American Queen Voyages American Empress Cruise Reviews

4.5 / 5.0
98 reviews
Photo Credit: georgiafrlittle
Red Mountain Vinyards
Photo Credit: georgiafrlittle
Hells Canyon on the Snake River
Photo Credit: georgiafrlittle
The Column (you can climb to the top!) in Astoria
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Cruiser Rating
4.5
Very Good
98 reviews
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Featured Review
History, geology and geography abound!
"Since we know the area, we did not take many of the special (extra charge) excursions, but the one that we did take...For those who are not familiar with the area, I would recommend the excursion to Multnomah Falls!..."Read More
Salish Sailor avatar

Salish Sailor

10+ Cruises

Age 80s

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1-10 of 98 American Queen Voyages American Empress Cruise Reviews


Empress not up to standard of American Queen

Review for a U.S.A. Cruise on American Empress

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Ann from Alabama
2-5 Cruises • Age 70s

This company has gone down hill. This was our second cruise with American Queen. We took the Queen from New Orleans to Memphis in Nov 2019. It was amazing; great food; great service; great tours. We were so excited to go on another cruise after the success of our first one. We were so disappointed with the Empress. Between the cruise and airfare, we (my husband and I) paid almost $10,000. ...
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Response from BriannaH, Guest Relations @American Queen Voyages

Thank you for your feedback! We are pleased to hear that the scenery was amazing; however, we are disappointed to hear about the dining experience and the cancelled tour on Monday that...

Sail Date: November 2023


Fun Time on the Snake and Columbia Rivers, October 2023

Review for a North America River Cruise on American Empress

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runner19492002
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

Ahhh, American Queen voyages are always fun and this trip was our fifth. We have sailed on many occasions on large-ship ocean liners, European river cruises, and with AQV. Both of us are in our mid-70's and in excellent physical condition which makes traveling more pleasurable. Most passengers on American Empress are near our ages and many have mobility issues. This can often lead to slow ...
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Response from BriannaH, Guest Relations @American Queen Voyages

Thank you for the review! We're glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip overall and appreciated the feedback you provided on how we can improve. We will pass along your thoughts on the...

Sail Date: October 2023


Limited pre-cruise contact by AQV. Outstanding history and scenery.

Review for a North America River Cruise on American Empress

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MikeOrlando1947
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

No pre-cruise contact by AQV. Booked 4/2023. Called early August to see if they were still cruising 9/3. Received boarding documents 2 weeks before cruise. That was all the pre-cruise information. Staff on board were terrific. Very friendly and helpful. River talks were highlight of cruise. Lots of information and good insights on Lewis & Clark, native Americans and history of the Columbia ...
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Response from BriannaH, Guest Relations @American Queen Voyages

Thanks for the feedback! We're glad to hear that you had a great time onboard and enjoyed the river talks, premium experiences, and food. We are disappointed to hear about the boarding...

Sail Date: September 2023


Beautiful Ship With Gorgeous Scenery

Review for a North America River Cruise on American Empress

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georgiafrlittle
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

This cruise goes from Clarkston to Portland. The first excursion we took was the JetBoat Tour of Hell’s Canyon. I have never seen anything like the terrain. We saw BigHorn Sheep, Deer, Turkeys, and a bald Eagle. The river is clear and beautiful. This cruise was wine themed so we had wine tastings onboard and two dinners with wine pairings. We also did the Red Mountain Vines to Wine ...
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Response from BriannaH, Guest Relations @American Queen Voyages

Hi! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your American Empress sailing. We are so glad that the excursions, food, and onboard experience...

Sail Date: October 2022


Loved learning about Corps of Discovery Expedition and the river locks

Review for a U.S.A. Cruise on American Empress

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water kid
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

The boat was period décor throughout. Having a little balcony was relaxing. I was on a Road Scholar booked trip so excursions were included and well arranged. Learning about the hardships of the Discovery Expedition, it was surprising that the trip was completed. The food in the main dining room was sumptuous with a variety of choices. I personally opted for the River Grill. It was more ...
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Response from BriannaH, Guest Relations @American Queen Voyages

Hello water kid! We appreciate your kind words and are thrilled you had an excellent time on American Empress. We hope to welcome you back aboard in the future!...

Sail Date: May 2022


pleasant, easy going cruise

Review for a U.S.A. Cruise on American Empress

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roamgeorgia
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

Staff worked very hard to please the guests. The crew continually displayed great enthusiasm and many wore more than one hat--and wore them well. Cabin was comfortable. Dining room food was very good for the most part with enough variety for a week on board. Excursions were somewhat limited due to inclement weather and location. Talented musical entertainers. Our first river cruise after ...
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Response from BriannaH, Guest Relations @American Queen Voyages

Hello roamgeorgia! We are thrilled to hear you had an excellent time sailing with us, despite the sporadic T.V. reception. We will make sure to pass your feedback along to our crew....

Sail Date: April 2022


History, geology and geography abound!

Review for a U.S.A. Cruise on American Empress

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Salish Sailor
10+ Cruises • Age 80s

We live in the Pacific Northwest, so we are familiar with much of the territory that we visited, but we wanted to see it from the rivers. Our special interests were the history and geology. Since we know the area, we did not take many of the special (extra charge) excursions, but the one that we did take...the jetboat into Hells Canyon...was a highlight of the trip for us! We highly recommend ...
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Response from BriannaH, Guest Relations @American Queen Voyages

Hi Salish Sailor! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We are glad you enjoyed the trip! We will be sure to send the feedback to our crew. We hope to have you sail with us again!...

Sail Date: April 2022


Not a wine cruise

Review for a North America River Cruise on American Empress

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Denverkb
2-5 Cruises • Age 70s

Our cruise trip began with a night at the beautiful Historic Davenport hotel in Spokane Oregon. We boarded the American Empress in Lewiston WA. We visited Hells Canyon then Richland, The Dallas, Stevenson, Astoria and disembarked in Vancouver WA. The ship was lovely and food, service and entertainment were good. In each port we found interesting and/or scenic things to see and do - and ...
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Sail Date: November 2021


Not as described

Review for a North America River Cruise on American Empress

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Wlater
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

In midst of wave of new Covid cases, safety is not a big concern. They spray the luggage, but mask enforcement is minimal if at all. It has been shown that contacting Covid from surfaces is at the bottom of the list. No social distancing in any venue. Supposedly they follow state law when docked and on land, but not when moving on water. If you need mask protection when at the dock, you ...
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Sail Date: November 2021


Fabulous cruise

Review for a U.S.A. Cruise on American Empress

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aimeelevinweiner
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

My mom and I got back two weeks ago from the Columbia river cruise through the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington) with the American Queen Voyages Company. We were initially booked on this tour in April 2020 just before the world shut down. We have been dreaming of rebooking since then, and although we were somewhat nervous about cruising at this time, were reassured by the Co-Vid ...
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Sail Date: October 2021


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