TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF

[HostDave]

How is your New Year’s Resolution coming along? Roughly half of all Americans made some sort of resolution as the year ended but, as we all know, it can be tough to stick with our commitment as the craziness of everyday life overtakes us in the first few weeks of the year. Did you wonder if your resolution is among the most popular? According to a study by the University of Scranton published in the Huffington Post, the Top 10 are:

1. Lose Weight
2. Getting Organized
3. Spend Less, Save More
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
5. Staying Fit and Healthy
6. Learn Something Exciting
7. Quit Smoking
8. Help Others in Achieving Their Dreams
9. Fall in Love
10. Spend More Time with Family

As it turns out, a river cruise with the American Queen Steamboat Company on the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, Columbia or Snake rivers in 2014 can fulfill at least six of those resolutions, and possibly seven. Care to guess which ones?

It might not seem possible, but you can kill two resolutions with one stone: losing weight and being fit and healthy. The American Queen has a lovely gym aboard with French doors that overlook the swimming pool. Inside, you’ll find state of the art Technogym exercise equipment for our guests. Weight and resistance training are simple with our workout bench, dumbbells and versatile Kinesis One apparatus. Guests looking for a more aerobic form of exercise can get their heart rates up using our treadmills or the static bike. To make things easier on your waistline at mealtime, we have a wide array of healthy choices on the menu that are low in calories and fat, if you choose. But we have to admit that we’ll look the other way if you want to cheat just once with a slice of bourbon pecan pie.

It’s easy to see how living life to its fullest can include a once-in-a-lifetime voyage on America’s rivers. We’ve read about the era of Mark Twain, the quaint towns, the impressive white steamboats with red paddlewheels and the legends of the past. But on the American Queen’s cruises on the mighty Mississippi, the pages of history become reality. There is nothing like a river cruise and no one does it quite like the American Queen Steamboat Company. Watching the sun rise over the wake of the bright red paddlewheel, listening to a jazz band during brunch or kicking back with a mint julep and a good book are the experiences that make a journey memorable. Even if your greatest pleasure is to sit in the rocking chairs on the American Queen’s Front Porch of America, you’ll still be living life to the fullest.

Learning something exciting is easy to do on the river. Learn the best way to fly a kite off the back deck as your riverboat paddles along, try your hand at the calliope (a steam-powered piano made immortal by the great steamboats of a bygone era), learn a card game in the cozy Mark Twain Gallery with a new group of friends, or attend a talk by our onboard Riverlorian and discover the secrets of the river. Stimulated by the intellectual curiosity of your fellow guests, there’s always something new and exciting on the river.

If spending time with your family is a priority, then an American Queen Steamboat Company cruise turns out to be the perfect choice. You’ll be surprised at how many multi-generational families are on board. A couple traveling with their children and grand children is not at all uncommon. You often find grandparents with grandchildren enjoying the delights of river cruising as well. Whether young or old, life on the river is charming no matter what your age. Stories of Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn inspire everyone on the American Queen.

While we can’t guarantee you’ll fall in love while traveling with us, there is something about the relaxed yet elegant atmosphere aboard a riverboat that makes anything seem possible. The sun setting on the river is a magical and romantic moment, especially when viewed with a glass of champagne while gazing over the delightful red paddlewheel which kicks up a hypnotizing undulating wake. The sounds of laughter and music help our guests let their guard down, smile more, and talk to strangers who quickly become friends. Who says you can’t meet the man or woman of your dreams aboard a riverboat? It certainly worked for Ravenal and Magnolia in both the 1936 and 1951 versions of the movie Showboat.

Although we can’t promise you’ll fall in love, we can whole-heartedly guarantee that you can fulfill any resolutions you have about saving more money in 2014. Just select the voyage of your choice, reserve your stateroom and pay-in-full at time of booking before March 31, 2014 to receive a two-category upgrade* on any departure of the American Queen on the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland rivers in 2014 and even any 2014 Pacific Northwest sailing on our new American Empress as well.

* Offer expires March 31, 2014 and is valid on new, paid-in-full bookings only. Full payment at time of booking is required to redeem this offer. Estimated savings of up to $3200 ($1600 per person) is based on double occupancy for a standard American Queen 9 day voyage. Offer is not valid on Group bookings or existing reservations and cannot be combined with other offers, promotions or discounts. The free 2 cabin category upgrade means that guests will be placed in cabin(s) that are 2 sequential categories above initial cabin(s) requested at time of reservation. This offer is not valid on cabin upgrades into American Queen categories LS, AAA, SO and SI; and American Empress categories LS, A and CS. This offer is based on cabin availability and only while inventory lasts. Cruise fare does not include taxes, port charges, insurance, gratuities, or airfare. Additional terms and conditions may apply - call for details.