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Like the sisterships, ACL's Serenade boat is homeported in New Orleans for Mississippi River voyages, visiting ports in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota - all the way to Saint Paul. It is bathed in stereotypes, both accurate and inaccurate, oft-overshadowed by its bloody Civil War history and an uncomfortable relationship with slavery that endures to this day. And while the Tennessee might not be the Mississippi, passage along it is every bit as dramatic as Twain's classic tales of riverboating -- something I really only know from reading Twain and watching shows like Disney's Adventures of Huck Finn as a kid. There's something eerie and dramatic about hearing crickets and frogs and gosh-knows-what at night along the Tennessee river, while thunder rolls in the distance and dark storm clouds build up dramatically over the lit, cozy interior of the ship. Cabins, too, are comfortable, thanks to some overly plush beds that passengers will find hard to crawl out of each morning, plus floor-to-ceiling windows in nearly every cabin, and step-out balconies for all.
American Serenade cabins review
It has five decks built around a four-story atrium, and gleams throughout. There’s more seating on the Sun Deck (5), as well as outdoor viewing areas along the sides and front — great for viewing eagles, passing barges and going through locks. MS American Serenade has a total of 7x Studios/single cabins for solo travelers (each with a French bed/one and a half twin bed) that can be booked with single-occupancy rates (no single supplement required).
ACL-American Cruise Lines unveils 3 new small ships for the 2023-2024 season
American Cruise Lines' American Serenade ship has a total of 91 staterooms (for 175 passengers) in 3x types and all 6 cabin categories - Suites (GS, VS), Verandas (AAM, AAC, AAR), Studios (SB). Bathrooms are uniformly spacious across all categories and come complete with attractive vanities and uncomplicated showers that offer both wand and standard showerhead fixtures. Toiletries by Beekman 1802 are pleasantly-scented, and include bars of soap, body wash, shampoo, and moisturizer. Unlike many cruise ship bathrooms, there is no "step up" that has to be navigated here -- bathroom floors are flush with the cabin floor. Fitness Centers on Deck 2 aft are available for workouts but the Deck 4 Jogging Track seems to be most popular for passenger exercise. The ship has two speedy elevators that serve all decks but the uppermost Sun Deck.
Fellow Passengers
New Ship Cruising Mississippi River From Minnesota to Louisiana - khak.com
New Ship Cruising Mississippi River From Minnesota to Louisiana.
Posted: Wed, 06 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Located on Decks 2, 3, and 4, these lounges (named Lyric Lounge, The Study and High Note Lounge) are great places to escape with a book, or perhaps play a game of chess or utilize one of the lounge's included boardgames. It is perfectly designed for these waterways, in particular the Tennessee River, thanks to its hydraulic bow that lifts up to reveal a retractable bow ramp. This allows the ship to tie up and put passengers ashore in ports without traditional docking facilities -- which is nearly every port of call on American Cruise Line's "Tennessee Rivers" voyage. In a nod to American Cruise Lines' passenger base, which does skew older, the ship also carries its own onboard golf cart that can ferry passengers between the ship and the motorcoaches in the event of steep inclines between landing sites and roadways. American Serenade's christening ceremony was scheduled for April 23, 2023, and held in Vidalia (Louisiana's Concordia Parish) during the Maiden Voyage (departure April 20th from NOLA New Orleans). On May 3rd, ACL officially announced a dual naming of the ships American Serenade (on Mississippi River) and American Jazz (on Snake River).
Deck layouts
The 4-deck Vestibule has floor-ceiling windows (portside and starboard) and a SkyLight (transparent glass-roof cover) that allows natural light into the ship's interior. The ship's travel-aboard entertainers and lecturers are also top-notch. American Serenade lacks a traditional show lounge, but instead offers evening performances from the husband-and-wife duo of Bill Wiemuth and Laura Sable in the cozy, forward-facing River Lounge on Deck 3. Both perform musical acts nearly every night, and Bill offers insightful lectures on the history of steamboating in the United States, the Civil War, and everything in between. Both are the talk of the ship, and are some of the best I've encountered on a river cruise.
(6 p.m. EDT) -- It's been nearly a week since I stepped off American Cruise Lines' American Serenade in Chattanooga, Tennessee -- but the experience has stayed with me every day since. Over the course of a week, I set sail on the rapidly-expanding U.S.-based river cruise line for a voyage through the heart of America, sailing from Nashville to Chattanooga by way of Paducah, Kentucky; Savannah, Tennessee, and the Alabama towns of Florence and Decatur. Along with that unusual bow, the American Serenade features a welcoming modern interior design with a serene color palette, lovely woodwork and well-planned lighting.
Decks and Cabins
While other small cruise lines repurpose old casino ships, American Cruise Lines decided to build brand new boats to maintain the company's reputation for premium quality and services. Each of the newbuilds features most innovative design, spacious indoor and outdoor areas. Each vessel is a traditional US built (at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury Maryland), as well as American-flagged and crewed.
AAM Private Balcony
Launched in 2023, American Serenade is the sixth member of American Cruise Lines' fleet of modern riverboats. Eschewing the Mark Twain-era paddlewheeler look sported by so many U.S. river cruise lines (including ACL), American Serenade is sleek and spacious, channeling a European-style river cruise ambiance and bringing it to the waterways of America. I am the only interloper on this river cruise who is not an American citizen. American Cruise Lines proudly attracts passengers predominantly from the United States who are eager to see their own country. I, as the lone Canadian (and foreigner) onboard, am interested to see it with them. AAC staterooms are conveniently located on the second deck and provide maximized comfort.
Complimentary are alcohol (beer and wine at lunch/dinner), unlimited drinks (soda, water, juices, coffee, tea), snacks, room service. American Cruise Lines deals are non-inclusive of gratuities, shore excursions/tours, port fees. The American Serenade cruise ship cabins page is conveniently interlinked with its deck plans showing deck layouts combined with a legend and review of all onboard venues. Most passengers will gravitate to the forward-facing River Lounge on Deck 3 forward. Functioning as the ship's main social space, the River Lounge plays host to informative and engaging lectures; fun diversions like Name that Tune; and evening Cocktail Hours that take place before dinner each night. Post-dinner, the lounge offers vocal entertainment by onboard or local performers -- our voyage included a fantastic tribute to Patsy Cline and even a full-blown Elvis impersonator who embarked in Paducah, Kentucky.
Interior view: American Cruise Lines' American Serenade - Cruise and Ferry
Interior view: American Cruise Lines' American Serenade.
Posted: Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The improved ship design of the Modern Riverboat series allows "bow landings" via a retractable and rotating gangway (passenger bridge) that extends from Main Deck (deck 1) to the dock or directly onto the river bank. This feature is available on all traditional-design US paddlewheel riverboats and provides expanded options for river cruise itineraries unmatched by most newbuild river cruise ships. MS American Serenade features innovative interior design concepts - from the 4-story glass-walled Vestibule (Atrium) to spacious indoor and outdoor lounges, large open-deck spaces, floor-ceiling windows throughout the vessel.
The ship’s four-story glass-enclosed area with a large domed skylight called the Atrium showcases a large sculpture of a silver microphone by New Orleans based artist Greg Creason. After all, our ship is named the Serenade and we are on a Music Cities Cruise. American Serenade's deck plans are structured around an abundance of space to kick back and relax and watch the rivers go by.
Along with my single cabin, the ship offers a total of four single cabins which are smaller and less expensive than regular double cabins. But for those looking for a bit more serenity, the Sky Lounge on Deck 4 aft is a quiet bar and lounge concept adorned with a large skylight that bathes the room in sunlight at all hours of the day. The Sky Lounge is situated next to the adjacent aft deck terrace, and offers easy access to the spacious Sun Deck on Deck 5. The ship's secret weapon -- also found aboard sister-ships American Harmony, American Jazz, Victoria Sophia, and American Symphony -- is a hydraulic bow that opens to reveal a retractable steel gangway. This allows passengers to disembark the vessel with ease in ports without traditional docking facilities. The Sun Deck (top-deck) is furnished with plenty of outdoor furniture - padded sun loungers, padded wicker sofas and deckchairs, 2-seat and 4-seat tables, live plants.
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