American Cruise Lines has announced that 2026 promises to be the company’s most extraordinary year ever highlighting 11 new U.S. itineraries and 3 brand new small ships.
Sailing year-round, the company will honor the country’s 250th birthday on its portfolio of domestic itineraries exploring coast-to-coast—including new cruises on the Great Lakes, the Arkansas River, and the Gulf Coast.
American’s 2026 itineraries will also offer remarkable ways to celebrate the nation’s storied history, diverse cultures, and geographic blessings on bucket-list U.S. National Parks cruises and Extended Cruises that explore for up to 55-Days in multiple regions of the country.
Next year, the world’s only 100% U.S.-flagged fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships will visit almost 200 ports-of-call while sailing America’s iconic rivers and protected coastlines from the Alaska Inside Passage to the Florida Keys.
New U.S. Itineraries for 2026
American Cruise Lines’ vast array of 2026 itineraries highlights 50 years of experience in developing and curating exceptional U.S. River cruises that exclusively explore domestic destinations and waterways.
All itineraries have an included hotel stay and offer at least one complimentary excursion at every port.
Fares include private transportation on shore and everything on board the ship from fine cuisine and daily cocktails to enrichment and entertainment.
All cruises and fares also include Starlink Wi-Fi, tips & gratuities, and port charges & fees.
American’s National Parks itineraries include brand-new 15-Day Northwest National Parks Cruises and 11-Day Great Smoky Mountains Cruises.
American’s line-up of exclusive U.S. National Parks cruises will feature brand new 15-Day Northwest National Parks Cruises operating round-trip from Tacoma, Washington. Available in September 2026, these sailings will discover the Pacific Northwest’s most spectacular parks and ports, featuring 7-days of guided exploration through Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks followed by 8-days cruising throughout Puget Sound, Friday Harbor, and the San Juan Islands.
Please see the full portfolio of American’s U.S. National Parks cruises below:
NEW: 11-Day Great Smoky Mountains Cruise: features an adventure along the Tennessee River through the Appalachian Mountains, plus guided discovery in Great Smoky Mountains National Park while cruising; also includes visits to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Available from Knoxville, TN or Huntsville, AL.
NEW: 15-Day Northwest National Parks: operates round-trip from Tacoma, WA and begins with 7-Days of guided exploration in Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks; followed by 8-Days of cruising throughout Puget Sound, Friday Harbor, and the San Juan Islands.
16-Day National Parks & Legendary Rivers: includes 9-Day cruise on the Columbia and Snake Rivers and 7-Days of guided exploration in 3 National Parks—Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. Available from Jackson, WY or Portland, OR.
19-Day Grand Alaska National Parks: includes 12-Day Alaska cruise and 7-Days of guided exploration in Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks; and cruising in Glacier Bay National Park, the Inside Passage, and Frederick Sound. Available from Fairbanks, AK to Juneau, AK.
16-Day Alaska National Parks: includes 9-Day Alaska cruise and 7-Days of guided exploration in Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks; and cruising in Glacier Bay National Park. Available from Fairbanks, AK to Juneau, AK.
New Itineraries on the Mississippi River & Tributaries and the Southeast U.S.:
American’s 2026 itineraries include unique sailings on Mississippi tributaries like the company’s new ‘Arkansas River Cruise’ and new ‘Great Smoky Mountains Cruise’ that explores the Tennessee River (already mentioned and linked above in the National Parks cruise section).
Additionally, the company is introducing a new ‘Gulf Coast Cruise’ which explores the Gulf Coast and also parts of the Lower Mississippi River to or from New Orleans.
9-Day Gulf Coast Cruise: between New Orleans, LA and Pensacola, FL, also visiting: Mobile, AL; Biloxi, MS; Ocean Springs, MS; and Gulfport/Ship Island, MS. Cruises are offered in March, November, and December 2026 (and again in 2027).
They will operate aboard American Symphony, one of American’s modern Mississippi riverboats.
9-Day Arkansas River Cruise: between Memphis, TN and Tulsa, OK, also visiting: Catoosa, OK; Muskogee, OK; Fort Smith/Van Buren, AR; Little Rock, AR. Cruises are offered in November 2026 (and again in May and November 2027) and will be sailed aboard the award-winning riverboat American Serenade.
American’s New 2026 All-Domestic Cruises on the Great Lakes:
American’s 3 new Great Lakes itineraries are the only fully domestic cruises exploring the Lakes, offering the supreme comfort and convenience of cruising to and from only U.S. ports of call.
The company’s new 2026 itineraries will sail from May through August and include a 9-Day cruise visiting the Thousand Islands and Niagara Falls; a 9-Day itinerary that highlights Lake Michigan, Green Bay inlet, and the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula; and a signature 14-Day cruise, dubbed the ”American Great Lakes’, which travels 800 miles through 3 of the Great Lakes (Erie, Huron, and Michigan).
9-Day Great Lakes & Thousand Islands: cruises operate between Syracuse and Buffalo, NY; exploring the Thousand Islands, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie.
9-Day Lake Michigan & Upper Peninsula: cruises sail round-trip from Milwaukee, WI; exploring Lake Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
14-Day American Great Lakes: cruises operate between Buffalo, NY and Milwaukee, WI; exploring Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan.
American’s Three New Ships Launching in 2026:
New Riverboat: American Encore
The company’s newest modern American Riverboat will begin sailing the Columbia and Snake Rivers in May 2026.
American Encore accommodates 180 guests and features 100% private balcony staterooms including Suites and Singles (available without Supplement).
Additional onboard amenities include many spacious lounges, plus a top deck lounge and walking track, a main restaurant with views from every seat, a casual café, chart room, fitness center, laundry room, and elevators to all decks.
New Small Coastal Ships: American Maverick and American Ranger
The company’s 3rd and 4th Patriot Class ships will operate an array of American’s East Coast itineraries.
Launching in June and September 2026 respectively, American Maverick and American Ranger will accommodate just 130 guests each and feature 100% private balcony staterooms including Suites and Singles (available without Supplement).
They also offer onboard amenities that are very unusual for small ships of their size, including several spacious lounges, plus a top deck lounge and walking track, a main restaurant with views from every seat, a casual café, chart room, fitness center, laundry room, and elevators to all decks.
American’s New 2026 Extended Cruises for 2026:
The Great United States Cruise 2026: 52-Days/51-Nights – Sailing from Portland, OR to Boston, MA – May 29, 2026, to July 19, 2026
Highlights: Exploring 18 states aboard 3 small ships, including guided land exploration in 3 National Parks: Yellowstone, Glacier, and Grand Teton. Guests will also spend the 4th of July in Boston, MA at the Four Seasons Hotel and will enjoy the city’s 250th celebrations and fireworks display over Boston Harbor.
Civil War Battlefields Cruise 2026: 36-Days/35-Nights – Sailing from New Orleans, LA to Gettysburg, PA – May 5, 2026, to June 9, 2026.
Highlights: Exploring 12 states aboard 3 small ships. Visiting and exploring the battles and theatres of the Civil War, from the Capture of New Orleans to the Siege of Vicksburg to the Battle of Gettysburg.
Great American Fall Foliage Cruise 2026: 55-Days/54-Nights – Sailing from Juneau, AK to Washington, D.C. – September 5, 2026, to October 29, 2026
Highlights: Exploring 18 states aboard 4 small ships. Sailing the Alaska Inside Passage and Glacier Bay National Park. Concluding by cruising up the Potomac River to the nation’s capital city of Washington, D.C. (American’s small cruise ships are the only cruise ships visiting D.C. in 70+ years, docking just steps from many of our most treasured national monuments).
Revolutionary War Cruise 2026: 32-Days/31-Nights – Sailing from Albany, NY to Washington, D.C. – October 8, 2026, to November 8th, 2026.
Highlights: Sailing the Hudson River and sections of the East Coast during the region’s peak fall foliage season; also docking in Washington, D.C. This itinerary is operating aboard all three of the newest cruise ships in the country: American Legend; American Patriot; and American Pioneer, which launched in October 2025.
All American’s 50+ U.S. itineraries and 28 small ships are open to book now through 2028.
Source: American Cruise Lines Media/Press Center
Images: © Copyright 2025 American Cruise Lines. All rights reserved.
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