Louisville KY (Kentucky)

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