The (Premium) Choice is Yours

[HostDave]

By Timothy Rubacky, Senior Vice President

Sailing the American Queen is an experience like no other. For example, we offer a complimentary overnight stay in a select luxury hotel before your voyage including breakfast, porterage, and transfers to the American Queen; complimentary wine and beer with dinner; complimentary cappuccino, espresso, specialty coffees, bottled water, and soft drinks throughout your voyage; multiple specialty dining options, all at no additional charge; and we even own our own fleet our touring buses called Steamcoaches.

Of all the extra amenities, the one appreciated most by our guests is our complimentary hop-on, hop-off shore excursion in every port of call. The concept is simple. Guests board a Steamcoach by the American Queen and that bus follows a route with multiple stops at various attractions. Guests are free to hop-off at any stop and explore for as long as they wish and then hop-on again later to continue on to the next attraction. Guests are able to tailor their day exactly as they choose and can skip stops that might not interest them and devote time to exploring those that do.

However, we understand that our ports of call have rich histories and each has a unique story to tell. Sometimes, that is best accomplished with a local guide who leads guests through popular attractions with a more in-depth and detailed examination or is able to showcase sights that would otherwise go unnoticed. For guests wishing to delve more deeply into each port of call, we created out Premium Choice Tours at a small additional cost. These can be fun, fanciful, enlightening and moving.

One of my favorites is in Baton Rouge, LA where we explore the city’s history and politics. In the heart of Plantation Country, Baton Rouge is known for southern charm and grandeur, but there is another story to be told. This story does not involve big homes, hoop skirts and elaborate parties but does offer plenty of surprises along the way. On this tour, guests are immersed in Baton Rouge history and culture through dynamic tales told by famous – and infamous – Louisiana characters. First, guests visit Boutin’s Restaurant for lunch to enjoy live Cajun music and dancing along with traditional Southern Louisiana dishes such as a fried seafood platter. Next, we explore Louisiana State University’s Rural Life Museum and Wind Rush Gardens often referred to as “Louisiana’s best kept secret.“ The museum has the largest collection of cultural artifacts and tools from hardworking citizens of 19th-century Louisiana and includes 32 historic buildings spread over the 25-acre complex. Finally, we hear the legend of former Louisiana Governor Huey Long who was a strong supporter of Louisiana’s working man, but quickly became Louisiana’s “Kingfish,” the most powerful man in the state. Gain insight into just how powerful Long became by viewing some of his creations, such as LSU’s Tiger Stadium or the Louisiana State Capitol building, which he designed and was later assassinated in while walking out of a meeting. In true Kingfish fashion, guests also participate in a Jazz funeral at Long’s Burial Site.

In St. Francisville, LA, our Mystery, Mansions and Mayhem tour takes guests to the Tunica Hills onto what was once Angola Plantation, now one of America’s most well-known and visited maximum-security penitentiaries, infamously known as the Alcatraz of the South. Guests visit the 18,000-acre prison farm and the museum on this driving tour, and catch a glimpse of the industrial and agricultural operations, K-9 and horse facilities, offender housing units, the rodeo arena, prison cemeteries and historical points of interest like The Red Hat Cellblock, Angola’s first cell block. On the ride back into St. Francisville, we visit The Myrtles Plantation, one of America’s most haunted houses. Built in 1796 on a Spanish land grant of 650 acres by David Bradford, the 107-foot-long gallery is adorned with grape cluster iron work. The plaster frieze work in each room was added by Ruffin Gray Stirling in the 1850s. Guests learn firsthand about Chloe and why she haunts the Myrtles. We lightheartedly remind tour participants to make sure they have two earrings on when they leave; she likes to collect earrings from unsuspecting guests!

While Houmas House, LA is a remarkable destination unto itself, it also gives us the opportunity to explore the area around it as well. Our Life in the Bayou Swamp Eco Tour presents a true Cajun experience ashore as guests explore the route that is known as Plantation Road. The local guide enlightens everyone on the tour as to the affluence of this region of Louisiana when cotton was king. We then visit La Place, LA, home to the 250-acre ecosphere called Manchac Swamp. Guests are guided through this ecological wonder by the Cajun captains of the only boats traveling these waterways. The swamp critters see them daily and recognize them as part of their environment. Responsive to the boat captain’s call, they peek out from the underbrush and moss-draped cypress trees. This ecosphere harbors many American alligators, nutria, ibis, turtles, herons, raccoons, egrets and many more species native to Southern Louisiana. Guests even have a chance to see a few baby alligators that the Manchac Swamp is permitted to have on site.

Natchez, MS comes alive with our Music, Mistresses, and Marriage Tour. We cross the river to Louisiana and visit historic Frogmore Plantation, named a “Can’t Miss“ destination in the Rand McNally Southeast Getaway Guide. Guests tour the computerized high-tech cotton gin and can compare it to the historic gin which the Smithsonian Institute states is the rarest of its kind in existence. They can take a seat on an original pew in a unique 1800s plantation church as the mistress of Frogmore narrates, and two excellent vocalists sing, the trials and triumphs of life on a plantation. You can even become the guest at a slave wedding and tour the authentic slave quarters as you observe the daily life of a slave. On the return to Natchez, the guide explains the progression of southern music through ragtime, blues and jazz.

These are just a few examples of our Premium Choice Tours. Our complimentary hop-on, hop-off shore excursions receive raves but so do our Premium Choice Tours with their in-depth exploration. Each suits our guests’ moods depending on their interests and the destination. Which will be your favorite? We invite you to join us for an upcoming voyage and find out.