Last Updated on June 10, 2025
By John and Sandra Nowlan
River cruising has special appeal for all adults. With land always in sight and good food always available, it’s a relaxing way to learn the geography and history of an area.
Our first U.S. river cruise was on the Lower Mississippi with American Cruise Lines. The average age of guests was about 70. This time, on the American Cruise Lines Lewis and Clark tour, the stunning Pacific Northwest scenery, and following the trail of Lewis and Clark were the main attractions. However, the average age dropped by about a decade as more people realized life’s unique pleasures on a river.
Our riverboat, American Harmony, is one of 20 modern vessels in the growing fleet of American Cruise Lines. It’s the largest cruise line operating exclusively in U.S. waterways, holding 180 passengers with a crew of about 50. It also boasts the largest average room size (310 square feet) in the river cruise industry.
A Jet Boat Ride Through Hells Canyon
Our American Cruise Lines Lewis and Clark cruise itinerary started along the Snake River in the twin towns of Clarkston, Washington, and Lewiston, Idaho. They were named for Lewis and Clark, the intrepid American explorers who became famous for their pioneering efforts on behalf of President Jefferson searching for a river path to the Pacific.
Like Lewis and Clark in 1805, we sailed down the Snake and Columbia Rivers to the Pacific Ocean. But unlike them, we did it in luxurious, all-inclusive comfort using the locks of eight hydroelectric dams to bypass the frequent rapids. All dining, drinks, gratuities, and most tours are included in the price.
About a third of our fellow guests chose the pre-cruise package that includes two nights with breakfast at the riverside Holiday Inn in Clarkston, and an exhilarating three-hour jet boat ride through Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge.
High, rugged basalt mountains and rolling hills line both sides of the winding Snake River as our sturdy aluminum boats sped and lurched through cascading rapids and calm ponds. Eagles and other large birds soared overhead, and a few bighorn sheep navigated the steep cliffs. A stop is made to examine a rare prehistoric petroglyph in the Hells Canyon Archeological District.
Lots of Space
Embarking for our American Cruise Lines Lewis and Clark cruise couldn’t have been easier. After breakfast, we were treated to indigenous dances and stories by members of the local Nez Perce tribe. Our riverboat was docked directly behind the Clarkston Holiday Inn, so after the entertaining and informative performance, we walked just a few yards to enter the modern, six-year-old vessel and its five-story, glass-enclosed atrium. No security check was required.
Our luggage had already been transferred to our room, so we were free to explore the riverboat. All American Cruise Lines vessels hold fewer than 200 guests and boast that they have no casino or pool. What they do have are spacious lounges with large glass windows, two dining areas, a small gym, and a top deck with comfortable chairs and loungers.
On American Harmony, the River Lounge at the front of Deck 4 is large enough for all guests to enjoy debriefings, lectures, games, and evening entertainment. The smaller Sky Lounge at Deck 4’s stern offers 24-hour complimentary snacks, excellent coffee, plus a rear deck to enjoy fresh air and magnificent views. Also, by the midship elevators on Decks 2 to 5, there are smaller study lounges with books and games.
All suites on American Harmony feel like hotel rooms with lots of space and generous-sized balconies. Most accommodations are 350 square feet, but there was a cancellation, and we were assigned one of fifteen Veranda Suites. These extra-sized rooms and balconies on Deck 5 and near the bow and stern on Deck 3 range from 405 to an impressive 645 square feet with separate living rooms and bedrooms.
A Few Flaws
A wide sofa, lots of storage space, and a large bathroom with double sinks are hallmarks of these comfortable suites. Wide bedside tables, plenty of electrical and USB outlets, two wide-screen televisions, a well-stocked fridge, and reliable temperature controls are standard equipment in these rooms. Suites are supposed to have robes included, but ours had none.
The extra space was remarkable, but the suite had flaws. Neither of the televisions (one in the bedroom and one in the living room) worked properly, even after a visit by the head of housekeeping and the Hotel Manager. The bedroom set finally allowed the useful bow camera to be seen. But the regular TV channels were mixed up with some missing. The living room TV never worked at all (the only picture was a promo for specialty channels). It was never fixed despite promised action.
A more serious problem was the noise. Our suite was at the very back of Deck 3, and vibration and engine noise were usually evident whenever the riverboat was in motion. Other guests said their rooms in middle sections of the riverboat were never noisy. Thankfully, we spent a few quiet nights in port and traveled during the day.
In Good Culinary Hands
When the Executive Chef, Eric Hasse, told us he was picking up fresh fish from several towns along the Snake and Columbia rivers, we knew we were in good culinary hands. Indeed, breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the spacious main dining room were always special treats with delicious and imaginative dishes featuring Coho and Chinook salmon, Alaska halibut, crabcakes, steelhead trout, Pacific shrimp, clams, and mussels. Even lobster was plentiful with Lobster Hash.
Eggs Benedict was available at one breakfast, and, on our last day, guests could choose a surf and turf start to their day (beef tenderloin & New England lobster scampi along with two eggs) and finish with a dinner choice of Florentine-style ravioli with North Atlantic lobster or beef tenderloin with crab stuffed lobster tail. Delicious!
Of course, there were lots of choices for non-seafood lovers. They included prime rib, local pork chops, and duck breast, as well as daily vegetarian dishes. There were always several choices of alcoholic and non-alcoholic wine and beer, including some outstanding Washington and Oregon vintages.
Wonderful Food and Pastries
The young pastry chef was a recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and her skill was shown in desserts like raspberry almond tarts, chocolate hazelnut torte, turtle cheesecake, and lavender honey posset. High-quality Tillamook ice cream from Oregon was always available, and the huckleberry flavor became one of our favorites. The pastry chef also demonstrated her technique for making pecan pralines.
Dinner on this American Cruise Lines Lewis and Clark cruise was always a slightly more formal occasion, with white tablecloths and more menu choices. As we discovered on our earlier Mississippi River cruise, the wait staff is helpful and keen to serve. But lacks the fine dining experience and training found among the international staff on European and large American cruise lines. There are no tables for two, just settings for four, six, or eight guests. We found it fascinating to sit with guests with different perspectives each evening.
In the Sky Lounge at the stern of Deck 4, a light continental breakfast with juice and good coffee is always available in addition to a tasty bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. Its adjacent Back Porch Café serves hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken wraps at lunch.
Evening Entertainment
On our earlier ACL cruise we were impressed with the quality of evening entertainment, mostly local Blues and Cajun music. The entertainment was even better on this Columbia River cruise, some of the best we’ve enjoyed on any river ship.
The highlight was Washington State’s Three Rivers Saxtette, a quartet of saxophones (Alto, Soprano, Tenor and Baritone) along with a bass guitar and drums. Regulars on American Cruise Lines, they played a wide variety of popular tunes. Also very entertaining were two cowboy song and guitar acts with many old favorites like Ghost Riders in the Sky. One evening, the lively resident pianist hosted his version of the classic TV series, The Newlywed Game. The twist, to our amusement, was that all five couples had been married for 40 or 50 years.
Well-Run Tours
American Cruise Lines has its own fleet of comfortable buses so tours are generally well run with local guides. One significant deficiency is the lack of proper summaries the evening before each tour. In our experience on almost every other cruise, the Excursion Director summarizes the next day’s activities with slides or video of the ship’s docking position and brief highlights of each tour. On American Harmony, the young Excursion Director told us, “We don’t do that.” Instead, he talked briefly without visuals about where we’d be and when the buses were coming. The riverboat did have a naturalist on board with daily enrichment talks, mainly about the explorations of Lewis and Clark.
Pendleton and Hood River
Our first stop included a visit to Pendleton, Oregon, which is famous for its woolen mills. It was also a major stop on the Professional Rodeo circuit. The Pendleton Underground, a series of mysterious, maze-like rooms constructed in the early 1900s, is a tour highlight.
Built, supposedly, for the safe transportation of gold between buildings, it soon had interconnected underground rooms. They included a Chinese laundry, brothels, an ice house, an ice cream parlor, an opium den, and a speakeasy. Local guides provide colorful commentary.
The highlight in Hood River, Oregon, is WAAAM – the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum. It’s huge, covering 3 ½ acres with still-functioning old aeroplanes, antique cars, and motorcycles. Its high points included a 1929 Trimotor Ford aeroplane (one of very few still flying), and an 1899 steam-powered Locobile. There was also a 1919 Stanley Steamer and a 1914 Detroit electric car (obviously ahead of its time).
Multnomah Falls and Mount St. Helens
Multnomah Falls is a stunning, narrow Oregon waterfall cascading 542 feet into a pool and then 69 feet further before it drains into a Columbia River tributary. On this drive, there was no separate guide on the bus, so the driver decided to steer with one hand and narrate by holding a microphone in his other hand. Many, including us, were very uncomfortable with this safety lapse and felt he should have used a headphone microphone.
In 1980, Washington’s Mount St. Helens volcano erupted and exploded, removing 1300 feet from the mountain’s summit. It also caused widespread destruction to the pristine area, and killed 57 people, directly or indirectly. Still an active volcano, the snow-covered Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a remarkable sight, especially on the clear, cloudless day when we stopped at two vantage points. Our local guide on the bus was excellent, with a thorough knowledge of the disaster and its aftermath.
Final Stop: Astoria
Our final stop was in Astoria, Oregon, the oldest city in the state and the site of Fort Clatsop, built as a camp by the Lewis and Clark Expedition during the winter of 1805 and 1806 and now reconstructed as part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. American Harmony was docked next to the splendid Columbia River Maritime Museum, with outstanding artifacts from Astoria’s marine history. We were amazed to see a large piece of hull plate from the doomed oil tanker, Exxon Valdez.
American Cruise Lines deserves credit for its modern, all-inclusive riverboats with a wide variety of more than 50 fascinating itineraries along rivers in 35 states. However, its current motto, “Small Ship Cruising Done Perfectly,” is a bit premature, especially since many of the staff lack the training and finesse found on other cruise lines. Port briefings were frustratingly sparse. On this sailing, both the Cruise Director and Excursion Director were young and inexperienced, and fellow guests occasionally voiced their concerns.
However, American Harmony does shine in its excellent regional cuisine and evening entertainment, some of the best we’ve seen on any riverboat. The scenery is spectacular. For Americans wanting a comfortable, all-inclusive way to learn more about their country, its history and diverse geography, the American Cruise Lines Lewis and Clark river cruised in the Pacific Northwest is a splendid option.
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