Chesapeake Shipbuilding To Build Additional Vessels For ACL

Guilford, Conn.-based American Cruise Lines (ACL) has announced a contract with Chesapeake Shipbuilding for four new vessels. In all, ACL will now accept delivery of 10 new vessels from Chesapeake over the next three years.

Founded in 1972, ACL has built a fleet of vessels that tend to be much smaller than the average U.S. passenger cruise vessel. The company currently operates 21 vessels, with more than 50 itineraries throughout the United States. ACL’s vessels can accommodate 90 to 180 passengers. All the new vessels are being built expressly for the U.S. cruise market.

The first of the 10 forthcoming vessels will be the American Legend, the fourth addition to ACL’s “Coastal Cat” series, which is dedicated to cruising New England, the Hudson River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The American Legend has passed sea trials and is on schedule for its first cruise on November 25. The remaining vessels on order will roll out every few months over the next three years. Additional vessels from Chesapeake Shipbuilding will include three riverboats and six coastal cruisers.

According to ACL, the new American Patriot and American Pioneer, available in 2025, as well as the American Maverick and American Ranger, expected in 2026, and the new riverboat American Encore, also expected in 2026, already are available for booking. More details on the four new builds expected in 2027 will be released soon.

American Cruise Lines growing fleet of passenger cruise vessels represents the largest fleet of river and coastal itineraries ever offered in the United States.