Chesapeake Bay Cruise With American
By Heidi Sarna
We boarded the bus like any other tour, but soon our guide, Linda Harris, began singing in low, soothing tones, accompanied by her husband, who harmonized and softly strummed a banjo. She told us afterward that it was a song enslaved people would sing while working in the fields, forests, and wharves of the American colonies. She explained how these songs were quiet acts of resistance and a way to ease the strain of long, grueling days harvesting tobacco and splitting logs. Harris's passion for sharing the experience of enslaved folks and in particular, of the abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1822–1913), deeply engaged us.
This “Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Tour” was one of numerous excellent complimentary excursions offered on my recent 10-night Chesapeake Bay cruise with American Cruise Lines. The tour included several sites from Tubman‘s enslaved childhood in rural Maryland and a visit to the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center.
Another memorable outing was the optional “Monuments By Moonlight” bus tour in Washington, D.C. The enthusiastic driver-guide shared scads of detail as he drove us around DC’s famous monuments, ethereal against the dark of night, from the Lincoln to the Vietnam and MLK memorials, with time to get off the bus for a closer look and to take photos.
Ideal For History Buffs Like Me
Every port of call along the Chesapeake Bay — from Maryland’s Eastern Shore to Virginia’s Tidewater region— felt richly layered in history and had a story, or many, to tell. Beginning with Indigenous nations such as the Nanticoke, Patawomeck, and Powhatan, it continued through the era of British colonization and the early United States, and extended into the industrial and military might of the 19th and 20th centuries, embodied by shipbuilders in Newport News, aircraft carriers home-ported in Norfolk and institutions like the United States Naval Academy.
Our 10-night cruise aboard the American Glory sailed round-trip from Washington, D.C. and docked right in the heart of the city at The Wharf, within walking distance of the National Mall and DC’s famous memorials and museums.
All of American’s cruises include a pre-cruise hotel night, and for us, it was the posh Four Seasons in Georgetown, a lovely hotel in a great location. After checking in, my friend Debbie and I strolled around this historic 18th-century town (the oldest part of DC) reminiscing about our first trips to DC; mine on a middle school bus tour and Debbie on visits with her family as she grew up in the area. We’ve traveled together many times since our college days, sharing a penchant for history, bicycle riding, and happy hours featuring wine and cheese.
Itinerary Overview
Below is our 11-night Chesapeake Bay Cruise itinerary round-trip from Washington DC — 10 cruise nights + one pre-cruise hotel stay.
Note, there are also similar versions of this cruise round-trip from Baltimore, and between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore or Philadelphia; the ports are more or less the same.
The ports on my sailing were:
- Day 1 — Washington, D.C., a pre-cruise hotel night in Georgetown
- Day 2 — Board the Ship & Cruise in Chesapeake Bay
- Day 4 — Annapolis MD
- Day 5 — Baltimore MD & St. Michaels MD
- Day 6 — Cambridge MD
- Day 7 — Cruising in Chesapeake Bay
- Day 8 — Norfolk VA
- Day 9 — Norfolk VA
- Day 10 — Williamsburg/Yorktown VA
- Day 11 — Washington, D.C.
- Day 12 — Washington, D.C. (debark)
CRUISE SUMMARY
Here's a quick of snapshot of why you might love this cruise (or not)!
7 Reasons To Do A Chesapeake Bay Cruise With American
- The History.
Each port was steeped in American history, and we had excellent tours and guides in each one. - Varied Ports.
They were all history-rich; some were cities and others rural moorings, offering us the best of both. - The Onboard Lectures.
We had an excellent lecturer with a professorial manner who talked in detail about various aspects of Colonial American history. - Cherry Blossoms.
If you book one of the early April cruises, you’ll be treated to a riot of beautiful pink flowering trees that line D.C.’s Tidal Basin and famous monuments. (I cruised in early November, also a good time to cruise, and caught some lingering fall foliage colors.) - Tasty Meals & Creamy Desserts.
Lots of regional fare, including plenty of Maryland crab served various ways; plus homemade cheesecake offered nearly daily. - Large Cabins.
Lots of storage, roomy bathrooms, private balconies, and plenty of space for two people to move around the room easily. - All-Inclusive.
Covers all meals; wine/beer/drinks at lunch, dinner, and pre-/post-dinner in lounge; at least one guided excursion per port; and crew tips.
A Few Caveats To Consider
- Pricey.
You get a lot included in the fares, but still, these are expensive cruises, often running $800 to $1,000 per person per day. - Homogeneous Passenger Mix.
Most are American couples in their 70s and 80s.
Read on for more details!
Our Ship
Launched in late 2023, the 100-passenger American Glory served as our comfy home base. One of four nearly identical “Coastal Cats,” it has a hybrid catamaran-style hull with a shallow draft that allows access to narrow waterways and tucked-away ports far beyond the reach of larger ships.
The trade-off? In windy conditions, waves can slap between the twin hulls, producing a noticeable thumping sound — light sleepers may want to avoid cabins near the bow on the lower decks.
Three of the four “Coastal Cats” are slated for Chesapeake Bay cruises for the remainder of 2026 and 2027 — American Legend (2024), Liberty (2024) and Eagle (2023).
American Glory’s Cabins
American is known for having spacious well-designed cabins, bathed in natural light from large windows and doors that open to private verandas.
Aboard the American Glory, Debbie and I occupied a bright, 300-square-foot Vista cabin (#301), similar to most rooms on board, boasting a private balcony and a large bathroom with a roomy shower stall. Besides the hanging closet, there were at least 10 drawers to divide between us, plus shelves and drawers in the bathroom too. Phones could be charged at the base of the lamps on either side of the bed.
All but eight cabins (down on the Main Deck) have private balconies. American Glory has three balcony cabins designed for single occupancy; in fact, all of American's ships have a handful of solo cabins. Read more about that here.
The ship’s four passenger decks are accessible by a pair of elevators, convenient for the folks with canes and walkers.
VIDEO: Below, Heidi gives us a brief tour of her cabin, #301.
Who Is American Cruise Lines?
Founded in the early 1970s by shipbuilder Charles A. Robertson (1947-2020) and his wife, Carol, family-owned American Cruise Lines operates exclusively on America’s rivers and coastal waterways on ships built in the U.S. to carry between 90 and 180 passengers. The ships are all flagged in the USA and crewed by Americans.
Amid a multi-year expansion, the line now boasts 22 vessels cruising solely in U.S. waters, with six new builds in the pipeline to launch through 2028. American’s 50+ itineraries cover both classic routes — from the mighty Mississippi to coastal New England, and the rugged Columbia and Snake Rivers in the Pacific Northwest — as well as more unusual ones. Always innovating, American pairs cruises with hotel-based explorations of U.S. national parks; charts journeys through Florida’s rivers, keys, and coastline; and offers sailings along the New York shores of the Great Lakes.
The Chesapeake Bay Itself & Excursion Highlights
We were docked daily at ports along the Virginia and Maryland shores of the vast Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the US (the word Chesapeake, or Chesepiooc, by the way, is an Algonquian word referring to a “village at a big river”). More than 150 rivers and streams feed into the bay’s 64,299-square-mile watershed, which spreads across parts of six states — New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia — as well as all of Washington, D.C. The Chesapeake Bay itself is a “ria” (an ancient drowned river valley) that stretches some 200 miles from the Susquehanna River to the Atlantic Ocean, with its narrowest point just three miles across and its widest, about 30 miles, near the mouth of the Potomac River. Here's more detail if you're into geology. The shore points along the vast Chesapeake Bay attracted Native Americans and later Europeans, in part, because of the opportunities for fishing and oystering.
Guided excursions on our cruise mostly focused on the region’s 18th- and 19th-century revolutionary and civil war-era history, with one or two homing in on the region's natural side. At least one tour per port was included in the fares; others, such as bicycling in Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, were extra (typically about $50 to $120 per person). Debbie and I, and one other passenger, signed up for this cycling tour and had a lovely time pedaling through the park in the crisp fall air, spotting many birds, from bald eagles to swans, pelicans and various kinds of heron and egret.
Besides the two excellent experiences already described (the Harriet Tubman tour and the D.C. Monuments bus loop), other highlights included excellent walking tours in Annapolis and Norfolk.
A walking tour of historic Portsmouth — just across the Elizabeth River from where we docked in Norfolk — was led by a theatrical husband-and-wife duo in period dress, speaking in the vernacular of the era as they guided us past (and into) centuries-old homes and churches.
In a similar spirit, an equally engaging guide in a tricorne hat and breeches led us through the historic streets of Annapolis, sharing stories behind its 18th-century brick houses and civic buildings. It ended with a stroll past the renowned United States Naval Academy.
While touring today’s quiet and unassuming Yorktown, we learned about the decisive 1781 battle that took place there between the American Patriots, led by George Washington with help from Marquis de Lafayette and French troops, and the British Army. Our guide showed us the towering Victory Monument commemorating that historic battle, which ended the Revolutionary War.
Of course, there was a tour of Colonial Williamsburg, the 18th-century capital of Virginia where costumed guides speak and act as if the Revolution were unfolding in real time. They guide tourists among both original buildings and reproductions to shed insights into the daily life, politics, and trade of Colonial Virginia. There was plenty of time to wander on our own, ducking into time-warp-y workshops where skilled artisans demonstrated traditional crafts, from blacksmithing and printing to weaving and cabinetmaking.
On our November cruise, the American Glory docked for two days in Norfolk, Yorktown and D.C. — giving us time to wander around on our own. For instance, in Norfolk, Debbie and I walked 10 blocks to the Chrysler Museum of Art for a look at their impressive glass collection. In Yorktown, we took a pleasant sunset stroll along the shoreline to admire our ship against a beautiful pinky-orange streaked sky.
Onboard Activities & Entertainment
The Ship's Public Spaces
American Glory has two lounges for activities and entertainment. The windowed Chesapeake Lounge forward on Deck 2 is the ship’s hub, where lectures, activities (like chair yoga!), entertainment, parties, and happy hours are held. It has a bar, dance floor and lots of comfortable seating.
The other smaller space is the Sky Lounge at the top of the ship, where comfortable seating allows cruisers to bask in the natural light from large windows, while chilling out, playing cards, reading, or chatting with new friends. You’ll find the popular, all-day snack and drinks station up here. The Sky Lounge was the venue for day-time activities like a “how to crack open crab claws” class (complete with mallets and lots of paper towels!); whiskey tasting; and costume-jewelry making.
The Daily Routine
We had one full “sea day” and some partial ones. When we weren’t in port, there were multiple lectures in the Chesapeake Lounge by the excellent guest speaker,Brad Berger, a historian, author, and gifted orator who presented detailed accounts of topics like George Washington, the Civil War, and the Chesapeake Bay (the average depth is just 20 feet!). His talks were well-attended with nary a free seat to spare.
Other activities and events in the Chesapeake Lounge included an interesting monologue by an actor impersonating the 19th-century African American civil rights leader and prolific author, Frederick Douglass; two earnest local teens playing the fife and drums; a visit by the town crier; and cooking demos by the galley crew.
As on all American line cruises, there were also detailed presentations about American’s many itineraries and special offers, geared to folks ready to book future cruises (many do so while on their current cruise). These events included generous praise of American’s loyal repeat customers while serving them champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. Smart marketing!
In fact, American is a master at using passengers as pied pipers Screens in the main stair landings list guests’ names followed by stars representing the number of American cruises they’d done so far (many were over 10!). Stars were also printed on the ID lanyards passengers wore and used to tap in and out of the ship, generating easy conversations among shipmates.
Before dinner, a well-attended happy hour in the lounge was a great opportunity to chat with new friends made around the ship or on excursions. Canapes were served (think shrimp cocktail, cheese, and other nibbles) and musicians provided background tunes.
After dinner, live musical entertainment was a nightly highlight, with consistently strong performances spanning country, ’50s rock ’n’ roll, and ’80s favorites. Many evenings spilled naturally onto the dance floor, where couples — clearly seasoned partners — glided through swing and tango or joined in spirited line dances with easy confidence. But novices were welcome, too.
Dining Options
There is one main dining venue for all meals — a pleasant restaurant with large windows and open-seating tables for two, four and six. We gravitated towards the larger tables and made many new friends this way. There was no dress code and fashions ranged quite dramatically, from sport jackets for men and silk blouses, dresses and jewelry for women to fleeces, jean jackets and Harley sweatshirts for many.
All meals in the restaurant were served (no buffet), with several breakfast options and three entree choices for lunch and dinner. As we were in prime Maryland crab territory on this Chesapeake Bay cruise, multiple meals featured it served in various delicious ways, including traditional crab cakes as well as in chunks atop salads — yum! I also enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich, steamed lobster and broiled salmon (topped with crab, of course!). The disciplined among us could order half portions, which was a nice option that I seldom choose to take advantage of. Rich creamy desserts often zeroed in on cheesecake, with different takes including a tasty sweet-potato version. It was hard to remain disciplined — so I stopped trying!
The Sky Lounge up on Deck 3 was an alternative eating venue for Continental breakfast — think muffins, bagels, lox, yogurt, and fruit, all set up near the coffee and tea station. Just outside, the adjacent Lookout Cafe offered a limited menu for breakfast (like egg sandwiches) and lunch or snacks until 5pm, such as burgers, Caesar salad or nachos).
The Sky Lounge also offered snack-lovers racks of chips and granola bars 24/7, as well as a fridge stocked with soft drinks and a coffee-tea station.
Other Amenities
The spacious Sun Deck up top has lots of seating and a walking track — though the loud stacks didn’t make it the most relaxing place to chill out. I enjoyed doing laps in late afternoons to recharge my batteries and burn some calories before dinner.
VIDEO: Below, American Glory's pleasant track where I spent time speed walking to work off the daily cheesecake!
American Glory also has a small gym, a self-service laundry room and a quiet reading room rarely used called “The Study.”
Service
Mostly, the all-American crew was friendly and super efficient, especially our favorite restaurant server, Amanda, who brought wit, warmth, and an uncanny knack for refilling our wine or coffee before we even had to ask. We made a point of snagging a table in her section whenever possible.
That said, service felt a bit more relaxed than the highly polished, ever-present style often associated with international career crews on European river and ocean cruises. There were a few moments where the rhythm slipped: the bar in the Chesapeake Lounge occasionally closed while after-dinner entertainment was still underway, and there was sometimes a lull in service between dinner and the start of the evening program.
The Other Passengers
The company attracts an affluent group of mostly American couples in their 70s and 80s, some who have traveled the world and now want to stay closer to home. Others simply prefer the familiarity of staying stateside, with American crew and fellow passengers, while enjoying the comfort of luxury ships that offer a down-to-earth vibe. Many have returned again and again to enjoy American’s style of small-ship cruising.
Part of the appeal — and convenience — of an American cruise is that every sailing includes a pre-cruise hotel night in the city of embarkation — in our case the elegant Four Seasons in Georgetown. This allows everyone to arrive the day before, avoiding the possibility of flight mishaps, and board the ship as a group the next day after a city tour. For example, our group went to the National Mall and the National Museum of American History aboard the two excursion buses that follow the cruise route, with typically the same drivers there to greet passengers each day.
My Final Two Cents
I’ve taken three American cruises to date, with a fourth planned for next month (the Great Lakes from Buffalo to Oswego, NY). The Chesapeake Bay itinerary was my favorite so far. High praise, as all three were quality small-ship cruise experiences. My Coastal Maine comes in a close second.
Choose a Chesapeake Bay cruise for a deep dive into centuries of American history in Maryland and Virginia and for the thrill of staying a night in a beautiful Georgetown hotel and cruising in and out of our national capital. While I now live near DC, I hadn't been to the rest of the ports on this cruise for years (or not at all) and was eager to get reacquainted. Meanwhile, my cruise mate Debbie had lived in the Maryland and DC area on and off for 30 years, and still, she enjoyed the itinerary, finding the tours and ports authentic representations of the region she had once known so well. We both felt like we had gotten a hands-on 10-day crash course in American history, though this time, we weren't in a windowless class room taking notes, we sipping sauvignon blanc and nibbling on canapés while our cushy floating hotel transported into the past in pampered luxury.
Interested In An American Chesapeake Bay Cruise?
American Cruise Lines’ 10-night Chesapeake Bay Cruise (plus a pre-cruise hotel night) starts at $8,995 per person, including excursions; wine, beer, and cocktails; and evening musical entertainment. Chesapeake Bay cruises are offered in April, May, June, October and November.
VIDEO: The American Glory basking in the fading light of day in Yorktown, VA.
Interested In An American Cruise?
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HEIDI SARNA
