Rollin' on the river: the River Explorer offers friendly, laid-back cruises with all the comforts of home

Travel America, July-August, 2004 by Jackie Sheckler Finch

We boarded the River Explorer in Cincinnati. As soon as my brother-in-law pulled his car up on the waterfront, two young crew members were there to carry our luggage to the barge and get us settled in our stateroom (again, tipping was not allowed). Check-in was amazingly simple. We were given a nametag "necklace" for the trip that doubled as a door key and credit card for gift shop items and alcoholic drinks. I thought that wearing that darn thing around my neck would be a nuisance, but it actually turned out to be quite handy.

We also were given a sturdy mug with a lid when we arrived. That was to help save on disposable glasses and dish washing. The mugs could be filled any time day or night at the ice water, coffee, tea, milk, juice, hot chocolate, and pop stations around the barge. Another good idea that quickly became second nature.

The Lobby is a popular place to play cards, read, and watch the river through large solarium-style windows. The Guest Pilot House is a replica of a real pilothouse and features authentic pilot chairs, radar, river charts, and radio with actual transmissions from the bridge.

The Governor Galvez Room, named for the Spanish governor of Louisiana, has card, poker, and bumper pool tables, along with books and magazines and a nice assortment of videos you can borrow. The Louisiana Purchase gift shop offers RiverBarge merchandise, leisurewear, film, books, personal amenities, and regional items.

The Galley is where meals are served on colorful Fiestaware dishes. No matter where you sit, you can get a good view of the river. And seating is not reserved. Sit anywhere you like. You can even choose to sit someplace different for each meal. The Galley features mostly homestyle family cooking, nothing really fancy but quite delicious with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

The Galley is always open, giving guests the freedom to "raid the fridge" on a 24-hour basis. It's a tough temptation because the fridge is always stocked with great pies and cakes, along with tuna and chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, salad, and yogurt. Guests can enjoy hot dogs, popcorn, and other snacks at the Under-The-Bridge Bar. Fresh baked cookies fill the bottomless Perpetual Cookie Jar in the lobby.

The Sprague, named for the largest towboat to ever travel the Mississippi River, is a two-story lounge and cabaret area. Here you can hear regional entertainers, including gospel choirs, storytellers, and bluegrass bands. On our cruise, we heard a dulcimer player, country classics band with a great salute to Hank Williams, and a rousing polka band.

The Sky Deck is where we spent most of our time. It has a small gym, a jogging and walking track, a covered area where you can sit out of the sun, and two whirlpool tubs. The three of us usually had the tubs all to ourselves after dinner each night. It's hard to beat sitting in a hot tub, watching the mighty Ohio and passing parade of shoreside landmarks.

Make no mistake--the river is the star of the River Explorer. It is always changing, and we soon fell in love with "river time" and the casual atmosphere of barge life. No fancy dressing up--most passengers wore the same outfits all day. The crew usually wore golf shirts and slacks or Bermuda shorts.