A regular cycle of riverboat arrivals is becoming the norm in Vicksburg as the cruise ship season gets in full swing.

The American Queen docked in Vicksburg Wednesday morning and the Queen of the Mississippi was in town Tuesday to let travelers from around the world explore the streets of Vicksburg. Andy and Linda Barter of Auburn, Calif. rode an entire loop around downtown on one of the boat’s tour buses Wednesday before getting out to walk around. The hope-on-hop-off bus makes seven different stops downtown like where the Barters got off at the corner of Washington and Crawford streets.

“We rode the bus around once,” Linda said. “That’s what we always do, we see what the city is.”

Andy said there is always a local guide on the bus to help passengers with information on places to see and things to do. The Barter’s got off the bus at the shopping district stop and were planning to peruse the shops on Washington Street before walking down to the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum, the Old Depot Museum and the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum.

Linda said she was also considering catching the city’s trolley to see sites around the entire city.

“What we’d like to do is take the local trolley and see because where we went, our tour, is different from where the trolley goes,” Linda said.

This voyage of the American Queen started Monday in Memphis and will end this coming Monday in New Orleans. The Barters took the trip just to sightsee in the South.

“The food’s good too,” Andy said.

The couple has been on a few river cruises, and Andy said they’ve almost done the entire Mississippi River as well as the Ohio and Tennessee rivers. Linda said their boat stopped in Greenville Tuesday and will stop in Natchez Thursday.

The boat passengers got to spend the entire day in town and were able to roam the streets from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“They are giving us a nice full day,” Linda said.

The couple’s first impression of Vicksburg was positive with Andy calling the town unique, historic and beautiful.

Bob and Carla Lane of St. Paul, Minn. stopped at Anchuca Mansion and the Old Court House Museum Wednesday morning and were headed into the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum with friend Kent Redeker of San Bernardino, Calif.

“We love the nice weather today,” Carla said. “It’s gorgeous.”

Redeker had visited The Church of the Holy Trinity and was impressed with the Tiffany stain glass windows.

Bob said the couple had visited the Vicksburg National Military Park before on a motorhome trip. Redeker said he had also seen the military park before with his son.

“We chose to do the in town (tour) today,” Bob said.

The two riverboats will stop in Vicksburg about twice a week through June when the schedule changes.