Itinerary and Ports of Call

Day 1: New Orleans, Louisiana

This pre-cruise, overnight stay lets you experience the best of New Orleans—from the traditional southern oaks and Spanish moss of City Park to the French Quarter’s legendary Bourbon Street and Jackson Square. Celebrate the city’s melting pot of culture, music, and epicurean delights. (If you’d like to spend more time in New Orleans, an additional one-night, Go Next New Orleans Pre-Cruise Program may be purchased.)

Day 2: New Orleans, Louisiana

Spend the morning at your leisure. In the afternoon, embark on your river cruise aboard the American Queen.

Day 3: Oak Alley, Louisiana

Sail to Oak Alley, located in Saint James Parish and known for the Oak Alley plantation—a beautiful estate that evokes a sense of melancholy and wonder. Stroll beneath its canopy of 300-year-old oak trees, and take in its architecture and landscape. Visit the Slavery Exhibit, the Blacksmith Shop, and the Civil War Tent.

Day 4: St. Francisville, Louisiana

Celebrated for its more than 140 buildings and plantation homes on the National Register of Historic Places, this quaint town allows guests an unobstructed view into the past. Marvel at the legacies of the Butlers, the Forts, the Barrows, and the Turnbulls—families who helped build the South.

Day 5: Natchez, Mississippi

Natchez, the former capital of the state, is one of the oldest post-European settlements in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Explore this quintessential southern town full of antebellum architecture and rich cultural heritage.

Day 6: Vicksburg, Mississippi

Billed as the “Red-Carpet City of the South,” Vicksburg is a unique blend of old and new and displays its heritage with tremendous pride. The site of a dramatic siege in the Civil War, Vicksburg is now a center of southern hospitality with a vibrant downtown area. Enjoy this included Vicksburg Premium Shore Excursion: “On the Front Lines of the Civil War.”

Day 7: River Cruising

Day 8: Helena, Arkansas

The Queen of the Arkansas Delta, Helena is filled with fascinating 19th-century architecture from before and after the legendary Battle of Helena. The Delta Cultural Center lays out Helena’s antebellum roots and is also home to King Biscuit Time, the nation’s longest-running blues radio program.

Day 9: Memphis, Tennessee

Disembark in the morning, and bid farewell to the American Queen. An optional Go Next Memphis Post-Cruise Program is available.