American Cruise Lines has changed its schedule for 2013 by adding some last minute additions. They will begin offering a series of three-night cruises on the Mississippi River.
The cruise company, which operates small ships, says the Queen of the Mississippi, a 150-passenger ship, will operate the cruises, which are three days shorter than the standard cruise, with a focus on the various plantations found along the river.
The round-trip cruise leaves from New Orleans and offers historic exploration of the plantations along the Mississippi River, featuring stops at the Nottoway Plantation, Houmas House, Oak Alley and Laura Plantation.
The cruises will include special events and on-board activities including mint juleps served on the Oak Alley lawn, a praline cooking demonstration, a performance by the New Orleans Jazz All Stars, a cooking demonstration by a Louisiana Culinary Institute chef and a performance by Judy Davis, a singer, entertainer and storyteller of life on a plantation.
"With great and rising interest in cruising the Mississippi River with American Cruise Lines, we thought it was important to offer additional options for those interested," Timothy Beebe, the Vice President of American Cruise Lines, said. "This new offering will appeal to those interested in a shorter cruise or to those looking to complement a land vacation in the American Heartland."
The Queen of the Mississippi is the first new paddle wheeler designed for overnight travel on American waterways in almost 20 years. The ship features a period exterior with authentic, 28-foot-wide paddle wheels, combined with a modern interior, which includes cabins with balconies.
Featured dates include Nov. 30, and Dec. 4 and 8 of 2013.
American Cruise Lines is the largest U.S. cruise company and offers 35 unique itineraries along the rivers and inland waterways of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, the Mississippi River and the U.S. East Coast.
Cruise rates start at $2,395 per person.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
