American Cruise Lines is the largest river and small-ship cruise line in the United States with its headquarters in Guilford, Connecticut.[1][2] The line has 28 small U.S.-flaggedcruise ships that cruise along the Eastern Seaboard (Maine to Florida, Hudson River, and Chesapeake Bay) and Western Seaboard (including Alaska and Puget Sound[3]) as well as the Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland, Arkansas, and Tennessee Rivers and the Columbia-Snake river system in the United States.
History
American Cruise Lines was founded in the early 70s.[4] The company operates the largest and only 100% U.S.-flagged fleet of riverboats and small
cruise ships
in the world, with 28 new riverboats and small cruise ships exploring around the United States, including five riverboats on the
Mississippi River
and eight on the
Columbia
and
Snake
rivers.
In 2023 and 2024, American Cruise Lines launched the first four ships in the company's Project Blue series of twelve new small ships for the U.S. market.
They include four new 100-passenger Coastal Cats, American Eagle, American Glory, American Liberty, and American Legend (American Eagle, and American Glory, are namesakes of original company vessels that have since been retired).
In 2025, the company continued the series, introducing 130-passenger American Patriot and American Pioneer, small Patriot Class ships that, along with the Coastal Cats, sail a variety of U.S. itineraries along the East Coast from Maine to Florida.
In addition to a fleet of new small ships, American offers two unique styles of riverboat; four classic Paddlewheelers and nine new modern American Riverboats.
Among them, is the country's first modern riverboat, American Song, which debuted in 2018 and was named one of Time magazine's "World's Greatest Places."
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).[5] In 2017 and 2018, American Cruise Lines launched 170-passenger sister ships, American Constellation and American Constitution, which cruise the Pacific Northwest Coast in Puget Sound and Alaska.[6] 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 protected coastal waterways along the East and West coasts (all the company's itineraries visit only U.S. ports of call).[7][8][9]
Modern American Riverboats & Project Blue Small Ships
In 2018, American Cruise Lines introduced American Song, the first modern riverboat in America and the flagship in a new class of riverboats for U.S. river cruising. Unlike more traditional American paddle-wheel riverboats American Song is more modern, offering state-of-the-art design and contemporary amenities similar to riverboats cruising European rivers. American Song has four decks, is 345 ft long, carries 180 passengers, and offers 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). The company has modern riverboats, American Anthem, American Encore, and American Grace joining the fleet in 2026, 2027, and 2028. All American's modern riverboats feature world-class amenities including 100% private balcony accommodations, and the largest-in-class cabins (singles, doubles & suites) with en-suite bathrooms.
In 2022, American Cruise Lines announced Project Blue, a new series of twelve small U.S. built ships for coastal cruises exploring the United States. The company's Project Blue ships cruise rivers and 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. In 2023 and 2024, American launched the first four ships in the series, American Eagle, American Glory, American Liberty, and American Legend. In 2025, the company launched American Patriot and American Pioneer, the 5th and 6th ships in the series. American Maverick and American Ranger, the 7th and 8th ships in the series, begin cruising in 2026. The company's Project Blue fleet is ongoing; more newbuilds through 2027, including American Mariner and American Navigator, were announced in June 2024.[10][11]
American's U.S. Fleet
Small Ships U.S. East & West Coasts
American Spirit (2005)
American Star (2007)
American Independence (2010)
American Constellation (2017)
American Constitution (2018)
American Eagle (2023)
American Glory (2023)
American Liberty (2024)
American Legend (2024)
American Patriot (2025)
American Pioneer (2025)
American Maverick (2026)
American Ranger (2026)
American Mariner (2027)
American Navigator (2027)
Columbia & Snake Riverboats
American West (1995)
American Pride (2012)
American Song (2018)
American Harmony (2019)
American Jazz (2020)
American Encore (2026)
American Anthem (2027)
American Grace (2028)
Mississippi Riverboats
American Heritage (2015)
American Splendor (2016)
American Melody (2021)
American Symphony (2022)
American Serenade (2023)
Modern American Riverboats
American Song (2018)
American Harmony (2019)
American Jazz (2020)
American Melody (2021)
American Symphony (2022)
American Serenade (2023)
American Encore (2026)
American Anthem (2027)
American Grace (2028)
Project Blue: Coastal Cats and Patriot Class Ships
American Eagle (2023)
American Glory (2023)
American Liberty (2024)
American Legend (2024)
American Patriot (2025)
American Pioneer (2025)
American Maverick (2026)
American Ranger (2026)
American Mariner (2027)
American Navigator (2027)
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[12]'
