Memphis to New Orleans Mississippi Golf Cruise Luxury 14 Night Tour with 7 Golf Games
10 to 24 April 2018
From US$8,070 per person twin share (includes US$3,750 pp golf package).
Prices include US$400/Suite Early Bird Discount – Expires 30 November 2017
Trendsetter Travel & Cruise Centre welcomes your joining us on this spectacular Memphis to New Orleans cruise. There are 7 nights on board the near new luxury 180 passenger riverboat America with a total of 7 nights in 5 star hotels pre and post cruise. While in Memphis, we visit both Gracelands (a truly fascinating place even for those who don’t care much for Elvis) and the Civil Rights Museum. Our golf in Memphis includes TPC Southwinds, a regular PGA tour stop and home of the Fedex St. Jude Classic. This leisurely cruise down the Mississippi allows plenty of time to visit some of the famous ports such as Vicksburg, Natchez, St Francisville and Baton Rouge while still providing time for 3 golf games during the cruise. Our 7 games of golf, all on top 10 ranked courses in their respective states, includes such famous names as English Turn, The Bluffs, Beau Pre, Bayou Oaks (South Course), Carter Plantation and Mirimichi.
We chose to sail on American Cruise Lines as it offers the premier product on the market with a near all inclusive cruise offering. Most importantly, almost all cabins have private balconies. And its standard size cabins are the largest available when cruising on the Mississippi River. Deck cabin plans and brochures on the cruise are available on request.
Our cruise includes all meals while onboard America, wine and beer with dinner, complimentary cocktails every evening pre-dinner, gratuities, complimentary wifi and standard shore excursions. In addition, we include 7 nights of pre and post tour 5 star hotel accommodation, breakfasts each day, a day trip including both Gracelands and the National Civil Rights Museum, welcome and farewell dinners, 7 rounds of golf including coach transfers, motorised carts, prize money, range balls and drinks post golf.
Golfers with non-playing partners can enjoy their games, knowing those partners are having an equally fine time checking out the sights, or relaxing on-board. America has a limited number of single private balcony cabins, thus offering unique value for a single traveller.
Importantly, April is an ideal time to cruise the lower Mississippi with near perfect golfing conditions.
Plenty of time is included in both Memphis and New Orleans for independent exploring. Both cities are famous for their night life, in particular Memphis’ Beale Street and New Orleans’ French Quarter.
Our golf cruise immediately follows the ending of the US Masters at Augusta on Sunday 8 April 2018. Memphis is but a short 1 hour flight time from Atlanta with many direct flights. Trendsetter can arrange your tailor-made US Masters visit (ie tickets, accommodation etc), whether one day or four days, at a significantly lower price than are on offer by the various group tour operators. If you prefer to join a group, we can advise on the most appropriate available group options at no additional cost to you.
Your tour hosts Adrienne Witteman and David Cooper, Directors of Trendsetter Travel & Cruise Centre, are both enthusiastic golfers, and are both longstanding members of two prestigious Sydney golf clubs. They have golfed and cruised extensively throughout the world.
They invite you to join them on this fantastic cruise, stopping at great ports, with long port days combined with the chance to play 7 golf games, all at a wonderful selection of golf courses and all top 10 within the respective states of Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Tuesday 10 April 2018 – Memphis, Tennessee
Arrive independently in Memphis, the home of Elvis Presley and located on the banks of the Mississippi River. Stay tonight at Westin Memphis Beale Street, the hotel we consider is the best in Memphis. As the name indicates, the Westin is extremely well located near Memphis’ main entertainment street and is walking distance from most areas of interest in downtown Memphis (including a 10 minute walk from the National Civil Rights Museum).
Meet your fellow golfers at 6 pm before departing for your welcome tour dinner at Flights, one of the best steak restaurants in Tennessee.
Day 2 – Wednesday 11 April 2018 – Memphis –Gracelands and National Civil Rights Museum
Today we have an early morning departure to Gracelands, the home of Elvis Presley. We will arrive at opening at 9 am and with reserved tickets, we should avoid the potential ticket queues. This is a not to be missed opportunity. We are budgetting on a stay of 3 to 4 hours with so much to see including Elvis’ personal jet, his car collection, his burial plot (with his parents), shooting range and so many museums of memorabilia of Elvis and his time. Following our return to Memphis, we will include an (optional) afternoon visit to the National Civil Rights Museum – but a short walk from our hotel. Indeed it is a must visit venue with many compelling (and at times confronting) displays showing the civil rights movement – mainly through the 1950s and 1960s. It is built around the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated in April 1968. We suggest you budget no less than 2 to 3 hours for your visit.
Your evening is free to independently explore Memphis and its many great restaurants and night spots
Day 3 – Thursday 12 April 2018 – Memphis – Play TPC Southwind
We depart mid morning and travel 40 minutes to play TPC Southwind, the home of the Fedex St Jude Classic since 1989 and a permanent course of the US PGA Tour. Here we will play the course where, in 1997, Greg Norman shot 16 under par to secure one of his final 2 wins on the US PGA tour.
Tonight is free to independently explore Memphis and its many great restaurants.
Day 4 – Friday 13 April 2018 – Memphis – Play Mirimichi
Today we travel 30 minutes to play the Championship course at Mirimichi, rated the best public access course in the Mid South and one of the best 6 golf courses in Tennessee. Until recently, the course was owned by Justin Timberlake who reportedly spent US$16million upgrading the course.
Your evening is free to independently explore Memphis and its many great restaurants
Day 5 – Saturday 14 April 2018 – Memphis – Depart Memphis 1.30 pm
We check out of our hotel mid-morning and take a complimentary transfer to board America at the nearby riverboat jetty. Following lunch, departure from Memphis is around 1.30 pm.
We sail leisurely down the river and through the night heading towards the historic town of Vicksburg. We take the route adopted by the Union iron clads in the American Civil War in 1863 as they risked the fire of many accurate Confederate cannons over-looking the Mississippi as they sought to bi-pass Vicksburg and land General (later President) Ulysses S Grant’s army south of Vicksburg on the east bank of the Mississippi.
Our evening includes a briefing of our tour tomorrow of Vicksburg’s preserved memorial battlefield.
Day 6 – Sunday 15 April 2018 – Arrive 2 pm in Vicksburg (stay overnight)
On 4 July 1863, the day immediately following the 3 day battle of Gettysburg in far away Pennsylvania (the largest and most significant battle in American history), Confederate forces at Vicksburg surrendered to Grant’s Union Army. While the Civil War continued for another 22 months, these two events effectively ended the Confederate hopes of defeating the Union forces. The Confederates continued to fight on in the hope that mounting Union losses would cause sufficient political pressure to see the Union seek a negotiated peace (and recognise a separate Confederate State with its unique and infamous institution of slavery). The surrender of Vicksburg resulted in Union forces controlling all of the mighty Mississippi River and separated the Confederacy into a Western and Eastern part. This effectively prevented any significant amount of food and other resources being moved from the Western states of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana to supply the Confederate armed forces.
To put the Civil War in context, at that stage the population of the USA was 1/10th the size of today but aggregate deaths in the combined armed forces of the North and South during the Civil War exceeded 620,000. This is more USA military deaths than in all other wars combined (which includes WWI, WWII and Vietnam). The south still describes the Civil War as “The War Between the States” and, Abraham Lincoln, regarded by most as USA’s greatest ever President, still remains a reviled individual in significant areas of the South.
Day 7 – Monday 16 April 2018 – Vicksburg – depart early afternoon
We spend the morning on a ship’s tour of Vicksburg and the battlefield that surrounds the town.
We leave Vicksburg early afternoon and sail down the Mississippi arriving early evening in Natchez, a town famous for its many grand ante bellum homes. During the Civil War, Union forces destroyed a large proportion of the ante bellum homes throughout the Confederate/southern states and Natchez, like Savanah in Georgia, remains one of the few towns which remained unscathed from the Union forces.
Day 8 – Tuesday 17 April 2018 –– Natchez – depart evening
There should be time this morning for a walk around Natchez and perhaps join the early morning ship’s tour.
Late morning, we drive 20 minutes south of Natchez to play Beau Pre Golf Club. Constructed in 1998, Beau Pre is a private members course and considered the premier golf club in the greater Southern Mississippi – Louisiana region. We depart that evening and head down river to St Francisville.
Day 9 – Wednesday 18 April 2018 – St Francisville – Baton Rouge
Having crossed the border from Mississippi into Louisiana, we arrive early morning in St Francisville and will enjoy a tour around this historic township.
Then later this morning we’ll travel to and play The Bluffs Golf Resort, designed by Arnold Palmer and ranked in the top 3 courses in Louisiana.
Meanwhile America departs St Francisville early afternoon for Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana. Post golf, we re-join America in Baton Rouge in time for cocktail hour.
Day 10 - Thursday 19 April 2018 – Baton Rouge – depart early Friday morning
After a walk around Baton Rouge in the morning, we travel an hour east of Baton Rouge to Carter Plantation Golf Club. Glenn Hickey, in conjunction with Louisiana native David Toms, created the highly rated Carter Plantation Golf Club in 2003.
Day 11 – Friday 20 April 2018 – Oak Valley – Arrive early morning – depart early afternoon
We berth at Oak Valley for the morning and undertake a complimentary tour of Oak Valley Plantation, including a tour of the Plantation’s grand ante-bellum homestead, walk down the 300 year old pathway of oak trees, visit the slavery exhibition and Sugarcane Theatre.
We depart early afternoon and sail down the Mississippi for our final destination of New Orleans
Day 12 – Saturday 21 April 2018 – New Orleans
We berth this morning in New Orleans and will be transferred to the Windsor Court Hotel, one of New Orleans leading hotels, located one block from the French Quarter. Your 3 night stay will be in a Deluxe Suite (600 sqft) with your room upgraded (subject to availability) to a Premium Suite (800 sqft). Subject to availability, early check in will be available. The remainder of today is free to independently explore the many sights of New Orleans.
Day 13 – Sunday 22 April 2018 – New Orleans – Golf at English Turn
Today we travel half an hour and play English Turn, a semi private which hosted a PGA Tour event for 17 years commencing 1989. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, a great track to play with the challenge of its famous island green on the 15th hole. We are unable to play TPC Louisiana, the course which now hosts the PGA Tour’s Zurich Open as this annual tournament will be played the week we are in New Orleans.
Post golf, the evening is free to explore New Orleans and perhaps visit the famous French quarter.
Day 14 – Monday 23 April 2018 – New Orleans – Bayou Oaks – South Course – Farewell Dinner
We have been able to secure a booking at the recently opened and highly rated South Course at Bayou Oaks. A Rees Jones design, it has received great reviews since opening. It is located in an area which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and which was previously the site of 4 x 18 hole golf courses. Importantly, it is only a few minutes drive from the French Quarter and our hotel.
This evening we meet for drinks at 6.30 pm and have our tour farewell dinner at a leading local restaurant.
Day 15 – Tuesday 24 April – New Orleans - Tour Ends
After breakfast, our tour ends and it is time to go our separate ways
The Finer Details...
ALL Trendsetter clients, as part of our golf tour, will receive:
- Host services by Adrienne Witteman and David Cooper.
- 14 night golf tour includes 8 night all-inclusive cruise (with one night in Memphis hotel), 7 games of golf, coach transfers, motorised carts, prize money, drinks post golf, 6 additional nights in leading hotels, breakfast, welcome/farewell tour dinners (including drinks) and tours of both Gracelands and the Civil Rights Museum.
| April 2018 – Mississippi River Golf Tour (including Cruise) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture Window Suite (290 sqft) (2 cabins) | Private Balcony Suite (304 sqft) prices vary by deck (62 cabins) | Large Private Balcony Suite (328 sqft) (12 cabins) | Owners Suite (445 sqft) (8 cabins) | Private Balcony (single room) (13 cabins) | |
| Cruise Fare (US$ pp) | $4,320 | From $5,290 | $5,950 | $7,155 | $6,185 |
| Golf Package Golfer (US$ pp) | $3,750 | $3,750 | $3,750 | $3,750 | $5,050 (includes $1,300 single supplement) |
| Total Cruise Fare and Golf Package (US$ pp) | $8,070 | From $9,040 | $9,700 | $10,905 | $11,235 |
| Golf Package – Non Golfer Partner (US$ pp) | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | N/A |
| Total Cruise Fare and Golf Package (non golfer partner) (US$ pp) | $6,320 | From $7,290 | $7,950 | $9,155 | N/A |
- Per Person Deposits – Golf Package US$500 – Cruise US$500 – Total US$1,000 – Balance payable 120 days from departure.
- Above prices include port taxes and fees of US$250 pp and are quoted twin share unless otherwise stated. Cruise prices subject to change until deposit paid and price locked in. Prices reflect a US$400/stateroom discount for bookings until 30 November 2017.
- While both the cruise and golf package are priced in in US$, as a group, all tour participant payments are to Trendsetter who will directly pay the cruise fares. You will pay for the tour in A$ with the US$ amounts converted into A$ based upon the best US$ sell rates available to Trendsetter Travel.
- TRAVEL INSURANCE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
- American Cruise Lines General Terms and Conditions (including cancellation provisions etc) can be found on http://americancruiselines.com/general-information
The package price does NOT include golf club hire but includes motorised carts at all courses, range balls at most courses, prize money for all golf games and drinks post golf. Trendsetter has booked the courses as specified but cannot be held responsible for any cancellation/s necessitated by a change to the ship’s itinerary due to weather or any other event, or late amendment by the golf course. If such an event occurs and, in the unlikely event, Trendsetter cannot organise an alternative golf course, Trendsetter will pass through any refund available. When on tour, where a tour participant chooses not to play a particular golf course, we will make a refund less any non-refundable amount. We can organise unaccompanied specialised transport of golf clubs to Memphis/from New Orleans or indeed any other world city.
Contact Trendsetter Travel & Cruise Centre (www.trendsettertravel.com.au) for further information on this tour by phone +61 2 9428 5900 (Longueville/Northwood office) or email david@trendsettertravel.com.au
