Photos by Brian Doben
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Current Events
By Laura Daily, March & April 2007
Yes, you can still travel America’s rivers in 19th-century style—and we don’t mean deerskin canoes or creaky log rafts
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Steamboats are the way to sail for a soothing, scenic trip, and one call (or mouse click) does it all, now that the two largest operators, Delta Queen Steamboat Company and America West Steamboat Company, have merged into a single brand, Majestic America Line (800-434-1232)—making them the only river game in town if you desire more than a dinner cruise.
The good news is, Majestic America has upgraded its entire fleet, from pillow-top mattresses and massage showerheads in every room to revamped menus emphasizing local, seasonal ingredients. Your only big decision is which route to take.
Alaska Mid-May through mid-September, the Empress of the North and 48-passenger Contessa journey deep into Alaska’s Inside Passage. Because these maneuverable ships have such a shallow draft, stops include rarely visited ports such as Wrangell and Thomas Bay, plus some of the best whale watching (not to mention harbor seal watching, brown bear watching, and bald eagle watching) around. Rates run $3,300 to $6,500, based on stateroom, route, and dates.
Inland Rivers All three Queens—American, Delta, and Mississippi—continue to ply the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and their tributaries. Cruises operate from March through December throughout America’s heartland and the South, often with special themes such as Big Band (lindy hop, fox trot, and jitterbug to ’30s and ’40s tunes) or Quilting on the Queen (for serious stitchers); $700 to $5,600.
Pacific Northwest The Columbia Queen, the Queen of the West, and the Empress of the North retrace Lewis and Clark’s journey along more than a thousand miles of the Columbia and Snake rivers. Seven-night cruises transit from lush coastal forests to the rolling wheat fields of eastern Washington and Oregon. There’s even a jet-boat ride into Hells Canyon; $700 to $6,000.
Alaska trips fill quickly, so early booking (which can save you 10 percent) is encouraged.
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