riverboat cruise louisville

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Belle of Louisville Riverboats

401 W. River Rd. Louisville, KY 40202

Phone: (502) 574-2992 Fax: (502) 574-3030

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Meeting spaces, belle of louisville, mary m. miller, related deals.

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Sunset Cruise on the Belle of Louisville 401 W. River Rd. Louisville, Kentucky 40202 Details   Open in Google Maps

Sunset Cruise on the Belle of Louisville

There are few things as beautiful as Louisville at sunset. Enjoy yourself on the river with a gentle breeze and a delicious cocktail. Add in music from a live...

Harbor History 401 W. River Rd. Louisville, Kentucky 40202 Details   Open in Google Maps

Harbor History

On this longer narrated journey, you’ll learn more about our beautiful city, its history and connection to the river, factors that determined Louisville’s...

301 South 4th Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202

1.888.LOUISVILLE (1.888.568.4784)

The Belle of Louisville is a national historical landmark and an icon of our waterfront. Whether you’re boarding the steamboat for your first or tenth river cruise, it’s always a memorable experience.

To board the Belle of Louisville is to do more than see the city and the Ohio River from a unique perspective. You are embarking on a piece of American history. Steamboat travel and transportation revolutionized our river, our city, and our nation. The geography of the area played a central role in Louisville’s founding and why it became the Bourbon Capital of the World.

At over 100 years old, the steamboat is steam-powered and paddlewell-propelled. No matter what you’re boarding for — sightseeing, a four-course dinner, live music, or a unique event — you are in for a special treat. Also, check out the Belle’s sister, the Mary M. Miller, the newest riverboat addition to our waterfront.

Book a Trip

For more details on how to book your next trip or to view the calendar of family-friendly programming and unique river cruises, visit the Belle of Louisville or call 502.574.2992 .

Address: 401 W. River Road (4th & River Road)

PARK FEATURES

Self-Guided Tours Accessibility Big Four Bridge Belle of Louisville Boat Docks Playgrounds Lincoln Memorial Picnic Areas Public Art Rowing Swing Garden

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Explore The Ohio River Aboard Kentucky's Favorite Historic Riverboat

Andrea Limke

A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.

More by this Author

The Ohio River makes up a portion of our state’s border and it has always been a significant part of Kentucky’s history and purpose. Along the riverfront, there are many small towns, as well as smaller cities and even a few big cities that are home to a large section of our population. The largest of the Kentucky cities on the river is Louisville and this vibrant town is filled with things to do. One of the most favorite activities for all ages, locals, and visitors is a ride on the historic riverboat in Kentucky, the Belle of Louisville or its fleet companion, the Mary M. Miller. There are a variety of trips available on both boats and these outings are some of the most memorable in the state.

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If you have yet to take a ride on this historic riverboat in Kentucky, keep it in mind for the next special occasion. Whether you’re looking for a romantic sunset cruise, a fun-filled family outing, or a place to celebrate a big event on the water, the Belle of Louisville and the Mary M. Miller are two favorite destinations in the Bluegrass. Have you been aboard a historic riverboat in Kentucky? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

For more information on the Belle of Louisville and everything that is currently offered, visit its website and also follow along on Facebook .

And for another boat tour in Kentucky that’s totally different and very unique, check out this excursion that takes you right up to a waterfall.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Pittsburgh to Louisville

• Get inspired by the possibilities.
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• Enjoy Old-Fashioned cocktails and see the 120-foot Louisville Slugger
• Explore the birthplace of baseball and its distinctive chili recipe
• Discover the diversity of art and live entertainment in Maysville
• Visit Marietta, Ohio and find a mix of museums and historic sites
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Full Itinerary

Day 1: hotel stay in pittsburgh, pa, day 2: pittsburgh, pa | embark.

• Accommodation
• 1 Breakfast, 1 Dinner

Day 3: Wheeling, WV

• 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

Day 4: Marietta, OH

Day 5: huntington, wv, day 6: augusta, ky, day 7: cincinnati, oh, day 8: madison, in, day 9: louisville | disembark.

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American Queen

Dates & prices, my preferred start date.

Initial deposit is $250 per person, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.

Final payment is due 71 days prior to departure by MasterCard, Visa, Discover, Diners Club or check

See our general terms and conditions:

• Adventure Life Terms & Conditions

We are an agent for one or more providers on this trip with specific cancellation policies and terms:

• American Queen Steamboat Company - Terms and Conditions 2022 - American Queen Voyages

For full cancellation policy details, please contact us for a quote.

• 8 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 7 Dinners
• 8 Nights Accommodations
• Accommodations as listed
• Ground transportation as listed
• Activities as listed
• Meals as listed
• Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
• Unlimited Wifi
• Gratuities to Onboard Crew
• Port Taxes & Fees
• Open Bars & Lounges throughout the vessel including a juice bar every morning
• In-Room Dining
• Bicycles & Hiking Sticks equipment if needed
• Live, Daily Onboard Entertainment & Enrichment
• Locally Sourced & regionally Inspired Cuisine from land and sea
• Gourmet Selections of freshly prepared choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Unlimited Beverages including an extensive wine list, choice spirits, local craft beers and specialty coffees
• Unlimited Guided Tours designed with your comfort in mind aboard private, deluxe motorcoaches
• 1-night Pre-cruise Hotel Stay with free ground transfers between hotel and vessel
• Travel Insurance
• Personal Expenses
• Flight costs (please request a quote)
• Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
• Optional Premium Shore Excursions - highly recommend booking these in advance. If interested, ask us for a detailed list of premium excursions for your cruise as these vary depending on your departure date.
• Transfers to and from the airport

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Louisville KY (Kentucky)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Region Canada and USA Rivers

Local Time 2024-08-11 12:57

Port Louisville KY cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Louisville KY, Kentucky. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Louisville KY is an Ohio River cruise port and the largest city in Kentucky USA. By population (around 970,000, metro around 1,2 million) the city is ranked USA's 29th largest. Kentucky's 2nd-largest city is Lexington.

The river shipping traffic between Ohio River and Caribbean Sea (Gulf of Mexico) is only obstructed by the Falls of Ohio. However, town's early growth was influenced by exactly this obstruction as riverboats were unloaded here and moved downriver before reaching Ohio Falls. To bypass the Falls, in 1830 was opened the Louisville-Portland Canal (length 3 km / 2 mi).

The town was founded in 1778 and named after King Louis XVI (1754-1793) - France's last King before the monarchy fell during the French Revolution (1789-99). The town was incorporated as city in 1828 and developed greatly after the opening (mid-19th-century) of the Louisville- Nashville Railroad (length 9700 km / 6000 mi) connecting 13 US states. Louisville KY is best-known as the hometown of the boxer Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), also for its skyline (downtown business district's skyscrapers / 15 of which have height over 91 m / 300 ft), large nature parks, Victorian-style architecture (downtown's West Main Str's buildings with cast iron facades), vehicle manufacturing (2 Ford plans), bourbon whiskey production (producing ~1/3 of USA's bourbon), museums and art galleries, annual festivals, Kentucky Derby (horse race in May). The annual Great Steamboat Race (also held in May) features some of USA's largest stern-paddlewheel riverboats, including American Queen, Belle of Louisville, Belle of Cincinnati.

Port Louisville by cargo shipping tonnage is currently ranked USA's 7th-largest inland port.

As cruise port, Louisville KY is included in the schedule of USA's largest river cruise company - ACL-American Cruise Lines . The riverport is also regularly visited by ships of AQV/AQSC-American Queen Voyages/Steamboat Company .

Next tables show some of the Louisville-inclusive itineraries as port sequences and prices per person (double occupancy rates).

(ACL ship Queen of the Mississippi/American Heritage ) 11-day itinerary between homeports St Louis and Pittsburgh, from ~USD 3500 pp

(ship American Duchess / AQSC) 8-day itinerary between homeports Pittsburgh and Louisville, from ~USD 2000 pp

(ship American Queen / AQSC) 8-day itinerary between homeports Louisville and Pittsburgh, from ~USD 1500 pp

The only fully COVID-vaccinated US river cruise line is AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company

AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company announced that its passengers will no longer be required to wear masks onboard or receive pre-cruise COVID...

AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company music-themed cruises 2021 with Lee Greenwood

AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company announced that country music legend Lee Greenwood would perform on 6 music-themed cruises during season 2021...

AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company announces 2021 Special Edition Voyages

AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company announced its 2021 Special Edition Voyages. With itineraries featuring exceptional cruise programming aboard...

AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company announces itineraries for 2021 cruise season

AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company continues to chart unique routes on the USA’s rivers, inviting travelers to explore the country's history...

American Queen Steamboat Company Introduces “Racing on the River”

AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company announced its newest themed cruise onboard American Duchess, “Racing on the River”, cruising from...

•   show more news

America’s Most Scenic Small-Ship and River Cruises

Columbia and snake rivers.

T hese nine-day American river cruises on the American Queen Steamboat Company's American Empress sail from Vancouver, Washinton to Portland, Oregon and show you a glimpse at some of the most gorgeous scenery in the Pacific Northwest. From the paddle wheeler, you'll get to see the dramatic waterfalls at the Columbia River Gorge, the pioneer town The Dalles, and sea lions and filming sites from the hit 1980s film, The Goonies in Astoria.

Rivers of Wine Theme Cruise on the Columbia and Snake Rivers

These seven-night American river cruises on the UnCruise Adventure's S.S. Legacy sail round trip out of Portland, Oregon cruising a similar route to American Empress but focusing on wine. A sommelier and guest wine expert sail with passengers for the week, serving as an onboard resource and hosting tastings. There are also wine tastings, vineyard tours, and wine cave tours in Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla, Red Mountain, Columbia Valley, and the Willamette Valley and guests get to taste old-vine varietals and wines from eco-cultivated vineyards. River cruises are also popular across the pond.

Adventure Theme Cruise on the Olympic Peninsula

Sailing round-trip out of Seattle through Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands on an elegant little yacht, this seven-night cruise on UnCruise Adventure's Safari Quest includes kayaking, paddle boarding, and plenty of hikes. There are also opportunities to spot bald eagles, sea lions, and whales and to enjoy local seafood, including oysters and clams.

Upper Mississippi American Heartland Theme Cruise

This river cruise from Chicago to St. Louis is on American Queen Steamboat Company's newest ship, the American Duchess , a paddle wheeler as majestic as her older sisters, with the same iconic red paddlewheel. You'll see the towering skyscrapers of Chicago and get the perfect photo op of St. Louis's famed arch. The focus of this cruise is American history, and you can see towns that were settled as trading posts by French explorers, visit the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate in Ottowa, Illinois, and check out places from Mark Twain's writings in his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. Want to learn even more of America's backstory? Start with these 16 best cities for American history buffs .

Ohio River Cruise

These 11-day cruise tours on American Cruise Line's Queen of the Mississippi travel from St. Louis to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania visiting Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinnati (among other towns) along the way. You'll get a behind-the-scenes tour of Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, and tour the Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. In Cape Girardeau, you'll see everything from Trail of Tears sites to Civil War battlefields. Best of all, expect plenty of bluegrass music and mint juleps along the way.

Music Cruise on the Cumberland River

These seven-night American river cruises from Nashville to St. Louis also on American Cruise Line's Queen of the Mississippi will take you to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Johnny Cash Museum and then heads on to St. Louis for a celebration of blues music.

Mississippi River Bourbon Theme Cruise

Cruise up the Mississippi River from Memphis to Louisville on the American Queen Steamboat Company's American Queen, with private tastings and cooking demos along the way, as well as lectures by historians. This special sailing, offered annually in July, also includes the opportunity to sample rare and vintage bourbons as well.

Lake Michigan

On this eight-day cruise roundtrip out of Chicago on Blount Small Ship Adventures's Grande Mariner , you'll visit Mackinac Island, Michigan, home to historic homes and plenty of rocking chairs as well as Sturgeon Bay in Wisconsin's Door County, where you'll see lighthouses and plenty of yachts.

Lower Mississippi from New Orleans to New Orleans

See—and eat—the highlights of New Orleans—from beignets to po' boys—before setting sail on American Cruise Line's America Song . You'll head to Natchez and Vicksburg in Missouri for Civil War sites and St. Francisville and Houmas House, Louisiana for historic plantations with a stop in the middle in Baton Rouge to see the Louisiana State Museum and the capital buildings. Occasionally, the line also offers a food-themed cruise out of New Orleans, too.

Maine Coastal Cruises

Maine Windjammer Association's Lewis R. French is a dramatic 21-passenger schooner that offers two- to six-night cruises in the summer and through the month of September out of the town of Camden, Maine. The schooner, which dates back to 1871 and is a National Historic Landmark, has no engine, and powers through Penobscot Bay just with the wind in its sails. You can help out with the sails, and watch for porpoises and eagles.

Newport, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard Cruise

This sailing yacht, the Arabella , may winter in the Caribbean, but it summers in the northeast, home of lobster rolls, lighthouses, and clambakes. The five-night sailings in July, August, and September let you travel to the area's loveliest beaches under billowing white sails.

Chesapeake Bay Cruise

This seven-night cruise on American Cruise Line's Independence sails round-trip out of Baltimore to Oxford, St. Michael's, and Annapolis, Maryland as well as Yorktown and Williamsburg, Virginia. You'll visit coastal fishing villages and eat plenty of hard-shell blue crabs, and get to visit Baltimore's famed aquarium.

Hudson River Valley Fall Foliage Theme Cruise

This eight-day American river cruise on American Cruise Line's American Constitution sails round-trip out of New York City before taking you to Hyde Park, the Catskills, and West Point as well as Sleepy Hollow, all in upstate New York. But in addition to the history in the region, the highlight of the cruise is easily the changing colors of the autumnal leaves.

Savannah to Baltimore

Cruise one of our favorite 12-day American river cruises in the Southeast on Blount Small Ship Adventures's Grand Mariner and you'll spend your days exploring Beaufort by horse-drawn carriage and wander the cobblestone streets of Charleston, South Carolina as the port town of Annapolis. Read on to discover the best cruise to take every month of the year .

The post America’s Most Scenic Small-Ship and River Cruises appeared first on Reader's Digest .