American Cruise Lines To Build Three New Ships
by Daniel McCarthy /A rendering of the first of ACL's new ships.
Three new ships are coming from the largest river cruise company in the United States.
American Cruise Line will build three new ships at the Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard in Salisbury, MD, to debut over the next two years.
The first of the ships, American Constellation, debuting in May 2017, will feature the largest staterooms in the industry, the company said, with private balconies and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. It will also feature the cruise company’s largest staterooms, at 350 square feet.
American Constellation will feature the cruise company’s largest staterooms, at 350 square feet.
When it hits the water, it will spend its inaugural summer season sailing 10-night round-trip Grand New England itineraries from Boston, MA, to destinations such as Bar Harbor, Newport, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
The second of the ships, a sister vessel to American Constellation carrying 170 passengers, will be completed in 2018.
Steel is only now being fabricated for a third ship, which will carry approximately 195 passengers and be the lead in a series of new vessels designed specifically for American waters. No date for the ship’s debut has been set.
The news comes as American Cruise Lines’ other venture, Pearl Seas, plans its entry into the Cuban market. Pearl Seas plans to have Cuban government approval to sail in October, and to then launch Cuba cruises from Fort Lauderdale, FL.