I'd always wanted to take a cruise but a part of me suspected ocean cruises wouldn't be my cup of tea. So when riverboat cruising became "the new thing" I decided they sounded more like what I'd enjoy as I'd loved the paddlewheeler dinner cruise I'd taken in New Orleans.
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When trying something for the first time when traveling alone, I prefer to be on somewhat familiar turf - just in case. So I booked the Upper Mississippi River Cruise with American Riverboat Cruises.
Hi, I'm Pat and welcome to my blog, Life's A Trip!
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I love traveling, food and getting a great deal on anything - which is what this blog is about.
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I'll share not only my travel destinations including accommodations, dining hot spots, and top (and weird!) travel attractions with you - but how to make any trip more budget friendly.
Although I'd been in most of the port stops along this route, I had friends and relatives in some of the ports, which made driving to the Twin Cities, leaving my car there at a friend's house and getting to the airport for a quick flight to St. Louis a breeze.
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Although well into their booking season, I managed to score a deal with American - $1200 off, including complimentary airfare and a hotel stay for the first night. Under $6000.
America’s waterways offer some of the most spectacular cruising experiences you’ve probably never considered. River cruises give you a totally different perspective on familiar landscapes, letting you drift past historic towns, wildlife sanctuaries, and epic scenery without changing hotels or sitting in traffic.
These floating adventures combine the relaxation of scenic cruising with the convenience of unpacking just once. What's not to like!
However, there are differences you need to be aware of.
the differences between riverboat cruises and cruise line cruises
RIVERBOATS ARE OBVIOUSLY SMALLER THAN OCEAN CRUISE VESSELS
Ocean cruise lines carry thousands of passengers. Riverboats carry on the average of 200 passengers.
Riverboats are much more intimate and it's easier to make new friends on them due to the more social atmosphere. The small size of the boat means there is likely just one lounge (maybe two), one main restaurant with a couple of smaller dining venues, and a teeny-tiny spa, gym or computer center -- if there is one at all.
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RIVERBOAT CABINS ARE SMALLER
River ship staterooms are smaller than their ocean ship counterparts, but they're not short on home comforts. River ships eschew inside cabins and all accommodations face the water. Newer riverboats are getting very creative, adding balconies and cleverly designing cabins to make the most of the space allotted. Many have panoramic windows that slide down at the touch of a button to create the feeling of a balcony, even though you can't actually step outside.
However, how much room does one need to lie down to sleep? Because that's about the only time you'll be spending in them. I found them to be plenty large, about the same as your standard hotel room.
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THERE ARE MORE BUFFETS AND FEWER RESTAURANTS
If you've been spoiled by mega-ships where you can eat dinner in a different venue every night during a weeklong cruise, you'll need an attitude adjustment to embrace riverboat dining. Most ships have one main restaurant, and breakfast and lunch are often buffet-only (or buffet mainly, with a few items to be ordered a la carte) with a served evening meal. Most river ships have intimate secondary venues -- some vessels up to four -- offering alternative menus and private dining. A handful of lines now provide room service, previously a rarity.
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To make up for having only one big dining room, ships get creative, spreading casual breakfast and lunch offerings on the bar in the lounge or setting up BBQs out on deck. Plus, the small passenger count and daily port calls mean the venues are better able to bring in fresh ingredients like fish and produce or offer regional specialties at mealtime.
I didn't find the lack of restaurants at all a deterrent. There were other lounges, a cafe, a sun deck to supplement the restaurants.
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ENTERTAINMENT ON RIVERBOATS IS LOW KEY
You won't find casinos, theatrical shows, ice shows, acrobat performances, karaoke, etc. on riverboats like you will on cruise ships. You will find a lone resident pianist or small ensemble on most ships, plus folk dancers, singers or other local troupes brought onboard for a quick evening show. During the day you can expect educational seminars and maybe the odd cooking demo, wine tasting or quiz. With river cruising the passing scenery and destinations visited are the main star of the show.
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RIVER CRUISE ITINERARIES ARE PORT INTENSIVE
Unlike ocean cruises that have leisurely sea days, river cruises are port intensive, and you'll visit a new destination each day -- sometimes two in one day -- and up to four countries in a week. The ports, not the ships, are the key attractions, and you will certainly pack a lot of sightseeing into a week or two. This kind of travel can be exhilarating but also exhausting. Bring comfortable shoes, and don't be embarrassed to take a day off if you're getting overwhelmed. The tours might be included, but there's no obligation to go on all of them.
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SHORE TOURS ARE MORE LIMITED AND CULTURALLY FOCUSED
The hallmark of the river cruise shore excursion is the walking tour, the kind where you follow a guide with a lollipop sign or umbrella as she rattles off details of a quaint city's history and culture, followed by limited free time for shopping or a quick drink in a local cafe. Although you can't expect a whole booklet of different shore excursions like you'd find on the open ocean, things are changing rapidly. In addition to the traditional walking and motor coach tours to castles and other places of interest, river cruise lines have introduced options for active travelers, such as guided bicycle rides, hikes, golf, kayaking and even running tours, along with activities including cooking and art classes, music recitals and trips to the ballet or opera.
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MOST RIVER CRUISE SAILING IS DONE AT NIGHT
With the exception of particularly scenic stretches of a river, ull sailing days are a rarity. Generally, you're only on the move for a couple of hours a day. The majority of sailing is done during the late night or very early hours.
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MORE ITEMS ARE INCLUDED IN THE FARE
​While initially a riverboat cruise might appear to be more expensive than an ocean cruise, the fare includes more than a cruise ship, where you get nickeled and dimed the minute you step aboard. Fares will typically include wine, beer and soft drinks with meals, dinner in specialty restaurants, 24-hour tea and coffee, Wi-Fi and the standard tours in each port. Some lines offer all-inclusive fares covering all drinks, tips, transfers and even a hotel night before your cruise. With fewer onboard attractions to part you from your cash, you won't be racking up such an extensive onboard bill.
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No drinks carry an automatically added gratuity. Plus, most river ships allow you to bring wine back onboard that you've bought in local shops and vineyards.
YOU'LL WAKE UP EARLY
Late-riser breakfast starts around 9:30 a.m. -- and if you're eating then, you've likely missed the day's tour, which can begin as early as 7:30 or 8 a.m. River cruises are not for sleeping in, lounging around and proceeding ashore at a leisurely pace (unless you are planning to do your own thing and skip the morning excursion). However, all is not lost as upscale lines offer a choice of excursions that include one or two in the afternoon or evening.
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YOU'LL DOCK RIGHT IN TOWN
Your riverboat will dock right in town, often a short walk or quick bus ride into the heart of the city. The only downside is that sometimes the berths are all occupied, and your ship will tie up to another ship, and you'll have to walk through the other vessel's lobby or sun deck to get ashore (this also affects your view; it can be shocking to open your window and see into another ship). It's worth noting that this is one of the aspects that makes river cruising challenging for wheelchair users and travelers with mobility issues.
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DISTANCES BETWEEN PORTS ARE SHORTER
A riverboat might need 12 hours to sail a journey that would take you two hours by bus. While this means your entire trip won't cover as much ground as an ocean cruise, it does mean the cruise staff have a fallback plan if things go wrong. High water levels during very wet spells mean ships cannot sail beneath bridges, while very low water levels in dry periods means they can't sail at all. If this happens they'll put you on a bus to your next port -- and keep the itinerary going as planned. Larger lines also have contingency plans to switch passengers to a sister vessel further down the river to keep things running as smoothly as possible.
A NOTE ON FARES: Although the fares seem more expensive than on ocean cruise lines, they're really not when you take into account they're all inclusive or nearly all inclusive. You don't get nickeled and dimed the minute you board the boat like you do on ocean cruises.
Our fare included three meals per day, all alcohol available all day, our complimentary shore excursions, 1 night hotel stay and complimentary airfare (on some cruises), ship to town transport and even tips for the boat crew.
TOUR OF THE RIVERBOAT, THE SERENADE
I was actually kind of stunned when I boarded the boat, even though I'd seen photos and a brochure.
Believe me, they don't do the Serenade justice. This boat was LUXURIOUS - very clean and modern as well. A beautiful four deck high atrium with skyline floods the atrium lobby with light.
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Because I'd booked after booking season had already begun, I had to settle for a more expensive Deluxe Balcony stateroom because that's all that was left. The rest of the staterooms had booked already. Bigger than what I needed being single, traveling alone...but WOW! I was impressed.
My stateroom was as nice and as spacious as a hotel room, and it had a private balcony as all the rooms on the ship do.
dining
Different boats handle dining differently. On the Serenade the dining room was large enough to accommodate all 180 passengers at one time so we did not have assigned seating. We could sit wherever we wanted, with whomever we wanted. No reservations required.
The Serenade Dining Room
It's true you will be up early! Our shore excursions began at the latest at 9 a.m.! Breakfast was only served until 10 a.m.
There were buffets but you could also order ala carte off a menu. Crew were very attentive to any special dietary needs and would bend over backward to make something exactly as you wanted it made for your dietary needs.
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The food was fantastic and far better than I expected it to be.
A major focus is to offer local regional specialties using fresh ingredients sourced from as close to the ship as possible. Memphis barbeque, local artisan cheeses, gumbos, creole entrees and Abita beer from New Orleans are highlighted on the Mississippi cruises. ​
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An example of the menu offerings:
APPETIZER
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Cajun Gulf Shrimp served atop of Creamy Polenta
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Garden Fresh Feta House Salad with Walnuts, Red Onion, Sun-Dried Cherries with a White Balsamic Vinaigrette
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Authentic Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo
ENTREE
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Jambalaya with the perfect combination of Andouille Sausage, Gulf Shrimp, Chicken, Vegetable Trinity, flavored with Cajun Spices, and topped with Steamed Rice
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Pan-seared Beef Tenderloin & Stuffed Lobster Tail served with a Potato Puree and Vegetable Medley
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Pasta St. Charles with a delectable Creole Mustard Cream Sauce served over Penne with Louisiana Shrimp and Andouille Sausage
DESSERT
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Gooey Butter Cake: This St. Louis staple is a rich Yellow Cake baked with a layer of Cream Cheese Custard and served with Fresh Mixed Berries and Whipped Cream
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Creole Bread Pudding with a warm Whiskey Caramel
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Homemade Peach and Blackberry Cobbler topped with French Vanilla Whipped Cream
A complimentary cocktail hour with full bar is hosted each evening before dinner in the Sky Lounge. Glasses, ice, mixers, coffee and soft drinks are available at all times. Would you like to see a couple of the hors d' oeuvres served at cocktail hour?
Cocktail hour crab claws
Cocktail hour shrimp cocktail
Cocktail hour was like a pre-dinner in itself! I met one gentleman who'd been converted to riverboat cruising who'd been an avid ocean cruiser - until on his last ocean cruise he paid $5 for can of Coke once port charges and gratuity were added on. On a riverboat cruise drinks and food are abundant and it's all been taken care of in your fare.
The Sky Lounge
Between meals, some of the lounges were stocked with snack bars where you could help yourself to a large selection of granola bars, chips, candy bars, cold sodas, juices, bottled water, coffee, tea and even fresh homemade cookies made twice a day.
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A more casual breakfast and lunch are served in the open-air terrace Back Door Café on Deck 4 aft. Just order what you want and have it delivered to wherever you are sitting – inside or outside.
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Back Door Café breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. features scrambled eggs, breakfast pastries, yogurt, fruit and berry salad, smoked fish platter, bacon or sausage, oatmeal or grits and the daily creation breakfast sandwich.
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For lunch, the Back Door Café serves from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for fresh baked pepperoni or four cheese pizza, hamburger or veggie burger, grilled hot dogs, chicken salad wrap, albacore tuna salad wrap, tortilla chips and salsa and nachos with cheese sauce or chili.
The Back Door Cafe, Deck 4 aft
You could also have a meal in your stateroom or on your private balcony.
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I'd give the food on the Serenade 5 out of 5 stars - plenty of options, beautiful presentation and very generous portions, everything fresh. Wait staff went above and beyond accommodating.
itinerary
DAY1 - ALTON, IL/ST. LOUIS, MO
Our first day was at the hotel so we had time to explore the Alton/St/ Louis area. Having been to St. Louis before, I decided I wasn't up for that much sightseeing but had some time to kill so I decided to take a tour of the Beall Mansion. $20, tour lasts 1 hour.
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Back at the turn of the century, Alton was home to multiple wealthy bankers and industrialists. They built their homes in what's called "River Bend" on "Millionaire Row". Beall Mansion was one of those homes.
This historic home was built in 1903 by Railroad Baron and Entrepreneur Z. B. Job as a wedding gift for his son and son's bride, Mary Drummond, of the Drummond Tobacco fortune. In 1909 it was purchased by the honorable Edmond Beall—Alton Alderman, 4 time Mayor, Senator, Industrialist and Financier.
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Designed by world renowned architect, Lucas Pfeiffenberger—today this 3 story, 10,000 + square foot mansion serves a dual role as a living museum of the wealth and opulence of a bygone era as well as one of the finest bed and breakfast inns in the St. Louis area.
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Owners Jim and Sandy lovingly restored the mansion, using the antique furniture that had been in the house as well as other turn-of-the-century antiques of that period. They turned it into an award-winning B&B, complete with even a chocolate buffet, featuring 20 different kinds of chocolate.
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Jim can not only tell your the history of Alton and the Beall Mansion, he can tell you who carved every piece of antique furniture in the mansion, when it was carved and the entire story behind it.
I'm always on the lookout for future accommodations when I travel and as you can see in the videos above, Jim and Sandy did an absolutely fantastic job of restoring the Beall Mansion. Pricing for a stay is extremely reasonable and the bedrooms are beautiful with updated bathrooms.
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Later that day, we cruisers gathered in the hotel lobby to be transported to the Serenade riverboat.
The entire crew showed up to take our luggage to the boat and our individual staterooms for us. We didn't have to handle our luggage at all!
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We had the rest of the day to get settled into our staterooms and explore the boat.
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DAY 2 - CRUISING THE MISSISSIPPI
A WELCOME ABOARD shingdig was held that included cocktails, hors d' oeuvres and entertainment, They also gave us the run down on "rules and regularions", such as dinner hour attire. (Country Club casual, no formal wear needed).
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It was great in that you got to meet and know the crew personally and since there were only 180 passengers, you basically did everything together - meals, excursions, entertainment - so you got to know them personally as well. I was relieved to see they were all around my own age and everyone got along great together. (Riverboat cruising primarily caters to the senior crowd)
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DAY 3 - HANNIBAL, MO
We were offered a choice between two excursions that day - a tour of Mark Twain's home and museum OR the Hannibal Local Loop. There were also other excursions you could take if you wanted to pay to take them.
Tip: Read what your excursions choices offer carefully.
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I chose the Local Loop because it included not only the tour of Mark Twain's home and museum, the Becky Thatcher House, Huc kleberry Finn House, J. M. Clemens Justice of the Peace office, and the recently restored Grant's Drugstore. In addition, the Loop tour included a stop at the LaBinnah Bistro and Laura Hawkins House (real life inspiration for Becky Thatcher) and across the street at the LaBinnah Bistro, we were treated to a sweet and savory sampler along with a wine tasting experience to enjoy at our leisure. The Loop tour ended with a seasonal free performance by Tom and Becky and Mark Twain himself.
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One of the pay-for excursions was a tour of the town with a Mark Twain look-alike and ended with him performing “Mark Twain Himself” at the Planter’s Barn Theater.
So by choosing the Loop complimentary tour, I got the tour of the Mark Twain complex, transportation to downtown Hannibal to explore, a stop at the Laura Hawkins House and the La Binnah Bistro for a treat and wine and still enjoyed a performance by Tom, Becky and Mark Twain - that I didn't have to pay extra for.
Mark Twain's boyhood home and museum
Multiple excursions are offered daily from walking tours of the different cities to visits to a myriad of museums, historic homes, national parks, gardens, multiple plantations, cultural outings, brew and view tours, local river explorations and outdoor adventures. Onboard there are daily lectures, interactive games galore, guest speakers, music and multiple places to just get away from it all in which to drink, read, isolate, socialize or just ponder life.
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DAY 4 - DAY OF CRUISING
It was nice to have a breather day to just relax and watch the scenery go by as we made our way to Muscatine, IA.
The nice thing about river cruising is that you can be as social (or not) as you want.
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I spent some time on the Sun Deck with a book, caught a nap in my cabin, joined a friend for lunch, joined in a trivia game being played.
Then it was on to cocktail hour, dinner and that evening's entertainment.
DAY 5 - MUSCATINE, IA
I'm familiar with many cities and towns in IA being I have relatives in Cascade, Monticello, Cedar Rapids,, yada yada yada but I'd never set foot in Muscatine. What a charming little historical town!
Downtown Muscatine was a short two block walk from the dock and it looks as though it never moved out of the 19th century.
We had a choice of four activities but none of them really appealed to me so I opted to explore Muscatine on my own, at my own pace.
The Downtown area is full of restaurants, bars, craft breweries, mom and pop stores, all housed in old 19th century architecture. It was fun just nosing around the little shops.
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I also stopped in the Muscatine History & Industry Center, just out of curiosity.
The Center tells the story of the Weber & Sons Button Co. From the 1880s this company established Muscatine as the world’s largest producer of pearl buttons, manufactured from freshwater mussel shells, all harvested from the Mississippi River.
By 1905 Muscatine produced 1.5 billion buttons annually, more than a third of the world’s total output.
Who knew?
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I also learned about clam harvesting and the craft of button cutting.
There's also a great park in downtown Muscatine called Riverside Park, where I stopped to watch kids play on the splashpad fountain.
The park also has a playground, boat ramp, picnic shelters, multi-use trails and basketball courts.
I didn't feel like walking back to the boat for lunch so took the locals' advice (as I always do) and stopped at Salvatore's By Papa Reno for an Italian lunch.
I ordered Chicken Parmigiana - noodles were perfectly done, red sauce and breaded chicken on top, smothered in cheese. Excellent, as was the service.
Very large portions, enough for two people.
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I needed to walk off lunch so headed for the Mark Twain Overlook. For you photo buffs, this small bluff is a great place to take photos and it's moments from downtown so you can easily walk to it.
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The Mark Twain Overlook is a small, scenic park on the site of Muscatine’s first radio station, KTNT (Know the Naked Truth), operated between 1925 and 1931.
DAY 6 - DUBUQUE, IA
I know Dubuque almost as well as I know the back of my hand, having been there countless times being as I have relatives near Dubuque.
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We had a choice of five excursions so being I've seen most of what Dubuque has to offer, I chose the Dubuque Loop tour. A shuttle takes you to the Dubuque Museum of Art, the Fenelon Elevator and shopping district and the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.
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For those of you who don't know what the Fenelon Elevator is, it's a historic cable car that is the shortest and steepest scenic railway, with stunning views of the Mississippi, Dubuque and the ship from the top.
The Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is part aquarium, part museum, part science center.
For you movie and Kevin Costner fans, Dyersville is a short 28 mile drive from Dubuque and the set of the movie Field of Dreams is still standing - including the baseball diamond, the "magical corm" and the farmhouse.
(This was one of the excursions offered)
One of the coolest things at this attraction is the surprise ghost baseball players emerging from the corn field, just as they did in the movie!
On a sunny summer day in 1990, Keith Rahe gathered up a few friends and wool baseball uniforms to surprise visitors to the Field of Dreams Movie Site by emerging out of the corn field like ghosts from the film. This action turned into a legacy that continues to this day. Consisting of extras from the movie and local baseball players, the Ghost Players have hosted baseball clinics and performed shows across the United States and around the world.
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DAY 7 - WINONA, MN
For Day 6 I chose something a little more active. This was a Signature shore excursion so reservations were required ahead of time and I had to pay extra but it was worth it. I elected slough paddling via canoe in Pool 6 of the Mississippi - noted for its wildlife. (I used to be a canoeing instructor back in the day and it's my favorite way of unwinding.)
Plus a portion of each excursion cost goes towards reclamation efforts in the surrounding Prairie Island Park area.
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I packed a picnic lunch in my backpack and off I went! It was a totally relaxing day on the water, watching the wildlife.
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DAY 7 - RED WING, MN
Again we had a choice of four excursions and I chose to visit the National Eagle Center. Not a tough choice for me to make. I live on a lake with several pair of eagles, I have a couple of friends who are bird rehabilitators so Ihave handled eagles...I love eagles.
Photo by my friend, Dan Wade of Kenosha
DAY 9 - ST. PAUL, MN
Our last day so only one excursion was offered and that was to explore St. Paul. My grandfather had lived in St. Paul and my brother had attended dental school in Minneapolis so I had visited the Twin Cities countless times and had seen everything on the offered excursion.
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We disembarked very close to the airport so I'd made reservations at the Embassy Suites to spend the night until my friend could pick me up the next day.
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But if you want to sightsee in the Twin Cities, travel to Bloomington and visit the Mall of America, especially if you're traveling with kids. The mall is only 14 miles from the riverfront. The mall has over 500 stores alongside an indoor water park and theme park.​
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In St. Paul itself, stroll down Summit Avenue to see captivating array of historic mansions, each with its own story to tell from the late 1800s.
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A mere 9 mile trip will take you to Minnehaha Falls, where the falls drop 53 feet into a serene oasis.
Now that I've experienced riverboat cruising, I no longer have a desire to take an ocean cruise. I like the intimacy of having only 100-some fellow passengers close to my own age and the flexibility of riverboat shore excursions in that you can take them or not. I also liked that meals reflected the regional cuisine of the area you were traveling in and that everything was fresh.
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If I had one 'criticism' of riverboat cruising it's that I wish they offered more along the lines of active shore excursions than almost strictly historical. But it appears the riverboat cruise lines are moving in that direction. I'd also like to see them become more disabled traveler friendly.
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All in all though, I highly recommend trying a riverboat cruise!