The American Symphony was christened in 2022, it is a lovely ship with so many areas away from your staterooms which are larger than most and beautifully appointed, including a reading room, game room, and office with two computers, which came in handy when getting your boarding pass for your return home .
A Christmas cruise promises to be lively. The ship was decked out for Christmas and the chef hosted classes on decorating gingerbread houses, and cookie decorating. We even had a gift exchange.
From the minute we arrived at the ship the deck crew met and carried our luggage directly to our stateroom, no waiting. Unpacking when well with ample storage space and closet. Each stateroom comes with a balcony, two chairs and a table. Although the weather wasn't too conducive for sitting out in December, I did pop out to take several photos.
The crew was amazing, from Mason the Hotel General Manager, to Colin the Cruise Director, Mikalla the excursions director, and the Housekeeping Manager Thania and her team which cleaned each room daily and dropped off the "ship to shore" daily calendar to the room each night while we were at dinner. Our executive chef and her crew of cooks and Alex our dining room manager and his waiters were simply wonderful, caring individuals who took the time to get to know the guests without being intrusive.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation went off like clock work, our luggage was in our room in minutes upon arriving.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Super chef, wonderful New Orleans' cuisine.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
A speaker and art classes were offered each day besides the amazing tours. The gym was in two rooms with machines on one side and free weights on the other.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We were enchanted by Mario, a piano man and Norm, a steel guitarist; The Banjocats; Bill and Laura, paying tribute to great lady singers, The Partly Cloudy Trio, playing classic rock and roll, and Jim Schweickart playing guitar.
Children's Programs
There were no children on the ship.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The crew was amazing, from Mason the Hotel General Manager, to Colin the Cruise Director, Mikalla the excursions director, and the Housekeeping Manager Thania and her team which cleaned each room daily and dropped off the "ship to shore" daily calendar to the room each night while we were at dinner. Our executive chef and her crew of cooks and Alex our dining room manager and his waiters were simply wonderful, caring individuals who took the time to get to know the guests without being intrusive.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The American Symphony is a new cruise ship in the ACL with a well thought out plan of meeting rooms. Each evening the staff put everything to rights and everything was fresh and clean when we arrived in the rooms to read, play games, listen to music, meet for a drink, order breakfast or lunch from the cafe.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was cleaned daily, fresh towels were put out and under the sink were extra shampoo, Kleenex, toilet paper, so we never had to hunt down the steward. Each evening our beds were turned down and a copy of the "Ship to Shore" - daily newsletter for the following day was left on our beds. The room was well appointed and the balcony lovely for photographing as we eased down the river.
Ship tip
The food is so good and plentiful, I would suggest taking a 1/2 portion for lunch and dinner!
A loop shopping experience was offered and a walking tour to with a stop at the Coca Cola Museum, a visit to the Duff Green Mansion, the famous Vicksburg National Museum.
The Houmas House plantation gardens and museum were outstanding and even if driving through Darrow, MS should not be missed. Our guide was dressed in period costume and the house was decorated for Christmas. It truly was a grand plantation.
Easy and swiftly done with care for all the passengers getting on and off the ship, especially when the tied was low and we had to disembark from the third deck. The easiest on off was through the bow of the ship.
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