Cruise America by Steamboat This Year

For an unusual and distinctly American cruiseThe grand dame of all river cities in the United
experience, paddlewheel cruises can offer you aStates remains New Orleans. Katrina
chance to see a different and slower side of thenotwithstanding, New Orleans is back. You can
United States.visit the French Quarter (which abuts the
The paddlewheeler may sound as American asMississippi River) and at least one major cruise line
apple pie and it certainly conjures up thoughts ofis using New Orleans again as a port.
Mississippi gamblers, dance hall girls, and theProbably the best known line for this type of
American frontier. However, paddlewheel shipscruise vacation is Majestic America, which offers
actually originated in China and can be found allMississippi River and other paddlewheel cruises (
over the world. Americans in the 19th centuryPaddlewheels also are frequently used on shorter
took the ancient concept of using a paddlewheelday trips. Brunch cruises, short sightseeing cruises,
and made two improvements: they moved theor even day-long cruises can be found all over the
wheel to the stern or back of the ship (ancientcountry (including in Orlando, a landlocked city).
Chinese vessels had the wheel in the front) andWhile this can be a great way to sample the
they powered these new vessels with the steamexperience of a steamboat trip without
engine.committing to a cruise, it's not going to be as true
You can book a paddlewheel cruise from a fewa steamboat experience as a multi-day journey
different lines. Some of them also featureon the river.
old-fashioned furnishings and a staff in periodWhile the steamboat may seem old-fashioned or
costumes. You may also be treated to someeven clumsy, their small size and design actually
themed events during your cruise.makes them far more maneuverable than larger
Paddleboats cruised the Mississippi in the 19thvessels. Captains typically have a bit more latitude
century, but most of these ships were workingin setting their course and itinerary, meaning that
vessels. They carried merchandise as well asdepending on the time of year and the river
passengers up and down the river. Some of theconditions, the captain may be able to travel to
best known ports on the route include St. Louisslightly different areas to get the best views of
and Memphis, but the Mississippi runs as far northwildlife or other sites of interest.
as Minneapolis and as far south as New Orleans,Don't expect to find lots of passengers; a
where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico.steamboat cruise will take only a few dozen to
Accommodations on these modern versions ofpossibly a few hundred passengers on any one
paddlewheel cruises tend to go back to the styletrip. This means that passengers on a steamboat
of the day when travel was more leisurely butcruise will get to know each other, interact with
also a bit grander. Expect stately touches on theeach other, and actually rediscover the pastime of
ship and modern amenities along with antiqueconversation. While you won't find as many
furnishings. One does not grab a bite on aactivities on a steamboat as on a large cruise ship
steamboat; it's more typical to dine. While(there won't be a miniature golf course,
paddlewheelers today do accommodate ourice-skating rink, or rock wall), you will find more
modern preference for the casual lifestyle, this isopportunities to get to know other people.
about as far from the "barefoot" cruise as youSince steamboats have always been known for
can get.their music, you can usually expect lots of
In their day, the American steamboats frequentlyrollicking evening entertainment, from jazz cruises
offered gambling, entertainment that for its dayon the Mississippi to other dance bands in the
was considered racy, and music from a calliope. ANorth. Steamboats may be nostalgic and stately
calliope is a very loud, steam-operated instrumentbut they aren't quiet, especially at night.
most frequently associated with the circus. You'llAnd while the Mississippi River cruise has to be
find them on some steamboat cruises today,the quintessential steamboat experience, you'll also
along with lots of music in the evenings (the typefind river cruises that go as far north as
depends a lot on the cruise you take).Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Washington state and
Before the Civil War, many Southern plantationseven Alaska. The Alaskan cruises, in particular,
along the Mississippi were deliberately built on theboast that they can access ports and areas that
river so that they could send their crops moreare off-limits to the larger cruise ships.
easily to market. Cruising by paddlewheeler allowsWhether you're looking for a red-white-and-blue
you to see some of these antebellum mansionscruise experience or just as slightly different spin
the way they were meant to be viewed by aon the traditional cruise vacation, a paddlewheel
party approaching on the river.cruise in the U.S.A. offers a wonderful vacation
Even many Southern cities on the Mississippi wereexperience.
built to be visited not by land but by waterway.