American Cruise Lines is building a fleet of 12 new catamaran-styled cruise ships that the company says will be able to serve up to 500 ports along U.S. rivers and coastal cities, a vast expansion of its network and business.
The 241-foot ships will carry 109 passengers in 56 staterooms, most with balconies. The company says they are small enough to enter narrow waterways and sheltered harbors, but stable enough for ocean service along the coasts. Across the front, above the two parts of the hull, the ships feature an observation deck.
The new ships, the largest non-ferry U.S.-built and flagged passenger vessels in many years, will vastly expand the company’s fleet, and open up many more route possibilities. The first two, to be delivered this year, will start out with East Coast cruises.
American Cruises older ships won’t be saying goodbye; the company says they have a future in the fleet serving more budget-minded passengers. A Cruise Critic editor and reviewer suggests the new ships may do for ACL what the Viking Longship riverboats did for Viking in Europe.
