American Cruise Lines News Coverage

Founded in 1972 by shipbuilder Charles Robertson and his wife Carol, American Cruise Lines now runs the biggest small-ship cruise fleet in the US – there are 21 vessels (sailing this year), including riverboats, paddlewheelers and coastal catamarans, with many more on the way.

Every ship is built in Maryland, flies the stars and stripes, and employs only American crew. Carrying between 90 and 180 passengers, the vessels are small enough to explore rivers, bays and harbours in over 35 states from Alaska to Florida. More than 50 itineraries, ranging from six to 55 days, offer 400-plus shore excursions using branded private coaches.

You don't need to fly to Europe for a river cruise, with new ships and routes creating even more options right here in the United States. Some of the most scenic itineraries traverse the Mississippi, Hudson, Columbia, and Snake Rivers, showcasing natural, cultural, and historical attractions along the way. Passengers can visit wineries in Washington, taste Creole cuisine in New Orleans, or learn about the Siege of Vicksburg right where it happened.

The easiest way to see multiple national parks in one trip might just be a cruise.

American Cruise Lines will launch a new 15-Day Northwest National Parks itinerary in 2026, visiting Washington’s Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades national parks, along with other stops. The cruises are the latest in the small-ship cruise line’s collection of national parks sailings.

Contributor Jackie Sheckler Finch provides an insider’s look at a Mississippi River cruise from Memphis to Nashville in a solo stateroom aboard American Splendor, one of American Cruise Line’s paddlewheel river ships.

 When I was a teen, my Grandma Georgie rode a Greyhound Bus from Ohio to California. People worried. What is a single woman doing taking such a long trip all by herself, for goodness’ sake?

So yes, I’d heard about Lewis and Clark (that would be Merriweather Lewis and William Clark). And I vaguely knew that Thomas Jefferson had dispatched them to explore the Louisiana Purchase that he had just acquired from France in 1803. But not until I had taken an American Cruise Lines expedition of our own to the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest id I grasp the awe and reverence with which they viewed their historic discovery.

American Cruise Lines is a 2025 winner in both the best Small Ships and River Ships categories.