American Cruise Lines’ most popular itinerary — the Columbia and Snake rivers — has a new ship joining five others on that route: American Encore.
Christened last May in Lewiston, Idaho (the first ship to be christened in the state of Idaho), American’s newest, largest and most luxurious riverboat, accommodating 180 passengers and 60 crew, retraces Lewis and Clark’s historic 1804-1806 expedition with considerably more style and comfort.
After a pre-cruise hotel stay arranged by American in Portland, Oregon, and a stop at scenic Multnomah Falls, we boarded Encore in Stevenson, Washington, where we were greeted with welcome drinks and smiles. As is American’s custom, our luggage had already been transported from our hotel directly to our stateroom, just one of the many advantages small ship cruising on American offers.
One of the first things you need to do is download their American Explorer app for your smartphone. More than just an app, it’s your personalized planner. You can see your shore excursions, that day’s activities and even select what you want to eat from the posted menus. Not to worry — you are free to change your mind later.
American’s fleet of 25 ships (and rapidly growing given the surging popularity of U.S. river cruising) offer the largest staterooms of just about any cruise line, and every stateroom on Encore has its own balcony. Our Vista Balcony stateroom on deck 4 was a roomy 350 square feet. With a modern bath and shower, desk and closet, it had plenty of storage for everything we brought. And Encore is their first ship to debut the Signature Suite. Located forward above the wheelhouse, it offers a spacious 1,500 square feet, a virtual apartment on the water where you can take in all those beautiful Columbia Gorge vistas.
Encore has five decks, and whether you are a returning guest or new to American, you won’t have any problem learning the ship’s layout. On deck 1, you’ll find the main restaurant and River Lounge, which hosts entertainment and special events. Decks 2-4 have smaller lounges where you can play games, use the Internet, read or relax. The Chart Room forward on deck 2 is a quiet place for enjoying the scenery, while aft you’ll find a modern Fitness Center and free-to-use Guest Laundry. Deck 4 aft features the Sky Lounge with an all-day bar and breakfast buffet. You can also order breakfast and lunch from the adjacent Back Porch Cafe, featuring an open-air terrace. Deck 5 is the Sun Deck, with a walking track, life-size chessboard and plenty of seating to take in the beautiful river views.
The main dining room is open seating, and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner during set times. The menus change daily, and offer a variety of appetizers, entrees and desserts from which to choose. Like Encore itself, they have taken the food up a notch. We found it ranged from very good to exceptional. Not starving? There’s an option for a half-order as well.
American prides itself on service, and we’ve found the staff to always be very responsive to whatever need a guest might have. My travel partner used Guest Feedback on the app to suggest they add a magnifying mirror to the bath. Later that day, one arrived. Very impressive. Most of your interactions occur in the dining room, and while many on their staff are young and in their first cruise job, we found them energetic, personable and eager to please.
For the itinerary, you can go east to west, or the reverse. If you do the former, on the first half of the trip, you’ll encounter lush rainforests, with scenic stops at Astoria, Kalama and Mount St. Helens. On the back half, the landscape turns arid as the ship winds through ancient lava flows at The Dalles and Hells Canyon. Along the way, there are numerous locks and dams.
Shore excursions are one of American’s strong suits. Each port features at least one complimentary excursion, with other options offered for an upcharge. Modern motorcoaches follow the ship and provide safe and comfortable rides. Highlights for us included the National Neon Sign Museum in The Dalles, the Hells Canyon Jet Boat Adventure, the Oyster and Wine Experience in Astoria, Washington, a visit to the Rivaura Winery near Lewiston, Idaho. and learning about making the atomic bomb at the Reach Museum in Richland, Washington.
They stage nightly entertainment in the River Lounge, including several musical tributes by their resident entertainer, Michael Masci. Onboard lecturer Brad Berger shared interesting insights about Lewis and Clark and the Manhattan Project. Other activities included Bingo, Corn Hole competitions, trivia games, as well as arts and crafts.
It goes without saying that American, with all its ships American-flagged and American-staffed, is celebrating America’s 250th birthday with style. One day they held a Red, White and Blue Party (the best-dressed gets a prize), and in the dining room, they served patriotic-themed desserts.
A highlight of each day is the Social Hour, beginning at 5:30 in the River and Sky Lounges. Order your favorite drink or cocktail while enjoying a selection of light bites with your newfound friends. Another mainstay is Cookie Time, when fresh-baked cookies are served at 10 am and 3 pm. At the nightly entertainment, there’s also milkshakes, floats and popcorn. Go ahead and enjoy — on vacations, calories don’t count, right?
Every trip also recognizes their Eagle Society loyalty program members. Guests are automatically enrolled after their first cruise. Believe it or not, they talked about one person who has cruised more than 70 times. One of the perks is after 10 cruises, your 11th cruise is free.
Virtually everything is included in your fare. Once you board the bus to the ship, you can let American take care of everything else. And once you discover the benefits of small ship cruising — the personalized service, getting to know guests and crew on a first name basis, access to the small, charming towns that other ships miss — you’ll probably never want to sail on one of those 6,000-guest megaships again.
No doubt why that guest we mentioned keeps adding to his 70-plus cruises.
Cover photo: A View of Mt Hood from the Ship
Photos credit Gerry Barker
Editor’s notes:
See American Cruise Lines and American Encore cruises here:
American Cruise Lines & American Encore
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