American Cruise Lines Sets 10-Ship Expansion Through 2028
Key points
- American Cruise Lines will add 10 new U.S.-built ships through 2028
- American Pioneer debuts in Florida on October 31, 2025, as the next Patriot Class ship
- Five modern American Riverboats and four additional Patriot Class ships follow on a four-month cadence
- All ships sail U.S. itineraries including the Mississippi River, Alaska, the East Coast, and new niches
- A new 15-day Northwest National Parks cruise launches roundtrip from Tacoma in September 2026
American Cruise Lines will add 10 new U.S.-built ships between now and 2028, beginning with the debut of American Pioneer on October 31, 2025, in Florida. The build program combines five modern American Riverboats with four additional Patriot Class small ships, expanding capacity across domestic rivers and protected coastal waterways. The company says deliveries will arrive roughly every four months, a pace designed to keep growth "disciplined."
American Cruise Lines, Fleet Expansion
In announcing the plan, American Cruise Lines emphasized that all new ships will remain dedicated to the U.S. market, including the Mississippi River, Alaska, and the East Coast, while also enabling expansion into new niches such as the Great Lakes, the Arkansas River, and National Parks cruises. The sequence starts with American Pioneer, a 130-guest Patriot Class vessel, followed by American Encore in 2026, the next modern American Riverboat slated for the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Subsequent ships include American Maverick and American Ranger in 2026, American Mariner and American Navigator in 2027, and American Anthem and American Grace in 2027-2028, with two additional, yet-to-be-named riverboats in 2028.
American Pioneer opens with Florida coastal itineraries, including the 16-day Grand Florida Coast & Keys cruise from Amelia Island to St. Petersburg, Florida. The ship's page lists its first sailing on October 31, 2025, followed by a series of Gulf Coast & Keys departures into December. For travelers comparing hardware, American Pioneer carries 130 guests across five decks, with private-balcony accommodations, multiple lounges, and elevator access to all decks.
On the river side, American Encore is scheduled to debut on the Columbia and Snake Rivers beginning in May 2026, joining a fleet of glass-atrium riverboats with 100 percent private-balcony staterooms and a 180-guest capacity. Its program underscores the line's continued bet on the Pacific Northwest, where demand has been strong, particularly for combinations that tie cruising to National Parks experiences.
Latest developments
Beyond ships, the company announced a new, 15-day "Northwest National Parks" itinerary operating round trip from Tacoma, Washington, starting in September 2026. The program features seven days of guided exploration through Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks, followed by eight days of small-ship cruising throughout Puget Sound, Friday Harbor, and the San Juan Islands. Cruise segments will sail aboard American Constitution and American Constellation, each accommodating 170 guests, with fares marketed as fully inclusive of hotels, guided tours, and transportation during the parks portion.
Analysis
For travelers and advisors, the most immediate change is added availability on popular U.S. river and coastal routes, plus more variety in ship sizes and styles. The Patriot Class vessels, at about 130 guests, target intimate coastal and intracoastal itineraries such as Florida, New England, and East Coast routes, while the 180-guest modern American Riverboats strengthen core river markets like the Mississippi and the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The line's delivery cadence, about one ship every four months, suggests inventory will open in rolling waves, creating periodic booking windows suited to early planners and group allotments.
Background. American Cruise Lines operates a 100 percent U.S.-flagged fleet on domestic rivers and protected waterways, positioning the brand squarely within the Jones Act framework and U.S. crewed operations. That footprint has allowed the company to scale itineraries in almost 40 states while avoiding international repositioning constraints, and it underpins the strategy to keep all new tonnage in U.S. service.
Advisors should match client interests to deployments as they firm up. Florida coastal sailings on American Pioneer are already loaded and span longer Grand Florida routes and shorter Keys-focused options into spring 2026. In the Pacific Northwest, American Encore's 2026 entry will increase balcony river capacity and add more sailings that pair well with National Parks combinations. The new 15-day Northwest National Parks offering may appeal to guests who prefer land-and-sea packages with guided components, a segment that has grown alongside extended and themed itineraries.
Final thoughts
American Cruise Lines' 10-ship pipeline through 2028 signals sustained investment in U.S. river and coastal cruising. With American Pioneer launching in Florida on October 31, 2025, and American Encore joining the Columbia and Snake Rivers in 2026, travelers gain steady new capacity, more balcony inventory, and broader access to National Parks-linked journeys. For planners, the takeaway is straightforward, watch the four-month rollout rhythm and align clients to specific ship classes and regions as schedules publish. That approach maximizes choice while this American Cruise Lines new ships wave comes online.