United States with River Cruises: After exploring the rivers of Europe, why not think about taking a river cruise in the US? Most people know about Mississippi River cruises, which are known for their classic paddlewheelers. But there are many other rivers to explore.
To give you a better idea of what a U.S. river cruise is like, Cruise Critic has compiled a list of nine things you might not know about cruising on American rivers.
United States with River Cruises
1. It’s Not a Ship, It’s a Boat
Having travelled on larger oceangoing cruise ships, the majority of cruisers have been educated to refer to them as ships. We are frequently informed that boats need to be small enough to fit aboard a ship. Therefore, it’s simple to forget that even though you’re travelling down a river, the object you’re on is a boat rather than a ship. However, such a statement only holds if the ship is designed to sail the ocean. Boats are watercraft designed especially for lakes and rivers.
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2. American riverboats have captains and pilots
Since every pilot holds a captain’s license, there are technically two captains on board. Nonetheless, one captain serves as the master and the other as the pilot because a ship cannot have two captains in command. They take turns standing watch, or in charge, for six-hour periods.
In situations where both are required (such as heavy fog or docking in inclement weather), the master will focus on boat operations and the pilot will handle navigation. While local pilots accompany captains of large ocean ships to assist with docking at certain ports, river pilots are frequently unfamiliar with particular waterways. This is especially true for rivers, which undergo practically daily changes in their depths, forms, and other characteristics.
3. US river cruises use ordinary miles, not nautical miles
When your mega-ship captain informs you that you are 50 nautical miles from a Caribbean island, do you not understand what he means? Most of the time, neither do we.
Yes, we are aware that there are around 1.15 regular miles to every nautical mile, but who has time to calculate when a waterslide is beckoning? That’s why it’s comforting to know that when your riverboat captain states that it’s 19 miles to Memphis, he means just 19 miles. Naturally, we still need to perform the calculations to determine how long it will take to get there.
4. On U.S. River Cruises, You Will See Traffic
Yes, you have seen other ships in the vast blue ocean, but they are typically too far away to see clearly. However, when you’re on the river, you can almost touch the barge you’re passing, and the deckhand will wave back to you if you wave. Additionally, you may be certain that the skilled pilots operating the controls at the helm of your boat are making sure nobody is hurt. During one of these interactions, you may watch as the boat manoeuvres to avoid the traffic if you stand at the front of the ship.
5. Sometimes You Must Stop on US River Cruises
On a river, obstructions other than traffic exist as well. Locks and sometimes even dams can cause boats to slow down or halt entirely. Many rivers, like the Mississippi, Ohio, and Columbia Rivers, contain locks, which help maintain the water level in most cases.
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6. American rivers are weather-dependent like ocean voyages
Don’t worry about overcast or wet days preventing you from having fun in the sun. Bad weather, particularly prolonged droughts and heavy rain, has the power to make or break a river itinerary, much as a hurricane can compel an oceangoing cruise ship to alter its course.
During the 2012 Mississippi River drought, for example, riverboats were unable to navigate upriver due to the low water levels, forcing American Cruise Lines to reroute part of its Upper Mississippi sailings onto the Ohio. In 2013, excessive precipitation inundated the river, preventing riverboats from passing beneath bridges and necessitating the closure of multiple locks. The outcome was the same as it was in the dry spell. Ohio became the new route for boats that were supposed to sail the Upper Mississippi.
7. A U.S. River Cruise Will Not Cause Seasickness Issues
You never have to be concerned about the “motion of the ocean,” not even in inclement weather. US river water flows mostly in one direction, so even though the boat might jolt somewhat if you run into a log, it won’t sway back and forth. You don’t need your pressure point bands or seasick patches, so leave them at home.
8. River Cruises Can Dock in the Town and City Center
Unlike their oceangoing cousins, American riverboats are not restricted to docking at huge docks. A 400-passenger riverboat can also be berthed at the town’s edge if a fishing boat can be unloaded into the water. This implies that riverboats can dock and release passengers close to the town, within short walking distance. The riverboat moorings are less than a minute’s walk from the famous Arch in St. Louis.
Even though the boat is officially docked in Newport, Kentucky, Cincinnati’s downtown is only 20 minutes away. Therefore, it’s simple and cost-free to enter almost any town or city you visit, even if you don’t want to spend any money on an excursion.
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9. You Won’t Probably Take This American River Cruise Again
You might assume that you’re just going to take one river cruise in the United States to see what all the excitement is about but don’t be shocked if you start planning your second river cruise before your first is even over. In the cruise industry, river cruise firms boast some of the highest rates of return business.
There is simply no getting enough of them. The majority of river cruisers are eager to explore the next river for a variety of reasons, including the charming towns and rural areas, the first-rate cuisine and service, the included prices, the friendly customers, or a combination of all of these. It’s also important to remember that American waterway ships are substantially bigger and feature more amenities, such as theatres, than their European counterparts.