This cruise definitely exceeded our expectations. The operations on Melody ran so smoothly, excursions out on time, well planned, quality guides, etc. the crew were great with a special shout out to cruise director Hannah and excursion director Abigail - they kept everything running and we’re so professional.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
So easy, you literally just walk onboard and are shown to your stateroom. Within a few minutes our bags were delivered and we settled in.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
For breakfast, we enjoyed the quick options offered on deck 4 both inside and at the little outdoor cafe too. So nice to have a quick option for those who liked to sleep in a little. Lunches and dinners were mostly in the main dining room, and they were so good, often representing the area we traveled through, with options like gumbo, poor boys, red beans and rice, bbq, etc. we also really liked the happy hour appetizers, with 5-6 or more appts offered in the Lounge with drinks. Again they did a great job of matching the cuisine to the locale, with some regional specialities like crawfish pie.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The excursions kept us pretty busy, but we did love the evening trivia games and the briefings we would receive about the next days activities.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
There were two resident entertainers onboard who were married - Bill and Laura. Bill also did the enrichment lectures about the history of the river, the civil war sites, and just about anything we saw along the way. He was so knowledgeable. Several evenings he and Laura performed shows for us that were excellent, with Bill playing a variety of instruments and both of them singing. They were very entertaining. Other nights we had local acts come on board to entertain - including a storyteller/comedienne, a jersey boys style band, and a favorite of mine, a band from Nee Orleans that played rock and roll and had everyone up dancing.
Children's Programs
No children were onboard
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our service was outstanding, from waiters to bartenders to housekeepers, but we also noticed several times when the staff went out of their way to go the extra mile. One guest told us that she was allergic to the type of soap provided in the laundry and the next day, a crew member brought her a different kind he had gotten off the ship to purchase. You just done see service like that on a big ship.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The Melody is new and she is beautiful. The layout of the ship was so well done and the decor was perfect.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Much larger than most ships, these rooms are generously sized and have more than enough storage. I loved the big sliding windows and balcony. The balcony was big enough for a table and two full sized chairs. We loved playing cards out on the balcony in the evening as we watched the sun go down.
Ship tip
The laundry room was easy to use, they provide everything you need, so you can really pack light for this trip. The dress onboard is country club casual.
We did the city tour here. We stopped at the Capitol museum, which was closed on Sunday, but ACL had made arrangements to have it open just for us. It was terrific and we felt very special to have a whole museum to ourselves!
We really enjoyed the graveyard tour. Our guide told us stories about the cemetery and it’s inhabitants in a very entertaining, but respectful way. Very educational.
We loved the Antebellum tour, where we visited the historic district of Vicksburg. It turns out our guide was Jefferson Davis’ great grandson and he was gracious enough to show us his own home too, with so many heirlooms from the war days. It was wonderful.
Lots of things of interest to see along the Mississippi. The lower part of the tour up to Baton Rouge is commercial and then it changes. We learned why, it’s an interesting story you’ll learn on board when you go.
We’ve visited Memphis many times and we’re so impressed with the improvements Memphis has made to its downtown. Really fun and lively downtown, easily walkable. Don’t miss the Sun Studio tour and some great bbq places for lunch.
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