By james art 
November 4, 2024
American Cruise LinesGuilford, Connecticut, recently announced that it has signed contracts with Chesapeake ShipbuildingSalisbury, Md., for four more new vessels, bringing the company’s total order book with Chesapeake to 10 vessels over the next three years. All new builds are specifically for the US cruise market, the fastest growing segment of the river cruise industry. ACL will operate 21 small vessels in the country by next year.
The 10 new ships from Chesapeake begin with the delivery of American legend. The newest Coastal Cat in the U.S. Navy has passed sea trials and is on schedule for her maiden cruise on November 25.
The remaining new buildings ordered will be released every few months for the next three years. These include three river vessels and six additional coastal vessels.
They are now available for booking American patriot and American pioneer (2025); American maverick and American Ranger (2026) and the new riverboat American encore (2026). More details on the four additional new buildings for 2027 will be released soon.
American’s commitment to U.S. river cruising is long-standing, but the company’s rapid fleet expansion in just the past few years is demonstrative of the growing interest and demand for world-class cruise experiences in the U.S. American has introduced 19 of the 24 cruise ships built in the U.S. in the last 20 years.
The company operates the world’s only 100% US-flagged river and small ship fleet and remains fully committed to introducing only new small ships built specifically for domestic cruise travel. The company’s fleet allows for all-inland river and coastal itineraries that no other line offers, ACL officials said.
ACL will operate 21 small vessels in 2025; sailing the largest collection of 100% local river and coastal itineraries ever offered in the U.S. The company will continue to introduce new ships with amenities uncommon to small ships – unlocking new opportunities to cruise closer to home and explore America year after year.
(ACL has not released specific specifications for the new vessels.)