Mississippi River Music Cities Cruise Review
By Jackie Sheckler Finch
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 delight.
And it was even more wonderful to share the journey with my grandson Logan. With a fulltime job and night classes at Purdue University, Logan’s life is quite busy.
So it was a pleasure to get away together and experience music from my childhood with a young man who was born decades after the deaths of musical icons like Elvis, W.C. Handy, Roy Orbison, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Gram Parsons and many more.
“My favorite part of the Music Cities Cruise was learning about artists like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline, and experiencing a performance at the Grand Ole Opry, where they all once performed,” Logan said.
In 2025, the Music Cities Cruise was even more special, as we could celebrate several important birthdays — the 90th birthday of Elvis Presley, 100th birthday of B.B. King and 100th birthday of the Grand Ole Opry.
Starting in Memphis With a 2-Day Pre-Cruise Hotel/Tour Package
Our American Cruise Lines' Music Cities Cruise started in Memphis with stops along the way in Paducah, Kentucky, and Dover and Clarksville in Tennessee. We also had one full day at the end of the cruise in Nashville where Splendor docked at the bottom of famous Broadway Street, also known as Honky Tonk Highway because of the many bars that line the street.
All American Cruise Lines passengers receive a complimentary one-night hotel stay before the cruise (in this case, at the Guest House at Graceland) to make sure everyone is there when the ship departs. In some cases — like in Memphis — American Cruise Lines also offers optional two- or three-day pre-cruise packages that include various perks and experiences.
Logan and I opted for the optional package — a two-night pre-cruise stay at The Guest House at Graceland — that cost $725 for a solo passenger or $525 each for two guests in one room. The price includes lots of goodies, from a cocktail party the first night to a behind-the-scenes shuttle to Graceland to view Elvis memorabilia that the general public doesn’t get to see. Logan and I had the privilege of seeing and holding (wearing cotton gloves) Elvis’ sparkly black cape that he wore in 1972 Las Vegas concerts. We also saw the sewing basket used by Elvis’ mother Gladys, six Kahlil Gibran books Elvis read and made notes in, Elvis’ monogrammed boots and other personal family items.
The two-day package also included breakfast both mornings at Delta’s Kitchen at The Guest House, plus admission to Graceland and Elvis Presley’s Memphis (across the street from The Guest House,) and a $20 lunch voucher at the huge Graceland facility. (Note, if you opt to just go with the one-night pre-cruise stay at the Graceland Guest House, it does not include breakfast, any other meals or the various perks detailed above. Both packages do include a three-hour bus tour around Memphis before boarding our ship.)
Our 7-night Cruising Itinerary
The Music Cities Cruise comprises seven nights board the ship, plus the included one-night pre-cruise hotel cruise or the optional two-day pre-cruise Graceland package.
- Day 1: Memphis, Tennessee (embark)
- Day 2: River Cruising on the Ohio
- Day 3: Paducah, Kentucky
- Day 4: Cruising Lake Barkley & Cumberland River
- Day 5: Dover, Tennessee
- Day 6: Clarksville, Tennessee
- Day 7: Nashville, Tennessee
- Day 8: Nashville (debark)
90th Birthday of Elvis Presley
Shortly before dawn on Jan. 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Gladys Presley gave birth to twin boys. The first baby, Jessie Garon Presley, was born dead. He was buried about five miles away in Priceville Cemetery in an unmarked grave. The second, Elvis Aaron Presley, grew up to become one of the most famous men in the world.
When he was 13 years old, Elvis and his family moved from Tupelo to Memphis seeking a better life. What they found must have been beyond their wildest dreams.
As an 18-year-old truck driver for Crown Electric, Elvis plopped down $4 at Sun Studio in Memphis to record “My Happiness” as a birthday gift for his mother, legend says. Instead, Sun Studio owner Sam Phillips helped start Elvis on his path to fame and fortune.
At age 22, Elvis bought Graceland in 1957 for $102,500 in cash after topping his record-breaking music success with the film “Love Me Tender.”
Visiting Graceland On American’s 2-Day Pre-Cruise Package
The Graceland visit starts across the street at Elvis Presley’s Memphis, a $45 million, 200,000-square-foot entertainment complex. Shuttle buses take visitors from the complex across the street to Graceland.
Elvis reportedly was gearing up for the next portion of his 1977 tour schedule, which would leave the next day. But within hours, Elvis lay dead on his bathroom floor. He was 42 years old.
At the last Graceland tour stop, visitors walk through Meditation Garden where Elvis is buried along with his parents, his 54-year-old daughter Lisa Marie, who died of cardiac arrest on Jan. 12, 2023, and his 27-year-old grandson Benjamin Keough, who committed suicide on July 12, 2020.
Old Presley Family Trunk Found in Graceland Attic
Tucked away in an attic at Graceland was an old family trunk. Inside was a wealth of Presley family artifacts that many people might have tossed years ago. But to Vernon and Gladys Presley, what was saved inside that trunk were treasures from years before their son Elvis brought untold wealth and stardom into their lives.
Some of those “valuables” are now on display in a special exhibit – “90 for 90” – to honor what would have been Elvis’ 90th birthday. The 90-item exhibit will be displayed throughout 2025.
Found in the trunk was a box of crayons that Elvis used in the first grade. His name is written on the back in red crayon. The earliest known photo of the Presley family also was found inside the trunk.
The original black-and-white photo is catalogued as Inventory No. 1 in the Graceland Archives Collection database. The exact date of the picture is unknown but may have been about 1938 as Elvis looks to be two or three years old.
A pencil-written postcard from Vernon to Gladys was written while he was in prison for altering a check in 1938. Vernon had served eight months of a three-year sentence for changing a check from $4 to $40 when he sold a hog.
To get Vernon’s early release on Feb. 6, 1939, from Parchman Penitentiary, Gladys had gone door to door with toddler Elvis to get citizens of Lee County to sign a petition for the early release. The man who wrote the original check that Vernon changed, O.S. Bean, also approved the early release as did Governor Hugh White.
The difficult-to-read, brief letter from Vernon let Gladys know that he was “alright. Hope you are the same.” It was signed “with love from Vernon.”
100th Birthday of B.B. King
Couldn’t visit Memphis without going to Beale Street where Logan could learn more about the legendary B.B. King. Why Memphis? Because this is where the young man born as Riley King became known as “The King of the Blues.”
Born Sept. 16, 1925, to sharecropping parents on a Mississippi cotton plantation, Riley learned about heartache early on. His parents separated when he was five and he went to live with his grandmother. His mother died when he was nine and his grandmother died when he was 14. By age seven, Riley was doing the work of a grown man in the cotton fields.
He may have lived his life without the world knowing of him except for a tractor accident. A hard worker, Riley was in a hurry to shut off his tractor in the shed at the end of day’s work. But the hot machine lurched and snapped off its exhaust stack.
How Riley King Got His Nickname
Afraid he would be in trouble with farm owner Johnson Barrett, Riley left a note and hitchhiked to Memphis where he stayed with his mother’s cousin, bluesman Bukka White. After nearly a year, Riley knew he couldn’t live with the debt he owned back home.
He returned to the farm and worked off the debt for damaging the tractor. Then he went back to Memphis to play music. Before long, Riley had his own Memphis radio show where he picked up the nickname “Beale Street Blues Boy,” later shortened to B.B.
Making his first recording in 1949, B.B. King received 18 Grammy Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Kennedy Center Honors and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1991, he opened B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale Street in Memphis.
The beloved bluesman died in his sleep on May 14, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 89 years old, leaving behind an enduring musical legacy.
He was returned to where he chose to be. The legendary musician was laid to rest on the grounds of the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in the Indianola, Mississippi, hometown where he once picked cotton.
Indianola and Memphis both celebrated B.B. King’s 100th birthday in 2025 with special events.
Boarding American Splendor
As for the American Splendor, the ship certainly lives up to her name. The Splendor is elegant and comfortable. Launched in 2016, the ship has a maximum capacity of 180 passengers; its paddlewheel is a lovely touch evoking the steamships of yore, though do note, it is just for show and doesn’t help to propel the ship (its diesel engines do that).
On the day of boarding the American Splendor, most of us were down bright and early in the lobby of The Guest House at Graceland. Our luggage had been picked up in our rooms and was being loaded on the waiting American Cruise Lines cruise coach while we enjoyed breakfast at Delta’s Kitchen at The Guest House.
Our cruise coach was easy to spot outside The Guest House. It had huge red, white and blue signs noting that the cruise coach belonged to American Cruise Lines. The coach followed us as we cruised so it would always be there on time when we needed a bus. Smart move by American Cruise Lines.
Boarding Ship in Time for Lunch
Soon we were stepping onto the coach for a morning tour around Memphis before embarking on the beautiful American Splendor just in time for lunch. Our sailing was nearly at full capacity, with 176 passengers, most of whom seemed to choose the Music Cities Cruise theme because it started in Memphis and ended in Nashville — two very important music cities.
On the drive around Memphis, we saw Peabody Hotel, Sun Studio, National Civil Rights Museum and Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. We didn’t tour inside Sun Studio or the Civil Rights Museum, but we could get off the bus to take photos. We were given a bit of time to go inside the Peabody Hotel to watch the morning duck march and shopped in Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. (If you want to tour Memphis and see more than Graceland, do consider booking yourself a few additional hotel nights before your cruise.)
Boarding the ship was easy. Walk on, show ID, head to stateroom to make sure luggage was there, and pick up name tags which will be scanned every time we leave the ship and return. Then head to lunch.
Our stateroom 522 was on the fifth Deck, roomy and comfy with a beautiful balcony. The two large beds had quality white bed linens and duvets with nightstands next to both. The room had a long dresser with plenty of drawers, a small closet and a desk, mirror, Keurig coffee maker, large flat screen TV, two chairs and plenty of storage space.
The bathroom had a big shower with a glass door, long sink counter with drawers and storage space underneath. Toiletries are provided unless you want to bring your own.
What Logan and I liked best was our wonderful balcony with two chairs and a table. We spent a lot of time sitting out there watching the mighty Mississippi River while talking about our musical adventures.
American Splendor Dining
The dining room on the Main Deck aft was spacious with plenty of room and window views. No reservations needed. No seats assigned. Just walk in, sit down and be prepared to be pampered. Menu choices were plentiful.
My favorite meal? Butternut squash soup as appetizer. Herbed roasted prime rib with mashed potatoes and broccolini as entrée. And for dessert; definitely the Moonshine peach cheesecake.
Logan’s favorite meal? French onion soup for appetizer. His top entrées: crab-stuffed lobster tail, beef tenderloin and lemon zest asparagus. He loved the strawberry shortcake for dessert.
For those who might get hungry later, the Sky Lounge and River Lounge always had snacks available and refrigerators filled with soft drinks and fruit drinks.
Nightly Live Music Aboard American Splendor
Since this was a music cruise, the Splendor had plenty of live musical entertainment each evening, with different performers brought on to perform. The onboard pianist/singer Jay Chalmers performed one night and played music for the pre-dinner cocktail hour each evening.
In Paducah, Terry Mike Jeffrey came aboard for some country and rock songs. Known to specialize in Elvis Presley music, Terry says he started singing for money when he was three years old.
“I’d stand in front of the jukebox and sing along with it and people would give me a nickel or a dime,” he says. “That’s when it occurred to me that you can make money singing songs. I’ve been doing it ever since.”
RELATED: 12 American Cruise Lines Mississippi Itineraries to Consider
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Itinerary Highlights
Paducah: The Floodwall
I took my first Mississippi River cruise in 1976 on the inaugural cruise of the Mississippi Queen. Since then I’ve returned to the mighty Mississippi and its fellow waterways many times but I always learn something new on any voyage.
Take the bus tour around Paducah. I’ve been to the Kentucky city quite often but never knew about the fun message right in front of my eyes.
A UNESCO Creative City, Paducah is well-known for its National Quilt Museum and its lovely floodwall. On the hop-on, hop-off cruise coach tour around Paducah (no extra cost), tour guide Kim Blaisdell pointed out places of interest and shared fascinating history.
After the Great Flood of 1937 decimated Paducah, a towering floodwall was built and covered in more than 60 beautiful murals by artist Robert Dafford. Stretching three blocks with a wide sidewalk for easy walking along the floodwall, each 14-foot-tall, 20-foot-wide mural depicts a moment in Paducah’s history.
Hidden Tidbits on Floodwall
I’ve walked the floodwall many times but tour guide Kim shared two “hidden” tidbits on the concrete barrier. In a mural about the old-fashioned Paducah telephone switchboard used before the device was replaced by an electronic computer switching system in 1979, the scene features women working the switchboard.
Look closely at one woman with long brown hair wearing a light blue dress. “It’s Lily Tomlin,” Kim says. “Remember Ernestine the telephone operator in 1969’s Rowman & Martin’s Laugh-In comedy show? That was Lily Tomlin.”
Lily grew up in Detroit but her parents were from Paducah and each summer Lily and her brother would take a bus down to Paducah to visit family. Then I had to Google a video clip to show Logan who in the world this Lily Tomlin person was and why she is honored on the floodwall.
The other tidbit was easily apparent to Logan after tour guide Kim stopped at the mural showcasing Paducah’s history as the “Strawberry Capital of the World” in the early 1940s. That’s when Kim mentioned the song “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
Sure enough, sitting in the middle of the strawberry field is an unmistakable guy wearing round wire-rimmed glasses. John Lennon.
Nashville: 100th Birthday of Grand Ole Opry
In Nashville, the American Splendor had the perfect docking space, right at the bottom of Broadway where we could walk to many main attractions or ride the cruise coach. Arriving the night before, we had a whole day in Nashville, capped off by a night at the Grand Ole Opry before our cruise ended.
Following a buffet dinner onboard the ship, we hopped on the cruise coaches and headed for the Grand Ole Opry, an evening that was part of the cruise package. No extra charge. Settled into our ticketed seats we saw Rhonda Vincent, Maggie Rose, Kruger Brothers, Gavin Adcock, Mandy Barnett, Dusty Slay, Flatland Cavalry and Don Schlitz take the stage.
Special Circle at Opry House
In the center stage of the Grand Ole Opry is a special piece of wood. It is from the old Ryman Auditorium. Can you imagine what it has seen? If it could talk, think about all the legends it could tell about.
Over the years, thousands of performers have stood on this circle — Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Little Jimmy Dickens.
Even a skinny truck driver from Memphis named Elvis Presley. Singing a rocked-up version of Bill Monroe’s bluegrass “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” Elvis did not receive a warm welcome for his first and only Opry performance on Oct. 2, 1954. Instead, he was told to go back to driving a truck.
When the Grand Ole Opry moved to its present 4,400-seat home at the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974, the circular section of the old Ryman stage was taken along as a reminder of the place the Opry had called home for more than three decades.
History of Grand Ole Opry
From its simple beginnings on Nov. 28, 1925, the Grand Ole Opry has never missed a Saturday night broadcast. Its audience, at first only a few hundred with primitive radios and crystal sets, has grown to include millions around the world.
The Opry has come a long way since that first radio broadcast 100 years ago. The announcer was George D. Hay, who billed himself as the Solemn Old Judge – although he was only 30 years old.
Two years later, the Solemn Old Judge opened the show with an ad-lib, which somehow stuck, and the weekly show picked up the nickname by which it has been known ever since – the Grand Ole Opry.
How Grand Ole Opry Got Its Name
According to legend, the show followed an NBC program of classical music and operatic selections. That evening, the Judge began his show by announcing that “for the past hour you’ve been listening to grand opera. Now, we’ll present ‘Grand Ole Opry.’”
It used to be that the Opry was pure country, but that isn't so anymore. When I attended a show back in 2006, one of the performers was a 16-year-old girl making her debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
Her first recording wouldn’t hit the shelves until a month later but, judging from the enthusiastic audience, newcomer Taylor Swift was already beginning her rapid ascent to stardom.
The show has a little bit of everything. And, as Porter Wagoner used to say, if you don't like one singer, you can just wait a few minutes and the show will have out someone you do like. You never know what you’ll see or hear in that unbroken performance circle at the Grand Ole Opry.
On American Cruise Lines, these are the costs included in the fare:
- All onboard alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
- All meals; no specialty restaurants or added costs
- All ship gratuities for ship staff (though many folks leave additional tips for their favorite crew)
- Pre-cruise one-night hotel stay
- Most shore excursions
- WiFi
Heading Home
After our great day in Nashville, the next morning we departed the American Splendor and boarded an American Cruise Lines cruise coach once again for the airport and our flight back to Indy.
Logan and I are still talking about what we saw and heard on our Music Cities Cruise. We created many magical music memories.
Interested In This American Cruise Lines' Music Cities Cruise?
If this cruise sounds like a great tune for your next vacation, learn more about American Cruise Lines, here.
Fares for this eight-night package (one pre-cruise hotel night plus the seven-night cruise) start at $4,110 per person and include just about everything (see sidebar above for details).
If you'd like help booking this cruise, we love referring our readers to our favorite travel advisor Kevin. You can contact him via the form below.
Interested In a Mississippi Music Cities Cruise?
For years, we've been referring our readers to our favorite travel advisor, Kevin Flink, because of his excellent customer service and expertise in travel planning. Kevin owns a franchise of Cruise Planners, one of the highest producing land and cruise travel agencies in the world, which means he gets access to various discounts and perks from cruise lines, hotels and insurance companies that he can pass on to his clients.
To show your interest in booking this cruise (or any cruise!) with Kevin, please tell us a bit more about what you’re looking for and we will be happy to get you both connected.
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