American Lady Cruises, 1630 East 16th Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001, United States
Warm Lasting Memories
Join us soon for a 1.5 or 2 hour cruise on the beautiful Mighty Mississippi!
Let's Meet
Join Our Team
We are assembling our team for '23 and we need a few more fine men or women to be crewmembers. You must be at least 18 years old and pass a drug screen. Call, email, or stop in at Catfish Charlie's restaurant and ask for an American Lady application. We'd love to meet you!
The Basics
Public Cruises
We specialize in 1.5 to 2-hour public cruises on the Mississippi River along the banks of Dubuque, Iowa. Depending on which day you join us, we will have a combination of Lunch, Happy Hour, and Evening Dinner Cruises. Click on the Sightseeing Cruise, Lunch Cruise, Happy Hour Cruise, and Evening Dinner Cruise tabs near the top of the page to discover details on those cruises.
Private Cruises
Our yacht is the venue for many private cruises every year. Weddings, anniversary celebrations, birthday parties, class reunions, and corporate outings are just a sample of events held on board Dubuque's American Lady. Click on the Private Cruise tab near the top of the page to discover many details about planning a private cruise.
Once-a-Year Cruises
Father's Day Cruise
Colors of Fall Cruise
Father's Day Cruise
On Sunday, June 18, plan to celebrate that wonderful man on this once-a-year cruise from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm. It includes the dinner buffet, soft drinks, and your first adult beverage. Choose a 10 oz NY Strip or Chicken Cordon Blue or Vegetarian Stir Fry or for the kids, Mac & Cheese or a Burger. Dinner also includes lettuce salad, dinner rolls, garlic and parsley smashed potatoes, green beans, and chocolate chip bread pudding.
This cruise is an annual sell out, don't hesitate!
13 years and older $71.95
4-12 years $41.95
3 years and younger are free
Fireworks Cruise
Colors of Fall Cruise
Father's Day Cruise
Dubuque's Annual Fireworks Show is Monday, July 3, and we provide you with the best seat available. The fireworks are shot over the river, and we drop anchor just north of the show for prime viewing. We even see some of the US Army's Golden Knights skydiving show. Cruise from 7:00 pm to around 11:00 pm, with dinner served around 7:30 pm. We limit this cruise to 68 tickets, and it is a sellout every year.
This cruise will sell out!
13 years and older $104.95
4-12 years $79.95
3 years and younger are free
Colors of Fall Cruise
Colors of Fall Cruise
Colors of Fall Cruise
Timed to hit the prime time of Fall for colorful foliage, this very popular cruise leaves our dock at 9:30 am and returns at 4:00 pm on October 12. At a leisurely pace, we go to Bellevue, IA and back, all the while enjoying the colorful bluffs, continental breakfast, Fall inspired hot lunch buffet, live music, and your first two adult beverages included. This cruise has been a sellout every year, so don't delay your reservations!
Buy your tickets early!
13 years and older $145.95
4-12 years $70.95
3 years and younger are free
Specialty Cruises
The Captain Merry
Lock 11 Northern Excursion
Lock 11 Northern Excursion
Captain Merry was a river pilot who operated a ferry between Dubuque, IA and East Dubuque, IL in the mid 1800s, and also built a fabulous mansion in East Dubuque that served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. We can't see that home from the river today, but we honor it's namesake by attaching his name to this special 3.5 hour cruise, usually offered on the second Sunday of the month in June through October.
You'll enjoy a hot lunch buffet with dessert, unlimited soft drinks, lemonade, iced tea, and coffee, and one adult beverage included with each adult ticket.
13 years and older $71.95
4-12 years $41.95
3 years and younger are free
Lock 11 Northern Excursion
Lock 11 Northern Excursion
Lock 11 Northern Excursion
We've selected three special Thursdays to take this unique cruise. You will travel north of Lock and Dam 11, providing you with the experience of locking through a dam.
We leave our dock at 9:30 am and return around 4:00 pm. Keep in mind that a boat cannot schedule a time to enter the lock, so our Captain uses his knowledge and experience to return at the right time, but circumstances could cause us to return to dock a little late.
Expect to travel to the vicinity of Cassville, WI before we return to our dock. Continental breakfast, hot lunch buffet, unlimited soft drinks, lemonade, iced tea, coffee, and two adult beverages included with each adult ticket.
In the event that we cannot use the lock, we will instead travel to Bellevue, IA before returning home. On this alternate route, we will not pass through a lock.
Offered on these dates only:
July 13
September 14
October 19
13 years and older $145.95
4-12 years $70.95
3 years and younger are free
Bellevue Voyage
Lock 11 Northern Excursion
Bellevue Voyage
This is the best choice for those who want an extended river experience. You might see bald eagles, herons, egrets, and other wildlife, as well as barges, trains, and pleasure boaters as we travel nearly 60 river miles from our dock to Bellevue, IA and back.
There will be donuts, juice, and coffee in the morning, and a hot lunch buffet in the afternoon. Unlimited soft drinks, lemonade, iced tea, coffee, and two adult beverages are included with each adult ticket.
From the southern edge of Dubuque to the northern edge of Bellevue, the river and bluffs appear much the same as they did a hundred years ago. We travel at a leisurely pace that, with a little imagination, may give you the impression of what it must have been like to be a pioneer.
Offered on this date only:
June 15
13 years and older $145.95
4-12 years $70.95
3 years and younger are free
Some Useful Information
blocked streets can cause delays
We appreciate railroads and the hard work of their crews, but travelers need to be aware of possible driving delays due to Dubuque streets being blocked by trains. If you are approaching our location by driving northbound on US Hwy 61/151, do not take the White Street or 9th Street Exits to get to us. Both of these exits cross railroad tracks, and trains can sometimes block street traffic as long as 30 minutes. That could cause you to miss your cruise!
Instead, continue north and take the Kerper Blvd Exit. At the traffic light, turn right, then turn left onto 16th Street. Be in the right lane, and turn right onto Admiral Sheehy Dr, and then take the next right turn to arrive in our parking lot. On this route, the road takes you over the railroad tracks avoiding the possibility of being delayed by a train!
Please tell us that you are bringing the little ones.
Babies Are People Too!
We happily let children 3 years of age and younger take a ride free of charge, but they are counted as a passenger just like paying customers. So, when you make reservations, please inform us if you have that little bundle of joy so we can add them to our passenger list!