or whatever.

There´s a line in CCR´s song "Proud Mary" saying: People on the rivers are happy to give! I´ve experienced this many times. I met a lot of people and found great new friends all along the rivers and onboard.

As a European you do expect that Mark Twain feeling and therefore I wouldn´t change much regarding entertainment. I always found the evening shows great (on the AQ 4 singers/dancers plus band which was cut down during MAL) regarding the size of the ship and the possibilities you have there (just a stage, no big technical stuff). Listening to the music in the Engine Room bar (may it be piano - hi Jackie - or banjo - hi Paul). Real American music is what the people to expect.

The passengers do expect Southern hospitality, Southern food, Southern music. Keep it as simple as this.

We usually explores the river towns on our own (o.k., I did my homework) and skipped the offered shore tours. But that was mainly because we were travelling with our daughter - her first steamboat cruise was at the age of 1.5 years. Later she did enjoy the kids entertainment. Sure there was no kids club but making stuff (arts & crafts) or touring the boat with the Riverlorian (hi Jerry) and learning about knots, navigation, visiting the pilot house, doing a night watch was fun for her (I think I have photos of her sleeping in the pilot´s chair of the MQ and the AQ :-)). Showing her Hannibal and the Mark Twain museum is learning in real life!

You´ll often see some nice door decorations on blue water ships - hey, on steamboats there was a door decorating art!! I remember hat making contests, pumpkin carving contests, old fashioned horse races and of course bingo!! The first time we´ve been on the DQ they still had that passenger name bingo on the first day. Fill in a bingo card with names of fellow passengers. I found it a great way to get in contact with my fellow passengers.

DSQC once started out to market the cruises in Europe too. MAL cut that down again. But I think that´s a mistake. You have to market the cruises outside the US. There are a lot of people who are looking for something special or something new they never did before. Don´t ask me how difficult it was to book our first cruises in Germany (pre internet)!!!

I also agree that there should be at least one steamboating day per cruise. One of the major things on a steamboat cruise is that you pace down and adjust your life to the "speed" of a steamboat. Sitting in a rocking chair and watching the scenery pass by is extremely relaxing!! Flying a kite (after you managed to assemble it!!) is fun and turns out the kid in you.

One of my favorite spots was the card room especially by night. Just sitting there and watching. Or on the Upper Mississippi river... watching the trees for bald eagles!!

Don´t forget about the Riverlorians (hi Toots, Jerry, Travis, Mary and more). Getting explanations on what you see, giving lectures about the river, about navigation, Lewis & Clark, steamboat history and much more...

I think I´ve forgotten a lot of important things in this posting which I should have mentioned...

Carmen

Hello, Jan

Hopefully by now you've got the big picture figured out. All, or most, of the replies you got were from passengers. I was crew and we never ceased to be amazed at the sense of ownership our pax felt about the boats, the Delta Queen in particular.

As proof of that you might like to know that in her capacity as a temporary hotel in Chattanooga, she welcomes back many past passengers who, while there, happily help out with the maintenance required to keep her looking great.

The denizens of this board have never, ever given up in their certain faith that steamboats would be back. That is because those hunks of floating wood and steel are truly alive in the hearts of those of us who ride 'em and work on 'em.

"Family" is a term thrown about with abandon these days. The reason is fodder for sociologists far more qualified than an out of work banjo player to define. But the community that resides here at Steamboats.org is truly a "steamboatin' family". That phrase comes up in casual communication as easily as the word "Hello". It comes from the sense of ownership our passengers have (note present tense) about our boats.

Tell your friends to do everything they can to maintain that sense of ownership and success will be theirs.

We were always so happy to see passengers come up the ramp, we greeted them as if they were coming home instead of going on vacation.

To borrow a phrase from a popular movie, you might say we had them at "hello".

Paul

I would add one thing to this mix...hire some of the people who worked there before. The old passengers will be the first in line and will look for them and it'll make a family reunion look and sound tame. And, yes, if you do it right, expect a tear or two. Pax and crew was...and remains...one BIG extended family including all on this board, and don't forget the the web-masters, Franz, Carman, and Leonie. They have a great deal of affection for one another and if you want them to have any for you and come back, LISTEN UP! There is a wealth of information on this board. Cap'n Walnut

If you haven't figured it out from the above posts by reading between the lines, there are a lot of repeat passengers out there. Repeaters are the life blood of a company. In recent years it seems that repeaters have been given NO consideration. Give some really good deals to those who have shelled out thousands of dollars to take a river cruise, over and over. Start NOW, even if they aren't repeaters for the new company. They are your best advertising. I also like that idea of hiring people who have worked on the Queens before.

I cant tell you how thrilled I am to have found this board and Steamboating..I have the chills as I am reading all of your comments, it sounds exactly like what I have been looking for. Stu and I are big on sunsets and talking to people that is our biggest joy..The biggest plus for a lot of people will be the ability to stay here in the states and not have those awful long flights..
I cant tell you how much I appreciate all the wonderful comments here..now I really cant wait until next April or May..I hope there are some 10 day trips as we love the cruising part just sitting around talking and watching the scenery pass.
We just came back from Alaska where it rained for 10 out of 12 days but we didnt care as the ship was really our destination!!
I hope that the new owners listen to what you say..as it all sounds so wonderful..I will be happy to pass it along!!
Jancruz1

Jan,
Here's a note from a new "oldtimer" who foolishly waited 36 years to go steamboatin' (long story, but it's been written here before). "Family" is an often mis-used word today, but that is what it feels like aboard the Delta Queen. After 4 trips, she feels like home to us (well, for me she felt like home the minute we stepped onboard). We usually book a small bunkroom, as it's cheaper, and we like being on the upper deck near the calliope and where you step out of your cabin onto the deck with the sky above. Your fellow passengers are there, and it's wonderful to visit with them right there on the deck. The cabin size is of little importance as long as there's room to sleep, clean up and unpack your clothes. One does become creative in utilizing all the space that is and isn't available, and that's part of the fun!
The Crew is very important, and there were/are some wonderful folks onboard who make the trip special. On the DQ we were treated to "day old" bread pudding on the second day out, "two-day old" on the third day, etc. etc. This is a running steamboat joke that goes on and on. Another joke that goes on is one on me. We had first seating, but that was often during a sunset, and I would be up on deck photographing it. So, the announcement was made over the boat's PA, "Would Mr. Dewey please join his wife in the Orleans Room for Dinner!" I doubt such a thing would be so funny on a big ship, or even done for that matter! Hmm, maybe you had to be there!
Speed of the boat is of little importance, and slow is best. I often told people that we spend 8 hours at 800 mph so we can spend 8 days at 8 mph! (We live out in Californy, so we have to fly back to go Steamboatin' -- and that's the scariest part of our trip!) And yes, I would prefer we "tie to a stump" at night and cruise during the day. We did enjoy our visits to various towns and all the history that is along the rivers, but usually we did such exploring on our own, foregoing the package tour deals.
Food should be good ol' Southern cookin' -- one of our favorite meals was the picnic.
Entertainment should be simple and good--and, for me, at least, MORE Calliope playing!
Good luck!
Steamcerely,
David Dewey

David,

I knew I forgot something: the picnic!!!

Old fashioned picnic with fried chicken, BBQ ribs, corn on the cob, water melons.... and ants (at least some on those beautiful vests :-))!

Carmen

... and the breadpudding... no other cruise ship was able to compeat on that one!!

My only overnight steamboat cruise was on the Ohio. We contacted the Marrietta Vistors and Convention office to arrange a rental van for the day we stopped in Marietta. We went out to DeVola and up to Harmar, and around to other sites that were important to our family. Even so, the stop in Marietta could have been several hours shorter. As it was we left at dinner, so we were in the dinning room as we went through the locks on the way up river.

The best part of the trip was sitting on deck tracking the channel markings. My son and I decided to try some of the entertainment offerings and missed the fireworks that night. No one on board knew about the fireworks as they were a rescheduled event from because of rain. We found this out when we got to the next lock and the lock was packed full of people that saw us go by during the show.

I liked working on the puzzle. There were a lot of us working on it, but we never saw each other because we were there at different times of the day. The last night we all had the same idea, to finish it before we got to Pittsburgh.

My preference would have been to tie up after breakfast, instead of waking up to a bed that isn't moving anymore. There was only once where I managed to stay asleep when the wheel stopped.

Paddlewheels are for powering the boat, not for show. I can drag a fake paddlewheel on anything and save myself the time and money.

Just like the Delta Queen to steal the show, even if it's a fireworks display.

Another relative newcomer here. One trip on the Delta Queen was enough to get us addicted. However it was after the third one that we started to feel like "family". When you are greeted with huge grins and hugs you know you've come home. So to answer the question I'd agree with everyone else - it's the river, the boat and the CREW! The new company should hire as many from the Queens as they can possibly get and it should also listen to the veterans who know the boat and the rivers. Scheduling should be left to the river experts and not the hotel personnel. We surely hope to be back on the rivers with GASC next year.

I can't tell you how many wonderful friends the Texas Happy Ladies have made on our trips on the AQ and MQ. We still stay in touch with several of them. The Hawaian family who's daughter learned to try something new with fried green tomatoes. Who could forget Gracie the 100 year old lady from England. The Sheik and his lady from California.Not to mention the crew and entertainers that have become a part of our family. I echo the rest of the sentiments on here. Where else can you go on vacation that is like coming home. Long live the Queens!

It's a BOAT, not a BUILDING!

As one can see from the postings, cruising is an important feature of taking a trip on a boat. Now that sounds pretty elementary, but unfortunately it wasn't a concept grasped by recent DQ owners. The hotel manager told the captain when they were to arrive where, not the other way around. Shore tours became the big moneymakers (and if you're in a town for 12 hours, chances are you'd buy one rather than figure out for yourself how to spend 12 hours in Wabasha MN...), and cruising was done under the cover of darkness. It is a simple fact that a trip between St. Louis and St. Paul on the UMR has to cover 659 river miles, so expensive fuel has to be used regardless of WHEN the boat is moving. Back in the dark ages when the captain and the navigation/engineering crew were at least equal to, if not above, the hotel staff, shore stops were from 8-12 or 1-5 at the most, and if that gave us too much time between stops, we'd choke a stump at night and arrive when the passengers were awake. Nothing more deflating than to end a trip in St. Louis waking up to see the Gateway Arch out your window rather than to enjoy the arrival there. Hopefully the new AQ ownership will be able to raise funds somehow other than through daylong shore tours...keep that paddlewheel turning(and the z-drives churning) during waking hours!

I can't tell you folks how much I enjoyed reading this thread last night and tonight. It brings back such warm wonderful memories.

I just got home from spending 2 1/2 hours with someone who is "listening" to what we steamboater's want. Notes were made, pictures were taken.

I do want to add that some of those in charge - not all mind you - will be new to this game. Let's be fair and give them the chance to get it right.

We all want The Great American Steamboat Company to be a success. So you know how that's done. The schedule with rates is suppose to be up soon. Keep watching the website. I've already had my old brochures out looking to see which cabin I want to book. EVERY ONE of us needs to book as soon as possible. Haven't we been saving for almost three years for this?!?!?!?!?

Jo Ann,

Glad to know you were with the "listener".

As for me, steamboatin was all about the little touches - like more sugar free dessert choices than regular ones, or the day we were in Natchez, I think, and it was just too early for lunch, but we didn't want to break up the time in town to come back to lunch, so the maitre d' helped us make sandwiches from the lunch platters and even supplied plastic wrap, cloth napkins and silverware so we could carry our lunch ashore. Or the Sunday afternoon DW and I feel asleep on the only two chaise lounges on DQ and nobody bothered us. And the late evenings watching the wheel before turning in for the night. Ahh, what a relaxing cruise!

Now if they will just be able to offer "popular prices"...

Wesley

One more thought

on entertainment. It's already been mentioned that it shouldn't be the glitzy Caribbean cruise kind. Keep it high quality but familiar - dixieland, blues, ragtime and banjo and yes, even corny sometimes. Make sure there's someone who can do "Proud Mary" and "Old Man River" (that's a tough order right there) and plan on having a piano player in the Texas Lounge during the evening. The late, unlamented MAL reduced their entertainment staff and did away with the piano player up there. That "savings" resulted in lots of lost $$$ when it came time to add up the bar bills.
Looking forward to receiving the brochure and seeing many old friends, both passengers and crew members, on the American Queen next year.