Construction has begun on American Legend, the fourth new Coastal Cat in American Cruise Lines’ Project Blue series.
Unveiled in early 2022, the Project Blue series is a flotilla of 12 small ships designed to sail almost any domestic cruise itinerary. The 100-guest American Legend is built for coastal operation and features the innovative new hull design that is a hallmark of the series.
The first three ships in the series – American Eagle, American Glory and American Liberty – are scheduled to begin sailing in the next 12 months. American Legend will begin cruising the U.S. in late 2024 and is the 19th new small ship in the company’s fleet.
Like its sister ships in the series, the American Legend will include 56 staterooms and suites, each with a private balcony. Additionally, it will feature spacious lounges, plus an open-air top deck and numerous dining venues. Thanks to the hull’s unique design, the platform at the stern allows for multiple activities and is equipped with kayaks, and a large tender.
All of the company’s new Coastal Cats are being built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding’s Salisbury, Md., yard.
Guilford, Ct.-based American Cruise Lines has grown substantially in the past several years and has led the resurgence of the river cruise market in the U.S. with the company nearly tripling the size of its fleet over the past five years.
The company is the only cruise line in the world to operate a 100 percent U.S- flagged fleet of both riverboats and small cruise ships, and the only cruise line in the country to offer 100 percent U.S. itineraries along both rivers and coasts.