‘American Melody’ Mississippi River Cruise: Music, Cuisine, and History

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Contributors, John and Sandra Nowlan offer an insider’s look at their Mississippi River cruise on American Melody, one of American Cruise Lines’ modern river ships.

We knew there’d be great music as we sailed from Memphis to New Orleans on American Melody, one of American Cruise Lines’ (ACL) new, modern Mississippi riverboats. We didn’t expect the Southern food and hospitality to be so good nor, as Canadians, to appreciate American history and culture so much. 

First, a Pre-Cruise Visit to Memphis 

The music began as soon as we entered the Memphis airport shuttle bus. The unmistakable voice of Elvis Presley singing “Love Me Tender” drifted down the aisle from hidden speakers. The bus shaked, rattled, and rolled as it took us to the Guest House at Graceland, a four-star, 450-room hotel adjacent to Elvis’ Graceland mansion. 

American Cruise Lines offers guests an optional two-night stay at the comfortable Guest House with free access to the mansion and the separate, vast collection of Presley airplanes, cars, motorcycles, costumes, and gold records. We could see why the Graceland complex is the most visited private home in the United States.

Touring Memphis en route to the riverboat, our bus made stops at Beale Street (home of the Blues), Sun Records (where Elvis made his first recordings), and the Lorraine Motel (now part of The National Civil Rights Museum), where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. We felt a strong sense of sadness as we gazed at the balcony of Room 306.

Meeting American Melody on the Mississippi

The first glance of our Mississippi riverboat was from atop a levee in Memphis. We descended the steep ramp to board American Melody through its unusual flipped-up bow. 

In 2018, American Cruise Lines, now the largest river and small-ship cruise line in the United States, introduced the first modern riverboats in North America. Riverboats on the Mississippi have a unique challenge. With flood-control levees, some as high as 50 feet, all along the Mississippi, the cruise line always carries golf carts to help the elderly and infirm safely navigate the challenging slopes. 

With the failure of American Queen Voyages in February 2024, the Viking Mississippi is ACL’s sole competitor on the Mississippi, the second-longest river in the U.S. (the Missouri is about 100 miles longer). This Viking ship is much larger than the ACL ones, accommodating up to 386 guests. 

The hotel manager on American Melody told us that his company’s smaller boats are better suited for the Mississippi because occasional low water levels can prevent the bigger, deeper draft of large vessels from operating. American Cruise Lines riverboats have never missed a scheduled sailing due to low water depth.

American Melody was completed at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in 2021 with a maximum capacity of just 175 guests and an average room size of 350 square feet.

Settling into our Veranda Suite

Our Veranda Suite was 405 square feet and felt more like a spacious hotel room but with better, ever-changing views. We particularly appreciated the comfortable, king-size bed with luxurious sheets and pillows. 

There was plenty of power and electronic outlets, high quality internet, much more drawer space than we’d ever need, efficient temperature control, a 50-inch TV, and a large bathroom with soft, fluffy towels and two separate nozzles in the shower. We weren’t surprised when we were told that the ACL fleet of 20 riverboats (operating in 35 states) has the largest average guest room sizes of any cruise line.

Relaxing Public Spaces on American Melody

Finally heading downriver with a full passenger load (mostly Americans and a few Canadians, Brits, and Australians), we were impressed with the layout of American Melody. 

Its four-story atrium and public rooms never seemed crowded. On Deck 3, the large, bright River Lounge at the ship’s bow was used for port briefings, trivia, excellent enrichment lectures, and entertainment.

The smaller indoor/outdoor Sky Lounge at the back of Deck 4 was a snacker’s dream, offering freshly baked cookies, other 24-hour snacks, and a wide selection of drinks, including excellent coffee and made-to-order breakfast sandwiches. 

Plenty of chaise lounges and a wrap-around walking track were available on the full-length top deck so guests could enjoy the passing scenery, including heavily laden barges pushed by strangely-named tow boats, semi-tropical vegetation, and small communities along the river banks. When we reached Baton Rouge, heavy industry tended to dominate the shoreline.

Southern Cuisine

Meals were a special treat on American Melody. As one might expect, the menu emphasized Southern U.S. cuisine, especially Creole and Cajun dishes, even a noontime pig roast. We loved our Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish with collard greens, Gulf Coast Blue Crabcakes, Sea Bass with Sauteed Crawfish and Jambalaya. The fish was particularly tasty. 

The hotel manager told us all the seafood was fresh and never frozen. Lunch and dinner included complimentary wine, beer, spirits, and a good selection of non-alcohol beer and wine.  In the evening, white tablecloths graced the tables.

The serving staff on American Melody was young and energetic. U.S. law requires all staff to be American because ACL riverboats do not visit foreign countries. Although friendly and well-meaning, we found the restaurant staff to be a bit less efficient and well-trained than the primarily Filipino and Indonesian staff on international river, lake, and ocean ships. 

Hotel Manager Glenn Taylor told us that while his staff may not be as polished as the international competition, they’re always pleasant and accommodating. He added that this is often the first full-time job for young servers, and he’s delighted that so many have used the riverboat experience as a stepping stone to a career in hospitality. 

Enjoying Entertainment and Shore Excursions 

We were impressed with the quality of evening entertainment on American Melody. The talented performers were better than the musical acts we’ve enjoyed on many European river cruises. 

Our favorites included Mississippi Marshall, a master of the Blues who played a mean guitar (we bought his CD), Chris Gill and the Sole Shakers (a three-man band with a female vocalist), and the Banjo Cats, a husband and wife team who have mastered several instruments.

The tours (most were complementary) were outstanding. Who knew that tiny Cleveland, Mississippi, is the home of the impressive Grammy Museum, highlighting the amazing musical talent in southern states and around the Mississippi Delta? 

A stop in Vicksburg, Mississippi, allowed us to visit a private Civil War museum with its impressive collection of artifacts from that troubled time and the unusual Coca-Cola Museum in the building where Coke was first bottled in the U.S.

In Vidalia, Louisiana, we visited a cotton plantation where we could hand pick some fluffy cotton, explore a historic cotton gin, and then observe in a modern cotton gin the process of cleaning and bundling in 500-pound bales for transport. 

Along the way, we were also able to visit several southern antebellum mansions that resembled scenes from Gone With the Wind. Standouts were The Myrtles in St. Francisville, Louisiana, and Oak Alley in Vacherie, Louisiana.

Our highlight in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was visiting the capital building that dominates the skyline. At 450 feet, it’s the tallest state capital in the United States. The panoramic view of the city and meandering Mississippi from the observation deck is spectacular. Built in the early 30s during the Depression, it was a project masterminded by controversial Governor and then Senator Huey Long. He was assassinated inside the building in 1935, where there’s now a memorial. We ended the day relaxing on our balcony, admiring a magical pastel sunset.

Louisiana is well known for its plentiful bayous, slow-moving, marshy waterways. On our last day on board, we signed up for a tour called “Cajun Pride Swamp Adventure.” Adventure indeed! Aboard a 40-passenger, flat-bottom aluminum boat, our captain took us through the narrow bayous where alligators were plentiful, either lounging on the shoreline or swimming alongside us (our captain even fed a few without losing his hand). In addition, we met many playful raccoons and a family of not-so-playful wild hogs.  

The Penchant for Cruising Closer to Home

The guest mix aboard American Melody was interesting. The personable and efficient Cruise Director, Colin Hietikko, told us that many of his American guests had traveled the world in their younger years and now wanted to stay closer to home, engaging in travel that was safer and more accessible. 

Older couples were indeed the prime demographic on our cruise, with an average age of over 70.  But Glenn Taylor, the hotel manager, said that was slowly changing. The modern, all-inclusive riverboats in the American Cruise Lines fleet were beginning to attract more young people. That, along with fascinating itineraries, is a recipe for continued success.

Disclosure: The Nowlans were guests of American Cruise Lines but any opinions expressed in this post are their own.

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