Are you looking to get away from the holidays this year? 
With its Holidays on the River sailings on the lower Mississippi River, American Queen Voyages has you covered if you're aching for a sea experience but want to stay within the United States.

Aboard the American Queen, the giant riverboat ever built, American Queen Voyages will offer four holiday-themed cruises from November through December. 
The American Queen is a 418-foot-long ship with six decks, a 19th-century opera theatre, opulent dining rooms and lounges, a fitness center, and a swimming pool. 
Onboard, all meals and drinks—both alcoholic and nonalcoholic—as well as live entertainment, including carolers on holiday sailings, are all included.

There are sailings from Nashville to Memphis, Memphis to New Orleans, New Orleans to Memphis, and a round-trip sailing from New Orleans, on the holiday schedules. During each nine-day voyage, the ship will stop at the historic towns and cities along the Mississippi River, from Paducah, Kentucky, to Natchez, Louisiana. Most ports provide walking or hop-on-hop-off tours, and visitors can reserve expensive excursions, including golf outings and visits to historical places. A pre-sailing hotel stay is also included on the holiday journeys, giving travelers even more time to visit the embarkation ports, many of which will be turned into (mildly warm) winter wonderlands for the Christmas season.

These unique voyages also feature an exclusive Creole Réveillon supper presented by the cruise line's culinary ambassador Regina Charboneau, who will also conduct cooking demonstrations in honor of American Queen Voyages' tenth anniversary. 
A 19th-century holiday meal custom known as the Réveillon features Creole, Cajun, and other Southern cuisine.

Therefore, if the Christmas markets along the rivers of Europe seem just out of reach this holiday season, consider visiting the Mississippi, one of our backyard treasures. 
Bookings for the holiday sailings can still be made here; prices start at $2,099 per person.