Cruising America: small vessels offer smooth sailing on coastal passages and heartland rivers

Travel America, Nov-Dec, 2001 by Robert Meyers

As your luxury hotel barge approaches Cairo, Illinois, all passengers are out on deck to watch the meeting of waters at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Then the boat travels north en route to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the largest Mississippi River town between Memphis and St. Louis. Passing cornfields, rocky bluffs, and woods inhabited by deer, the 198-guest River Explorer shares Ol' Man River with pleasure boats and barges piled with jet-black coal.

Operated by New Orleans-based RiverBarge Excursion Lines, the River Explorer is one of a growing number of overnight cruise vessels that ply America's inland and coastal waters, spotlighting places off the beaten track. The Ohio River, Chesapeake Bay, or Great Lakes may not have the cachet of a Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruise, but domestic journeys showcase historical treasures and scenic pockets that road travelers often overlook. And passengers, many of them retirees, appreciate the laid-back pace and friendly American crews on these alternatives to ocean-going mega-liners.

Built in 1998, the River Explorer is made up of two 295-foot barges and a towboat. The aft barge houses 99 staterooms; those on the second deck have private balconies. Public rooms (lounges, restaurant, theater) are located on the forward barge.

Four- to 10-day excursions focus on seven regions. The "Route of Jean Lafitte," from New Orleans to Galveston, follows the Texas-Louisiana Intracoastal Waterway, while "Cajuns and Creoles" covers the Atchafalaya River Basin and lower Mississippi River.

From Nashville to Memphis, the River Explorer's eight-day "Expanding Frontiers" journey gives travelers a chance to view short stretches of four rivers--the Cumberland, Ohio, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Its "Delta South" itinerary explores the Mississippi between New Orleans and Memphis.

For an intimate experience on the smooth inland passages and rivers of the eastern United States, more and more cruise fans are choosing American Cruise Lines' 49-passenger American Eagle, which made its debut in 1999. Oversized staterooms, some with balconies, offer large, opening picture windows. Guests enjoy spacious sundecks and glass-enclosed lounges. To enhance the Eagle's destination-oriented itineraries, guests speakers come aboard to shed light on the history, culture, and ecology in the ports of call.

The Eagle's one-week itineraries focus on Maine's coast, the Hudson River, Chesapeake Bay, and the Intracoastal Waterway between Maryland and Florida. The new "Great Rivers of Florida" cruise features the St. Johns and Tolomato rivers, Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge, and St. Augustine, the oldest settlement in the New World. In late 2002 passengers will have two ships to choose from, when the Eagle's sister ship, American Glory, enters service. The Florida cruises begin in Fernandina Beach, the only town on Amelia Island, near Jacksonville.

The Eagle and Glory also will offer "Historic Antebellum South" cruises in spring and fall of 2002. Exploring the Intracoastal between Charleston and Fernandina Beach, the ships visit Beaufort, Daufuskie Island, and Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, and Savannah and St. Simons Island in Georgia.

For a sweeping overview of the Atlantic Coast, consider the 17-day "Great North American Odyssey" on the 122-passenger Clipper Adventurer. Departing Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 11, 2002, the ship stops in a new port every day on its way to Fort Lauderdale. Highlights include whale watching in Nova Scotia and sightseeing in cities like Boston, New York, Annapolis, Norfolk, and Charleston. Clipper small ships (including the 100-passenger Nantucket Clipper and 138-passenger Yorktown Clipper) also showcase the Hudson River, Chesapeake Bay, Alaska's Inside Passage, northern California's Sacramento Delta, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, and other waterways.

In the Pacific Northwest, follow the route of Lewis & Clark on the Columbia, Snake, and Willamette rivers, and do it in style on the 163-passenger Queen of the West, a sternwheeler operated by American West Steamboat Company. On four- and seven-night cruises from Portland, Oregon, excursions include the seaside town of Cannon Beach, Mount Hood Railroad, Bonneville Dam, Multnomah Falls, Mt. St. Helens, and a jetboat ride in Idaho's Hells Canyon. Native heritage, including a dance program, is featured at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute near Pendleton, Oregon. Delta Queen Steamboat Company's 161-passenger Columbia Queen has similar one-week itineraries from Portland.

Delta Queen, the oldest U.S.-flag cruise line, also offers a wide range of three- to 14-night vacations on the Mississippi, Ohio, and other rivers aboard its fleet of three paddlewheelers--the 436-passenger American Queen, 416-passenger Mississippi Queen, and 174-passenger Delta Queen. The latter, a National Historic Landmark dating from 1926, captivates guests with its Tiffany stained glass, brass fittings, crystal chandeliers, and rich oak and mahogany.