American Cruise Lines News Coverage

American Cruise Lines welcomed American Maverick to its fleet, holding a christening ceremony during the ship’s nine-night inaugural sailing last week. The christening took place at Rhode Island’s Newport Harbor in front of employees, crew, passengers and community members. Maverick is the second cruise ship ACL has added this year, joining fleetmate American Encore, which debuted in May. The cruise line is the fastest-growing in the U.S., building ships at a rapid pace at its shipyard in Maryland. It plans to launch American Ranger, American Mariner and American Navigator within the next year. *(and 2027 riverboat, American Anthem)

As the name suggests, American Cruise Lines promises an all-American experience: from its domestic cuisine to its crew members to its U.S.-built ships. The line sails exclusively on the rivers and coastlines of the United States, visiting destinations along the Mississippi River, on the Hudson River, throughout New England, and the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest. The line also tours Alaska, the Southeast coast (including Florida), and the Puget Sound between Washington state and the Canadian border.

Like many native Californians, most of my vacations have been to Hawaii and Mexico plus a few road trips to Arizona. Vacationing on the East Coast really wasn’t a consideration, other than a Disney World trip when my son was a kid and a short cruise to the Bahamas. Still, I’ve always wanted to see New England with its iconic rugged coastlines, quaint villages, lighthouses and historic East Coast architecture. This year, my husband and I mixed it up and vacationed in Boston, Cape Cod and Rhode Island on an eight-day cruise with American Cruise Lines. We chose this small-ship luxury line because massive cruise ships with thousands of passengers, noise, germs, cheesy art auctions and a smoky casino are unappealing. We sought better ports, better service, quiet and a higher level of luxury. This cruise delivered all of this and more.

If you’re still looking for a close-to-home summer vacation, there’s one travel style you may not have considered—but that can make your trip not only affordable but easy. Cruise travel is having a moment this summer, many operators tell T+L, as bookings for domestic and Caribbean itineraries are strong. Bookings for trips that don’t leave the U.S. at all—while still offering blissful time on the water—are also up significantly, say operators including American Cruise Lines…

American Cruise Lines’ newest small ship, the American Maverick, entered service on June 11 with a 9-day inaugural New England cruise departing from Providence, Rhode Island. Christening festivities, featuring an official blessing and ceremonial bottle smash, took place in Newport.

Spanning 52 days and 18 states, this massive coast-to-coast itinerary is the first of its kind, combining three distinct river and coastal cruises into one legendary 2026 summer journey.

*This bucket list cruise is also available for 2027 and 2028