Cruise Connection
All aboard American Queen for a swinging good time.
All aboard American Queen for a swinging good time.
A WEEK BEFORE I WAS TO SET SAIL ON AMERICAN QUEEN Steamboat Company’s Big Band Swing theme cruise, I found myself Googling the headliner: Lynn Roberts. Turns out, the 81-year-old legendary swing vocalist has sang with renowned performers including the Dorsey Brothers, Harry James, and Doc Severinsen.
This time, she’d be belting it out with American Queen’s swing band, the Steamboat Syncopators, during a three-night Mississippi River cruise that also promised classic Southern experiences from plantation and garden tours to traditional music and cuisine.
Along the River
“I like to call my program, ‘Love, romance, Big Band, and the Great American Storybook.’”
Boarding in New Orleans creates a cool vista to spot the big, red, churning paddlewheel docked along The Riverwalk. To really kick off the fact that this was a Big Band theme cruise, several swing band members were playing on deck, a spirited welcome to boarding guests. Theme cruise or not, aboard American
Queen you’ll find quaint touches such as a resident riverlorian, who gives entertaining and educational talks on topics from the river system to night watch navigation, small calliope concerts on deck as you depart port, and tours of the pilot house or engine room, which are open for viewing.
Plenty of other details remind you that you’re most definitely on the river: staterooms are each named after a different river, city, president, or other notable; daily cocktails including a Mint Julep and an Old Fashioned made with bourbon; and on your pillow at night you’ll find legendary Aunt Sally’s pralines.
By day, you can relax on the forward Front Porch, complete with rocking chairs and porch swings for two, utilize the small swimming pool or fitness center, or even indulge in the AQ Spa by Pevonia, where you can select from a range of treatments including wraps, scrubs, facials, massages, manicures, and hair services.
In port, select from included and optional shore excursions, or take advantage of a fleet of bicycles to rent (free of charge) to ride into town or along the levee. During our two Louisiana port calls, for example, shore excursions included a Cajun Swamp tour, as well as tours of Nottoway Plantation, Oak Alley Planation, the Laura Creole Planation, or Plantations of the Great River Road.
Back on board, take the time to admire
American Queen’s impressive collection of art — from 70 pieces by river painter Michael Blaser to the Olympic torch from Atlanta’s 1996 Summer Olympic Games. There are plenty of quaint and comfortable spaces from which to relax and watch the river go by, whether it’s reading a book or checking your email in the Mark Twain library, playing cards in the Gentlemen’s Card Room, admiring antiques in the Ladies Parlor, or reading up in the Chart Room, where you’ll find books about the river as well as navigational charts and maps.
At night, you can opt to dance to the sounds of American Queen’s swing band (dance hosts are available), meet up with friends at the atrium Captain’s Bar, complete with live piano music, or congregate at the lively Engine Room Bar for more live music from every era that you can’t help but sing along to as the churning paddlewheel makes an amazing backdrop.
Big Band Basics
Amid the touring on shore and regularly planned onboard activities were those special elements of the Big Band theme throughout the days’ agendas.
“Our Big Band Swing cruises offer all of the fabulous history and enrichment that you expect on a Mississippi River cruise, but add in that wonderful element of nostalgia,” said Ted Sykes, president and COO of American Queen Steamboat Company. “When the 13-piece orchestra and special guest performers start playing legendary tunes, they are ultimately transporting guests back to an era that evokes wonderful memories.”
For example, guests could take in a movie presentation of The Glenn Miller Story, about the legendary big band leader; test their luck at Big Band trivia and Big Band Name That Tune; and participate in a special presentation where Lynn Roberts talked about her legendary career, shared rare video clips, and answered questions from guests.
“I’m an oceangoing sailor who’s used to giant ships; the last one I was on was more than 1,000 feet long,” said Doug Woodyard, group cruise specialist for Cruise Planners and fellow guest on my Big Band cruise. “But when I was asked to become a ‘steamboater’ on a river where anything over 5 miles an hour is considered fast, I figured I would go. Turns out, the Big Band theme was refreshing and it was great to have a live band on board playing jazz and swing music that was sure to get your toes tapping.”
Indeed, in the evening, “The Lynn Roberts Show” was a guest favorite, as Roberts took to the stage during two shows to perform favorites from the Big Band era including “That’s Why the Lady is a Tramp,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “East of the Sun,” and “Sunny Side of the Street.”
Between songs, Roberts shared personal memories, unknown anecdotes, and insightful life lessons, first explaining how she wanted to sing with the big bands since she was a child, and then telling the audience, “I like to call my program, ‘Love, romance, Big Band, and the Great American Storybook.’”
And while Roberts has performed in venues all over the world, she speaks fondly of her time aboard American Queen during its Big Band theme cruise. “You can dance and bring back some wonderful memories — and create new ones,” she said. And from the look of her entranced audience, they most certainly agree.
If you’re a fan, the next Big Band Swing cruise will take place September 11–19, 2016, from Memphis to St. Louis. In addition, American Queen Steamboat Company offers an array of other themed voyages including Holiday Christmas Markets, Mark Twain, Bourbon, Elvis, Civil War, Presidents & Politics, Music of America, and Vineyards, Vintages and Varietals.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in theme cruises’ popularity, which we attribute to the variation and thoroughness of content,” added Sykes. “Each is carefully selected and thoughtfully structured to incorporate the historical and cultural context of the port experience into the events, lectures, and entertainment provided on board. We find that our guests enjoy being fully immersed in a particular topic, as it really enhances the overall cruise experience.”