Last month, I sailed the Mississippi River with my friend Maddy aboard American Cruise Lines’ American Symphony. I’ve sailed with American before, so I knew what to expect – friendly service, comfortable accommodations and a well-organized trip where we always know what’s happening and where to be. It’s a fool proof vacation.
Before we even boarded the American Symphony, I knew this trip was going to feel different.
After a short Uber ride from the airport, we arrived at the InterContinental New Orleans, where we were greeted at the front desk by Donte, a smiling young man who immediately made us feel like we had arrived somewhere familiar.
I was born and raised in the South and while I usually find people to be pleasant when I travel, I do not always expect the same kind of openness I feel when I am back home. Traveling close to home brought a sense of comfort, but there was still the excitement of discovering places that were new to me.
From there, New Orleans carried that same energy. At Bar Tonique, service was slow, but the bartender was friendly and chatty and eventually handed us a drink on the house. At Pat O’Brien’s, home of the Hurricane, we were met with the same laid back kindness.
Dinner at Palm + Pine was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. The butter beans alone were worth the visit. What really stood out, though, was how attentive and warm the waitstaff was. Someone was always checking in, saying hello or offering a compliment. Weeks later, I am still comparing meals to that one.
The next morning, American Cruise Lines made the transition from hotel to ship feel easy. American set up a breakfast buffet for us at the InterContinental, which meant no scrambling for plans or paying extra for a mediocre hotel breakfast.
From there, we departed in groups by motorcoach and headed straight to the ship. Luggage was handled and boarding was straightforward. Once onboard, lunch was already waiting. Our staterooms were available early, which meant we could unpack, settle in and start the trip feeling relaxed instead of rushed. We had just arrived and were immediately taken care of, with no downtime spent hovering or waiting for rooms to be ready.
As we sailed upriver, Southern hospitality showed up again and again.
Our guides were thoughtful and easy to talk to. Our servers remembered our preferences. Our bus drivers went out of their way to point things out along the route, often adding details they had picked up from running these tours again and again. And nowhere was that more evident than with Kim, our lead bus driver from Baton Rouge. She would chime in alongside the guides and was always checking in to make sure everyone was comfortable. By the end of the trip, we ended up buying her souvenirs because she felt like a friend.
One of the best examples of small town Southern charm came in Natchez, Mississippi. During a horse drawn carriage ride, I was amused by how many stops our horse made along the way. He clearly knew where his friends were and would not continue on until his buddies paid up with a treat.
Cleveland, Mississippi brought another reminder. At the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi, we were welcomed with a private blues performance from Mississippi Marshall, followed by breakfast catered by a local barbecue spot. The cheese grits were some of the best I have ever had. The woman who catered the meal had printed copies of her berry bread pudding recipe for anyone who wanted to try it at home. Who said all the best recipes have to be kept secret?
Then there was Tunica, just outside Memphis, where one of the kindest moments of the trip unfolded. After an excursion ran long, Maddy and I split off with new friends and ended up stuck at a hotel waiting for transportation back to the ship. American Cruise Lines was ready to send a bus, but we decided to wait it out. That is when Tony, a hotel supervisor who had already gone home for the day, got back in his car and drove us to the American Symphony himself. No expectation attached.
The pattern of kindness continued even after we disembarked. American Cruise Lines transported us directly from the ship to the Memphis Visitor Center and stored our bags so we could explore the city for the day. We wandered around town for a bit and eventually stopped at Flyway Brewing, where we met Bobby. He struck up a conversation that turned into nearly an hour of talking about Memphis, places to eat, things to see and what he thought was actually worth our time.
By the time we left, we had a handful of solid tips and the feeling that we had just spent time with someone who was proud of where he lived and happy to share it.
When we returned to the visitor center and called an Uber to the airport, one of the employees asked if our ride was on the way. When we said yes, she smiled and said she was getting off work and could take us herself if we wanted. It was the third time that day someone had offered help without being asked. And I can’t imagine anything worse than having to drive a couple of strangers to the airport after a long day of work. But she didn’t seem to mind.
Even at the airport, there were a few final moments of kindness. At the TSA screening, Maddy realized she had packed hot sauce in her carry on. Instead of asking her to throw it away, the agent suggested she go back and check her bag. At the airline counter, the agent waved the bag fee and wished her a Merry Christmas.
Every trip has its own personality. This one did as well. What stayed with me most was how often someone went out of their way to be kind. Southern hospitality, in its truest form.
THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT RIVER CRUISE ADVISOR.