A New Riverboat Barges Onto the Scene

For skeptics who think there’s nothing new under the cruising sun, we’re happy to report on the debut of a unique American-flag cruise company that offers year-round barge sailings along the rivers and waterways of America, from the Gulf Coast of Texas to the Missouri River Valley aboard the first hotel barge on American rivers.

New Orleans-based RiverBarge Excursions blends the best of two European-style water holidays, the small luxury canal barges and the larger riverboats that ply the Danube, Elbe, Volga, Rhine and Seine.

But instead of a single, self-propelled vessel, the line’s 198-passenger R/B River Explorer--a longtime dream of commercial towboat/barge operator and self-described “river nut” E.G. Conrad Jr.--consists of a pair of connected barges propelled from the rear by a powerful towboat, creating a vessel 730 feet long.

The forward barge, the DeSoto, carries two decks of public rooms plus crew cabins, while the LaSalle carries two decks of passenger cabins. Passengers can easily move between the two barges at any time, and even travelers with wheelchairs can access the entire vessel because of its two elevators and flat sills. Interiors are spacious, handsomely contemporary and comfortable.

The River Explorer, first of a projected fleet of three, was built in Leevac Shipyards in Jennings, La., but construction delays caused the inaugural sailings to be postponed. When previously hired crew members showed up for work in June and July, those willing to don hard hats were set to finishing the interiors in the sweltering summer heat. In the process, they bonded into a team that proudly regards the River Explorer as its handiwork and its home.

“We came here as individuals. Three weeks later, we became a team, then we became a family,” said security officer Richard Eble, 45, from Clinton, Iowa.

The mostly senior passengers gave the vessel and its crew a thumbs-up ovation, praising in particular the open meal seatings, casual dress code and the ease of having all tips and excursions included.

The smooth-sailing barge should appeal to any traveler concerned about seasickness; the ride is so steady that you can hardly tell when the vessel is moving and when it’s tied up.

Savvy travelers spend cruising times on the river in the pilothouse, with its wide windows and swivel leather seats. Readers and card players gravitate to the elegant Galvez Library or the spacious and comfortable lobby with its clubby leather chairs and sofas. In one corner of the lobby is a perpetual coffee maker, along with a big bowl of fresh fruit and a cookie jar that is never empty.

The two-level Sprague show lounge, named for the largest towboat ever to sail the Mississippi, offers entertainment most evenings.

Cabins are identical, except that the more expensive ones on the upper deck also have a narrow private balcony with a built-in steel mesh bench, while those on the lower deck offer the same views through huge windows that can be opened to let in fresh air.

Beds are twin or queen-size, and other furniture includes a long desk/dresser and two chairs, a mini-refrigerator, a TV/VCR and an armoire.

Storage space is plentiful, with two full-length clothes-hanging areas plus drawers and open shelves. We would have preferred side-by-side hanging rather than the back-to-front provided, but we did appreciate thoughtful extras such as an in-room coffee maker, a pair of binoculars in each cabin for passenger use while on board, a pair of insulated mugs with the line’s logo to take back home and a free self-service laundry.

All bathrooms include a tub-and-shower combination as well as a handsome black-and-white tile floor and a built-in hair dryer.

A huge expanse of flat upper deck area includes a jogging track, shuffleboard, two hot tubs, a small glass-windowed gym and a covered deck bar and grill with popcorn machine and hot dog wagon for between-meal snacks. A second, raid-the-refrigerator snack area is available around the clock in the Galley dining room.

The cooking was uneven on our sailing, but there was always something tasty on hand, with breakfasts and lunches served buffet-style. Evening meals are served between 6 and 8, with passengers arriving when they wish and sitting where and with whom they like.

The American menu carries one soup, one salad and two entrees each evening (one a heart-healthy or vegetarian selection), plus a third option called “the blue plate special” that characterizes the food of the region being visited, such as spareribs one night, Cincinnati Skyline Chili another. One special dessert nightly is homemade, such as peach cobbler or bread pudding with bourbon sauce, while more sophisticated sweets are provided by regional bakeries.

Cruises range from four to 10 days with an average per diem charge of $250 per person, double occupancy. Brochure prices on eight-day, seven-night sailings range from $1,730 to $2,050. Early bookings (six months in advance) earn an extra credit for on-board bar and gift shop purchases.

In January and February, the River Explorer sails along the route of Jean Lafitte between New Orleans and Port Isabel, Texas, visiting Louisiana’s Cajun Country, Beaumont, Port Arthur and Galveston on some itineraries, and Corpus Christi, the Arkansas Wildlife Refuge (winter home of the rare whooping crane), Port Isabel and Matamoros, Mexico, on others.

Later in the season there are cruises from New Orleans into the Mississippi Delta. The “Cajuns and Creoles” itinerary includes the Atchafalaya Basin, sailings between St. Louis and Memphis, Ohio River cruises with an emphasis on Kentucky’s horse country and the Cumberland River Valley out of Nashville.

Slater and Basch travel as guests of the cruise lines. Cruise Views appears the first and third week of every month.