What is a Paddle-wheeler Cruise and Is it For You?

What is a paddle-wheeler cruise and is it for you? Here we give you the lowdown on these special cruise ships that offer river cruises that are pure Americana.

What is a paddle-wheeler?

A paddle-wheeler is a kind of cruise ship designed for river cruising. Paddle-wheelers are also known as power steamers, and have a large steel framework wheel that helps propel the ship. Some are side wheeler where the ship has two wheels one on each side. The other type is a stern wheeler which has just one wheel at the back of the ship. These ships have been around for many hundreds of years. Holy Roman Empire engineer Vitruvius designed one before his death in 15 B.C. While several countries in the world have had and still operate some of these unique ships including Germany, Switzerland and Norway, here we are focusing on the ones closer to home in the U.S.

Where do paddle-wheel cruises go?

They travel along virtually all the great rivers of the U.S. Along the Mississippi River may be the most popular itinerary. Ever since the musical and movie “Showboat”, interest in a Mississippi river paddle-wheeler cruise has been on many people’s bucket list.  However, cruises in the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia and Snake Rivers and cruises on the Ohio, Tennessee and Columbia Rivers are also popular.

What About a Paddle-Wheeler Cruise is Special?

Like most river cruises, paddle-wheeler cruises stay close to land and less susceptible to wave movement. They are therefor an option to consider for those who are prone to sea sickness.

Also similar to other river cruising, paddle-wheeler cruises tend to be more inclusive than ocean cruises. They often include shore excursions, cocktail hours and/or wine at dinner and sometimes pre or post hotel nights.

What Paddle-Wheelers in the U.S. offer that is unique is a bit of Americana. These ships are almost always built in the U.S. and have American officers, crew, and staff. Even the cuisine on board will focus on American dishes. The chefs often focus on local cuisine such as Cajun dishes on cruises stopping in New Orleans, and salmon and seafood dishes in the Pacific Northwest.

What Cruise Lines Operate Paddle-Wheelers in the U.S?

The two major cruise lines who operate paddle-wheelers in the U.S. are American Queen Steamboat Company and American Cruise Lines and we are an authorized travel advisor for both companies.

Is There an LGBT+ Paddle-Wheeler Cruise Option?

There is! VACAYA has announced the first all LGBT+ Mississippi River Cruise for 2021. For details, go HERE.

Want to book one of these cruises and receive our added value? Please contact us.

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