This New Ship Will Sail the U S. on Some of the Country's Most Beautiful Rivers

Table Of Content

• ACL's first Coastal Cat/catamaran cruise ship American Eagle successfully passes sea trials
• American Serenade deck plans
• ACL-American Cruise Lines begins its biggest season ever on the Mississippi
• Grand Suite Private Balcony
• Other American Cruise Lines deckplans
• This New Ship Will Sail the U.S. on Some of the Country's Most Beautiful Rivers — Including a 22-day Mississippi Cruise

The American Serenade introduces an updated modern interior design, integrating an elegant and refined aesthetic with a tradition for the spacious comfort found aboard all of American Cruise Lines ships. Drawing inspiration from the geography across America, the new interior design highlights natural textural elements and serene color palettes. She also showcases panoramic views throughout, including an impressive four-story glass atrium in the center of the ship. American Serenade also features an on board fitness center and many spacious lounges where you can relax after the day’s adventures. To that end, passengers will find cabins that all feature full private balconies and plenty of living space, with passenger corridors anchored by a four-story atrium topped by a skylight that lets in plenty of natural light.

ACL's first Coastal Cat/catamaran cruise ship American Eagle successfully passes sea trials

The first one, American Eagle (named after their first ship in 1972) has launched, and the second, American Glory, is coming later this year. If you’re looking for a more intimate, personalized cruise experience, ACL fits the bill. With a motto of “small ship cruising done perfectly,” they provide guests with the closest thing to a turnkey, all-inclusive vacation. Their ships can be found on every major U.S. waterway and along the coastlines all the way to Alaska, showcasing the best America has to offer. We are taking their Upper Mississippi, fall foliage cruise, which starts in Alton, Illinois, just outside St. Louis, and ends in Red Wing, Minnesota.

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American Serenade deck plans

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AAR cabins on Deck 1 have a steel door that opens to a private balcony and are slightly smaller, at 275 square feet. AAM and AAC categories are located on Decks 3 and 2, respectively, and include floor-to-ceiling glass sliding balcony doors. AAM rooms are 350 square feet, with AAC rooms coming in just a bit smaller at 315 square feet -- still plenty spacious for a couple travelling together.

ACL-American Cruise Lines begins its biggest season ever on the Mississippi

Begin planning your U.S. cruise adventure with American Cruise Lines today. From the coast of Maine, to the mighty Mississippi and Pacific Northwest, our Free Cruise Guide provides detailed information about all of our more than 50 U.S. itinerary options.

Grand Suite Private Balcony

The line's itineraries appeal to Americans who want to see more of their own country with ease, and thus, appeal to folks with mobility issues who may not be able to travel in comfort any other way. The ship has two elevators that traverse all decks but the uppermost Sun Deck, and one wheelchair-accessible motorcoach is available to passengers who require it for shore excursions. Two Sun Deck is fitted with sunbathing and shaded seating areas, but unlike the bigger sisterships, it lacks the deck-games area (with Putting Green and Shuffleboard). Located on the third deck, these spacious staterooms feature commanding views of the passing river landscapes. Ft., there is plenty of room to enjoy the tasteful comfort of your surroundings.

American Cruise Lines Makes the History of America Come Alive

Traditionally for large-sized USA riverboats, American Serenade has a fore-located boarding ramp (bow-location on Deck 1) that allows passengers to go ashore at any place along the ACL's cruisetour itinerary. The ramp has an innovative design being constructed as a retractable gangway (passenger bridge). The technology is often implemented on some of the largest ferries and features an opening bow door. It all adds up to an enriching experience on the waterways of America -- one American Cruise Lines is uniquely poised to deliver.

The service from American crewmembers is extolled in the company's brochures, but service was a weak point aboard American Serenade, particularly when it came to the Main Dining Room. While there are crew who are stellar and personable in doing their jobs, they are let down by more junior members who have experience that can be measured in days, not years. The ship is whisper-quiet, and noise is really only noticeable when docking and undocking.

These staterooms have all the comforts of a fine hotel and feature floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with a private balcony where you can sit back, relax and watch the rolling river views. All staterooms include individual climate control systems, in-room Keurig coffee brewers, ample storage, an array of toiletries, complimentary WiFi, Satellite TV, and a DVD player. Ft. of relaxing space, each Veranda suite provides the perfect balance of comfort and luxury. Be treated to a fruit and cheese plate when you arrive and cheers with a complimentary bottle of premium champagne as you begin your adventure.

American Serenade is a Spacious Winner

During the launch ceremonies, the vessel's hull (yard number 144) is floated out from drydock into Wicomico River, then positioned in the shipyard's East Outfitting Basin to receive the superstructure (upper decks) and final outfitting. The 2023-built MS American Serenade cruise ship is the sixth/last newbuild in the American Cruise Lines' "Modern Riverboat" fleet. Ditto Paducah, Kentucky -- a quiet town that has an unusual proliferation of cool shops, unique bars and lounges, and events. During our visit, posters promoted the "Cars and Cigars" event happening that Saturday evening, and some shops proudly displayed Pride flags. American Serenade, launched this past spring, is the sixth of American Cruise Line's modern riverboats, following the debut of American Harmony, American Jazz, American Melody and American Symphony. Cruise Critic hopped onboard American Serenade for a weeklong voyage from Nashville to Chattanooga, sailing the Cumberland, Ohio, and Tennessee rivers to find out what makes the largest U.S.-flagged cruise line in the nation tick.

The shipowner American Cruise Lines (ACL) is the USA's largest river cruise company (headquarters in Guilford Connecticut) operational since 1991. The company specializes in cruise shipping on the USA's largest navigable inland waterways (rivers and lakes) as well as in cruises along the US East Coast, US West Coast and Florida. American Cruise Lines offers a very interesting cruise following the path of Lewis and Clark on the Snake and Columbia rivers. Each day is filled with excursions and entertaining presentations of this historic adventure. There are a multitude of daily excursions to choose from some are complementary others are fee based. You also had time to peruse each historic port along the way including The Dalles and Astoria.

An onboard entertainment system offers live TV channels and on-demand movies, with many of the latter being geographically or historically relevant. With no theater on the ship, the River Lounge serves as entertainment center for musical performances, games, talks by guest speaker Mark Wisner and rundowns of the next day events by Brandon and Rachel. Titled “Chart Your Course,” the preview of tomorrow’s activities is quite useful and not to be missed.

This is where the river is the most scenic, flowing by tall bluffs and through habitats populated by bald eagles. And if the gorgeous new American Serenade is any indication, the company is only just getting started. Our weeklong voyage aboard the brand-new American Serenade was just one of many interesting itineraries the company offers that explore the far reaches of America's coastlines and waterways. Sure, ACL has a large presence on the Upper and Lower Mississippi and Columbia and Snake rivers, as one would expect.

Those ready to set sail can see all the itineraries and available dates at americancruiselines.com. We were delighted to find two managers who were on our previous ACL cruise — Jerry, the cruise director, and Skylar, who just happened to share the same birthday as Pam. Still, we suggest creating an option for late snacking after 9 or 10 pm, such as pizza by the slice or to-go sandwiches and desserts. Dining is open seating, and after a few days, guests tended to gravitate to the same table or at least the side of the room to have the servers they have come to know.