Bus took us to board the American Cruise Line Melody. their newest on the Mississippi.   Watch this 11 min 23 sec video to get a full tour of the boat.   In general: While ships are designed for open, deep-sea navigation, boats are for smaller inland, river or coastal waters. Remember U-boat during the world war, for the German Unterseeboot?  Stands for undersea boat.  So yes, a submarine is a boat. A very large yacht is still a boat. The Melody was actually launched in 2021, measures 269 feet long and 56 feet wide, and is a boat.   Holds up to 180 passengers and has four decks.  Known for large staterooms, with standard rooms of 250 square feet.  The fourth floor has suites, and our room 418 has 405 square feet.   You can read the details here. It is nearly 400 miles from Memphis to New Orleans.  Maybe a 6-hour drive,  Our itinerary, which will take 13 days, or 12 nights, to complete    Frankly, I am surp...