American Cruise Lines Orders Two New Ships from Chesapeake Shipbuilding

American Cruise Lines has, as is customary, ordered the 29th and 30th ships for its river cruise fleet from Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland. The names will be American Beauty, which will sail the Mississippi River and is scheduled to launch in 2028, and American Rhapsody, for the Columbia and Snake Rivers, set to debut in 2029.

These two additions are part of the company's modern American Riverboat series, which began in 2018 when American Song became the first modern-style riverboat available for river travel in the country.

Since then, demand for these world-class vessels has increased year after year. American Beauty and American Rhapsody join the already announced American Encore (which debuted in May 2026), American Anthem (set to sail in April 2027), and American Grace (April 2028).

All of the company's American Riverboat ships have a capacity for 180 passengers in private staterooms with balconies and offer the best amenities available on river cruises globally.

Demand for river cruises in the United States continues to grow rapidly. To meet this demand, American Cruise Lines adds three new ships annually. In the last 10 years, the company has added more US-built cruise ships than all those developed in the country in the previous four decades combined. Furthermore, it has expanded its offerings and developed new itineraries in 40 states, including numerous exclusive cruises.

In addition to these two new riverboats, American Cruise Lines continues to aggressively expand its fleet in many other regions of the United States, with new small vessels sailing more than 50 American itineraries along the East, West, and Gulf Coasts, as well as all major rivers, lakes, bays, and inland waterways of the country.

Today, the new ships and the wide range of domestic itineraries offer unprecedented diversity, and the American market is a booming sector within the global cruise industry, rivaling Europe and all other river regions worldwide.

The American Ranger, the company's third new ship this year (to be launched in September), will undertake exclusive autumn cruises on the Hudson River, cruises on the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay, and trips along the Florida Gulf Coast and the Keys during the holiday season and into the New Year.

One of American's new ships for 2025, the American Patriot, is currently sailing the company's first season of domestic cruises on the Great Lakes (these are the only exclusively domestic cruises available in that market). In 2027, when the American Anthem debuts, it will sail the company's newest regional itinerary, 16-day cruises on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, throughout its inaugural season.