American Cruise Lines News Coverage

Are you looking for a domestic adventure? If so, American Cruise Lines is an excellent choice. Their river and coastal cruises offer a unique perspective on American history and culture throughout the United States. They offer spacious cabins and personalized service on their intimate and comfortable ships. In addition to complimentary beverages and delicious regional cuisine, you’ll also have the chance to participate in enriching shore excursions led by local experts.

Spooky legends, picturesque landscapes and charming coastal towns — all set against a kaleidoscope of dazzling fall colors. After sailing New York's Hudson River for a week close to peak leaf-peeping season (typically mid-to-late October), I discovered that a cruise offers one of the best ways to see the Hudson Valley’s spectacular fall foliage, while immersing yourself in its storied past.

I joined American Cruise Lines' (ACL) new American Liberty for a round-trip New York City to Albany voyage. The 100-passenger ship debuted in August 2024 as the line’s third Coastal Cats vessel, following the launch of American Eagle and American Glory in 2023. 

Our first glance of our Mississippi riverboat was from atop a levee in Memphis. We headed down the steep ramp to board the American Melody through its unusual flipped-up bow.

Riverboats on the Mississippi have a unique challenge. Flood-control levees stretch 1600 miles along both banks of the river, some as high as 50 feet above the shore. To get guests to and from the riverboats, American Cruise Lines (ACL) always carry golf carts to help the elderly and mobility-challenged safely navigate the challenging slopes.

Frances and Michael Howorth have their own tea party in Boston before boarding American Glory, one small ship in a fast-growing fleet of American Cruise Lines.

The names are familiar, but the vistas are not. New England, the northeastern region of the United States of America, boasts a picturesque collection of charming Atlantic seaport towns with English-sounding names. Bedford, Plymouth, and Boston are all ports of call on our voyage around Cape Cod.

We knew there’d be some great music as we cruised down the lower Mississippi River from Memphis on one of American Cruise Lines new, modern riverboats. We didn’t, however, expect the Southern food and hospitality to be so good. Nor as Canadians, to appreciate American history and culture so much.

The music began as soon as we entered the Memphis airport shuttle bus. The unmistakable voice of Elvis Presley singing “Love Me Tender” drifted down the aisle from hidden speakers. Then the bus Shaked, Rattled, and Rolled as it took us to the Guest House at Graceland, a four-star, 450-room hotel adjacent to Elvis’ Graceland mansion.

In business for decades, family-owned American Cruise Lines (ACL), which devotes itself exclusively to the rivers and coastal areas of the United States, is well known for small-ship voyages in traditional U.S. cruising territory—the mighty Mississippi River, coastal Maine, and the Columbia and Snake Rivers of the Pacific Northwest. 

But ACL continually innovates by coming up with other enticing itineraries, too. The company combines cruises with hotel-based tours of national parks; explores the waterways of Florida; and does a deep dive in the Chesapeake Bay region, which I recently sampled and highly recommend, especially for history buffs. The cruise travels round-trip from Washington, D.C.