American Cruise Lines (ACL) will sail the Great Lakes for the first time next year, offering three domestic itineraries with all-U.S. port calls.
ACL said it was the first time in decades that an American ship would offer domestic-only cruises in the Great Lakes.
The 130-passenger American Patriot, which entered service in June, will operate the cruises from May through August.
The line attributed the decision to enter the Great Lakes to guest demand. Its vessels are U.S. flagged and therefore do not need to cross the U.S.-Canadian border to satisfy U.S. cabotage laws. And ACL touted that since they are domestic itineraries, Americans will be able to travel without a passport or without boarding an international flight.
A nine-day, Great Lakes and Thousand Island itinerary will cruise Lake Ontario and Lake Erie between Syracuse, N.Y. and Cleveland. A nine-day itinerary on Lake Michigan will sail roundtrip from Milwaukee, Wis.
The longest itinerary is 14 days and sails Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan between Cleveland and Milwaukee.
The itineraries include a pre-cruise hotel stay and domestic airfare.