This unique journey provides additional days in New Orleans, LA so you can enjoy the city while taking advantage of the comfort provided by the American Queen. Following the Mardi Gras celebration enjoy steamboating your way to our homeport of Memphis, TN.
It's Included:
- Complimentary shore excursions in every port
- Complimentary overnight stay in a select luxury hotel before your voyage – includes breakfast, taxes, porterage and transfers to the American Queen
- Complimentary wine and beer with dinner
- Complimentary cappuccino, espresso, specialty coffees, bottled water and soft drinks throughout your voyage
- The family recipes of acclaimed Southern chef Regina Charboneau
- The only steamboat with multiple specialty dining options, all at no additional charge
- Gracious service from a friendly all-American staff
- Casual elegance abounds, no formal wear required
- Daily lectures by the Riverlorian, our onboard historian
- Professional showboat-style entertainment and dancing nightly
- Our own dedicated fleet of Steamcoaches
- The most all-inclusive American river voyage
- The only authentic steam-powered overnight paddlewheel riverboat in America
- The greatest vacation value in America
Itinerary:
DAY 1: Hotel Overnight - New Orleans
Included in your voyage is a luxury hotel stay. For this itinerary, we will reserve a room for you at one of these properties: The Westin New Orleans Canal Place or Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Tomorrow, you will board the American Queen.
DAY 2: Board the American Queen - Celebrate Mardi Gras
Today, you will board the American Queen, your home base as you enjoy another day in New Orleans to take part in the Mardi Gras celebration.
DAY 3: New Orleans, LA
Departure: 9:00 p.m.
Spend the day enjoying more of Mardi Gras. This evening, we will set sail upriver for Oak Alley, LA.
DAY 4: Oak Alley, LA
Arrival: 8:00 a.m. — Departure: 1:00 p.m.
Located in the Saint James Parish, Oak Alley is a much-photographed plantation that combines architectural splendor and the natural wonder of its 300-year-old oak trees. Spend time strolling beneath the canopy of these trees, and learn about the rich history and culture of this southern estate.
DAY 5: St. Francisville, LA
Arrival: 8:00 a.m. — Departure: 1:00 p.m.
This quaint town located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River is your window to the past. With over 140 buildings on the National Register, beautiful plantation homes nestled in the rolling countryside, and bustling Main Street shops, you’ll find plenty to keep you on the go in St. Francisville.
Included Tour: Hop on the bus, or venture out on foot - either way, St. Francisville awaits your arrival. Stops along the way include the new Grace Episcopal Church and the West Florida Republic Park, as well as Old Market Hall, where you can browse through art, jewelry, handmade items and music. The Tourist Information Center, located in the Historical Society Museum on Ferdinand St., has some great exhibits. When you leave the museum and travel up Ferdinand St., you’ll see gift shops, antiques dealers and galleries; gifts, when you reach Commerce Street, there are places for lunch, a snack, spirits, coffee or ice cream.
At this point, hop back on the bus, which will take you along Commerce Street up to the shopping center, if you are in need of groceries, medicine, batteries, etc.
You can continue on to Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site for a tour of the house and gardens at an additional cost.
DAY 6: Natchez, MS
Arrival: 8:00 a.m. — Departure: 5:00 p.m.
Step into the plantation lifestyle of the antebellum south in Natchez, site of numerous restored mansions. Visit historic Jefferson College, or just amble down the Natchez Trace.
Included Tour: Natchez is the center of the Antebellum South. From Spring Pilgrimage to Christmas, there's no shortage of excitement in this small town as you tour the antebellum mansions, drink in the history and enjoy the evening entertainment. A narrated tour of the mansions includes Longwood, Stanton Hall and Rosalie Mansion. Stanton Hall and the Longwood mansion were built in the early 1800s and are owned and preserved today by the Pilgrimage Garden Club. Stanton Hall is widely regarded as the grandest of the Natchez mansions.
Premium Tour Options:
Premium Choice Tour #1 - Entertaining Southern Style with Regina Charboneau
Premium Choice Tour #2 - Music, Mistresses and Marriage
DAY 7: Vicksburg, MS
Arrival: 8:00 a.m. — Departure: 1:00 p.m.
Discover a unique blend of old and new in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Take in the diversity from Vicksburg National Military Park to the Waterways Experiment Station. Billed as the “Red Carpet City of the South,” Southern hospitality is alive and well and awaiting your arrival.
Included Tour: Vicksburg, Mississippi, is bursting at the seams with local culture, character, art, entertainment and outdoor adventure. With sweeping views of the Mississippi River, Vicksburg perfectly blends Southern culture and heritage with exciting modern-day attractions. Stops along the way include theOld Court House Museum, which showcases thousands of artifacts from pre-Columbian times to Civil War implements, bringing exciting pieces of history to life. It also contains a unique gift shop with authentic Civil War relics. The Duff Green Mansion and Levee Street Depot Museum are also part of the history Vicksburg has to offer.
You will also find the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum, where Coca-Cola was first bottled in 1894, and the Yesterday’s Child Doll and Toy Museum, one of the largest collections in the United States of rare 19th- and 20th-century French and German bisque dolls, where you will stroll through childhood, viewing dolls and toys dating from 1843 to the present.
Premium Tour Options:
Premium Choice Tour #1 - The Battle of Vicksburg - The "Up-Close" Tour
DAY 8: Steamboating
Settle into a rocking chair and just let the scenery glide by. Or join in the fun of our numerous onboard activities. Your full day of leisurely steamboating on the river sets the tone for an unforgettable vacation.
DAY 9: Helena, AR
Arrival: 8:00 a.m. — Departure: 1:00 p.m.
Let gospel voices lift your heart, hear soulful Delta blues, and sample King biscuits and sausage during an eventful day.
Included Tour: Hop aboard your deluxe Steamcoach and start an adventure by visiting gift shops like Delta Gypsy Caravan and Gist Music Company. Then visit the Malco Theater, which was made famous in the movie “Walk the Line.” Visit Handworks Boutique, a store that was featured on “ABC World News Tonight.” Then, discover historic downtown Helena, including the Delta Cultural Center, a museum that preserves and presents the heritage of the 27-county region of eastern Arkansas.
For those of you into the blues, Bubba’s Blues Corner offers the best selection of hard-to-find blues music in the nation. Biscuit Row is an exciting recent development featuring the rehabilitation of several buildings at this gritty intersection that was the home of the blues in Helena in the style’s earliest days.
Experience the region’s cultural heritage and generations past at the Helena Museum.
Lastly, visit two amazing pieces of architecture preserved from the late 1880s and 1890s: the Fort Curtis/Moore–Horner House and the Pillow Thompson House.
Also on our path is Freedom Park, Arkansas’ first Network to Freedom site—a National Park Service designation for key Underground Railroad sites across the nation.
Premium Tour Options:
Premium Choice Tour #1 - GOSPEL, BLUES and a TASTE OF SOUL- Exploring the Delta Roots
Premium Choice Tour #2 - Mississippi ECO Wildlife "Safari"- By Private Canoe
DAY 10: Disembark in Memphis, TN
Arrival: 8:00 a.m.
Bid your fellow steamboaters a fond farewell and spend a few days exploring this great city.
STAR-STUDDED LINEUP OF HEADLINING ENTERTAINERS
Night after magical night, top entertainers will bring down the house in the American Queen’s majestic Grand Saloon. Two decks tall, the Grand Saloon is absolutely palatial, the most elegant showplace on the river. Every evening, guests will be treated to a different celebration of America’s best music, from Broadway hits to Dixieland Jazz, big band to bluegrass, ragtime to rock and roll. Showboat-style cabaret acts and old-fashioned radio shows add variety and charm to the evening lineup.
The Return of the Riverlorians
While the entertainment in the Grand Saloon will have guests’ toes tapping, the enrichment and historical aspects will have their senses piqued. As the American Queen carries forward the 100+ yearlong legacy of the fabled Delta Queen Steamboat Company, it is only fitting that a much-loved Delta Queen veteran serve as the inaugural Riverlorian. Mary Charlton, who has served as Riverlorian aboard the Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen and American Queen in the past is returning in her starring role.
Glenn Miller Orchestra– The big band show, with a sound of its own, draws rave reviews performing original arrangements of classics that defined a generation. Swing, sway or just tap in time with nostalgic tunes like In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade, Chattanooga Choo Choo and many others.
Voyage dates: July 27, August 3, December 28
Rat Pack Show – Guests will close their eyes and swear it’s Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. Amazing performers evoke the sounds and memories of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, backed by our onboard orchestra. Enjoy hits that include Fly Me to the Moon, That’s Amore, Everybody Loves Somebody, New York, New York, When I Was Seventeen and others.
Voyage Dates: June 28, July 18, October 22, December 14
B.J. Thomas – The voice is unmistakable and the audience will return to the late 60s and early 70s as the legendary B.J. Thomas sings his chart-topping songs, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, Hooked on a Feeling, I Just Can’t Help Believing, Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song and others.
Voyage Dates: July 11, July 18, July 22
The Lovin’ Spoonful – Playing the hits that put them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the band will transport the Grand Saloon to the 60s with their great songs, including Do You Believe in Magic, Daydream, Summer in the City and Nashville Cats.
Voyage Dates: July 11, July 18, July 22
The Platters – The original doo-wop act brings back the sound of the 50s with the songs that became classics: Only You, The Great Pretender, My Prayer, Twilight Time, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and others.
Voyage Date: September 7
Bill Haley’s Comets – The genesis of rockabilly and early rock, Bill Haley’s Comets will have guests moving to energetic hits like Rock Around the Clock and Shake, Rattle and Roll.
Voyage Date: September 7
Annie Moses Band – This incredible classically trained family will have everyone in the holiday spirit performing seasonal music. Featured are violin, viola, cello, harp, guitar, piano and stunning vocals.
Voyage Dates: November 19, December 9, December 14
Juggernaut Jug Band – Steamboaters will delight in the authentic form of river music known as “jug music.” Rooted in the port towns of the Deep South, jug music includes styles of swing, jazz and bluegrass, performed by Juggernaut’s amazing artists.
Voyage Dates: September 28, October 12
