The Paddle Wheel Lounge offers live vocals and piano for entertainment. The Show Lounge is an activity center during the day, featuring everything from BINGO to magic acts, and is the scene for live musical entertainment every night. During the past year, the Empress has won accolades from critics for its dining experiences and hospitality. Lunder takes pride in those reviews because it means the hard work going on behind the scenes is gaining good reports from guests. “They get to enjoy such beautiful scenic views and we provide them with information about the history of the river and the communities they visit,” he said.