American Cruise Lines Expands Mississippi River Capacity, Adds New Itineraries

American Cruise Line is expanding its fleet on the Mississippi River and adding three new itineraries on the river and its tributaries, including its first offering on the Arkansas River.

Also new are an 11-day Great Smoky Mountain itinerary between Knoxville, Tenn. and Huntsville, Ala. And an eight-day Gulf Coast cruise between Pensacola, Fla. and New Orleans.

All three itineraries include sections of the Mississippi River, taking ACL’s total number of Mississippi River itineraries to 14, excluding themed and holiday cruises.

“These new itineraries have never been offered by any other line. They offer amazing opportunities to explore national parks and visit smaller towns; gems that might otherwise be missed along another mode of travel,” a spokesperson for American Cruise Line told TMR. “Each cruise is incredibly unique and like all American’s U.S. River or Coastal itineraries, no passports are needed since ships visit only domestic ports of call.”

Nine-Day Arkansas River

American Cruise Line’s first offering on the Arkansas River, this cruise travels between Memphis and Tulsa, with stops in Catoosa (Oklahoma), Muskogee, Fort Smith/Van Buren (Arkansas), Russellville (Arkansas), Little Rock, and Pendleton (Arkansas). Highlights include visiting the Woody Guthrie Center and Bob Dylan Center, learning about Muskogee’s Native American/Five Civilized Tribes history, a ride in a vintage-style passenger car on the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, and more.

Sailings are operated in November 2026.

11-Day Great Smoky Mountains

Sailing between Knoxville, Tenn. And Huntsville, Ala. on the Tennessee River, this 11-day voyage visits Pigeon Forge (Tennessee), Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg (Tennessee), Fort Southwest Point (Tennessee), Chattanooga, and Decatur (Alabama). Highlights include two days exploring Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a visit to Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Ford, and a look behind the scenes at the Manhattan Project at the K-25 History Center in Oak Ridge.

Sailings are offered in July, August, September, and October 2027.

Eight-day Gulf Coast

The eight-day Gulf Coast itinerary sails between New Orleans and Pensacola, visiting Mobile, Biloxi, Ocean Springs (Mississippi), and Gulfport/Ship Island (Mississippi). Only a small part of the sailing is on the Mississippi River, the rest of the itinerary is along the Gulf’s Intracoastal Waterway. Highlights include the Gator Ranch in Mobile, a Biloxi Shrimp Boat adventure, e-biking in Ocean Springs, the world’s largest model train museum, and more.

Sailings operate in March and December 2026 (and again in March and December 2027).

These three new itineraries are only a small piece of what the line has planned. As a company, ACL is committed to developing new domestic itineraries year after year.

“This is especially important for many hidden gems along the Mississippi River and tributaries, Ohio, Cumberland, Tennessee, and now the Arkansas River,” the line said in its announcement of the three new itineraries. “From new dock projects in Natchez, MS, and Kenner, LA, to projects along other U.S. rivers, like the Columbia and Snake, where this August American opened Idaho’s first cruise dock, the positive impacts of American’s local partnerships are meaningful, especially in smaller communities…”