We had sailed on American Queen along the Mississippi before and knew and liked the way the Hop-off Hop-On excursions operated. Our cabin onboard the Empress was larger and than what we had before, and we really enjoyed our private balcony. The food has been outstanding--especially the seafood options, and having complimentary local wine with dinner is a nice touch.

Having the Riverlorian provide great information about the area is a wonderful feature onboard AQSC cruises. We have learned quite a bit about the Pacific NW on this cruise and remember good topics covered on our Mississippi cruise. The other entertainment onboard is enjoyable-not as big-time showy as onboard the huge cruise ships, but very talented performers.

Another nice features of these cruises is the providing of a night's stay in the embarkation city and transportation from there to the boat. This really eases any concerns about flight delays or other problems one might encounter prior to the cruise.