Jackie Sheckler Finch

Jackie Sheckler Finch wrote her first cruise story in 1976 aboard the inaugural voyage of the Mississippi Queen. She has been writing about cruises ever since. Jackie also has been a newspaper reporter in Ohio, Massachusetts and Indiana since 1978 and has been writing for The Herald-Times in her Hoosier hometown of Bloomington since 1989. Sharing her love of travel, she has written 25 travel guidebooks for Globe Pequot Press. A member of The Society of American Travel Writers and Midwest Travel Journalists Association, Jackie has been named the MTJA Mark Twain Travel Writer of the Year a record six times, most recently in 2023. One of her greatest joys is boarding a ship to discover what lies around the next river bend or beyond the ocean horizon.
Mississippi Music Cities Cruise Review (2026): American Splendor from Memphis to Nashville With American Cruise Lines

Mississippi Music Cities Cruise Review (2026): American Splendor from Memphis to Nashville With American Cruise Lines

Mississippi River Music Cities Cruise Review By Jackie Sheckler Finch Updated April 2026 From the birthplace of the blues and rock ‘n’ roll in Memphis to the home of country music in Nashville, my 7-night cruise aboard the 180-passenger American Splendor was a musical...

A Cruise Expert’s Comparison of Small-Ship Solo Cruising Versus Cruising as a Couple (UPDATED 2026)

A Cruise Expert’s Comparison of Small-Ship Solo Cruising Versus Cruising as a Couple (UPDATED 2026)

Solo Cruising Versus Cruising as a Couple By Jackie Sheckler Finch Updated March 2026 One evening on my recent cruise aboard American Cruise Lines’ 150-passenger American Heritage, I decided at the last minute to skip the shipboard entertainment and walk ashore in...

Mississippi River Boat Cruise (UPDATED 2026): The Lower Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans in a Solo Cabin Aboard American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage

Mississippi River Boat Cruise (UPDATED 2026): The Lower Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans in a Solo Cabin Aboard American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage

Mississippi River Boat Cruises By Jackie Sheckler Finch Updated February 2026 As a long-time solo traveler, people often ask me if I get lonely or feel afraid traveling alone. Nope and nope. I do enjoy being with family and friends, but I also like alone-time to...

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American Cruise Lines Alaska Review (2026) — Why Choose American?

American Cruise Lines Alaska Review (2026) — Why Choose American?

America Cruise Lines Alaska Review By Tracey Teo A black bear at Alaska’s Tongass National Forest perched statue-like on a boulder overlooking Anan Creek, and I watched curiously through my binoculars to see what he would do next. I didn’t have to wait long. Suddenly,...

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