We had a wonderful “small ship” experience on the American Cruiselines Queen of the Mississippi. The food was fabulous and the crew was top-notch. The ship was only a couple of years old, so rooms were comfortable size and bathrooms were clean and up to date. We had a room with a balcony, which offered space for a nice table and chairs for eating with a spectacular view, or to just enjoy the peacefulness of the river. Once on the ship we didn’t have to pay for another thing! Shore excursions at each stop were included at no additional charge and offered a variety of enrichment opportunities from museums, art and history to local flavor. At St. Louis, the boat docked right under the arch! All drinks on board were free, from soda and juices, to bottles of wine at each table for dinner. At the evening entertainment we were offered popcorn, ice cream sundaes and cookies and open bar. And then there were the cocktail parties every afternoon. We can’t say enough nice things about this trip. After 20+ cruises on Princess this trip was expected to be just a short fill-in. Boy, did we have a great time! With a passenger count of about 125 people, we experienced personalized service with an extremely happy crew. We booked another trip with American Cruiselines before we disembarked. Can’t wait to go again!