NUTS AND BOLTS

[HostDave]

With the April introduction of the American Empress on 9-day Pacific Northwest voyages on the Columbia and Snake rivers, we have found that there are a number of questions about the details of voyaging on our elegant new addition. In today’s blog, we thought we’d take the opportunity to provide some answers and put your mind at ease.

The American Empress sails between Vancouver, Washington and Clarkston, Washington. However, if you’re embarking in Vancouver, Washington, you receive our hallmark free one-night pre-cruise hotel stay in Portland, Oregon. Why do we schedule time there instead of Vancouver? Vancouver is a charming community directly across the Columbia River from Portland but we book hotel rooms in the heart of the action for tours of Portland. It’s also easy to stroll around Vancouver on departure day. But perhaps the most important thing we have to remind people is that if they are booking their own air transportation, they need to make arrangements to fly into Portland International Airport and not Vancouver International Airport. If the cities are so close, why would that matter? For starters, Vancouver, Washington doesn’t have commercial air service; only Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada does. If you book your air into a city called Vancouver, you’re going to find yourself in another country, landing at a different metropolitan area’s airport, and a good nine-hour taxi ride and 313 miles away from the American Empress.

If you’re embarking in Clarkston, Washington then you’ll want to fly into Spokane, the city in which we offer our free one-night pre-cruise hotel stay. We chose Spokane over Clarkston for the many attractions in the area as well as a way to avoid ushering our guests onto buses for the drive to Clarkston immediately on the heels of their flight arrivals. So if you’re sailing from Clarkston, make sure and plan to fly into Spokane. If you’re traveling with us eastbound, then you’ll be disembarking in Clarkston. Though a few of our guests choose to book commuter air service out of nearby Lewiston, Idaho, most choose to fly out of Spokane and often book one of our hotel packages to allow for further exploration of this stunningly beautiful inland city.

One of the many advantages of traveling with the American Queen Steamboat Company is that we look after you as if you were a guest in our own home. Before your cruise, we provide free transfers from your pre-cruise hotel to the American Empress on embarkation day. To take the hassle out of debarkation day, we offer transfers from the riverboat to the airports in Portland and Spokane or, if you’re staying an extra night or two, to the post-cruise hotel that is part of our package. Post-cruise transfers begin as low as $25.

Perhaps the most exciting time for our guests is sailing day. We encourage our guests not to arrive too early and instead enjoy the museums, attractions, restaurants and shopping opportunities in the embarkation city. We begin boarding at 3:00pm and ask that all guests be onboard no later than 30 minutes prior to departure. Details on the check-in times for your specific voyage are contained in your final voyage documents.

Guests who choose to drive their own vehicles to the pier often inquire about parking arrangements. Many decades ago, a city’s riverfront was generally not an area that people visited with regularity, so it was often possible to park right on the pier. The renaissance of American cities has changed all that. The land along the river is now prime waterfront property which means plenty of development and redevelopment and, as a result, much more limited parking next to the American Empress. Unfortunately, that means we can’t guarantee parking at the pier but there is usually ample parking in the general vicinity in city-owned and private garages. We suggest that if you are driving to the American Empress that you first drop off your luggage and other members of your party at the boat and then head to the parking garage. From there, you can either walk back to the vessel or take a short taxi ride. We encourage you to visit the websites for Vancouver at www.visitvancouverusa.com and Clarkston at www.lcvalleychamber.org to discover the full range of your parking options as well as to identify some of the highlights you’ll want to see before sailing.

You’ve arrived at the pier, so now what? Do expect to pass through security. You’ll find none of the long lines of an airport, but it is essential that we screen our guests before boarding to ensure everyone’s safety. Our river ports are considered regulated facilities by the federal government. For your protection, Homeland Security regulations require us to randomly screen baggage brought aboard the American Empress. As part of this process, some bags are opened and physically inspected so we ask that you remember to unlock your bags upon arrival at the landing. While we travel exclusively within the United States so no passports are necessary for American citizens, you will still need to present a government-issued photo ID.

The next step is to come aboard, settle in to your stateroom and begin to enjoy the many amenities of the American Empress. For details on things such as special diets and electrical outlets, you may want to check out the American Queen Steamboat Company’s Essential Travel Guide online before you leave home. When that bright red paddlewheel begins to turn and the American Empress eases into the Columbia River’s main channel, all those months of vacation planning and anticipation will become reality. And the reality is that not only will you have the time of your life, but that you also have an opportunity for extraordinary savings if you act soon. You can still save 50% per stateroom on American Empress’ remaining June sailings if you book and pay in full in the next 8 days.*.

*Offer expires June 20, 2014 and is valid on new, paid-in-full bookings only. Space cannot be held – full payment is required at time of booking to redeem this offer. This offer is based on cabin availability and only while inventory lasts. Offer of 50% savings applies to regular cruise fare only, regardless of cabin category, and is only valid on these 2014 American Empress voyage dates: 6/07, 6/14, 6/21 and 6/28. Offer valid on U.S. and Canada resident bookings only. Offer is not valid on Group bookings or existing reservations and cannot be combined with other offers, promotions or discounts. Cruise fare does not include taxes, port charges, insurance, gratuities, or airfare. Additional terms and conditions may apply - call for details.