Just finished 1 week cruise on Queen of West Columbia & Snake River in Oct 2021. It was NOT "Small Ship Cruising Done Perfectly". The old ship is like a 2.5 star motel. The advertised "Exquisite Cuisine" was B average . The dinner rolls were always room temperature and hard. I recommend they switch to Hawaiian Sweet Rolls so that it's always soft. "Acclaimed Entertainment" consisted of ...
The food was poor to say the least. The airline chicken consisted of an unseasoned piece of meat with BBQ sauce poured on top. To make matters worse, it was raw in the middle. The short ribs were cold when they came to the table and heavily laced with fat and grizzle. The portobello mushroom sandwich consisted of two burnt pieces of toast and a mini mushroom in the middle. The baked potato was ...
Being seasoned cruisers on ocean sailing lines, we were interested to try out the American Cruise Line's style of cruising the inland waterway enabling us to visit seaside towns that we'd never otherwise see on a big ship. ACL charged a much higher price but offered a lot less for the money. We already were prepared for a smaller ship with less amenities but found it even more lacking in service, ...
We chose this cruise because of its itinerary (which was unique and they were good ports that we enjoyed). Unfortunately due to the very poor quality of the ship and crew we were not pleased with the cruise overall. There was poor service, marginal food, dirty and unkept ship and cabins. A couple of people left the cruise after the first 24 hours apparently due to the underwhelming conditions. ...
Jacksonville to Charleston 12/21/18
I really, really hate being critical or complaining. But a realistic review of this cruise is important for others to read. I should have picked up on the lack of CC reviews of the Independence, but the timing and itinerary was perfect for us. This cruise was beyond disappointing. ACL advertises "perfect cruising". This cruise was not an example of ...
Wanted to see the northwest and brochures for American Cruise lines was inviting. The queen of the West American Cruise Line trip was very disappointing. The ship was old, food mediocre, overpriced, noisy going through the locks. The young staff, wait staff, while they try hard are only part timers. The stops were boring, except for the Snake River jet boat. , sad to pay so much and be let down. ...
Wanted to see the snake/columbia rivers. Only cruise line to offer the itinerary we wanted.
PLUSES:
* FRIENDLY CREW, ALBEIT INEXPERIENCED
* OPEN BAR COCKTAIL HOUR EACH EVENING
* SMOOTH RIDE, COMFORTABLE SEATING ON DECK
* GOOD ON-BOARD LECTURES ON LOCAL HISTORY
* MT ST HELENS TOUR WAS INTERESTING
* EASY EMBARKATION/DISENBARKATION
MINUSES:
* food quality was average to ...
Chose cruise for the itinerary. As compared to 2 other riverboat US cruises we have taken this ship doesn’t begin to live up to our previous experiences. The size or square footage of the cabins is a plus on the Independence. The decor seems like it is from the 1950’s in the cabins and public areas. The “multi-purpose” room lounge is tiresome. It seems like we spent way too much time for ...
This cruise line promises small ship cruising "done perfectly", and claims that it stands out from larger, much more affordable lines with personalized service, all-inclusive dining, and meticulous attention to detail. My party of 9 people was by far the youngest and healthiest group there, and possibly the largest with a combined spend of nearly $70,000, yet we were also one of the easiest to ...
We chose this cruise for a smaller ship, on board lecturer, fewer passengers. We had to miss our first port due to hurricane damage and that was understandable. We missed another port due to engine problems but nothing was said until we had sat unmoving for several hours and then had to turn back to the previous port. No compensation provided.
Embarkation/debarkation went smoothly. The ship ...