american cruise lines yelp reviews

The Roaming Boomers

Review: american cruise lines.

Posted by David Porter on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 · 14 Comments  

Here is our review of American Cruise Lines after sailing with them on their 8-day Great Rivers of Florida river cruise.

American Cruise Lines (ACL) is the leader in U.S. River & Coastal cruising and the largest domestic cruise line in the country.

The company offers a new fleet of 19 riverboats and small cruise ships, each accommodating just 90 to 180 guests. American is the only cruise line in the world with a fleet of 100% U.S. built & flagged riverboats and small cruise ships.

This distinction enables the company to offer all-domestic cruises that visit only U.S. ports of call along both U.S. rivers and coasts. The Line offers over 50 itineraries, which range from 6 to 60 Days in length, and explore in 35 U.S. states.

American’s small ships cruise along protected U.S. waterways from Alaska to Florida, and major U.S. rivers, including the Mississippi River (Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee Rivers); the Columbia and Snake Rivers; the Hudson River; and Florida Rivers (St. John’s and Tolomato). American Cruise Lines has over 50 years of experience cruising the U.S. and specializes in authentic American experiences, personalized service, and well-curated destination-focused cruises.

One of the ship’s crew members photographing the sunrise at Amelia Island.

Our Ship: The American Eagle

As I mentioned above, American Cruise Lines currently has 19 ships sailing on America’s rivers and coastal waterways. Here is a breakdown:

• Independence Class (3 ships) – these are the cruise line’s oldest ships, built in 2005, 2007, and 2010 and can accommodate 90 passengers. While I don’t know for certain, my guess is that maybe these ships will be retired as ACL continues to build out its Coastal Cat fleet.
• Coastal Class (2 ships) – These ships, built in 2017 and 2018, carry a maximum of 170 passengers and operate on both coasts of the United States.
• Classic Paddlewheelers (4 ships) – for those of you who might enjoy a little nostalgia, these ships operate on U.S. rivers and all four were remodeled in 2022.
• American RiverBoats (6 ships) – These ships built from 2018 through 2023 are ACL’s new series of American Riverboats.  They hold a maximum of 180 passengers and offer guests a modern experience and large staterooms.
• Coastal Cats (4 ships) – These are ACL’s newest line of ships. They hold a maximum of 100 passengers, with a very low draft, and offer guests entry into America’s coastal regions and rivers that have not been available heretofore. ACL plans to build 12 of these ships. Two are currently sailing, with two more arriving in 2024.

Carol with our character actor/tour guide in St. Augustine

Carol and I were very impressed with the American Eagle from the moment we stepped on the ship. The colors were bright and modern, but what is immediately most impressive is that their entry-level staterooms start at 300 sq/ft., and the ship holds a maximum of 100 passengers. Many other companies building small European-style river cruise ships are stuffing entry-level guests into staterooms that are 135 sq/ft. But here, you are certain to enjoy a stateroom that is over twice that size.

And for those of you who enjoy suites, the American Eagle offers four Sky Suites at 470 sq/ft and two Grand Suites at 620 sq/ft. Tip : book early to get a suite; they always sell out first.

We also found the ship to have enough public space aboard to comfortably accommodate everyone without any of the crowding found on other ships.

Public Spaces

• Restaurant – American specialties with plenty of space for all to be seated.
• Sky Lounge – The perfect place to read a book, play a board game, or hang out with new friends. And each morning, this is the spot for early risers to enjoy a continental breakfast.
• Lookout Cafe – Located just outside the Sky Lounge is the Lookout Cafe. It was a wonderful spot to enjoy the cruise on the very back of the ship, but it was also the spot where I could get an early-morning breakfast sandwich before the restaurant opened.  Carol and I enjoyed all of our breakfasts in the Sky Lounge and Lookout Cafe.
• Chesapeake Lounge – This communal space offered space to seat everyone and was used primarily for lectures on our journey, complimentary bar and hors d’oeuvres each night, after-dinner music, and was also the spot for our Super Bowl Party.
• Bow Terrace – This small space, just outside of the Chesapeake Lounge, offers a wonderful place to enjoy your morning coffee or an afternoon cruise with the wind in your hair. Carol and I spent quite a bit of time here as we sailed the Intercoastal Waterway.

Carol and I enjoyed sailing with ACL on their Great Rivers of Florida itinerary . We sailed on the St. Johns River, the Tolomato River, and the Intercoastal Waterway. We never felt a wave, and Amelia Island and St. Augustine were the stars of the show. One of our clients wrote on our Instagram Page that Amelia Island was her happy place. We had never been, but we’ll be back.

Carol and I sailed with ACL in one of their Vista Private Balcony Staterooms. To see the first impressions video of our stateroom, please CLICK HERE . Be sure to turn your volume up.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin w/ Carolina Stoned Ground Grits

The Cuisine

We found the cuisine aboard the American Eagle to be very good. In fact, every guest that we dined with aboard the ship agreed.

To the right is a photograph of our first meal aboard the ship. I was hoping for some southern grits on this cruise, and my wish was granted on our very first meal.

Each morning, at breakfast, we were given the day’s menu for lunch and dinner. We then made our selections and turned in the cards so that the kitchen would know how many of each item to have on hand. And don’t worry, if you change your mind, they could handle that as well.

And for those of you who might have dietary restrictions, on the first day of sailing, the cruise line offered a meeting with the chef to discuss your individual needs.

Oh, and for those of you who enjoy a treat during the day, there was “Cookie Time” each day at 10:00 and 3:00.

Best onboard service we’ve ever experienced.

I would be remiss if I didn’t bring this up. The experience, the atmosphere, and the vibe that the crew created on this cruise were the best we’ve ever experienced on any cruise ship.

I am struggling with how to explain this. We’ve certainly had outstanding service with friendly staff on any number of the cruises we’ve experienced. But this crew created an atmosphere aboard the ship that, I don’t know, endeared us all to them? And it just wasn’t me.  Every guest that we interacted with felt the same way.  Dare I say that we fell in love with the crew?

For example, from the moment we walked on the ship, Alicia, the ship’s Hotel General Manager, greeted us by name, and she was always magically around, making sure that we were delighted in every way. One passenger commented how she worked miracles to get a prescription aboard the ship, and we found in her a sincere desire to make us feel at home and well taken care of. And again, this just wasn’t me.  We heard the same from many of our co-passengers.

And it just wasn’t her. Wyatt, the ship’s cruise director, the chef, the servers, and the gal that cleaned our room each day were absolutely the best we’ve experienced.  Clearly, they’ve been trained well, and the desire to serve the guests on the ship was a part of the cruise line’s DNA.

Listen, you can have the best ships in the world, but if the staff and crew can’t make you feel at home and well taken care of, then forget it.

I must say, I wasn’t expecting this level of down-home, relaxed, yet professional service.

I want more.  In fact, I didn’t want to get off of the ship. If this ship was doing back-to-back itineraries, I would have begged and pleaded to stay aboard.

Summing It All Up

If I had to put a star on the whole experience, I would give it 4-stars.  They are not trying to be a floating Four Seasons. I would give their down-home cuisine 4.5-stars, and I would give their service 5-stars.

In short, with this level of experience available right here in the good-ole USA, and 50 different itineraries available around the country, and more new ships on the way, this is a wonderful way to cruise close to home. While offering you a wonderful opportunity to explore our country from the perspective of its rivers and coastlines.  I’m hooked, and we will be back.  In fact, I hear the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest calling my name. And oh, what about the ability to visit all of the little towns and villages in the Atlantic Northeast?

I could go on and on, but I’m already approaching 2,000 words.  So, if you have questions, just put them below in the comments section and I’ll do my best to answer them.

How to Book a Cruise With American Cruise Lines

Of course, you can book a cruise directly with American Cruise Lines.

But did you know that booking with Roaming Boomers Travel or Amerian Cruise Lines will net you the exact same price?

Therefore, why not book your American Cruise Lines coastal or river cruise with us and take advantage of our expert advice and service?

We promise to work hard to earn your trust. And with us, you’re always a VIP.

For more information or to book a fun cruise with American Cruise Lines, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request ( click here ), and we’ll reach out to you.

Category: Travel News & Tips · Tags: American Cruise Lines

14 Comments on “ Review: American Cruise Lines ”

Your articles are always interesting and offer good advice. Your first hand experience adds believability to what you publish. We are interested in the ACL cruise along the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

We did the Maine cruise last year & the Historic South this year. I could notagree more with your review. A great company. Loved it that all veterans were recognized also.

I have been on two ACL cruises. The Lewis and Clark cruise on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, and the Upper Mississippi cruise. Really enjoyed both cruises. Have scheduled a New England Adventure cruise. Looking into San Juan Islands in Northwest.

We also went on Pearl Seas cruise on the Great Lakes.

Small ship cruising is very enjoyable. I would recommend any of the cruises to mature adults.

You’re back! Thanks again for sharing! 🙂

Thanks for your review- May I ask when (month) you took the Columbia/Snake cruise and if there were any optional excursions you took that you would recommend- Thanks

We did our cruise with another cruise brand in the first week of November. As the optional excursions are constantly in flux, we recommend that you choose an excursion that has interest for you. We really don’t have strong opinions on shore excursions.

We went in July. A couple of years ago. Most shore excursions are included. Went to Mt. St. Helens.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. 🙂

Thank you for the kind words. 🙂 I’ll reach out to you privately to discuss a possible booking.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. We’re looking forward to helping our clients cruise closer to home.

We’re booked (through Roaming Boomers) on their Paddle boat this May going on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. We can’t wait. We will make sure to share our adventures and let you know our experiences. We are anticipating a fantastic trip and can’t wait. We are expecting this to be beautiful and awe inspiring as well as totally relaxing.

Hi Mary Lou,

You’re going to love it. We can’t wait to hear about your journey.

Great review Dave and Carol. We have sailed with ACL twice (Snake River and the southeast coast trip up from Amelia Island). Both were very enjoyable. We are doing the American Revolution cruise in Washington DC in 2 weeks. Again – we enjoy all parts of traveling with ACL. but mostly the crew. I get to know most of them by name – even dined several times with the entertainment duo on board and stayed in touch with both for several months afterwards.

Great to hear from you.

As people learn about these experiences that are available in their own backyards, so to speak, we’re finding interest growing. Carol and I are interested in quite a number of their cruises. When we were on our last cruise, the cruise director said that this cruise in Tennesee was really scenic: https://www.americancruiselines.com/cruises/mississippi-river-cruises/tennessee-rivers-cruise

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Sign up for our Newsletter

Travel smart with our best tips, on-location reviews, exclusive offers, drawings, group events, and more... It’s FREE!

Connect With Us

Our client testimonials.

Research Travel Options

Best way to book a cruise.

Recent Posts

• Montage: World’s Only Forbes 5-Star Hotel Company
• Last Chance: Norway Closing Fjords to Cruise Ships
• Barges on the Mighty Mississippi River
• Oak Alley Plantation: Vacherie, Louisiana

Roaming Boomers Travel Services, an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40

Copyright © 2024 · All Rights Reserved · The Roaming Boomers · Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Disclaimer

• American Cruise Lines

Trip report (long!) Columbia river on American Pride Aug-Sept 2021

By DevilsFan38 , September 6, 2021 in American Cruise Lines

Recommended Posts

DevilsFan38

I recently returned from a Columbia river cruise on the Pride, and thought I'd write a detailed report for those who might be interested. I'll start with a big overview, then do more details by port. First off, I'm not your typical river cruise passenger (I'm in my mid 30's). The trip was with my brother (early 30's) and mother (mid 60's). The three of us shared a cabin (cabin 113), which actually worked fairly well, and was much more cost effective than having one person in a single. Three twin beds fit fairly well into that cabin (I understand it's slightly bigger than some of the others on that floor). The first floor doesn't have balconies, so that allows more room for beds, and we didn't miss the balcony at all (we'd never done a river cruise before, usually on ocean cruises we do a balcony). There were always plenty of chairs available up on deck when I wanted to sit outside with my book.

The food was very good. I'm a vegetarian so that was a bit more of a challenge on a smaller ship. They were able to accommodate me, but often times dinner was whatever the side dishes were for the main dishes on the menu (which most nights was fine, I had some nice risottos and veggies, and I certainly didn't go hungry!). Overall the wait staff was very good, despite being short staffed, but they all worked very hard. We all enjoyed the open seating and meeting different people almost every meal, it made for interesting meals and made the ship seem very friendly as you kept seeing people you'd already met.

The entertainment was okay. We obviously weren't expecting fabulous shows, but the musicians ranged from good to mediocre at best. After the evening show ends at about 9:30 there's not really anything to do. I'm a morning person so that was fine with me, but my mother and brother are night owls so they were a little bored at night. The gentleman (David Miller) who did the educational talks on Lewis and Clark, the Columbia river, etc was fabulous - I'd say his talks were better attended than the nightly entertainment.

Excursions were well organized, and it was very easy to add or cancel them (I made a last minute change one evening and the excursion director was very helpful). The Pride has three buses for excursions/around town shuttles that follows the ship from port to port, so you had the same three bus drivers in each port. The three drivers (Joni, Mike, and Deidre) were all fabulous, they didn't just drive from point to point but gave lots of information about each of the stops, which very much enhanced the excursions.

I thought the ship did a good job with COVID-19. Every single passenger we talked to was vaccinated. Mask wearing was required except when eating or drinking (so sitting down to meals, or when drinking/snacking in the lounges), and that was generally very well adhered to by the passengers. Sometimes people wouldn't have their mask on all the time when on deck (I admit, myself included), but if you're outside and socially distanced I don't see that as a problem. Crew was overall good about wearing masks, but I don't know what the vaccine requirements were for them. 

Generally I thought the ship itself was good, though I wish there was a deck were you could walk a complete circuit around the ship for some extra activity. There was a TINY exercise room, which I don't think a single person used. There was a washer and dryer on the ship with complementary use, which was nice, though I didn't use it. 

Overall all three of us enjoyed the trip, and I think all three of us would do a river cruise again. However, I don't think my brother and I would rush to do another one - not because we didn't enjoy it, but because vacation time and money are limited, and I think we'd prefer more active vacations at our stage of life. 

Now for more day to day/port details. We did the west to east itinerary, so started in Portland and ended in Clarkston. We ended up staying an additional two nights in Spokane after the cruise, and actually stayed at the hotel the cruise line uses for the pre trip hotel stay when you go east to west (the Historic Davenport, in Spokane). There is a VAST difference between the Davenport hotel in Spokane, and the Red Lion you stay at pre cruise in Portland. The Davenport is a gorgeously restored historic hotel right in downtown Spokane, easily walkable to restaurants/stores/Riverfront park. I would stay there again if I visited Spokane. The Red Lion Jantzen beach that the cruise uses in Portland is acceptable, but it's nothing special, and the only thing it is conveniently located near is the cruise ship dock. It's about a 20 minute uber ride to downtown Portland. There is a shopping center with a Target and some other stores not too far from the Red Lion (I actually visited it, and bought a two sweaters for the trip, since I didn't pack enough cool weather clothes!), about a 5-10 min walk. The walk is easy but there is a pedestrian underpass below the highway to get to it, and I think after dark it would be a rather sketchy walk though there.

So we arrived in Portland the day before the cruise departed, and took a taxi from the airport to the Red Lion to check in. After that we got an uber and went to Washington Park in Portland, and spent probably 2-3 hours viewing the Rose garden (free) and Japanese garden (paid, with timed entrance slots). All that was excellent. Then we took another uber to a brewery for dinner, and then another uber back to the hotel.

Breakfast the next morning at the Red Lion was fine. We got our rapid COVID-19 swabs done, and then boarded the ship. FYI, they wanted your large luggage ready to go by 8am if you wanted them to take it aboard the ship (otherwise you could drag it on yourself, it wasn't far at all). Lunch was good, then the afternoon was cruising up to Astoria, with some lovely scenery along the way. We docked late that night in Astoria.

The next day we were in Astoria. Since we docked the night before you could get off the ship very early, which I took advantage of. I had brought my running clothes with me, and I got off the ship at 6am and went for an 8 mile run. There is a paved path right along the riverfront that goes for miles (my entire run was on that), and at sunrise with fog over the river it was gorgeous. I got back in time for a quick shower and breakfast, and then we headed off to the Fort Clatsop excursion. The fort (though it's not the original) and museum were interesting, and I think they spent an appropriate amount of time there - enough to see everything, but not too long. We got back to the ship about 11am, so we decided to go straight into the Columbia maritime museum, which is literally right where the ship is docked. Admission is included with the cruise and the museum was excellent, I think maybe the most interesting museum of any we went to on the trip. After that we had lunch on the ship, then it was back aboard the tour buses to go to Cape Disappointment. The views from there were beautiful, and we saw a bald eagle in a tree nearby. The exhibit was good as well. Then back to the ship for dinner after a very full day of exploring.

The following day we "docked" in Kalama. I say "docked" because the ship doesn't actually dock, it literally just beaches the bow of the ship on a small beach there, and the gangway goes off the front of the ship on to the sand. There is a riverfront pathway there as well but it only goes about a mile. I went for another walk there when we got in around 8:30am. We then had a leisurely morning since the only excursion that day was the drive to Mt St Helens, which left after lunch. There was really nothing of interest to see in the port. The drive to Mt St Helens is long (and on windy/hilly roads, FYI, if you're prone to motion sickness), and I didn't think we had enough time there. There was certainly enough time to walk around, take pics and stop in the gift shop, but there were also some trails where it looked like you could have gone on a much longer walk, and there were multiple other people I talked to who wished we had time for that. I did suggest to ACL that they should have one bus that left the ship earlier (all three buses went, since it was the only excursion of the day) for those who are more active and wanted additional time to do some hiking. Hopefully they take that into consideration. We lucked out on weather (actually the whole trip) because we had perfectly clear views of Mt St Helens. The bus drivers also played a very good informational video on the eruption on the bus ride there.

The next day we docked in Stevenson. We went to Multnomah Falls in the morning, which is a beautiful waterfall. If you want there is a path to hike up to the top of the falls, which my brother and I did (I'd say about a half dozen others from the cruise did as well). It's a little over a mile hike to the top, with an elevation gain of nearly 800 feet (wear your sneakers). It took us 33 minutes to get to the top (moving at a steady pace, but not hurrying), and actually a little longer going down since we stopped for pics on the way down. The falls view isn't any better from the top, but what is beautiful is the fabulous vista looking out over the Columbia river. Then when we got back to the bottom we browsed the gift shop (which is enormous!). I felt for us we spent the right amount of time at the falls, but if you just wanted to walk to the bottom of the falls and look up you probably felt like we were there too long. In the afternoon they had a hop on/off bus around Stevenson. The first stop was the Bonneville dam. If you have seen dams and fish ladders before, this probably is not interesting (but the center has some fabulous orange shag carpet from the 70's!). If you haven't it's worth a stop, but you won't need to spend much time - you can catch the next bus. The next stop is the Columbia Gorge INTERPRETIVE Center (note: different from the Columbia Gorge DISCOVERY Center you'll go to the next day). For me, this was not that interesting, and I could have skipped it. I do love a good museum, but this seemed like a rather eclectic conglomeration of exhibits that just didn't speak to me. If I remember correctly (I'm already forgetting!) the last stop was in Stevenson, and you could easily walk back to the ship from there if you wanted (or take the bus all the way back).

The following day we were in The Dalles. There was a hop on/off bus going around both in the morning and afternoon. In the morning there was also an excursion to the Maryhill Museum of Art (we didn't do that) and in the afternoon there was an excursion to the Maryhill winery (we did that). We did the shuttle bus in the morning, and stopped at the Columbia Gorge DISCOVERY Center. That was interesting, the exhibits were good, and we actually didn't have enough time there. We caught their raptor presentation which was very good (they have it twice a day), that day they brought out a red tailed hawk to talk about. I found out later that there is actually a paved path that starts along the river, goes right past where you are docked, and leads up to the Discovery Center. It's about a 5 mile walk from the dock to the Center (slight uphill), if I'd known about it I'd have gotten off as soon as we docked and walked to the Center. I forget what the second stop on the shuttle was, but we didn't have time for it in order to get back in time for lunch and our winery tour. The final stop again was in downtown, and again was an easy walk back to the ship from there if you wanted to. Or of course, you could just get off the ship and wander around downtown. The winery excursion in the afternoon was good, there was a little talk on the process of making the wine first, and then of course there was tasting.

The following day we docked in Richland. Those doing the Pendleton excursion actually went off the boat earlier (we docked briefly just to let them off, then continued underway), and we docked midday. I went to the REACH museum, which I thought was excellent. It had two main exhibits, the first about the formation of the area (geologically speaking) as well as the flora/fauna of the area. The second was about the Manhattan Project and the plutonium enrichment that went on in Hanford, which I knew nothing about so I found that quite interesting. Again the ship was docked so that you could easily walk right into town, and there was also a riverfront walk (not sure how far it went, I didn't have that long after the excursion to walk before I had to get back to the boat).

The next day we were in Clarkston. We did the Hells Canyon jetboat excursion (the "long" one). You don't need to worry about getting wet, or thrown around much (just a little bit of bumpiness when we went through some small rapids). It does get a little cool when the boat gets going 30-35 mph. You stop for lunch along the river, which was very good. I wish I'd known in advance that you stop for 90 minutes at the lunch spot, and there is a little beach there. If you wanted to (and were dressed appropriately) you could even have gone for a little swim in the river. But none of us were in bathing suits or had towels or changes of clothes, so we had to content with just a little wading. Then of course we were docked in Clarkston overnight, and off the ship there the next morning. I didn't see that much to do where we docked, though there was a large Walmart close by if that's important to you. We took the free shuttle to Lewiston airport, and rented a car from there to drive to Spokane. The drive to Spokane was easy. Make sure you rent a car in advance if you're planning on doing that, it is a tiny airport with not a lot of rental cars on site.

If anyone actually made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope this was helpful, and if anyone has other questions I can try to answer them.

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

Thank you for posting this.  We will be doing the opposite direction on 10/29/21.

Thanks for your review. Our TA had suggested this trip to us, but we opted for Puget Sound instead. David Miller was speaker on our trip, and I completely agree - he's excellent.

Great review.  Everything is in the timing.  When we went on this route a few years, we had a lot of rain - which was welcome for the parched forests, not so good for us.  We were at Bonneville during spawning season, so the fish ladder was one of the most fascinating things we've ever seen.  Without the wall to wall salmon, it's probably a dull place.  All in all, a great trip.

• 4 weeks later...

Many thanks for this report - we're doing the longer version of this cruise in April 2022, and like you, we plan to drive to Spokane to catch our plane home.  How long did it take you to drive from Lewiston to Spokane?  How long did it take to go through security at the Spokane airport?  Just wanting to be sure we're allowing enough time for the drive, etc., and don't need to spend the night in Spokane!  (We've already booked our flights and our rental car, but we can change them if need be.)

• 1 year later...

Thank you so much for this great review! I’m just starting the planning process for this trip. It will be my first time on ACL and a smaller ship. Your review was very informative!

Thanks for taking the time to post this review. I have copied and saved it to use in the future. I plan on taking this cruise possibly in 2024.

• 3 weeks later...

On 9/6/2021 at 1:01 PM, DevilsFan38 said: I recently returned from a Columbia river cruise on the Pride, and thought I'd write a detailed report for those who might be interested. I'll start with a big overview, then do more details by port. First off, I'm not your typical river cruise passenger (I'm in my mid 30's). The trip was with my brother (early 30's) and mother (mid 60's). The three of us shared a cabin (cabin 113), which actually worked fairly well, and was much more cost effective than having one person in a single. Three twin beds fit fairly well into that cabin (I understand it's slightly bigger than some of the others on that floor). The first floor doesn't have balconies, so that allows more room for beds, and we didn't miss the balcony at all (we'd never done a river cruise before, usually on ocean cruises we do a balcony). There were always plenty of chairs available up on deck when I wanted to sit outside with my book.   The food was very good. I'm a vegetarian so that was a bit more of a challenge on a smaller ship. They were able to accommodate me, but often times dinner was whatever the side dishes were for the main dishes on the menu (which most nights was fine, I had some nice risottos and veggies, and I certainly didn't go hungry!). Overall the wait staff was very good, despite being short staffed, but they all worked very hard. We all enjoyed the open seating and meeting different people almost every meal, it made for interesting meals and made the ship seem very friendly as you kept seeing people you'd already met.   The entertainment was okay. We obviously weren't expecting fabulous shows, but the musicians ranged from good to mediocre at best. After the evening show ends at about 9:30 there's not really anything to do. I'm a morning person so that was fine with me, but my mother and brother are night owls so they were a little bored at night. The gentleman (David Miller) who did the educational talks on Lewis and Clark, the Columbia river, etc was fabulous - I'd say his talks were better attended than the nightly entertainment.   Excursions were well organized, and it was very easy to add or cancel them (I made a last minute change one evening and the excursion director was very helpful). The Pride has three buses for excursions/around town shuttles that follows the ship from port to port, so you had the same three bus drivers in each port. The three drivers (Joni, Mike, and Deidre) were all fabulous, they didn't just drive from point to point but gave lots of information about each of the stops, which very much enhanced the excursions.   I thought the ship did a good job with COVID-19. Every single passenger we talked to was vaccinated. Mask wearing was required except when eating or drinking (so sitting down to meals, or when drinking/snacking in the lounges), and that was generally very well adhered to by the passengers. Sometimes people wouldn't have their mask on all the time when on deck (I admit, myself included), but if you're outside and socially distanced I don't see that as a problem. Crew was overall good about wearing masks, but I don't know what the vaccine requirements were for them.    Generally I thought the ship itself was good, though I wish there was a deck were you could walk a complete circuit around the ship for some extra activity. There was a TINY exercise room, which I don't think a single person used. There was a washer and dryer on the ship with complementary use, which was nice, though I didn't use it.    Overall all three of us enjoyed the trip, and I think all three of us would do a river cruise again. However, I don't think my brother and I would rush to do another one - not because we didn't enjoy it, but because vacation time and money are limited, and I think we'd prefer more active vacations at our stage of life.    Now for more day to day/port details. We did the west to east itinerary, so started in Portland and ended in Clarkston. We ended up staying an additional two nights in Spokane after the cruise, and actually stayed at the hotel the cruise line uses for the pre trip hotel stay when you go east to west (the Historic Davenport, in Spokane). There is a VAST difference between the Davenport hotel in Spokane, and the Red Lion you stay at pre cruise in Portland. The Davenport is a gorgeously restored historic hotel right in downtown Spokane, easily walkable to restaurants/stores/Riverfront park. I would stay there again if I visited Spokane. The Red Lion Jantzen beach that the cruise uses in Portland is acceptable, but it's nothing special, and the only thing it is conveniently located near is the cruise ship dock. It's about a 20 minute uber ride to downtown Portland. There is a shopping center with a Target and some other stores not too far from the Red Lion (I actually visited it, and bought a two sweaters for the trip, since I didn't pack enough cool weather clothes!), about a 5-10 min walk. The walk is easy but there is a pedestrian underpass below the highway to get to it, and I think after dark it would be a rather sketchy walk though there.   So we arrived in Portland the day before the cruise departed, and took a taxi from the airport to the Red Lion to check in. After that we got an uber and went to Washington Park in Portland, and spent probably 2-3 hours viewing the Rose garden (free) and Japanese garden (paid, with timed entrance slots). All that was excellent. Then we took another uber to a brewery for dinner, and then another uber back to the hotel.   Breakfast the next morning at the Red Lion was fine. We got our rapid COVID-19 swabs done, and then boarded the ship. FYI, they wanted your large luggage ready to go by 8am if you wanted them to take it aboard the ship (otherwise you could drag it on yourself, it wasn't far at all). Lunch was good, then the afternoon was cruising up to Astoria, with some lovely scenery along the way. We docked late that night in Astoria.   The next day we were in Astoria. Since we docked the night before you could get off the ship very early, which I took advantage of. I had brought my running clothes with me, and I got off the ship at 6am and went for an 8 mile run. There is a paved path right along the riverfront that goes for miles (my entire run was on that), and at sunrise with fog over the river it was gorgeous. I got back in time for a quick shower and breakfast, and then we headed off to the Fort Clatsop excursion. The fort (though it's not the original) and museum were interesting, and I think they spent an appropriate amount of time there - enough to see everything, but not too long. We got back to the ship about 11am, so we decided to go straight into the Columbia maritime museum, which is literally right where the ship is docked. Admission is included with the cruise and the museum was excellent, I think maybe the most interesting museum of any we went to on the trip. After that we had lunch on the ship, then it was back aboard the tour buses to go to Cape Disappointment. The views from there were beautiful, and we saw a bald eagle in a tree nearby. The exhibit was good as well. Then back to the ship for dinner after a very full day of exploring.   The following day we "docked" in Kalama. I say "docked" because the ship doesn't actually dock, it literally just beaches the bow of the ship on a small beach there, and the gangway goes off the front of the ship on to the sand. There is a riverfront pathway there as well but it only goes about a mile. I went for another walk there when we got in around 8:30am. We then had a leisurely morning since the only excursion that day was the drive to Mt St Helens, which left after lunch. There was really nothing of interest to see in the port. The drive to Mt St Helens is long (and on windy/hilly roads, FYI, if you're prone to motion sickness), and I didn't think we had enough time there. There was certainly enough time to walk around, take pics and stop in the gift shop, but there were also some trails where it looked like you could have gone on a much longer walk, and there were multiple other people I talked to who wished we had time for that. I did suggest to ACL that they should have one bus that left the ship earlier (all three buses went, since it was the only excursion of the day) for those who are more active and wanted additional time to do some hiking. Hopefully they take that into consideration. We lucked out on weather (actually the whole trip) because we had perfectly clear views of Mt St Helens. The bus drivers also played a very good informational video on the eruption on the bus ride there.   The next day we docked in Stevenson. We went to Multnomah Falls in the morning, which is a beautiful waterfall. If you want there is a path to hike up to the top of the falls, which my brother and I did (I'd say about a half dozen others from the cruise did as well). It's a little over a mile hike to the top, with an elevation gain of nearly 800 feet (wear your sneakers). It took us 33 minutes to get to the top (moving at a steady pace, but not hurrying), and actually a little longer going down since we stopped for pics on the way down. The falls view isn't any better from the top, but what is beautiful is the fabulous vista looking out over the Columbia river. Then when we got back to the bottom we browsed the gift shop (which is enormous!). I felt for us we spent the right amount of time at the falls, but if you just wanted to walk to the bottom of the falls and look up you probably felt like we were there too long. In the afternoon they had a hop on/off bus around Stevenson. The first stop was the Bonneville dam. If you have seen dams and fish ladders before, this probably is not interesting (but the center has some fabulous orange shag carpet from the 70's!). If you haven't it's worth a stop, but you won't need to spend much time - you can catch the next bus. The next stop is the Columbia Gorge INTERPRETIVE Center (note: different from the Columbia Gorge DISCOVERY Center you'll go to the next day). For me, this was not that interesting, and I could have skipped it. I do love a good museum, but this seemed like a rather eclectic conglomeration of exhibits that just didn't speak to me. If I remember correctly (I'm already forgetting!) the last stop was in Stevenson, and you could easily walk back to the ship from there if you wanted (or take the bus all the way back).   The following day we were in The Dalles. There was a hop on/off bus going around both in the morning and afternoon. In the morning there was also an excursion to the Maryhill Museum of Art (we didn't do that) and in the afternoon there was an excursion to the Maryhill winery (we did that). We did the shuttle bus in the morning, and stopped at the Columbia Gorge DISCOVERY Center. That was interesting, the exhibits were good, and we actually didn't have enough time there. We caught their raptor presentation which was very good (they have it twice a day), that day they brought out a red tailed hawk to talk about. I found out later that there is actually a paved path that starts along the river, goes right past where you are docked, and leads up to the Discovery Center. It's about a 5 mile walk from the dock to the Center (slight uphill), if I'd known about it I'd have gotten off as soon as we docked and walked to the Center. I forget what the second stop on the shuttle was, but we didn't have time for it in order to get back in time for lunch and our winery tour. The final stop again was in downtown, and again was an easy walk back to the ship from there if you wanted to. Or of course, you could just get off the ship and wander around downtown. The winery excursion in the afternoon was good, there was a little talk on the process of making the wine first, and then of course there was tasting.   The following day we docked in Richland. Those doing the Pendleton excursion actually went off the boat earlier (we docked briefly just to let them off, then continued underway), and we docked midday. I went to the REACH museum, which I thought was excellent. It had two main exhibits, the first about the formation of the area (geologically speaking) as well as the flora/fauna of the area. The second was about the Manhattan Project and the plutonium enrichment that went on in Hanford, which I knew nothing about so I found that quite interesting. Again the ship was docked so that you could easily walk right into town, and there was also a riverfront walk (not sure how far it went, I didn't have that long after the excursion to walk before I had to get back to the boat).   The next day we were in Clarkston. We did the Hells Canyon jetboat excursion (the "long" one). You don't need to worry about getting wet, or thrown around much (just a little bit of bumpiness when we went through some small rapids). It does get a little cool when the boat gets going 30-35 mph. You stop for lunch along the river, which was very good. I wish I'd known in advance that you stop for 90 minutes at the lunch spot, and there is a little beach there. If you wanted to (and were dressed appropriately) you could even have gone for a little swim in the river. But none of us were in bathing suits or had towels or changes of clothes, so we had to content with just a little wading. Then of course we were docked in Clarkston overnight, and off the ship there the next morning. I didn't see that much to do where we docked, though there was a large Walmart close by if that's important to you. We took the free shuttle to Lewiston airport, and rented a car from there to drive to Spokane. The drive to Spokane was easy. Make sure you rent a car in advance if you're planning on doing that, it is a tiny airport with not a lot of rental cars on site.   If anyone actually made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope this was helpful, and if anyone has other questions I can try to answer them.  

Thank you so much for your very informative cruise report! My husband and I are doing this cruise on July 9th to the 16th but in the reverse from Clarskson Washington to Portland. I’m a bit worried about the heat factor because from what I read July and August are their hottest months. Any additional tips on the tours you would skip and a must do? Thanks again I feel a little better about taking this cruise because you’re much younger than me but I was afraid this was geared for a much older clientele.

• 6 months later...

On 12/15/2022 at 6:43 PM, Ski Mom said: Thank you so much for your very informative cruise report! My husband and I are doing this cruise on July 9th to the 16th but in the reverse from Clarskson Washington to Portland. I’m a bit worried about the heat factor because from what I read July and August are their hottest months. Any additional tips on the tours you would skip and a must do? Thanks again I feel a little better about taking this cruise because you’re much younger than me but I was afraid this was geared for a much older clientele.

Hello I know this is an old review but I really appreciate your feedback and review. We are taking this cruise in July and considering taking the tour of the  Maryhill   winer y   for $50 a person. Can you please tell me what’s included in the $50 I looked this winery up on Yelp or TripAdvisor and it states that there’s a $35 wine tasting fee. Is this in addition to the $50 for the tour? That seems kind of expensive to me.If so , did you feel lthe tour was worth the money? Thanks for any input you can give me!

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

• Welcome to Cruise Critic
• New Cruisers
• Cruise Lines “A – O”
• Cruise Lines “P – Z”
• River Cruising
• Cruise Critic News & Features
• Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
• Special Interest Cruising
• Cruise Discussion Topics
• UK Cruising
• Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
• Canadian Cruisers
• North American Homeports
• Ports of Call
• Cruise Conversations

Announcements

• New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!

Write Your Own Amazing Review !

Click this gorgeous photo by member SUPERstar777 to share your review!

Features & News

LauraS · Started Thursday at 07:37 PM

LauraS · Started Thursday at 04:48 PM

LauraS · Started Thursday at 04:19 PM

LauraS · Started Thursday at 03:29 PM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 11:57 PM

• Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
• Find Your Roll Call
• Meet & Mingle
• Community Help Center
• All Activity
• Member Photo Albums
• Meet & Mingle Photos
• Favorite Cruise Memories
• Cruise Food Photos
• Cruise Ship Photos
• Ports of Call Photos
• Towel Animal Photos
• Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
• Write a Review
• Live Cruise Reports
• Member Cruise Reviews
• Create New...

• Best of 2022
• How to Spot a Trustworthy Website
• Dating Apps
• Shopping Discount Fashion
• Discount Clothing
• Discount Designer Clothing
• Affordable Wedding Dresses
• Affordable Activewear for Women
• Plus-Size Swimwear
• COVID-19 Resources
• Beauty Home
• Consumer Advocates
• Consumer Tips
• Write a Review
• For Business
• Request a Review
• Discussions
• Backed by the National Science Foundation
• Transportation
• American Cruise Lines

Unsolicited

Unsolicited - verified purchase.

American Cruise Lines has a rating of 4.3 stars from 51 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. American Cruise Lines ranks 3rd among Cruises sites.

This company does not typically respond to reviews

“Small Ship Cruising at Its Best”

This was our first cruise with American Cruise Lines, and it exceeded our expectations in every way. While the food, our stateroom and the tours were all above average, what really sets this line apart is the staff and how they treat their guests. They really make you feel like family. The 10-night, Grand Puget Sound cruise created a lot of special moments and memories. Do yourself a favor and discover what you can experience on a small ship.

“Deceptive Practices”

Left deposit of $1000. 00 for future cruise in Late July into August 2022. Had to cancel due to unexpected surgery scheduled for next Tuesday, with expected recovery of eight months. Cancelled with in their time guidelines and expected full refund, which was denied. Instead offered only $500.00 refund or credit for upcoming cruise, will never do business with them again. We purchased Deluxe Protection Plan for $980.00. The representatives and statements on protection plan papers were deceptive and misleading. Fellow sailors. BEWARE.

Reviews (51)

• Follow Sylvia B.

There wasn't a single aspect of my cruise on the lower Mississippi River that I would change. The employees were all very kind and helpful, they went out of their way to make everything enjoyable. The food, chefs and wait staff were all excellent. My room was clean and comfortable. The excursions were interesting and well planned, the onboard and guest entertainment was wonderful. I signed up for another cruise this year and cannot wait to see what they have in store. It was very helpful having laundry facilities on board also. I cannot recommend this company enough, and I also appreciate that it is all American!

• Follow Mary D.

We saw the mighty river while sailing north and south upon it. We felt a part of it. I was born and raised on the Mississippi River, in Quincy, Illinois, and thought I knew all about it. Well, I learned that I had just scratched the surface. On our cruise, we really saw the South, past and present. We learned about the history of the South through some museum tours. We also visited some modern plantations where today's cotton, sugar cane and crawfish are raised. Absolutely fascinating!

• Follow John B.

We had been told by friends that American Cruise Lines was best. ABSOLUTELY! Now: Maine's "Coastal Cats!"

Products used: American Melody

• Follow Donna C.

We had the pleasure of sailing on American Cruise Line's brand new ship - the American Eagle! I love the fact that it maxes at 100 guests and it is a casually refined craft that makes you feel like you are your own yacht with invited friends. This new ship is a "proprietary hybrid catamaran design" that was created for smooth sailing in "rivers, lakes, bays and protected coastlines all across America." Looking at the 2024/2025 cruise book, it is in no way REPLACING the itineraries that they are known for (the Mississippi River/Columbia & Snake River) rather, enhancing the type of destinations that they can take us to with this new design. We were thrilled with our voyage, met new friends, relaxed, ATE TOO MUCH!, and had enjoyable entertainment each evening. A special shoutout to cruise director Anyssa who never ceases to smile and Andy, the general manager who made sure everything ran seamlessly. We signed up to go on the Art Immersion Cruise, May 27 on the American Independence that leaves out of New York and ends in Boston. YANKEE SEAPORTS here we come!

Products used: coastal cruise

• Follow Patti W.

The first thing that we like about American Cruise Line is that there are many people our age on board. We don't need the princes lunches, gambling, mammoth slide into the pool or the mac and cheese. We are older and enjoy lectures about where we are, guided tours at our pace and cookie time in the morning and afternoon. We also enjoy it being all inclusive drinks, Wi-Fi, many tours included and gourmet meals every night. Yes, we feel very pampered with the ships only having between 90-130 on board. This also means we are not walking forever to get to our rooms or to the entertainment areas. These are fun river cruises well worth the money and very relaxing.

Our cruise -- the first with American Cruise Lines -- was last September between Memphis and New Orleans. We were very impressed by the ship, the cruise, the staff, the tours, the varied and top-notch evening entertainment, the great fellow who did a daily history/nature report, the food. Their way of boarding us was first-rate, too -- as was the way we departed (everything very efficient, transportation arranged to our hotel in New Orleans.) Liked that we didn't have any extra charges for the tours (which were ultra-friendly and efficient like everything else on this cruise.) We plan to be back aboard with American Cruise Lines.

Tip for consumers: No

• Follow Kazue N.

Nice relaxing cruise down the scenic Columbia River Only 200 on board Friendly staff Interesting speaker about Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea Wonderful piano player and singer

From the business

• Visit Website
• #3 in Cruises
• Edit business info

Company Representative

Home » Cruise » An In-Depth American Cruise Lines Review: What to Expect

An In-Depth American Cruise Lines Review: What to Expect

The escalating hassles of international travel turned my attention recently to a type of vacation that has been growing in popularity of late: Small Ship American River Cruising. Specifically on American Cruise Lines,  a cruise line that plies the inland waterways of the USA.

As a Connecticut-based empty-nest travel writer with an active, fit 81-year-old teacher-naturalist mother, I sought a trip that could satisfy our particular Mother/Daughter bonding requirements: a short drive, good food, unusual small-town ports, American history, excellent customer service, and lots of local experts. My search led me to a Chesapeake Bay Cruise, one of the company’s most popular excursions, and a subsequent cruise with American Cruise Lines on the Hudson River .

Here’s my American Cruise Lines review.

Table of Contents

Where Does American Cruise Lines Go?

American Cruise Lines offers a wide array of cruises that span the length and breadth of the United States, featuring a range of scenic and culturally rich destinations. On the East Coast, their itineraries include iconic routes along the Hudson River, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the storied harbors of New England, allowing passengers to experience everything from the fall foliage of upstate New York to the colonial history of the Chesapeake Bay.

In the Pacific Northwest, their cruises along the Columbia and Snake Rivers offer stunning vistas of the region’s dramatic landscapes, including the Columbia River Gorge and the rolling hills of Washington’s wine country. Whether exploring the American Revolution’s roots in the Eastern seaboard or following in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark in the Pacific Northwest, American Cruise Lines provides a comprehensive view of America’s diverse landscapes and historical narratives.

The Chesapeake Bay Itinerary

Round trip from Baltimore , the Chesapeake Bay itinerary would take us to Annapolis , Yorktown VA , Tangier Island , and other small towns on America’s largest estuary — during the final days of Fall Foliage, the first week of November.

I admit I was a bit apprehensive. I’d read all the American Cruise Lines reviews, both positive and negative. “Friendly. Lots of camaraderie. Great ports of call. Terrific lectures. Pricey. Floating nursing home. Tired décor.”

I honestly didn’t think I fit the demographic.

American Cruise Lines is small-ship cruising in every sense of the word. (Check out what happens when I return for a Hudson River Fall Foliage Cruise. )

The company prides itself on being completely American. (Every ship in the fleet is built in the USA, flagged in the USA, with US employees, and itineraries).

The Small Ship Difference

Even before our embarkation date, I could tell that my cruise experience on the 100-passenger ACL Independence would be vastly different from that of the mega ships I’d sailed on in the past.

A few months prior to departure, I’d received boarding passes, luggage tags, and a small, 20-page brochure that included maps, phone numbers, information about towns we’d be visiting, and shore excursions.

Emblazoned on each page was an 800 number to call with any questions or special requests. It seemed so tidy, to the point, and low-key. Almost too easy.

The Independence was docked right in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor — in the very center of the action. We parked in a garage across the street, rolled our luggage one block to within site of the ship, and handed our bags to ACL crew members, who promised to deliver them to our stateroom pronto.

Then we flashed our boarding passes at the gangway, climbed up, received our stateroom keys and name tags (to wear at all times onboard), and, well, that was it. No drama. No hoops. Just a friendly welcome aboard. 

First Impressions of American Cruise Lines Independence

It was a bit after 11am, and Mom needed coffee, stat. No problem. We were sent straight away to the Chesapeake Lounge where coffee, soft drinks, water, and delectable fresh-baked cookies, and other snacks foreshadowed the abundance of food to come. But more on that later.

The Chesapeake Lounge and three other “reading room” gathering spots – one on each of the Independence’s three levels – are furnished in traditional, comfy, New England style.

I found the ensemble of couches and upholstered chairs a perfect place to plop down for lectures or casual conversations with other passengers.

Staterooms on ACL

At first glance, staterooms are on the spare side. They are, however, larger than most on small ships (200-600 sq ft). Even better, private bathrooms sported full showers. Room 305, like all others on the second and third decks, featured a large window and private balcony. 

Incredibly, the sleekly nautical triple-drawer dresser, six smaller drawers in the writing desk, the sizable closet, and three large bathroom drawers held the contents of two large suitcases perfectly.

Mom chose the twin bed “closest to the bathroom,” leaving me with the one nudged up against the wall beneath the window.

The bedding was plump, soft, and dreamy, almost impossible to emerge from in the dawn hour. But emerge I did to sit up and lift the shade to watch, transfixed, the daily sunrise over a calm or choppy Chesapeake Bay. My appreciation for this cocoon of a room increased over the week.

Food and Drink

Overall, food onboard was very good, bordering on excellent in some cases, and missing the mark in others, but surpassing the “Big Ship” cuisine in quality and freshness. Waiters and waitresses are young, but diligent and pleasant.

Chefs provision at each port and utilize local or regional ingredients as much as possible. So, this being a Chesapeake Bay cruise, the emphasis was on crab every which way, seafood, and fresh oysters.

Conceivably, you can eat all day long. Coffee and fresh-baked treats are set out in the Chesapeake Lounge at 6:30 AM, breakfast is served between 7:30 and 9am, lunch at 12:30, drinks and appetizers from 5:30 – 6:30, at which point you sit down to dinner (which includes complimentary wine).

During the evening’s entertainment or lecture, the crew passes around baskets of popcorn, ice-cream sundaes, and root beer floats.

After a full day of gorging, I was astounded to see how many guests nodded “yes” to an 8:30pm hot fudge sundae. Obviously, these were repeat ACL cruisers who knew how to pace themselves.

Distinct Benefits of American Cruise Lines

There are two very distinct benefits to American Cruise Lines when it comes to food and drink. 

One (and many would say the most important) is the daily 5:30-6:30 complimentary open bar that features the most premium brands of hard liquor. For one whole hour, the Chesapeake Lounge turns into a convivial cocktail party, with passed and tabled hors d’oeuvres, and all the wine, beer, martinis, whisky rocks, Bloody Mary’s, or any other drink you can down.

“My bar bill on other cruise lines is sometimes almost as much as the cost of the cruise,” one guest, a frequent floater, told me. “So even though American Cruise Line is pricey, it’s worth it.”

The second benefit is one that is only feasible on a small ship. A convivial,  “if we don’t have it, we’ll fetch it for you” way of thinking. Perhaps you’d like, say, sugar-free chocolate ice cream and the kitchen has only sugar-free vanilla.

The Hotel Manager will go out while in port and purchase whatever you desire (within legal limits, of course). On our trip, this also applied to bottles of preferred Bourbon and Vodka.

On Board Entertainment

It’s not a Carnival. There are no Celebrities. It’s a small ship with intimately sized lectures, talks and music. Just after dinner, at 8:15 every night, we found delightful and insightful programs in the Chesapeake Lounge: crab experts (from both ecological and eating standpoints), Revolutionary War medical practice experts, and piano and dulcimer players.

Storyteller/historian, Doug Weeks , stayed on board to entertain us with his various alter egos. As fur-trapper, Brave Wolf , he spoke of the early Chesapeake Bay settlers including John Smith. Another night, Weeks morphed into Lighthouse Keeper, Peter Bird , injured at Gettysburg, then appointed to keep the fires burning at lighthouses in the Great Lakes and on Chesapeake Bay.

Sure, some of it was corny, but as Weeks channeled Peter Bird, passengers became engrossed in his passionate, detailed accounts. We soon learned that Bird was Doug’s Great-Great Grandfather, and all these stories had been passed down through generations of his family.

Ports of Call

Small cruise ships can dock where the big boys can’t. And so, in Yorktown, we were steps away from the National Park and the riverfront shopping-restaurant district. In Crisfield, “The Crab Capital of the World” and gateway to Tangier Island, we docked a block from the Tangier Ferry that took many of us to that tiny lost-in-time island.

We parked right inside the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michael’s, MD and were given free reign to investigate its many buildings. And while the giant cruise ships sat at terminals a bus ride from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, we were right there with the Water Taxis, museums and thousands of land-bound tourists.

Though marketed to retired professionals “age 62 and up,” American Cruise Line passengers skew older with a spattering of younger whippersnappers. Interestingly, a good number on the Chesapeake Bay cruise were retired teachers.

On my cruise, there were two very young, well-behaved boys traveling with their parents, aunt, and grandparents, one couple my age (late 50’s), a gay couple, a 13-strong family reunion, two other Mother/Daughter combos, (Doris and Ann Eberlein, Pat and Jeanne McGuire), one Grandma/Granddaughter combo (Kathryn Price and Ida Lu Brown), and lots of conventional pairs ranging in age from 50’s to hearty 90’s. 

Folks From All Over

What amazed me was not so much the range of ages, but the geographic diversity. There were folks from California, Texas, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan – from many US States.

Republicans were thrown in with Democrats, liberals with conservatives, and through the magic of Cocktail Hour lubrication, open seating, and inquisitive minds, everyone spoke to each other. Everyone seemed interested in each other’s stories, and, over the course of the week, I witnessed friendships forming before my very eyes.

This, apparently, is not unusual. On this cruise, I watched as Ida Lu Brown, grandma of 17, great-grandma of 25, great-great-grandma to four, warmed up to Doris Eberlein on the 75 minute ferry boat ride to Tangier Island.

I became very fond of Dawn and Jay Ponce from Yuma, AZ – a retired school Principal and her business-owner husband. “I can tell if you lived closer together, you’d be close friends,” my Mom observed.

“American Cruise Lines attracts kindred spirits – intelligent, curious, friendly,” stated California lawyer, Nancy Duval. Duval was one of four widowed women who met on an ACL cruise three years ago. They’ve been traveling together every year since.

She met retired 5th grade teacher, Laurel Hansen (this time, on her 19th American Cruise Line cruise), retired teacher/librarian Sherry Johnson, and Sally Cobb – all solo at the time. Lone travelers don’t seem to stay lone for long.

Many Guests Return Again and Again

By the end of the week, I was seriously considering signing up for another cruise. Perhaps The Mark Twain Tribute Cruise on the Mississippi. There certainly was incentive – a 15% discount if you put down a deposit before leaving the ship. I didn’t – only because I’ve got too many road trips planned. But I was in the minority. As many repeat passengers were settling accounts – paying for shore excursions and tips – they were also booking future cruises.

Bottom Line

Expect a low-key intimate experience, not the bells, whistles, fanfare, and free-time choices of larger cruise ships.

Expect to socialize. Though you can get away with sequestering yourself in your room, most ACL passengers are welcoming and primed to meet others. (Think: opposite of Middle School). Large dining room tables invite mixed groups. And the daily cocktail hour is friendly and boisterous .

American Cruise Line features an assortment of itineraries on waterways all over the USA. “Theme” Cruises, like the Mark Twain Tribute Cruise on the Mississippi, New England Lobster Fest Cruise, Columbia River Wine Cruise and Hudson River Fall Foliage Cruise tend to book up at least a year in advance.

All articles belong to Getaway Mavens LLC, and all photos belong to us as well, unless otherwise noted. It’s all copyrighted. Please don’t repost anything elsewhere without asking us first. All rights reserved. This site uses cookies to enhance your experience.

We make no guarantees of any price listed on our site. We’re not responsible for content on external websites linked to ours, including linked resources, an external blog post, any partner site, hotel property sites, or affiliate sites. We only write about places we have vetted, but can’t guarantee that your experience will be exactly the same.

Posts may contain affiliate links at no cost to you. Several of our trips are also compensated by the respective tourism boards for the city or state we are visiting. This never impacts how we share the destination with you – opinions are always our own and we pride ourselves on that. We do not sell links or accept unsolicited guest posts under any circumstances. Don’t even ask.

United States Copyright, Getaway Mavens, LLC

Malerie Yolen-Cohen is the Author of the cross-country travel guide, Stay On Route 6; Your Guide to All 3562 Miles of Transcontinental Route 6. She contributes frequently to Newsday, with credits in National Geographic Traveler, Ladies Home Journal, Yankee Magazine, Shape.com, Sierra Magazine, Porthole, Paddler, New England Boating, Huffington Post, and dozens of other publications. Malerie’s focus and specialty is Northeastern US, and she is constantly amazed by the caliber of restaurants and lodging in the unlikeliest places.

View all posts

2 thoughts on “An In-Depth American Cruise Lines Review: What to Expect”

HI Joan – people wear “Resort Casual” for dinner. Not cocktail attire, but no jeans or shorts, either. Sportcoats for men at night. Daytime much more casual.

Hi Joan!! So glad you enjoyed the cruise. I worked on the harmony (one of the newest ships among the acl fleets) and have to say it was a pleasure reading your article and having the oppertunity to do a little comparison of expirience. Thank you so much for you little slice of insight.

Comments are closed.

American Cruise Lines   Reviews

In the Cruise Line Company category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.7.

3,019 total

Most relevant

The staff on cruise ship were amazing

The staff on cruise ship were amazing. Always, kind, helpful and some even inspiring (server Genie, on Serenade). Our server, Kristy, always went above and beyond to try and make our dining experience a good one. She took very good care of us. We answered dietary needs question when signed up but disappointed that they weren't prepared or knowledgeable bout our situation ( we don't eat meat or shell fish) When they did prepare food we could eat, it was usually good. They always tried to accommodate us but it shouldn't have been that painful. They gave us lots of red snapper which is not a delicious fish, but it is a cheaper fish. Sous chef Kia did come up with some wonderful vegetarian options, but she wasn't there every day.

Date of experience : 05 April 2024

The crew and staff are incredible

The crew and staff are incredible. They are always available to answer questions and manage to smile even if they have probably heard that question asked at least 20 times. The food is most always first rate..so grateful that they have 1/2 portions. It's difficult to choose the "on shore" excursions weeks in advance...a couple of our choices were disappointing, especially Hilton Head. We wish more time had been spent in Charlston.

Date of experience : 23 March 2024

Best of the best.

What a wonderful experience. I can't rave about the food enough, I loved the 1/2 portions, and no wait to be seated. Tours were fantastic, extremely well put todather. Our cabin was spotless everyday, even a turndown. Entertainment was top notch, a lot of thoughtful effort went into planning. The whole team had smiles, they worked as a complete unit, everybody helped to the guests satisfaction. This cruise line goes straight to number 1 in my book. I'm looking forward to another cruise on American.

Date of experience : 29 March 2024

The cruise was a 5 in so many ways but…

The cruise was a 5 in so many ways but I could not give the entertainment and the food an exceptional score. Tho some food was excellent, other times, especially at lunch, it was not. The staff were indeed a 5 in every way.For the price here in USA I expected more than on other riverboats. But I am still recommending to my friends.

Date of experience : 28 March 2024

Best Cruise Ever

The crew was fabulous ! Everyone was so friendly, cheerful, helpful. Food was very good! Ship was clean and well decorated. Itinery was interesting, and land excursions were good. Can't wait to sail with American Cruise lines again. Smaller ships are SO much better than huge crowded ones.

Date of experience : 27 March 2024

We love your small ships.

We love your small ships and outstanding crews. This cruise was supposed to be in the Gulf of Mexico, but unfortunately was changed so that the last 2 days were in the Atlantic and were very rough and uncomfortable. Also we had to change our return flight from Tampa to Miami, a much bigger and more difficult airport to negotiate when you have mobility problems.

Date of experience : 22 March 2024

I had a wonderful time

I had a wonderful time. The boat was very nice. I loved the 4th deck furnishings. Our stateroom was roomy and with lots of drawer space for two people. The bathroom was a nice size----not a cubicle. We met lovely people, had good entertainment and I enjoyed the speaker. The tours were good as well. One problem was when we got to the Newark Airport on the return home. After checking in we had a long walk to security and when we checked in security there had been a mistake with our birthdays and we had to go back to check out to iron this out then back to security----not pleasant.

Satisfied and Happy GenX couple

This was our second ACL cruise after Columbia River in 2022. This ship was beautiful and the staff, accommodations and amenities were much improved and of better value relative to the cost. We booked our third cruise whole on board!

Date of experience : 17 March 2024

The customer service is amazing! The rooms were spacious and well set up. The food was incredible, never had a bad dish. Snacks, drinks and coffee were always available. Staff is friendly, tentative and helpful. The boat was well laid out and loved the top deck for taking in the sun and viewing the surroundings. The entertainment was fun and the speaking sessions were excellent and informative.

A great vacation

Nothing better than working with pleasant helpful people. What a great staff you have. It was a treat to have them (Nadia, Mike, Ragan, etc.,) stop for a minute and relate to us on a personal level. Food was plentiful and delicious. We were fortunate to have great weather and that makes the experience more pleasant. Tours were interesting, with the exception of the Oaks Alley - timing was off.

Date of experience : 31 March 2024

A very good first impression

Cruise was very enjoyable . Everyone on staff was very pleasant. Housekeeping and dining staff also very pleasant. We would like to thank you for the champaign and strawberries left in our room i believe they were left their in celebration of our Anniversary but we are not sure maybe everyone got them. There was no card. Another little thing besides a full length mirror in the room could be soap, shampoo, and conditioner dispensers on the wall. Just some thoughts not sure any of that can be done. It is unfortunate that you ask everyone to disembark at such an early hour especially when you have a hotel reservation since you are not allowed to check in until 3:00. Perhaps your departures could be 5:00 rather then 2:00 and then disembarking could be bumped to 10:00. JUST A THOUGHT.

Date of experience : 25 March 2024

Great trip. Good food and tours. Entire crew was wonderful, especially gracious to those with disabilities. treated them with great respect and help them whenever possible

Date of experience : 04 April 2024

Our paddle wheel experience

The communication was very good to start with. Everything was orchestrated nicely, details were attended to. The boat was clean and accessible. (I have MS and had a scooter delivered to my room) The excursions were great and the bus drivers and tour guides were very good. The food and service was most excellent. We had an excellent time!

Loved this Civil War themed cruise

Loved this Civil War themed cruise. It was the right mix of excursions, relaxation and on board experiences, including great food. I really like that American Cruise Lines have an included cocktail “hour”. The crew were extremely friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Would definitely cruise with them again.

Great Cruise

The cruise was great. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. The entertainment wonderful. We did not like the layout of the ships dining room, nor the lounge. Move the galley to the back, and let us see across both directions. Sitting beside the galley was very noisy. The lounge is not right for preformers as their audiences are either left or right and not in front of them. The historical expert Dale needs a timepiece. He is very good but never stopped on time, always running into the next event. This was our second cruise with him. Your new busses are beautiful and drivers great. It was refreshing to see all of the staff on a regular basis. Most cruises, you never see the Chef or Captain for instance. We saw the entire staff on this cruise. Jake is a very good cruise director. We felt like we were leaving a good friend upon disembarking.

Date of experience : 30 March 2024

Colin Hietikko the Cruise Director was…

Colin Hietikko the Cruise Director was FABULOUS ! All other crew were also good. Food was exquisite ! Rooms were clean always. Lounges were clean always.

Our cruise from Jacksonville to Charlotte SC

The trip was very good but the very best was the help and friendly interaction with the crew members, the lady that clean our room , 216, the knowledge and easing of Jake and the wonderful help in the dinning room from Brenden Thanks so much and we are planning on taking more cruises with you

Date of experience : 01 April 2024

American Cruise was awesome

American Cruise was awesome. Terrific. The service was impeccable. Every employee acted as if they owned the ship - truly inspirational. The cabin was sparkling clean. The food was delicious and every request was granted. The workout facility was also spotless and in working order. The upper deck was organized and clean, also in perfect repair - as if each chair was brand new. We have already booked our next cruise, which will be our fourth.

Everyone on the crew was a pleasure to…

Everyone on the crew was a pleasure to deal with. They all worked very hard to make us happy and answer our questions. They were professional without being condescending. Always cheerful . Great experience .

This was my second American Cruise Line…

This was my second American Cruise Line trip and I hope to book a third in the near future. The people on staff and the passengers were all so friendly and helpful. We had excellent service from cabin staff, servers, deck crew, and officers. They were all knowledgeable and efficient. Our Dolphin Watch excursion featured well-prepared marine biologists who were great teachers. We saw lots of dolphins and learned of individual dolphin’s personalities. Our chef at The Lost Kitchen was informative and entertaining. The food was special. The new “Glory” was a wonderful surprise. The decor was lovely, very clean, roomy, and the hallways were very quiet. The whole experience was a welcome change from all the crowds and noise on the big ships I’ve sailed. I enjoyed the entertainment each night and appreciated that it was appropriately planned for an older audience. The interesting, well-traveled passengers made this a memorable and fun traveling experience. My only concern was that we had to park in Tampa, Uber to St. Petersburg, bus back to the Tampa airport, and then taxi to get my car at the hotel-all due to the Race Week in St. Petersburg.

Date of experience : 01 March 2024

• Vacation Rentals
• Restaurants
• Things to do
• Things to Do
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

American Heritage Deck Plans & Reviews

American Heritage

Activities & entertainment.

• Complimentary Excursions
• Enrichment Lectures
• Putting Green
• Paddlewheel Lounge
• Fitness Center
• River Lounge
• Onboard Experts & Historians
• Restaurant - Main
• Excellent 25
• Very Good 10
• All languages ( 52 )
• English ( 52 )

Holland America Cruise Line

Review Highlights

“ I cruise a lot - like about 8 per year across various cruise lines (Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Carnival ). ” in 4 reviews

“ Our family spent 16 days on MS Amsterdam on December 2019, Panama Canal cruise . ” in 2 reviews

“ Went on a Bill Gaither Homecoming seven-day Alaska cruise starting and finishing in Seattle. ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Beverly Crest

You Might Also Consider

Eros Tours & Travel

Kari D. said "I booked my ticket almost 5 months ago. These were 3 tickets to Japan from Florida so definitely not a small purchase. After booking, I then found some really negative reviews online. I was terrified. However, I have NOT have the…" read more

in Travel Services

4U Vacation Escapes

Not only will we help you plan your trip, we'll be available to you from the time you start your trip until you return home. We specialize in cruises, all-inclusive resorts, vacations, tour packages, shore excursions, weddings,… read more

in Travel Agents

Kathy Torres Travel

From booking flights, hotels, cruises and getting tickets to your favorite events I can help you with it all! We will aim to get you the best rates and value all in one place. read more

Ask the Community

Ask a question

Yelp users haven’t asked any questions yet about Holland America Cruise Line .

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

First time cruising Holland America! Really loved the app's features and that we were able to message our party on the ship using their Navigator app (for free!). I also liked that it was very user friendly, had many features including viewing photos, ordering food, making requests, book excursions, etc. Was on a 7 day Mexican Riviera cruise on the ms Koningsdam out of San Diego in March 2024. The embarkation process was a breeze and we were able to enter our cabins right away. The only downside this day (and on the last / disembarkation day) was that everyone wanted to use the elevators and 2 of the 4 were strictly reserved for guests with wheelchairs. Also, the ship departed late at around 10pm, and staff mentioned the ship just returned from a 35 day cruise and was restocking supplies. Had an interior cabin on deck 4. It had all the amenities you would need, lots of storage space as well. I liked the more relaxed vibe and slower pace of this cruise line, as many of the cruisers were older in age. I thought that the excursions through HAL were also geared towards the older, less adventurous crowd as well: most were walking/bus sightseeing and shopping tours. Food was ok - ate dinner every night at the main dining room and occasionally went to the lido deck's buffet. We enjoyed high tea on sea days, which was at 3pm. A couple mornings, we had ordered breakfast via room service (room service was available 24hrs and was complimentary!) The casino seemed to always be crowded and busy, and was small & very smoky :(

See all photos from Jasmine D. for Holland America Cruise Line

I cruise a lot - like about 8 per year across various cruise lines (Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Carnival). I had zero complaints about our 2 week Japan/Taiwan cruise aboard the Westerdam. I was wary bc I had heard from my mom years ago that the sailing between Japan and Taiwan was really rough. After dozens of cruises, I know so much depends on the winds and tides (things you can't really predict) as well as where you are on the ship - stay mid-ship and on a lower deck. Even with that, there may be rocking - again not the ship or cruise lines fault (I've been on pretty large ships and the rolling was far worse). That said we had an ocean view room on Deck 1 and it was perfect (gangway was on the deck below us and casino/theater was on deck 2). While the ship was smaller and older than the other ships I've been on, what made the cruise amazing was the FOOD. Omg it was amazing!! We hit the buffet every night bc it was literally Asian food every night (likely only bc of the itinerary). Sushi, sashimi, noodle soups, dim sum every day, poke bowls most days, Korean night , even whole roasted suckling pigs (not that I can eat anything with a face on it). They also had a tropical fruit paradise - star fruit, dragon fruit, passion fruit, longan, guavas, papayas, apple pears etc. and the desserts ... oy! Honestly mindblowing. The rooms were fairly spacious, robes included, free room service and a tub in the bathroom (which is pretty rare in a regular ship cabin). Half way thru the cruise we each got a $70 gift certificate for the spa - so free pedi's! We also got free canvas tote bags and commemorative tile coasters celebrating Holland Americas 150 years sailing. Casino was small but slots were pretty loose - we had a lot of fun, not even going to shows bc most nights we were so tired from exploring our port stops. My only gripe was not having launderettes available - but that is not unusual (I've only seen them on Carnival and Princess ships). And their shore excursions were VERY overpriced for what you get. In Japan, you're better off taking cabs or subways everywhere. We have an Iceland trip coming up on Holland America - which I'm looking forward to! If nothing else, I want to see how the food measures up!

See all photos from Sophia C. for Holland America Cruise Line

Had my iPad stolen from my room and they didn't cover for it. Travelers beware! Make sure all valuables are locked up and secure. The cruise line will not help.

Absolutely the worst cruise I've ever been on. It was like it had no stabilizers you would rock back and forth violently in bed, no sleep for several days. Do not book excursions through HAL, book your own. They say you have an excursion credit you can use as part of the all inclusive package and then they charge your credit card. Customer service onboard and now on shore are useless and incompetent. The Thermal Spa had several broken rooms, like the horizontal shower and the infrared sauna that never worked the 3 weeks we were onboard. They kept saying they couldn't get parts for months already. But they charged full price for half the service. Now I understand why sooooo many people on the ship were saying they'd never return again.

If you plan on using the spa, get everything in writing. We were offered one price, and billed another. Impossible to reconcile. We were on Holland America used the Eurodam Spa.

I am going to make this post as concise as I can... Took a Holland America 2 week cruise late in September. Took an act of God to get all the paperwork, covid testing, website entries, travel docs complete. We got it all done and were excited about this cruise. It was our 3rd HA cruise. We had a great 1st week, mindful of masking up when not eating or drinking and away from other passengers as Covid was still an issue, especially on a cruise line. Unfortunately, my spouse, one of our 4 travelers with us, got Covid with just 5 days left of our two week cruise. Note that we were all vaxxed to the max including the last bi-variant vax and conscientious about masking. My spouse began to have covid symptoms and, being the conscientious person she is, reported her symptoms to HA. They tested her and myself and she was positive and I was not. She was moved to their covid isolation rooms for the remainder of the trip. She was also informed she would be required to isolate in Vancouver for 5 days after the cruise due to a 10 day covid isolation rule of Canada. In those 5 days the following happened: She was unable to get a hot meal, find anyone responsive to her (and my) multiple requests for assists to rebook plane flights, hotel bookings, house sitters, airport transportation etc. for either of us. In isolation, only on the 3rd day did she get a thermometer and a sheet of paper to not her symptoms. We could not get a straight answer what was potentially going to happen to her until the 2 days before the rest of our group was to disembark to travel home by plane. The afternoon two days before we were to disembark we found out they were going to change the isolation rule on 10/1 to 5 days which would allow her to leave the country. I received my disembark package and she did not. I called and they (HA guest services) assured me she was clear to travel, would get the disembark package, travel doc to leave and be able to travel with us. That afternoon still nothing and continued mixed messages between medical and the guest service rep... I had to go down to guest services and threaten to lose my s**t if they did not do as they had promised and screwed up our international flights, not to mention sharing the emotional toll this was taking on my spouse. I asked them again to follow through as promised and get her the disembarkation docs so she could put her luggage out to have it taken to the dock for our flight (like everyone is instructed to do) the next morning and that I was going to sit there until they did. The guest service rep said she was going to do it herself. I waited at her desk to verify and it was finally done. The next morning, of course they had not retrieved her bag and we had another battle. She finally received her travel document, got off the ship, got her bag and was allowed to travel home. All the waiting, mixed messages and how she was treated was emotionally cruel and no way to treat a passenger, let alone someone who was sick. I told them so. Medical and guest services were extremely disorganized in this communication process. The amount if stress caused by them to both of us was extremely unnecessary and I feel abusive. I realized after talking to several experienced passengers that most experienced travelers that know HAs process for covid do not report minor symptoms + or not (which is most likely how my spouse got it at a bar or eating establishment). Masks were not required on the ship but halfway into the cruise the captain announced it was "recommended" due to a covid uptick on the ship. While covid is not their bad, their disorganized communication process unfortunately encourages this behavior, right or wrong. There were multiple people coughing and blowing their noses in the disembarkation lines. Needless to say and in spite if a promised credit for the days in isolation this is our last HA cruise. The first two were enjoyable. This all being said, the stewards were better than exceptional, the dining room crew was exceptional, the lido was also good, but the main dining room food was lackluster except in the specialty restaurants, where it was superb. The excursions and scenery were also wonderful. The ports were fine except Prince Rupert which seemed like an afterthought to fill the 2 weeks. Perhaps some of this is covid remnants and they are still having adjustment issues. However, treating sick passengers in this manner is unforgivable. I really wish I had better things to say.

Picture of our ship.

Holland America Cruise Did Not Impress Much. We just returned from a 12-day Mediterranean cruise on the Holland America MS Oosterdam from Sep 2 - 14, 2023. We boarded the ship in Trieste, Italy. We were immediately dissatisfied by the lack of HA greeter staff present on the cruise dock in Italy during embarkation; and during port calls to guide you to/from the ship. This is not true on Princess who does a great job of this in Europe and in the Caribbean. Once onboard, the ship has an odd layout for a cruise ship with dark hallways, lower overheads, and no inviting brightly lit open central multi-level common areas like other cruise ships that we have been on such as Princess or Royal Caribbean. Nothing onboard takes your brief away upon embarking. Neatest thing onboard was deck 10 observation lounge. It takes a long time to find your way around the ship & between decks. The casino is very small and slots were generally bad. The ship itself is 20 years old and it shows! Not a modern cruise experience at all. Worn and dark interiors with oddly staggered bars on decks 2 and 3. Much of the interior design looks like 1970's or 1980's decor. Elevators were generally slow, often overcrowded and were hot. One elevator smelled like fish the whole cruise! That is the first elevator you take when embarking. Our balcony was extremely narrow. The ship only has two swimming pools and only a few small jacuzzis with strong chlorine smell (none are for adults only). Some jacuzzis were hot, others stayed Luke warm. Pluming and ceiling leaks: Intermittently inoperable toilets were a problem the entire cruise (both in our state-room, in other staterooms as we had learned, and in common areas at times). We also noticed a bad ceiling leak through a light fixture onto the carpet outside one if the staterooms near us. Drink Package: We opted to pay for our bar drinks without purchasing the drink packages and this worked fine because we were in port most days and tired in the evenings. Learned about beer bucket purchase option on last day - bar tender or wait staff never mentioned before this. Holland Am. mandates the purchase of a separate drink package (15 drinks per day) for every adult in the room, if you decide to opt-in for the package. This is not the case on other cruise lines. Wifi: Internet WIFI packages were expensive, and service was still rather limited. Cruise ambiance: Generally a seniors cruise. Rolling Stone lounge being the only exception playing rock & dance music. Buffet had same items every day. For was good but lacked variety. Dining hall experience nothing spectacular with OK service. Food was good. No movies shown on deck like in other cruises. Some movies shown in main theatre. "Midnight buffet" was just a limited service extension of regular buffet hours. Overall, we were not impressed with our first HA Cruise. Overall we found it to be rather stuffy & dull. We prefer Princess Cruises and will stay with them.

Water flooding from ceiling light fixture in front of stateroom deck 10.

Would not recommend taking this cruise line. Poor response from customer service and designated personal cruise consultant. Over charged for on board expenses and unable to speak with any one from Holland America. When directed to online site by recorded message unable to send dispute and recording said to call my credit card company. Since the booking was made for the cruise unable to speak with any live person and messages left we're not returned. Personnel on board were nice but did not assist you when requested. Do not recommend!

My first ocean cruise. It was great. Went on a Bill Gaither Homecoming seven-day Alaska cruise starting and finishing in Seattle. Food was good, free meal room delivery, my room was made up twice a day. The public address system was clear and easy to understand. For a first time cruiser I had a terrific time.

My wife and I did a 7 day cruise with Holland America from San Diego CA to Mexico (Cabos, Mazatlan, and Puerta Vallarta. The ship was fine, BEWARE of the EXCURSIONS. The city tours are nothing more than bringing you to a series of gift shops. The excursion DISCOVER TODOS SANTOS: IN PARTNERSHIP With FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE was a total RIP OFF!!!! The description of this excursion was completely deceptive!!!!! I feel scammed!!!! 1) The description claims partnership with Food and Wine Magazine. FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE has NOTHING to do with this tour! The lunch was HORRIBLE. 2) The description claims this is the hotel inspired the Eagles to write the song, Hotel California. Total B.S. This HOTEL CALIFORNIA was sued by the Eagles for stealing their name. 3) The tour consisted of bring us to one gift shop after another The excursion was nothing like the description!!!

1 other review that is not currently recommended

Ambassador Passport And Visa Services

5.8 miles away from Holland America Cruise Line

Need a US Passport or Travel Visa Expedited? We can rush your passport or visa in as little as few days. We are registered and delegated by the government and embassies to assist travelers in obtaining their passport or visa on time… read more

in Passport & Visa Services

L & B Travel

Adrian W. said "We used L&B to book our ten day honeymoon trip to Venice, Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. We are so pleased with the service and suggestions for the trip (hotels, flights, etc). The hotels recommended were amazing and the local…" read more

People Also Viewed

Princess Cruises

Crystal Cruises

Viking Cruises

Princess Cruise Lines

Royal Caribbean International Cruises Celebrity Cruises-

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

Royal Caribbean International Cruises

Pleasant Holidays

Los Angeles International Airport - LAX

Best of Beverly Hills

Things to do in Beverly Hills

Other Travel Agents Nearby

Find more Travel Agents near Holland America Cruise Line

People found Holland America Cruise Line by searching for…

Holland America Alaska Cruise Beverly Hills

Best Holland American Cruise in Beverly Hills

Browse Nearby

Things to Do

Restaurants

Agencias De Viajes

Japan Rail Pass

Luggage Stores

Travel Agents Near Me

Vacations Near Me

Related Cost Guides

Town Car Service

Suggested companies

Cruise america, quasar expeditions, norwegian cruise line.

American Cruise Lines   Reviews

In the Cruise Line Company category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.7.

3,019 total

Most relevant

Comfortable and clean boat

Comfortable and clean boat, wonderful food, delightful staff

Date of experience : March 17, 2024

The employees were great they couldn't do enough for you.

The employees were great. They couldn't do enough for you.

Date of experience : February 26, 2024

We would have liked a port in Bradington area.

Date of experience : February 23, 2024

The personnel

The personnel. Everyone was kind and upbeat, with a positive attitude

Date of experience : March 02, 2024

THE PEOPLE - STAFF (ESPECIALLY NELIUS)

Date of experience : March 04, 2024

The Experience

The food and service!

Date of experience : March 21, 2024

Excellent staff attention and food

Excellent staff attention and food. Definitely recommend for a great small ship vacation

Date of experience : February 16, 2024

Lower Miss. cruise

Cruise directors, wait staff, itinerary and excursions.

Date of experience : March 24, 2024

Every thing was perfect

Date of experience : March 16, 2024

Great staff, good communication with guests and excellent food.

Places safety of guests and crew a priority.

Date of experience : February 18, 2024

Great itinerary

Great itinerary, pleasant crew

Date of experience : March 20, 2024

Very friendly and helpful crew

Very friendly and helpful crew. Great food.

Date of experience : February 29, 2024

staff was friendly

Date of experience : March 26, 2024

Great services and very helpful.

Great services. Interesting tours.

Great experience

Date of experience : March 27, 2024

The crew and the friends we made

Date of experience : March 01, 2024

Great staff

Great staff, itinerary, food and entertainment.

I love NEW! Loved the new boat!

Great staff!!

Date of experience : March 07, 2024

personal service

Date of experience : February 19, 2024