We were on the American Empress for its Clarkston to Vancouver cruise on October 9-16, 2017. We flew to Spokane on October 7 and spent two nights at Spokane’s Davenport Hotel (one night was already covered by the cruise). The Davenport is a wonderful and historic hotel — be sure to take the self-guided tour of some of the hotel’s public rooms. We ended the cruise with two nights at the Dossier Hotel in Portland, Oregon (a much less interesting hotel with not much to offer except a good location).

This is a cruise that will appeal to people who are interested in the history, geology, wildlife, indigenous peoples, and scenic beauty of the Pacific Northwest’s Snake and Columbia Rivers. It has an unhurried schedule, which makes it possible to be on a river cruise that is both fascinating and relaxing at the same time.

While the boat is well-maintained and very attractive, it would not be a good choice if you are looking for a cruise that includes a spa, a swimming pool, specialty shops, casino, etc. It has none of these. While it does not have a gym, it does have bicycles onboard that you can take out when the boat is in port and you can walk around the entire top deck (though you may smell some diesel fumes on the stern section when the boat is docked). Read more