Great Cruise in the American Heartland

American Melody Cruise Review to River Cruises - United States

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 78

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
American Melody

7 Night Upper Mississippi River (St. Paul To St. Louis)

Sail date: July 01, 2022

Ship: American Melody

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

I'd never had a chance to see the heartland of the U.S., so this was the perfect getaway. The two weeks on the Upper Mississippi gave me an appreciation of the beauty of this part of the country...and the incredible Mississippi. Having sailed with American Cruise Lines before, I knew to expect wonderful service from the staff, tasty offerings from the chef, and meaningful excursions including the not-to-be-missed John Deere Pavilion in Davenport, IA; the Field of Dreams near Dubuque; and the Maritime Art Museum in Winona. Even more than these off-the-ship experiences, though, was the on-board entertainment and speakers. Steve and Joanne are a "terrific twosome" who have talent and knowledge to spare. They were great! Other entertainment at night that was a HUGE hit with the passengers included Blair Carman (Jerry Lee Lewis reincarnated!); The GiGi's; Mermemec Valley Duo; and Flashback. Other on-board activities included daily trivia games, great craft classes, and the always welcome nightly cocktail parties and sweet treats during the entertainment hour. All in all, another great experience with ACL! We'll be back.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
ACL always makes it easy. Wonderful hotel the night before the cruise, and efficient loading from the hotel to our room.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
The American Melody is a beautiful ship that has been well designed in all areas.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
The fitness center is incredible, especially since it's on a ship! A giant perk was the laundry room. The nightly trivia games were fun, and the craft classes give passengers meaningful souvenirs from the trip.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Exceptional nightly entertainment during the cruise, and it was just right for the on-board audience.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
The ACL staff is always service-oriented, and it's great to see the young people working in an environment and for a company that gives them the opportunity to advance.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Great design! Housekeeping was always on the spot.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Cabin was large, well appointed, and with LOTS Of storage. Housekeeping kept us looking neat and tidy!

Ship tip

Pack clothing that mixes and matches so you can minimize your luggage.

Ports of call

St. Paul, Minnesota

5 out of 5
Bar at the St. Paul Hotel is incredible!

Winona, Minnesota

5 out of 5
The Maritime Art Museum is not to be missed.

Dubuque, Iowa Did not visit port

The Field ofd Dreams

DAVENPORT, IOWA

5 out of 5
The John Deere Pavilion is wonderful with a large gift shop.

FORT MADISON, IOWA

5 out of 5
Did the "Loop" and visited the town.

Hannibal, Missouri

5 out of 5
No excursions; just walking the town.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
ACL always does a great job disembarking passengers and their luggage and getting them to the airport on time.
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5 Comments

GSpringer    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing!

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.

kef2016    2 years ago

Thank you for sharing your cruise experience. Sounds like it was a nice cruise. Great ship tip.

javawoody    2 years ago

Thanks for the review

AuntPinkie    2 years ago

Appreciate your detailed review. Glad you enjoyed your riverboat cruise!