8 Night Jewels Of The Lower Mississippi Southbound (Memphis To New Orleans)
Sail date: September 17, 2017
Ship:
American Duchess
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 319
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
Had a fun time with friends! Food was tasty & fresh, but slow and as time went on, dining ran smoother. Wait staff was attentive but short handed. Purser's desk was well staffed & knowledgeable. Entertainment was good. Ports of call were interesting for the most part. We liked the hop on hop off feature with narration from a guide.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Easy to get on the ship from the Graceland tour in Memphis. Luggage was taken directly from hotel room at the Peabody to our cabin by Am. Queen staff. Snacks were available in the Grill Room.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Main dining room had a lot of choices for every meal. Food was tasty, salads fresh and beautiful presentations. Wait staff was attentive, but stretched thin & food took a long time to get to the table. Things got better as time went on. Had breakfast at the buffet once - watery eggs, soggy potatoes, much better in the dining room.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We really didn't do any of the activities, ie bingo, trivia, etc., except for a Riverlorian talk about the Corps of Engineers and the Miss. river. We were visiting the towns, dining or relaxing in our cabin most of the time.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The musicians rocked and the singers did a fine job keeping us entertained. Fun shows every night.
Children's Programs
No kids on board.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Our room steward was pretty good but she did not replenish glassware or give us ice. I understand they were short of workers and she was contracted from outside the company. Waiters were attentive & fun, but food was slow to get to the tables. Bartenders, entertainers and excursion people were great, happy & helpful and the Purser's Desk was very competently & cordially staffed.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Ship was new, clean & beautiful. The railings were still being painted when we were there. Did not have the grand wood trimmings like the Am. Queen. Sleeker model. Unfortunately the top deck was not finished and we were not allowed up there.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin was well appointed, not much drawer room but plenty of hangers in the closet, comfy bed. Bathroom was nice size w/good shower & amenities but had no outlet for hair dryer. Had to use it in the main part of the cabin and it was not very powerful. Our veranda door's flashing had to be replaced and was done right away before dinner the first day. The big problem was the A/C. If our cabin doors were facing west in the afternoon, the A/C could not keep up even with curtains drawn all day. Temps in the room went into the 80's and took a long time to cool off in the evening. Very annoying trying to dress for dinner in the heat. Directions for use were not clear either.
Ship tip
Expect 2 hrs. for dinner. Plan accordingly so you have time to see the shows at night. Take the full HOHO bus route first and plan your stops second time around.
took the HOHO to Magnolia Hall, The Rosalie and the distillery. All good. Went next door to the distillery's pub & waited forever to get our lunch. They were not prepared for Duchess & Am Queen being in port at the same time & it was evident in the extremely slow service. Took over 1 1/2 hrs. for a flatbread.
Had a problem getting into our dock site so we never got off the ship until 1:30. Toured the USS Kidd. Would have liked more time in Baton Rouge. We had to be back on board by 5:30.
Nottoway was interesting but once you've toured the resort, there's nothing else to see. We took the optional 'swamp tour' and it was lots of fun, interesting captain's tales and gators galore! Worth the time and price.
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