A Special Bond

[HostDave]

By Timothy Rubacky, Senior Vice President

Did you ever meet someone and feel like you’d known them your whole life? Or have you ever stepped into a home and it just felt as if you should live there? Have you noticed how sometimes there are special people that you work with or neighbors that you stay close friends with long after you start a new job or move away? Sometimes, there are special bonds that are hard to define. They just happen because, well, they’re supposed to.

For me, New Orleans, LA and Memphis, TN have that special bond. Each has a remarkable spirit and a soul that speaks to residents and visitors alike. Bourbon Street and Beale Street have a lively energy. The Cajun and Creole culture of New Orleans and the Southern hospitality and barbeque of Memphis are a natural fit. The graceful homes of New Orleans historic Garden District speak to your sense of history while Elvis Presley’s home Graceland, just outside Memphis, speaks to a sense of nostalgia. Memphis and New Orleans have a bond, of that I am certain.

I suppose that’s no surprise since through the years, they both were among the most important steamboat ports in America. The run between Memphis and New Orleans was every bit as noteworthy as the more well-known voyages between New Orleans and St. Louis, MO. Cotton was king on the freight trips between the Bluff City and the Crescent City as the annual flow of trade saw uncounted numbers of cotton bales pass across the wharves in New Orleans and Memphis.

We recognize that bond and have scheduled a number of voyages between these two great cities. One of the most charming times to make the journey is in March. Ornate southern gardens are in bloom with tulips, irises, daffodils and an assortment of other perennials. The weather is warm, but not too hot. The attractions are lively, but not overcrowded. And genuine southern hospitality abounds in the generous tradition of Spring Pilgrimage, when owners of ancestral plantations open their doors for tours of their historic homes. The American Queen is like a paddlewheel-powered time machine transporting guests through the history to the Antebellum South.

There are five voyages which I think are among our most enjoyable:

Dixie Fest
Deep in the Heart of Dixie you’ll discover everything that makes the South the vibrant, elegant lady that generations have adored. Hear stories of the madams of Bourbon Street and cotillions in Houmas House. Dixieland bands and jazz musicians bring this voyage alive with toe-tapping fun and laughter. Celebrate Southern cuisine and then join in some umbrella-raising, hand-clapping excitement as “The Saints go Marchin’ In!”

7-Night Voyage: March 2-9, 2013
New Orleans to Memphis
Fares from $2,495 per guest

Southern Culture & Spring Pilgrimage
The Pilgrimage Open House tradition began in the 1940s, when members of the garden clubs in Natchez, MS began hosting tours of their gardens in the spring. Later, they also opened their lovely homes and Pilgrimage became such a popular idea that it quickly spread throughout the Mississippi Delta. Join us in the spring and enjoy fascinating speakers, lively entertainment and informative demonstrations that will enhance your understanding of our antebellum legacy.

7-Night Voyage: March 9-16, 2013
Memphis to New Orleans
Fares from $2,495 per guest

8-Night Voyage: March 16-24, 2013
New Orleans to Memphis
Fares from $2,920 per guest

7-Night Voyage: March 24-31, 2013
Memphis to New Orleans
Fares from $2,495 per guest

7-Night Voyage: March 31-April 7, 2013
New Orleans to Memphis
Fares from $2,495 per guest

In recognizing the bond between Memphis and New Orleans and the special time of year that makes traveling in March so enjoyable, we have created a special offer on five March 2013 voyages. If you reserve your stateroom before January 31, 2013, you can save up to $750 per stateroom and receive a two-category upgrade. Single travelers will find that there is only a 20% single supplement on outside staterooms and no surcharge at all on inside staterooms.

While cities and people have special bonds, so do all of us to things that have great appeal. Judging from the surge in bookings, these five March voyages are quickly forging special ties with our guests and our special offer is making those bonds even stronger. If you feel that same bond, you might want to book your voyage on the American Queen soon!