5 River Cruises to Explore America

River cruises are a very popular tourist product after the pandemic in the USA, there are five main routes that can be taken in the United States. 

One of the most sought-after products after the pandemic in the USA are river cruises, especially for American tourists. This is because it was a solution to travel relatively close to home and within the country itself. This has been maintained over time and there is a great variety of river cruises. 

There are mainly 5 river routes where there are cruises, they are usually located in rivers with great flow so that they can be navigable. Even so, not all of them are available all year round, therefore, below, we will tell which are these five river cruises and when you can enjoy them. 

Mississippi River 

Mississippi River cruises are available year-round. The main companies that offer this type of service are America Cruise Lines and American Queen Steamboat Co. 

There are several routes that can be contracted, there are some that include the complete river whose course is of two or three weeks and a partial trip that can be in the high Mississippi or the low Mississippi. The full route is 2,320 miles and runs between Minneapolis/St. Paul to New Orleans. And the partial routes, the upper Mississippi route starts in Minneapolis/St. Paul and ends in St. Louis; and the lower Mississippi route runs between Memphis and New Orleans. 

There are some companies such as American Queen Steamboat Co. that offer cruises with many themes, including music and Civil War themed cruises, due to the fact that some of the points along the route are Civil War scenes. 

Some of the excursions offered with the cruises are tours of New Orleans, visiting Graceland, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal or many Civil War battle sites. 

Some of the main entertainment on the cruise are history lectures on culture and heritage, live jazz and blues music and shows such as cabaret. 

Hudson River

Hudson River cruises can be enjoyed mainly in the month of October. The companies that provide this service are American Cruise Lines and Blount Small Ship Adventures. 

The main route along the Hudson River is a round trip from New York City. There are a few options such as BSSA which offers a route that departs from New York, spans the 315 miles of the Hudson and Long Island, disembarking in Rhode Island. 

Most of the routes are available in the fall because it is surrounded by mountains, the Catskill and the Taconic and Berkshire Hills, which in the fall colors are dressed up for a perfect getaway. 

There are a variety of tours available such as in Kingston, which is home to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or palaces like the Vanderbilt Mansion, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's museum in Hyde Park or a tour of the Big Apple. 

St. Lawrence River

Cruises on the St. Lawrence River can be enjoyed from May through October. The main companies offering this service are Viking Cruises, Saint Lawrence Cruise Lines and Blount Small Ship Adventures.

In this option you can find different routes, there are two-week cruises that include the St. Lawrence, which connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic, but there are diverse routes between Montreal and New York. There are companies that offer an ocean rather than river itinerary via Cape Cod and then down the river to Quebec and Montreal. Other routes depart from Manhattan up the Hudson and go all the way to Montreal via the St. Lawrence River. 

The excursions are very diverse depending on the itinerary. They offer tours of Montreal, visits to Montmorency Falls or ocean whale watching or Maine lighthouse tours. 

Columbia and Snake Rivers

Cruises on the Columbia and Snake rivers can be enjoyed from March through December. The main companies offering this service are American Cruise Lines, American Queen Steamboat Co. and Lindblad Expeditions. 

There are several routes that can be enjoyed on these rivers, there is the possibility of sailing up to almost two weeks along the Columbia from Portland to Washington, although there are companies that also reach Vancouver or also navigate the largest tributary of the Columbia, the Snake River. 

The most attractive of these cruises is to enjoy the cliffs of the Columbia River Gorge and see how the landscape is gradually changing and is mountainous with the navigation to the west. 

There are a variety of excursions that are available, although they may vary depending on the itineraries. You can visit Mount St. Helena in Washington, see the wineries and waterfalls in Multnomah, among others. 

St. Johns and Tolomato Rivers

Cruises on the St. Johns and Tolomato Rivers can be enjoyed from November through December. There is only one company that operates this route and that is American Cruise Lines. 

The route consists of 8 days round trip from Amelia Island through the St. Johns and Tolomato Rivers. The main attraction of this route is that it passes through the Ocala National Forest and allows you to observe a great amount of fauna, from alligators to bald eagles. 

Some of the excursions that can be made are a visit to the beaches and areas of Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island or a ride on the St. Augustine streetcar.