American Cruise Lines has begun construction on a second European-style
riverboat in a series of five, slated to launch in the summer of 2019.
It will be sister ship to the 184-passenger American Song,
which is launching on the Mississippi this October, then heading to the Pacific
Northwest's Columbia and Snake rivers for 2019.
The new riverboats "are unlike anything other cruise
companies are doing and the interest has been phenomenal," said Timothy
Beebe, ACL vice president.
American Cruise Lines said it will release itinerary details
for the second riverboat soon. Like all of the company's new vessels, it is
being built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md., and will be U.S.-flagged
and crewed.
The company's European-style vessels are being built wider,
faster and quieter than its paddlewheelers. The vessels will have a four-story
glass atrium and large, windowed lounge areas.
The staterooms will range from a 250-square-foot single
designed for solo travelers to the 900-square-foot grand suite. All staterooms
will be outside-facing with private balconies and the majority will range
between 300 and 330 square feet.
To date, American Cruise Lines has built three Mississippi
paddlewheelers, the most recent of which was the 185-passenger America, which
launched in 2016. ACL also owns and operates the refurbished Columbia River paddlewheeler
Queen of the West as well as four coastal cruisers: the Independence, American
Star, American Spirit and American Constellation. A fifth, the American
Constitution, is launching this year.
With the launch of the American Song and the American
Constitution this year, American Cruise Lines will have 10 vessels in its
fleet.