American Melody Cruise Reviews - Reviews

I have begun a love affair with the Mighty Mississippi! American Cruise Line has this itinerary down - from the delicious food with the local flavors and dishes included, the music that represents the Southern Mississippi to the well organized excursions. The Melody is a beautiful ship and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to come aboard. We docked next to one of their paddleboats in port in Vacherie, La and I am looking into THAT boat for next year's adventure!

This was our third trip on the lower Mississippi and this New Year's Eve cruise was the best staffed by far. I can only rave about the service and genuine hospitality from the staff. We even had the opportunity to share the dance floor with some of our servers during the New Year's Eve party and the crew talent show was the most attended event on the cruise. Excellent food/wonderful staff - everything I could have asked for!

Overall, the cruise was interesting, educational and exciting when we found out that the two barges had broken loose from their tugs. In addition, in was highly informative as to the impact Climate Change has had on the Mississippi River. There were places where one saw sand dune after sand dune as the Mississippi's water level is 25 feet below where it should be. In fact, the shallowness of the water and the narrow water way was part of the cause of the barges breaking loose from their tugs. It was well worth taking the cruise as I learned a lot about our back door to Illinois and Wisconsin!

This was a beautiful, historical cruise. We enjoyed our experience on this cruise vey much.

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.

The reason I enjoy American Cruise Lines so much is that you have a feeling of community with the other guests and staff that you don’t get on the bigger cruise lines. Ditto for the immersive activities on the ship. You really learn and experience the river - you’re immersed in the culture from the food to the guest lectures to the entertainment. It’s all about the Mississippi River.

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.