# American Cruise Lines

American Cruise Lines is the largest river and small-ship cruise line in the United States with its headquarters in Guilford, Connecticut. The line operates twenty-one small U.S.-flagged cruise ships along the Eastern Seaboard (Maine to Florida, Hudson River, and Chesapeake Bay) and Western Seaboard (including Alaska and Puget Sound) as well as the Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee Rivers and the Columbia-Snake river system in the United States.

## History

American Cruise Lines was incorporated in 1991. In 2025, the company has the largest and only 100% U.S.-flagged fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships in the world, with 21 new riverboats and small cruise ships exploring around the United States, including five riverboats on the Mississippi River and five on the Columbia and Snake rivers. In 2023 and 2024, American Cruise Lines launched four 100-passenger Coastal Cats, American Eagle, American Glory, American Liberty, and American Legend; the first four ships in the company's newest series of twelve new small ships for the U.S. market (American Eagle and American Glory are the namesakes of original American Cruise Lines vessels that have since been retired). The company also operates both classic paddlewheelers and a fleet of new modern riverboats, including the first modern riverboat in the country, American Song, which debuted in 2018, and was named one of Time magazine's "World's Greatest Places" in 2019. American's four classic paddlewheel riverboats were redesigned and renamed in 2022. Paddlewheelers Queen of the Mississippi, Queen of the West, and America became American Heritage, American West, and American Splendor (American Pride retained its original name). In 2017 and 2018, American Cruise Lines launched two new small coastal cruise ships, the 170-passenger American Constellation and American Constitution. All American Cruise Lines' riverboats and small ships cruise only in the United States following 100% U.S. itineraries along U.S. rivers as well as the protected coastal waters along the East and West coasts (all the company's itineraries visit only U.S. ports of call).

## Modern riverboats & Coastal Cats

On March 1, 2017, American Cruise Lines announced American Song, the flagship in a new class of modern riverboats for the United States. Unlike more traditional paddle-wheel riverboats the company's new American riverboats offer contemporary design like riverboats more commonly found on European rivers. American Song has four decks, is 345 feet (105 m) long, carries 180 passengers, and offers 100% private balcony accommodations. Since 2018, American Cruise Lines has launched five more modern riverboats: American Harmony in 2019; American Jazz in 2020; American Melody in 2021; American Symphony in 2022; and American Serenade in 2023 (named Cruise Critic's Best New River Cruise Ship of 2023). All the company's new modern riverboats feature state-of-the-art amenities like private balconies, largest-in-class cabins (singles, doubles & suites), and en-suite bathrooms. American Encore, the next modern riverboat in the series, will begin operating in 2026.
In 2023 and 2024, American Cruise Lines launched the first four boats in the company's Project Blue series of 12 new small coastal cruise ships for the U.S.A. (American Eagle, American Glory, American Liberty, and American Legend; all 100-passenger Coastal Cats). In 2025, the company's Project Blue series continues with new 125-passenger Patriot Class ships, American Patriot and American Pioneer. American Cruise Lines' Project Blue ships are exclusively for exploring U.S. coastal waterways in the same manner as the company's riverboats; sailing close to home and visiting only U.S. ports of call. The 12-ship series will continue in 2026 with American Maverick, and American Ranger, and more newbuilds, beyond 2026, were announced in June 2024.

## Fleet
### Coastal ships U.S. East & West Coasts

* American Spirit (2005)
* American Star (2007)
* American Independence (2010)
* American Constellation (2017)
* American Constitution (2018)

### Project Blue: Coastal Cats

* American Eagle (2023)
* American Glory (2023)
* American Liberty (2024)
* American Legend (2024)

### Project Blue: Patriot Class

* American Patriot (2025)
* American Pioneer (2025)
* American Maverick (2026)
* American Ranger (2026)

### Modern American Riverboats

* American Song (2018)
* American Harmony (2019)
* American Jazz (2020)
* American Melody (2021)
* American Symphony (2022)
* American Serenade (2023)
* American Encore (2026)

### Classic Paddlewheel Riverboats

* American Heritage (Renovated 2022)
* American Splendor (Renovated 2022)
* American Pride (Renovated 2022)
* American West (Renovated 2022)

### Mississippi Riverboats

* American Heritage (2022)
* American Splendor (2022)
* American Melody (2021)
* American Symphony (2022)
* American Serenade (2023)

### Columbia & Snake Riverboats

* American West
* American Pride
* American Song
* American Harmony
* American Jazz

### Retired

* The company's original American Eagle (built 2000) - was moored at Chesapeake Shipbuilding as housing for contractors. It has since been sold for scrap in Baltimore, Maryland.
* The company's original American Glory (built 2002) - scuttled off coast of Delaware on November 4, 2019 for artificial reef'