Tall Stacks Cruises

I know they are not doing the early morning tour of the boats. There will only be the breakfast, lunch, and dinner cruises. Possibly book one of those and ask one of the crew about touring the engine room. Viewing the engines is always neat. Good luck! We are booked on the Mississippi Queen! Can't wait!

I'm assuming that some sort of MARSEC requirement will prevent seeing the machinery spaces. Do I assume correctly?

Keith,
Not necessarily. If you are on the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE, the engine room is easily visible from the main deck aft and/or on the aft stairway. It is all open; you can talk to the engineers, though access to the engines themselves is restricted. On the NATCHEZ, the engines are clearly visble from the main deck aft outside. Last time I was on there you could still walk in the engine room. What boat are you booked on?

Haven't booked at all yet.....was holding back until I thought I had some chance at seeing the plant aboard the various boats. Am particularly interested in Magnolia Belle, Spirit of Peoria, PA Denny, and General Jackson.

If you can't go into the Natchez' engine room it will be because of a TallStacks prohibition, not the boat's. We have diagrams, posters, pix showing the workings of the machinery and always INVITE passengers to visit the Engine Room during a cruise. Its never been off limits before, so I wouldn't expect it to be now...

I can't speak to any of those exceppt the GENERAL JACKSON, and even that not definitely. I will tell you that I was on there several years ago and rode a good bit of the trip in the pilothouse with Capt. Monty Lamb. I asked about seeing the engine room and was told, flat out, NO. This was on a regular sightseeing cruise at Nashville, and I've known Monty casually for years. With the hustle and bustle of Tall Stacks, unless you had made some prior arrangements, I would say your chances are just about zero.