My husband and I have done over 50 cruises; however, this was our first Mississippi River river boat cruise. It was truly a wonderful experience from start to finish! We started in New Orleans, where all guests arrived the day before and stayed at a lovely, downtown hotel. The ship provided pickup of our luggage and after a complimentary breakfast, buses were available to transport the passengers to the ship. Boarding was very smooth and quick. Being on the river provided an interesting snapshot of the landscape and activity of a busy, working Mississippi River, and we enjoyed sitting on our balcony watching other ships and the barges transporting containers up and down. We also enjoyed the multiple interesting and historical tour options at each of the stops on our way to Memphis. We didn't eat breakfast but every lunch and dinner in the restaurant was a wonderful experience with excellent service and gourmet food served. The "Back Porch" was also available for pizza, wraps, hotdogs, and more casual food, which was very good and tasty as well. We are looking forward to going on another river boat cruise in the near future with American Cruise Line.