Construction Starts on Second American Cruise Lines Riverboat

Construction has begun on American Cruise Lines' second modern riverboat in the series of five. The second riverboat is the sister-ship to American Song, the first modern riverboat available in the U.S., which will make its inaugural cruise on the Mississippi River this October.

Itinerary details will be released soon, but American Cruise Lines has said that the second new riverboat in the series will be available in the summer, 2019. Work has already started at Chesapeake Shipbuilding, in Maryland, where the American Song is also being built.

American Song has five decks, accommodates 190 passengers and has 102 staterooms. The bow of the vessel is designed to open, allowing a retractable rotating gangway to extend from the ship’s main deck directly to a river bank or dock. This feature will give American Song an array of options for its itineraries. The new vessel has two Veth Propulsion Z-drives. These 360-degree azimuthing forward and aft propellers will provide flexibility for docking and maneuvering. 

The Line’s commitment to building only new ships has given it a decided advantage in the U.S. market, it says, where most other companies refurbish older ships which lack the same spacious design and innovative technical advancements.

“American Cruise Lines revived U.S. river cruising in 2010 and is now is transforming U.S. cruising with these innovative new riverboats. They are unlike anything other cruise companies are doing and the interest has been phenomenal,” says Timothy J. Beebe, Vice President of American Cruise Lines.

In 2018, with 10 ships, the Line operates the largest modern fleet of authentic paddlewheelers, small coastal cruise ships and the only modern riverboat in the country. With over 35 itineraries to 25 states, the Line cruises along the rivers, as well as the coastal and inland waterways of New England, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the Mississippi River system and the Southeast.