American Cruise Lines Announces Two New Boats

American Cruise Lines announced two upcoming riverboats: the American Beauty, scheduled to launch on the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast in September 2028, and the American Rhapsody, debuting on the Columbia and Snake rivers in 2029.
These riverboats represent the 29th and 30th ships in the company’s expanding fleet. The company says they will be “the finest new riverboats in the world.” All American Cruise Lines’ new ships are built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md.
American Beauty and American Rhapsody will feature six decks, all private balcony staterooms, including singles and suites. Each will showcase the company’s newest accommodation, the 1,500-square-foot Signature Suite. These new riverboats will also offer numerous spacious lounges throughout, including top-deck lounges with walking tracks, chart rooms, main restaurants and casual cafés, as well as large fitness centers, among other onboard amenities.
American Beauty will begin cruising the Mississippi River in September 2028, operating the company’s popular eight-day Upper Mississippi River cruises between St. Louis, Mo., and St. Paul, Minn. Toward the season’s end, American Beauty will also cruise the company’s new eight-Day Gulf Coast cruises, which operate between New Orleans, La., and Pensacola, Fla.
In 2029, American Rhapsody will begin cruising the company’s nine-day Columbia and Snake rivers cruises between Portland, Ore., and Clarkston, Wash.
American Beauty and American Rhapsody are both part of the company’s modern American Riverboat series, which began in 2018, when American Song became the first modern-style riverboat available for U.S. river cruising.
American Beauty and American Rhapsody follow three others previously announced: American Encore (which debuted in May 2026), American Anthem (sailing in April 2027), and American Grace (sailing in April 2028). All the company’s American Riverboats accommodate 180 guests in 100 percent private balcony accommodations and showcase “the finest amenities available in river cruising worldwide.”
Demand for U.S. river cruising around the country continues to grow rapidly, the company said. In order to keep pace, American Cruise Lines is introducing new ships at a rate of three per year. The company has introduced more new U.S.-built cruise ships over the last 10 years than all the U.S.-built cruise ships combined in the previous four decades. The company also has expanded and developed new itinerary options across 40 states, including many cruises totally exclusive to the line.
In addition to these new riverboats for the Mississippi and the Columbia and Snake rivers, American continues expanding its fleet in  other regions of the United States, with new small ships sailing more than 50 U.S. itineraries along the East, West and Gulf coasts, as well as all the major U.S. rivers, lakes, bays and inland waterways in between.
American Ranger, the company’s third new ship this year, launching in September, will cruise the line’s exclusive Hudson River fall foliage cruises, Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay cruises and Florida Gulf Coast and Keys cruises throughout the holiday season and into the new year. One of American’s new 2025 ships, American Patriot, is currently sailing the company’s first season of domestic cruises on the Great Lakes. These are the only all-domestic cruises available on the Great Lakes market. In 2027, when American Anthem debuts, it will sail the company’s newest regional itinerary, 16-day Grand Columbia and Snake rivers cruises, throughout its entire inaugural season.
For more information, visit www.americancruiselines.com/ships.