If you choose to take a Mississippi River cruise you have a few options, but don’t expect to spend the night on board the ship. Many of the cruises do offer packages with overnight accommodations on land and sailing down the river during the day. The Mississippi River is the second largest in the United States and flows from the state of Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. There are different cruises you can take based on what part of the river you wish to travel and how long of a cruise you are looking for.

Cruises on the Mississippi River have a variety of themes but most of them do not last more than a few hours. The Spirit of Peoria has two options for people wanting more than a day trip on the river, offering one night and two night stays on board. The one night trip goes from Peoria, IL to Starved Rock State Park and costs $309 per person in a double occupancy room. For a two night trip the Spirit of Peoria sales from Peoria to St. Louis for $475 a person, in a double occupancy room. You will have to call ahead for hotel information but the ship does offer transportation to and from the hotels, as well as porters to take care of your luggage. The ship is modeled after old fashioned steamships that used to be popular on the Mississippi river, so don’t expect a lot of big time entertainment to be offered.  Instead the ship offers a full old-fashioned experience with Professional Storytelling, Ragtime Piano and of course learning about the history of the river. The trip is one way, but the cruise does offer a motor coach back to Peoria.

The other overnight option available is aboard the Twilight which offers a two day/one night trip from Le Claire, Iowa to Dubuque, Iowa and back. The Twilight doesn’t offer overnight accommodation on board so instead you’ll be spending the night at the Grand Harbor Hotel which rests on the bank of the Mississippi River. In Dubuque you’ll be treated to some quaint shops, the National Mississippi River Museum and if all else fails there is always the Diamond Jo Casino. On board you’ll be treated to a couple of different entertainers from an auto-harp player, to a Mark Twain impersonator, and with all the wildlife and scenery the Mississippi River offers, you’ll never be at a lack for entertainment.

Mississippi River Cruises bring back the glory of the good old days when steamships were considered among the safest modes of transportation and when stories and music were the best form of entertainment. If you’re looking for an old-fashioned getaway look no further than a Mississippi River cruise.

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