American Cruise Lines

I was on a Columbia River Cruise beginning Sept 18, 2021 on Queen of the West in room 207. I was told it was the last room left on the ship and now I know why. It was more like a narrow hall blocked by a cot. I had a shared veranda (which I thought would be private) with the couple in room 209. My window shade to the veranda had slates missing and was too narrow for the door window. So my room had no privacy. My soap dish kept falling off into the toilet along with the soap and the top drawer to the dresser by the veranda door would not stay shut. After 3 days of asking for assistance, the soap dish was replaced and glued down, the dresser drawer still wouldn't stay shut and the blind was replaced but still too narrow to cover the window. Overall, the ship needed retired. The paddlewheel had slats missing and the remaining ones were badly rotting. The carpet had tears and frays all over the ship, it needed paint and it was a sorry experience. The service the first few days was the saving grace and was excellent, however, in the middle of the trip most of the experienced staff left and was replaced by trainees. The service was awful after that. The food was very bland and either over cooked or undercooked. It was the first cruise I have not gained a pound. That's bad food. I traveled with 4 others and they had similar experiences but nicer cabins. 201, 202. The problem with those cabins was there was no privacy outside their front windows. It was open to everyone if the blinds were open. The shore excursions except for Mount ST. Helens were dull, mediocre and one to Mary Hill Winery was canceled because another American Cruise Line Ship docked at our preplanned dock and we were docked miles away making it impossible to take the tour. I have not been reimbursed for the $50 on the canceled tour and it has been a month. I did take the pre cruise extra day at the Red Lion Inn. It was being renovated and there was only 1 elevator for the entire large hotel. The machinery outside my window was noisy and constant through the day and the hotel was definitely in need of paint and fixing up.

I booked cruise 474 which was to travel on the Mississippi river from St. Louis, Missouri to St. Paul, Minnesota from October 6 to October 13, 2018. When I arrived in St. Louis the evening of October 5, I found a note in my Hotel room saying there had been a change in my itinerary, that my Cruise had been changed from a Mississippi river cruise from St. Louis, Missouri to St. Paul, Minnesota to a cruise on the Cumberland River traveling from St. Louis to Nashville, Tennessee. Although there were many people booked on cruise 474 staying at the hotel, there was no representative from American Cruise Lines at the hotel to answer questions. I called the American Cruise Lines customer service representative and was told that due to high water on the upper Mississippi, the ship could not get under one bridge and therefore the cruise had been changed to the Cumberland River Cruise. I explained I did not want to go on the Cumberland River Cruise to Nashville, that I had booked the Mississippi River Cruise to St. Paul Minnesota. I further explained that I either wanted a refund or I wanted to re-book the Mississippi River Cruise from St. Louis to St. Paul for a later date. I was told neither of these option was possible and that if I did not go on the Cumberland River Cruise to Nashville, I would forfeit all the money I had paid for my cruise. I want this issue to go on file to warn other about the very unethical practices American Cruise Lines employs. They certainly are not customer oriented. They get your money, and then when they can't deliver on the trip you had booked, they seem to believe that sending you on another completely different cruise will fulfill their obligation. There were over 100 other people that were infuriated about the way we were treated by American Cruise Lines. I hope the Better Business Bureau has heard from them all. I went on the "alternative" cruise to Nashville as there was no alternative besides forfeiting the $10,000 I had already paid. I'm outraged.

My room on the Queen of the Mississippi, one of the American Cruise Lines Paddleboats, was misrepresented on the diagram in their booklet as a Category A double; it was at best a single. It was cramped and had a musty, moldy odor caused by a leaky AC. When I requested that the company refund a portion of my expense for this room, I was offered a 20% courtesy discount on a future booking. Not at all happy with this offer.

American Cruise Lines gives you the small print about their cruise 44 day before the cruise. That means no REFUND if you don't agreed to there terms! As a company they can enforce any rule they deem necessary for safe trip but should let before taking of money. They are not up front with you and there business practices are shady at best.

American cruise lines is over-priced, the staff is totally unprepared for the guests they are supposed to provide for.