Larry DeCosta
Age: 49
Occupation:FAA Safety Inspector
Number of Cruises: 1
Cruise Line: Delta Queen
Ship: Mississippi Queen
Sailing Date: May 20, 2006
Itinerary: Mississippi River
May 29, 2006
History
Never having been on a cruise before but having read several comments from
others I wanted to give some feedback to others who are considering a cruise on
a river.
My apprehension was the age group of the patrons. The average age of people on
the ship appeared to be about 66-70. I am 49 and my wife is 48. We were asked to
go on this cruise with my in-laws and a group of their friends about 1 year
prior to the departure date. The price seemed ok and we made the down payment.
We selected the Texas deck with a balcony and enjoyed the freedom to sit alone
(somewhat) and view the river as we crept along at 7 knots. This was a civil war
theme cruise and we had several speakers aboard who were quite knowledgeable
about the war in the area of our cruise. Abe Lincoln even was aboard on the
first two days.
We arrived at the ship from the Memphis airport and had porters load our baggage
on a bus that we paid for as part of the package (I recommend that you do this.)
We walked down the ramp at Mud Island where the Vessel was parked (they provided
a ride if you wished since the ramp was steep). The Hotel manager was there to
greet us and advise us that our bags would bed brought to our rooms. Once
identification was checked and our carry on bags were inspected we were allowed
to board the boat and look around. If we had arrive earlier a buffet lunch would
have been available but we found a bar (paddlewheel) in the aft end of the boat
and had some light snacks.
Rooms
Our room was small and decorations were mixed in terms of matching styles. The
twin beds were comfortable. The sheets could have been better. They were
probably 200 thread count and notable used. We brought our own pillows and that
made a big difference in better sleeping. The balcony was small and somewhat
private because a metal partition was the only separation between staterooms.
Sometimes I would look over the rail and forward or aft and see another person
doing the same and they would retract into there own area especially since it
was early morning. We used the in-room ironing board and it took up all the
empty space between beds but worked adequately. It could have used a new pad on
the board. We only brought one large suit case each and found that they would
fit under each twin bed easily.
The cleanliness factor was good. I had to ask our cabin attendant to remove the
insects that were accumulating on the window sill to be removed at day 3. The
insects are a fact of life when you have a door with no screen on a river boat.
The shower was small but very usable and water pressure was great as well as
water temperature. I don’t know how a person who weighs over 280 pounds could
maneuver in it but I guess it is just a bit tighter. The ladies I overheard said
they had to lean against one side to shave their legs.
The toilet flushes very effectively with a lot of pressure.
Sleeping
I had not considered that this would actually be a working steam driven boat but
because it is the vibration of the paddle wheel hitting the water make a gentle
vibration upon your body while lying prone (sleeping). I got used to it because
you are moving all night long to the next destination. Lets not forget about the
thunderstorms that seem to always be present during this time of year(May -
Sept). They provide a light show and audio sound that is spectacular.
Columbus Ky. First stop
I woke up early and went for a walk at 6 am a couple of times. There are always
personnel that will allow you to leave the ship (bring your id card to get off
and on). The planned sight seeing that I went on was interesting and fun. We
stopped in Columbus and it is a very small town of 350 persons. A civil war
cemetery and park were the attractions. It was fun for me to watch the crew
procedures for arrival and departure at each stop.
Food
First, I am not real hard to please. Each morning danishes, fresh fruit, juice
and coffee were available at 0600. Coffee was good and strong. Buy 6:30 the
buffet was set up in the grand salon and it was very good. By the looks of most
patrons on the ship no one was missing a meal, nor planned to.
Options for food were many….lite, buffet or full service with the waiter.
The dinner was very good but everyone told me that on a real Cruise Ship it
would be much better. The two seating for dinner were 5:15 and 7:45. The staff
was really working hard to serve about 300 people total. The wait staff was
understaffed. Our waiter had three tables of responsibility, about 24 people.
The must have been prepared in advance because we did not wait long for the main
course. This lead to some people having warm food (ie: steak or potato). I had
Buffalo steak one night and it was very tasty. The waiter did not recommend it
because it is somewhat tough. I told him it was supposed to be because of its
lack of fat. I enjoyed all of the salads presented and all of the main dishes.
The beef tenderloin was excellent. We were usually done by 0900 and I went to
bed about 10 –11 each night. This is not a party boat, which was fine with me.
Paducha, KY.
Nice little town with a lot of history. Went on a historical tour of the town
and viewed the murals painted on the river barrier wall.
Cave In Rock, KY
We were supposed to be in Elisabeth, Ky. on the third day, but due to the
company not having a clearance from homeland security to dock there we had to go
to Cave In Rock, Ky. We had a surprise inspection by the coast guard on our 3rd
day at Cave In Rock, which lead to a longer stay. We departed to Clarksville, Tn.
at 3am and cruised all day until arriving at Clarksville early the next morning.
Great town and our tour of the tobacco farm and winery were good.
The “Riverlorian” Bill was the best part of the trip. His knowledge of the river
and the way he presented his knowledge were excellent. Purchase his CD on river
knowledge.
I never got to see the pilot house because of the other distractions.
Ship Cleanliness
The crew are cleaning the chairs but the soot from the particles of smoke from
the exhaust stacks gets on everything causing clothing to get soot spots on your
back side. The onboard laundry (self service) on the lower deck was a nice
touch.
Employees attitude
I was surprised to find that the staff in on a 6 week rotation. That’s a lot to
ask of people. They are all working very hard and put in long hours to please
the guests. I was a bit surprised to see that every person of the wait staff was
African American. I don’t know whether it is because of the hiring location or
it’s the friends of friends hiring practice, but there was no diversity at all.
It appeared that the cabin attendant staff was not very diverse also.
The experience…the river
I truly enjoyed the river experience. The scenery from the boat was spectacular
and the people along the journey were reflective of what good people we have in
America.
I recommend this company and believe that there is a lot of value in the journey.