Spend Wisely
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:08 pm
There are many ways to measure the value of a dollar. You can often do so by what you can buy with it. Or sometimes you can do so by discovering what that dollar can’t buy. For example, take the sum of $270. There was a time long ago when that seemed like a substantial amount of money. Unfortunately, it is no longer a king’s ransom. In fact, it’s just enough money that one thinks twice before spending it but isn’t heartbroken to part ways with it.
But what can that $270 buy? If you chose to, you could buy roughly 75 Big Macs from McDonalds. We’ll admit that we’re not sure why you would want to do that unless you’re feeding a lot of people.If you’re a fan of late night television, I’m sure you’ve seen the many infomercials selling various products for $19.95. That seems to be the standard price for virtually anything sold on TV from 1:00-7:00 AM. You could own 13 of anything sold on an infomercial for your $270, depending on shipping and handling of course. Yes, you could be the proud owner of 13 Hurricane Spin Mops, Ronco Chip-Tastic potato chip makers, or Bright Feet lighted slippers.
Now, let’s examine what that $270 can’t buy.
If you want to have a nice dinner at Spago in Beverly Hills, Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant and home of the beautiful Hollywood people and other celebrities, then $270 won’t quite cover the cost of dinner for two with a nice bottle of wine. If you want Premium Orchestra seating for the Tony Award-winning musical Newsies at the Nederlander Theater in New York, then $270 won’t be enough for even one ticket.
It’s not enough for a compact spare tire for a 2013 Cadillac XTS sedan, a heated steering wheel on a 2013 Mercedes Benz E350 sedan, or the paint protection film package on a 2013 Lexus GX SUV. If you have $270 in your wallet, you can’t even afford the band on a Breitling watch.
And that brings us to the issue of not just what $270 can buy but what that $270 can buy that provides overall value for the product purchased. Value is all about what you get for your money.
And beginning at $270 per day, you can travel on the American Queen on the Mississippi, Ohio or Tennessee rivers. For that amount, you will receive:
-An authentic Antebellum-style stateroom with ensuite bathroom
-A complimentary night in a deluxe hotel in your embarkation city before your journey
-Complimentary wine and beer with dinner
-Unlimited soft drinks and bottled water throughout your voyage
-Free shore excursions in each port of call
-Entertainment that includes production revues and orchestras as well as talks by noted historians and performances by legendary acts such as the Harry James Orchestra and the Juggernaut Jug Band
-Specialty dining at no extra charge
-Savory and sweet treats in the Front Porch Café around the clock
-Elegant dinners, hearty breakfasts and refreshing lunches in the elegant, two-deck tall J.M. White Dining Room
-Gracious service from a friendly, all-American staff
We don’t know about you, but we’d rather have a day on the American Queen than a lifetime supply of Ronco Chip-Tastics or paint protection film on a Lexus.
If you book your riverboat voyage with us before March 31st, you can receive a $750 Travel Credit per stateroom, a One-Category Upgrade and reduced single supplements. Beginning at $270 per person per day, choose from five amazing journeys this June:
President’s Cruise
9-Day Journey: June 1-9, 2013
Memphis, TN to New Orleans, LA
Fares from $2,495 per guest
Join the American Queen Steamboat Company for a voyage full of special gifts, parties and surprises. Learn how the American Queen was saved, what goes on behind the scenes in our Memphis headquarters and have the chance to share your thoughts and ideas with everyone who makes it happen.
Gardens of the River
9-Day Journey: June 8-16, 2013
New Orleans, LA to Memphis, TN
Fares from $2,495 per guest
A Southern garden is a thing of beauty so prepare to be amazed as you visit the finest along the Mississippi. Marvel at Rosedown in St. Francisville, Stanton Hall and Rosalie in Natchez, Dixon Gardens in Memphis and Long Vue House and Gardens in New Orleans. On board will be gardening experts and horticulturists who will share how you can bring a little bit of the South into your landscape back home.
Dixie Fest
9-Day Journey: June 15-23, 2013
Memphis, TN to New Orleans, LA
Fares from $2,495 per guest
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!”
Great Steamboat Era
8-Day Journey | June 22-29, 2013 | New Orleans, LA to Memphis, TN
Fares from $2,145 per guest
They were the most magnificent, most anticipated and most colorful forms of transportation on earth. Wedding cake superstructures and mighty paddlewheels churning, the steamboats of the 1800s marked the high point of river travel in America. Join us as we once again bring alive the sights, sounds and history of Mark Twain, fearless captains and the races, wrecks and romance of the Great Steamboat Era.
Good Old Summertime
8-Day Journey: June 28 – July 5, 2013
Memphis, TN to St. Louis, MO
Fares from $2,145 per guest
Cool pitchers of lemonade, brass bands, picnics, ice cream socials and porch swings were part of the fabric of summer in American not all that long ago. Be transported to a simpler time when summer was about fun, freedom, friends and food. Fly kites off the top deck, enjoy apple pies and cherry cobbler and immerse yourself in the music and stories of a time gone by.
But what can that $270 buy? If you chose to, you could buy roughly 75 Big Macs from McDonalds. We’ll admit that we’re not sure why you would want to do that unless you’re feeding a lot of people.If you’re a fan of late night television, I’m sure you’ve seen the many infomercials selling various products for $19.95. That seems to be the standard price for virtually anything sold on TV from 1:00-7:00 AM. You could own 13 of anything sold on an infomercial for your $270, depending on shipping and handling of course. Yes, you could be the proud owner of 13 Hurricane Spin Mops, Ronco Chip-Tastic potato chip makers, or Bright Feet lighted slippers.
Now, let’s examine what that $270 can’t buy.
If you want to have a nice dinner at Spago in Beverly Hills, Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant and home of the beautiful Hollywood people and other celebrities, then $270 won’t quite cover the cost of dinner for two with a nice bottle of wine. If you want Premium Orchestra seating for the Tony Award-winning musical Newsies at the Nederlander Theater in New York, then $270 won’t be enough for even one ticket.
It’s not enough for a compact spare tire for a 2013 Cadillac XTS sedan, a heated steering wheel on a 2013 Mercedes Benz E350 sedan, or the paint protection film package on a 2013 Lexus GX SUV. If you have $270 in your wallet, you can’t even afford the band on a Breitling watch.
And that brings us to the issue of not just what $270 can buy but what that $270 can buy that provides overall value for the product purchased. Value is all about what you get for your money.
And beginning at $270 per day, you can travel on the American Queen on the Mississippi, Ohio or Tennessee rivers. For that amount, you will receive:
-An authentic Antebellum-style stateroom with ensuite bathroom
-A complimentary night in a deluxe hotel in your embarkation city before your journey
-Complimentary wine and beer with dinner
-Unlimited soft drinks and bottled water throughout your voyage
-Free shore excursions in each port of call
-Entertainment that includes production revues and orchestras as well as talks by noted historians and performances by legendary acts such as the Harry James Orchestra and the Juggernaut Jug Band
-Specialty dining at no extra charge
-Savory and sweet treats in the Front Porch Café around the clock
-Elegant dinners, hearty breakfasts and refreshing lunches in the elegant, two-deck tall J.M. White Dining Room
-Gracious service from a friendly, all-American staff
We don’t know about you, but we’d rather have a day on the American Queen than a lifetime supply of Ronco Chip-Tastics or paint protection film on a Lexus.
If you book your riverboat voyage with us before March 31st, you can receive a $750 Travel Credit per stateroom, a One-Category Upgrade and reduced single supplements. Beginning at $270 per person per day, choose from five amazing journeys this June:
President’s Cruise
9-Day Journey: June 1-9, 2013
Memphis, TN to New Orleans, LA
Fares from $2,495 per guest
Join the American Queen Steamboat Company for a voyage full of special gifts, parties and surprises. Learn how the American Queen was saved, what goes on behind the scenes in our Memphis headquarters and have the chance to share your thoughts and ideas with everyone who makes it happen.
Gardens of the River
9-Day Journey: June 8-16, 2013
New Orleans, LA to Memphis, TN
Fares from $2,495 per guest
A Southern garden is a thing of beauty so prepare to be amazed as you visit the finest along the Mississippi. Marvel at Rosedown in St. Francisville, Stanton Hall and Rosalie in Natchez, Dixon Gardens in Memphis and Long Vue House and Gardens in New Orleans. On board will be gardening experts and horticulturists who will share how you can bring a little bit of the South into your landscape back home.
Dixie Fest
9-Day Journey: June 15-23, 2013
Memphis, TN to New Orleans, LA
Fares from $2,495 per guest
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!”
Great Steamboat Era
8-Day Journey | June 22-29, 2013 | New Orleans, LA to Memphis, TN
Fares from $2,145 per guest
They were the most magnificent, most anticipated and most colorful forms of transportation on earth. Wedding cake superstructures and mighty paddlewheels churning, the steamboats of the 1800s marked the high point of river travel in America. Join us as we once again bring alive the sights, sounds and history of Mark Twain, fearless captains and the races, wrecks and romance of the Great Steamboat Era.
Good Old Summertime
8-Day Journey: June 28 – July 5, 2013
Memphis, TN to St. Louis, MO
Fares from $2,145 per guest
Cool pitchers of lemonade, brass bands, picnics, ice cream socials and porch swings were part of the fabric of summer in American not all that long ago. Be transported to a simpler time when summer was about fun, freedom, friends and food. Fly kites off the top deck, enjoy apple pies and cherry cobbler and immerse yourself in the music and stories of a time gone by.