(GUILFORD, Conn.) — American Cruise Lines has signed contracts with Chesapeake Shipbuilding of Salisbury, Md., for four more new ships, bringing the line’s total order book with Chesapeake to 10 ships over the next three years.
All the newbuilds are expressly for the U.S. cruise market, the fastest growing segment of the river cruise industry. American Cruise Lines has been a trailblazer in that market for more than 50 years and will operate 21 small ships around the country next year.
The 10 new ships from Chesapeake begin with the delivery of American Legend this week. The newest Coastal Cat in American’s fleet passed sea trials and is on schedule for its first cruise on Nov. 25. The remaining newbuilds on order will roll out every few months over the next three years. They include three riverboats and six additional coastal ships.
Now available for booking are American Patriot and American Pioneer (2025); American Maverick and American Ranger (2026), and new riverboat American Encore (2026). More details on the four additional newbuilds for 2027 will be released soon.
American has introduced 19 of the 24 cruise ships built in the U.S. in the past 20 years. The company operates the only 100 percent U.S.-flagged fleet of riverboats and small ships in the world and remains fully committed to introducing only new small ships built specifically for domestic cruising.
– American Cruise Lines
