American Cruise Lines 2024
By Ted Scull
American Cruises Lines has basically captured the domestic USA market for small ship cruises whether it is along the New England Coast and amongst the Islands or the South-East Coast and Florida.
They qualify as a significant presence along the Mississippi and connecting rivers, and the same for the Columbia-Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest, plus Puget Sound.
Now in Alaska, they’re a relatively recent newcomer and they do share the limelight with several other small-ship lines established there.
The owners have built their ships for years at an eastern Chesapeake Bay location (Chesapeake Shipbuilding) they own along the Wicomico River. Hence, the ships look remarkably alike and have done so since the very beginning. The ships have grown in size from a score of passengers to a present maximum of 180 so they all fit QuirkyCruise.com’s limitations.
The 180-pax American Harmony. * Photo: American Cruise Lines
Broadside they looked much the same even after verandahs were added. That has certainly helped keep the ships coming as they did not have to retool much for the next ship order.
As the firm is New England-based, that is where they have their greatest impact. The American flag keeps the ships from serving ports in Canadian waters where some lines have found strict rules that they have failed to meet.
One ship, Pearl Mist, an ocean-going vessel, has a foreign registry as it was built in Nova Scotia and carries a non-American crew. It does not often enter U.S. waters.
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ACL’s itineraries blanket New England with a series of cruises from ports in Rhode Island to eastern Maine.
Having spent much of my early life in New England, my favorite itinerary is an 8-day/7-nighter calling at Providence, Bristol, Newport, New Bedford, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.
One delight is that so much worthwhile sightseeing can be walked to from where the vessel docks. The Newport mansions might be an exception for many.
The coast of Maine is a completely different delight especially if the weather cooperates. Unless you can endure cold salt-water swimming, you might give the leap into the ocean a pass. If you crave lobsters, you will love this cruise.
RELATED: Ted share details about coastal Maine ports of call.
American Cruise Lines is certainly the only line that offers the southeast coast from the Chesapeake Bay to both coasts of Florida.
Where it offers something no one else does, you can combine a Columbia-Snake river cruise with an extension by coach to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. An additional extension, perhaps a bit much, is onto the Mississippi River.
U.S. National Parks Cruises
For 2024, American’s fleet will cruise in 35 states along 50+ itineraries, with small-ship itineraries for 2024 including several new exclusive U.S. National Parks cruises that highlight visits to beautiful U.S. National Parks along the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers (Mississippi), the Columbia and Snake Rivers, and in Alaska.
The National Parks cruises include:
- 18-day Grand Alaska National Parks: includes 11-Day Alaska cruise and 7-Days of guided exploration in Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks; and cruising in Glacier Bay National Park, the Inside Passage, and Frederick Sound. Available from Fairbanks, AK to Juneau, AK.
- 15-day Alaska National Parks: includes 8-Day Alaska cruise and 7-Days of guided exploration in Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks; and cruising in Glacier Bay National Park. Available from Fairbanks, AK to Juneau, AK.
- 11-day Great Smoky Mountains National Park: includes a cruise on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers and two days of guided explorations in Great Smoky National Park. Available in both directions from Knoxville, TN or Nashville, TN.
- 15-day National Parks & Legendary Rivers: includes 8-Day cruise on the Columbia and Snake Rivers and 7-Days of guided exploration in three National Parks — Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. Newly available in 2024 from both directions; Jackson, WY or Portland, OR.
- In addition to these new National Parks itineraries, American will also offer an array of other cruises that visit U.S. National Parks: including a new 8-day Florida Gulf Coast & Keys cruise with excursions in Dry Tortugas National Park and Everglades National Park; Puget Sound cruises with excursions in Olympic National Park & Hurricane Ridge; and three different New England cruises with excursions in Acadia National Park.
The ships differentiate themselves with designations such as American Riverboats with no paddlewheel or another class that does have one.
Coastal Cats (catamarans) travel at higher speeds so can offer a wider range of destinations and they have shallow drafts.
American’s New Coastal “Cats”
In 2024, American Cruise Lines will introduce two more new 100-passenger Coastal Cats —American Liberty and American Legend — which will begin cruising in June and October 2024, respectively.
They are the third and forth in American’s ongoing 12-ship series of Coastal Cat that will be sailing a variety of U.S. itineraries in New England, Chesapeake Bay, the Hudson River, and Florida.
The new 109-pax American Eagle in Bangor, Maine. * Photo: Heidi Sarna
The first two to debut in this series in 2023 were the American Eagle and American Glory.
The Coastal Cats boast a hybrid catamaran hull design that saves fuel and offers a smoother ride in many conditions.
Some classes are just names such as Constellation and Independence classes. Capacities range from 100 to 170 or 180 passengers. The earlier boats have double-digit numbers.
The 109-pax American Eagle. * Photo: American Cruise Lines
American Cruise Lines is expensive though the size of the cabins will impress as will small balconies for this size of ship. All ships have single cabins though the number varies significantly.
The daily free before-dinner cocktail hour does bring more people into the main lounge, and passengers are more likely to mix and mingle.
If the line charged for alcoholic drinks, it would have to have a separate liquor license from every state it serves. That’s costly. Wine is also available at lunch and dinner.
Passengers will be mostly Americans unless there is a group from Britain, Continental Europe or Australia.
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HEIDI SARNA
