A lovely hidden part of Florida

American Star Cruise Review to River Cruises - United States

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 5
Helpful Votes: 69

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5
American Star

7 Night Great Rivers Of Florida (Jacksonville Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 11, 2022

Ship: American Star

Cabin number: 111

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

We didn't know Florida had rivers, a best kept secret. The rivers are relatively short thus there isn't a lot of time cruising, and a lot of time spent on excellent shore excursions. Do Not miss the Manatees!! The Entertainment Director Courtney, lecturer Mike, on-board artist Nancy, and great port tour guides all combined to give us a multi-dimensional perspective of the Great Rivers of Florida. Great memories.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
ACL has developed a painless embarkation process beginning with a pre-embarkation night a luxury hotel, followed leisurely boarding ideally suited to the older traveler

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Great meals with plentiful snacks, drinks with meals and at happy hour (all included in fare)

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
ACL spends time preparing guests to take full advantage of a unique, beautiful, and one-of-a-kind small ship cruise, exploring in-depth the waterways of NE Florida. The briefings by the Entertainment Director, pre and post visit lectures on history, geology, flora an fauna, plus careful selection of small group local guides to explore every stop. Those passengers who wish to develop new skills are provided watercolor supplies and develop a watercolor diary of every stop and notable sea-scene under the tutelage of a multitalented artist, who introduces new painting techniques daily. These plus the focus on local entertainment every day, allow the guests to leave the cruise with a balanced view of Florida's rivers and full appreciation of their magnificence.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
The evening entertainment is small groups of professional drawn from the communities along the St Johns river. There is a lot of interaction with the guests.

Children's Programs

We didn't bring children with us.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
The staff is young, eager and fun to be around. No matter what the job description, it was all-hands-on-deck when it cam time to load supplies, prepare for port calls, and conduct drills. This carried over to the dining and entertainment venues, there was always someone there to help. Having trouble with your cabin or trying to log on to wi-fi, the Entertainment Director would be there in a minute. No surly "not my job" employees on this ship!

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
We think the ship is well designed for this type cruising. Stable shallow draft boat able to nose into small ports, slow or stop to see a pod of dolphins, a manatee, or a perfect sunset. The crew lowered the ship's boat to save guests long walks around the quay and to avoid storm damaged piers. The ship was clean, top to bottom.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
The cabins are large, comfortable, and well equipped. The average cruise is 7 nights and dress codes are relaxed so storage is fine. The stewards offer morning clean-up and evening turn-down and touch up services; very nice.

Ship tip

Take full advantage of everything ACL has to offer. This is a rare opportunity to immerse yourselves in one of America's most beautiful spots. ACL will make this a once-in a lifetime experience for you.

Ports of call

Jacksonville, Florida

5 out of 5
We did an architect led tour of the historical neighborhoods and homes. What a beautiful city.

PALATKA, FLORIDA

4 out of 5

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, FL

5 out of 5
Birds and Manatee galore. We will definitely return to Green Cove Springs.

ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

5 out of 5
A neat well preserved historic city. The tour covered both Antebellum St. Augustine and the city built to entice the winter tourists from the North.

Amelia Island, Florida

5 out of 5
A lovely well preserved city. The city tour was a delight.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
ACL has this down to an art. Painless!
Was this review helpful? 14

7 Comments