The brochure promised a week on the upper Mississippi in some comfort on a genuine stern-wheel riverboat with evening entertainment from the 50s-60s big band era. It didn't disappoint. Food and service were excellent and our top deck cabin spacious and comfortable. The evening entertainment was of a surprisingly high standard - a group of four talented singers and dancers who featured in shows of a West End/Broadway standard. The promised big band was an eleven piece live band of musicians playing Glen Miller / Duke Ellington style arrangements for dancing or just listening to. They were first class.
We cruised from Memphis to St Louis: the river is wide and there is not a lot to see on the banks, but for us the experience of being there was enough. The hop-on hop-off bus service at the riverside towns was efficient and for those with a genuine interest in American history a great help in getting to museums and places of local interest. This a not a trip for those who want to spend time shopping as most of the shopping in the US is now done at 'out of town shopping centres' and the Main Streets are quiet, populated by hairdressers, cafes, second-hand shops etc.
We were two Brits doing a trip designed for a mainly American clientel. We didn't enjoy the day trip to Graceland (from Memphis) which we thought had become a tourist theme park - too crowded, expensive and a bit tacky, We complained about having to put hot buffet breakfast food on cold plates - but this seems common in the US and was a small issue.