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By Timothy Rubacky, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product Development

As you’ve probably guessed by now, the grand American Queen isn’t a cruise ship. And American river cruising is not your everyday cruise. We often get a number of questions about what makes a voyage with us different and part of the purpose of my blog is to help you better understand what Steamboating is all about. I’ve talked at length about almost every aspect of a river journey on the American Queen except one: the staterooms.

Everyone has the price they are comfortable paying for their vacation and that price often determines the accommodations we choose But at the same time we’re choosing that stateroom, we’re also looking at whether or not it will not just meet our needs but if it “feels right.” I think we all know that sometimes a hotel room, cabin or stateroom just “feels right” based on the lay-out, the view, or even just the way the light hits the sitting area or bed in the early morning or late evening.

Some of the best values aboard the American Queen are our Inside Cabins. There’s plenty to do aboard, from enjoying the creations of Executive Culinary Director Regina Charboneau to the nightly entertainment in the Grand Saloon to just relaxing on deck with a good book in a rocking chair on the Front Porch of America. Some folks just use their cabin as a base camp for other activities. Most of our Inside Cabins have extra storage and a large dressing mirror while a select few feature upper and lower berths. All have private bathrooms with showers. We even have a few sized for single travelers. Inside cabins can be found on three different decks but I have to admit my favorites are on Texas Deck because they’re just down the corridor from all the goodies in the Front Porch of America. Imagine being just a few steps away from warm praline cookies and an ice cream machine!

Among our outside staterooms, some have a unique feature: a bay window. These Deluxe Outside Staterooms each have a three-sided bay window that looks out over the river. Located on Cabin Deck just one deck above the J.M. White Dining Room and next to the Mark Twain Gallery, these Victorian delights are quite popular. Some guests have even been known to take their bedding and curl up on the inside ledge of the bay window on perfect moonlit nights to watch the river glide by.

Just above on Texas Deck are some of our Deluxe Outside Staterooms with Veranda. These staterooms come in two varieties, some with their own private balcony on Texas Deck near the stern and some that have French doors which open onto the Texas or Observation Decks. While many folks like the complete privacy of the balconies, even more enjoy being able to open the doors to the outer decks and greet other guests as they pass by. In a sense, each stateroom has its own front porch and some guests even decorate their steamboat homes with needlepoint wall hangings with their names and hometowns.

The largest of these types of staterooms are our Superior Outside Staterooms with Veranda. French doors open onto the stern deck with an awe-inspiring view of the mighty red paddlewheel pushing the American Queen along on her journey or onto the solitude of the Promenade Deck. Our Suites with Veranda elevate everything to the next level and are not only spacious, but in some of the most sought-after locations on board on the Promenade Deck. Sitting areas with sofas and cocktail tables grace the inside while, outside, the views of the river are unparalleled. The largest suites of all are situated just below the majestic smokestacks and provide a ringside seat whenever they’re lowered to pass under power lines or bridges. Two of our other large suites are at the stern of Texas Deck with corner views that take in the paddlewheel views.

Which stateroom you choose is a combination of budget, personal preference and those intangibles that make it feel like your home away from home during the course of your voyage. Some folks just want a place to hang their hat while others want to see that great red paddlewheel spinning away whenever they look out the window. If you’re like me, you don’t mind being a few steps from the fresh popcorn machine on the Front Porch of America. And if you’re really clever, you’ll discover that the unlimited soda machine combined with the soft-serve ice cream machine can be combined into an unending supply of root beer floats…all just a short stroll away.