River Cruises - United States Cruise Reviews

Fantastic crew, great food, gorgeous ship. Nice excursions.

Overall, we enjoyed the cruise. We very much liked all of the different stops along the way and the excursions and Viking does a very good job of making sure everyone is well taken care of on them with golf carts taking folks to the buses (which are all super nice and comfortable) and definitely accommodating the elderly crowd. The boat itself is super nice, clean, modern and just nice to be on. The river is something to look at as well. Most importantly, the staff is amazing. They really make the cruise so much better. We cannot say enough good things about the service and the staff. All them. Yes, every one of them.

This is typical Viking, good itinerary. Too many people for capacity. Free excursions are poor, always 40 plus guests too many

You would think a cruise in that geographic area would have information on slavery. The closest it came was the Civil Rights Museum.

This cruise clearly had technology issues. There were technology issues at embarkation and every day when scanning our cards to leave or return to the ship. About half the time, the crew member scanning the cards gave up and just started writing the names and room numbers for the people leaving or returning to the ship.

The reason I rated i the cruise only a two is that we didn’t get to see many of the ports because the river was so low. Of course, American Queen Lined is not responsible for that. However, they should have warned us of the possibility that we will not be able to see at least half of our ports because of weather conditions. Everyone should know that at least on the lower Mississippi, it’s quite possible that the river will be either too high or too low to visit many of the ports and that ruined the cruise for me and most of the other passengers.

Excellent staff and service. Viking can never do enough for you on any cruise

Big disappointment was the housekeeping service. The food was good but choices limited. Service in the dining areas was hit and miss. The atmosphere aboard was good and we met a variety of interesting people.

Great cruise and tours. Needs some fine tuning to iron out the glitches. We had a late-offered stop at Greenville, MS where we were royally feted by Steve Azar and the entire community. This was was undoubtedly our most enjoyable port excursion.

This is a great cruise for those who want to learn and experience the great outdoors. it's not for you if you're looking for a casino! The ship was thoughtfully designed and we had 3 couples who could easily find spaces to sit and relax. The World Cafe is great for lunch and Manfredi's and The Restaurant are wonderful venues for dinner. The spa pool can be enjoyed even without spa treatments.

See all 5 Great Lakes! Learn things you never knew about America. Stay cool in the summer. Enjiy the beautiful summer scenery of trees, flowers, water sports, and small and big cities on the lakes. Appreciate what we have!

Outstanding in every aspect, except initial info when booking re place to embark and parking. We were not told of possible stay and tour in Providence prior to sailing.

I expect that had we been able to sail the original itinerary, this cruise would’ve been great. But American Queen’s complete inability to adequately, honestly communicate in a timely fashion was a complete failure on their part. They can’t control the river, but they should be able to provide clear communications, whether embarkation, disembarkation or enroute. As a large cruise line, this is, after all, what they do.

Very new boat and crew, servers still practicing but are positive minded, and there are still growing pains.

There were so many things wrong. I can’t list them all.

This is a true expedition ship, definitely not your usual cruise! Multiple PhD's on board giving lectures on geology, oceanography, etc., and gathering data for NOAA and universities. The ship itself is magnificent, and has very unique facilities -- Zodiac boats, high-speed boats, and two mini-subs!! Visiting small settlements on Great Lakes islands and taking hikes, boat trips, etc., while the scientific teams do their research and give scientific lectures.

The scenery was outstanding both from on board and excursions. The Expedition Scientists were readily available and knowledgeable. We attended all daily briefings and lectures which added depth and content to the overall experience. Viking hospitality was in full effect. Our cabin was well tended and spacious. We sampled all dining venues and were pleased with all.

Couldn't have asked for a better choice for our first-ever cruise!

felt more like a shakedown cruise with problems getting into Thunderbay, skipped ports, lack of quality on shore activities at Duluth

Most expensive per diem cruise we’ve taken as a portion of the fare helps fund their research into ocean cleanliness in Antarctica and the Great Lakes health. They partner with NOAA on various projects.