Mississippi Cruises

[sfhogman]

Wifey and I are thinking of taking a cruise riverboat cruise down the Mississippi...say, from Memphis to New Orleans.
We know very little about this sort of thing, and were wondering if anyone in our Ruger family has done this? Recommendations? Cruise oufits?
A few days of being waited on on a riverboat sounds good!

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[bogus bill]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-OfiGGcPGk

 

[Cholo]

That sounds like fun to me, too! Choose your season carefully due to weather extremes!

 

[chm270]

Have lots of money.

 

[kentucky yeti]

I have a good friend who does them yearly- sometimes twice a year. She and her husband own a window manufacturing corporation. The paddle wheelers stop here in Paducah 10-12 times a year. Once she and Jeff invited me onboard for a tour while it was docked here. It was awesome! I got to go to th engine room- this was one of the unconverted ones that still used steam and actually was propelled by the paddle. Most have the paddle freewheeling and run off Diesel engines. I’ve never gotten to go on a long cruise on one but I think it would be great. Lots of $$$ but great. I did get to do a short run on one for 3 hours.

 

[Rook]

I've never cruised on the Mississippi but my great great grandpa did one time. It turned out to be the greatest US maritime disaster of all time. The exact number of dead is not known but estimates put it between 1,200 to 1,500 which is more than died on the Titanic.

Gggrandpa, John W. Miller, 1st Tennessee Calavary, Co. E had been a Civil War prisoner at Cahaba Prison near Selma, AL and when the war ended the prisoners were taken to Vicksburg, MS and put on the paddle wheel steamboat Sultana. The boilers blew up a few miles above Memphis, TN on the night of April 27, 1865. There were approx. 760 survivors and he was one of them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultana_(steamboat)#Survivors

Hopefully your cruise will be more pleasant. :wink:

The last picture of the grossly overloaded steamboat Sultana.

 

[Bob Wright]

I took a cruise once. Ended up in Korea.

Bob Wright

 

[WAYNO]

Wifey and I are thinking of taking a cruise riverboat cruise down the Mississippi...say, from Memphis to New Orleans.
We know very little about this sort of thing, and were wondering if anyone in our Ruger family has done this? Recommendations? Cruise oufits?
A few days of being waited on on a riverboat sounds good!

Thanks,
Jeff

You and I have talked about cruises. A river cruise would be high on my list. I asked my sis' in Missouri (that we've cruised with) to join us for one, and surprisingly she had zero interest in a cruise of her own neighborhood. Caused me to put the thought aside, in addition to these cruises being so much more expensive than an ocean cruise.

It will remain on my wish list. 8)

 

[Wyandot Jim]

I took a cruise once. Ended up in Korea.

Bob Wright

Sounds like one of those "all expense paid cruises"

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

The only River Cruise I've ever done was on the Yukon River. Not a luxury cruise by any stretch, but it was interesting for my first year in Alaska. Traveled from Mountain Village to East of Holy Cross. We were on a moose hunt. As we passed Holy Cross, the pilot said, "boys, get your guns out." I said "did you see something?" He said, "no, but if they start shooting at us, shoot back". Fortunately there was no shooting either way. :mrgreen:

I think my next cruise will be back to Alaska.

Looking forward to a full report.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Cruises I've been on:
#1: LST (don't know the name/number) from Oahu to the big Island 1947/48 on vacation with my parents (Dad was Career Navy)
#2: USNS President Hayes; Oahu back to California (1948 ?)
#3: USNS Geiger ; Brooklyn Naval Yard to Casablanca, Morocco, 1952 (in those days, FRENCH Morocco) Maiden Voyage!!
#4: Ferry Boat (name unknown, Morocco to Gibraltar Sometime 52/53
#5: Same as above BACK to Morocco
#6: USNS Geiger: Casablanca, Morocco to Brooklyn Naval Yard, 1953 (Anniversary Voyage !!)

Is that enough Cruises ??

 

[RSIno1]

A friend has done them for several years. Always has fun. I want to do the Erie Canal one. https://www.rivercruise.com/blount_adventures.cfm?npid=86543&nhr=1

 

[mcgivern]

Wife and I took one from N.O. north and it was one of the most relaxing cruises we have taken. Fine dining at every meal. We have taken 11 big ship cruises including 4 Alaska ones and I think we enjoyed this one the most. However, the Alaskan scenery tops them all.

 

[Cholo]

I might do the beautiful Flint River Michigan extravaganza this summer :mrgreen:

 

[SAJohn]

The Delta Queen is probably the most authentic of the steam boats. She has been in dry dock for the last 10 years being overhauled and waiting for the now enacted law to return to the Mississippi River. She should back in business this year.

My wife and I talked one of the crewmen into giving us a guided tour of the boat while she tied up in New Orleans back in the late 60's. We were both very impressed with her.

John

 

[Merle1948]

I took a cruise once. Ended up in Korea.

Bob Wright

I took two cruises - wound up in Viet Nam both times. :roll:

 

[sfhogman]

Well, yeah. I wound up in Northern Thailand. The cruise ship was a C141.
Not what I had in mind for a cruise down the Missisip' though...

Jeff

 

[gjgalligan]

I took a cruise once. Ended up in Korea.

Bob Wright

Sounds like one of those "all expense paid cruises"

I'm guessing he paid his "dues" after he got there......

 

[Acorn]

We gifted my parents with a cruise on the Delta Queen for their 50th anniversary. Dad especially loved it. The DQ was taken out of service shortly afterwards. She is resuming passenger service this year I believe.

 

[Valmet]

I’ve always liked the idea of a Mississippi River cruise as my experience along the Big Muddy have always been limited to duck hunting.

 

[blume357]

Wifey and I are thinking of taking a cruise riverboat cruise down the Mississippi...say, from Memphis to New Orleans.
We know very little about this sort of thing, and were wondering if anyone in our Ruger family has done this? Recommendations? Cruise oufits?
A few days of being waited on on a riverboat sounds good!

Thanks,
Jeff

Wife and I did the Saint Paul to Saint Louis trip two years ago.... it was great.... but you can get stuck on that one because of the bridges and there are 27 locks you have to go through. We did American Cruise lines.... smaller river boat (fake paddle wheel) only 150 passengers.... meals are interesting... spending a week eating and talking with rich white republicans.... but it seems at least at our table politics was not allowed to be discussed. If you want to know more just ask....