Modern American Riverboats & Project Blue Small Ships
In 2018, American Cruise Lines introduced American Song, the first modern riverboat in America and the flagship in a new class of riverboats for U.S. river cruising. Unlike more traditional American paddle-wheel riverboats American Song is more modern, offering state-of-the-art design and contemporary amenities similar to riverboats cruising European rivers. American Song has four decks, is 345 ft long, carries 180 passengers, and offers private balcony accommodations. Since 2018, American Cruise Lines has launched five more modern riverboats: American Harmony in 2019; American Jazz in 2020; American Melody in 2021; American Symphony in 2022; and American Serenade in 2023 (named Cruise Critic's Best New River Cruise Ship of 2023). The company has modern riverboats, American Anthem, American Encore, and American Grace joining the fleet in 2026, 2027, and 2028. All American's modern riverboats feature world-class amenities including 100% private balcony accommodations, and the largest-in-class cabins (singles, doubles & suites) with en-suite bathrooms.
In 2022, American Cruise Lines announced Project Blue, a new series of twelve small U.S. built ships for coastal cruises exploring the United States. The company's Project Blue ships cruise rivers and U.S. coastal waterways in the same manner as the company's riverboats, sailing close to home and visiting only U.S. ports of call. In 2023 and 2024, American launched the first four ships in the series, American Eagle, American Glory, American Liberty, and American Legend. In 2025, the company launched American Patriot and American Pioneer, the 5th and 6th ships in the series. American Maverick and American Ranger, the 7th and 8th ships in the series, begin cruising in 2026. The company's Project Blue fleet is ongoing; more newbuilds through 2027, including American Mariner and American Navigator, were announced in June 2024.[10][11]
