American Cruise Lines, Guilford, Conn., announced it has two more new small ships coming in 2025, the American Patriot and American Pioneer. These 125-passenger sister ships represent the 5th and 6th ships in the company’s Project Blue series of 12 new small ships for the U.S. market. The ships will be built at the company’s affiliated shipyard, Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Maryland.
American Patriot will begin sailing in June 2025, and American Pioneer in November 2025 and both new ships will operate a host of American’s exclusive U.S. itineraries up and down the East Coast, including all-new 15-day “Grand Florida Coast & Keys” cruises beginning in 2025.
The new longer Florida itinerary follows the 2024 launch of ACL’s 8-Day Florida Gulf Coast & Keys cruises, which are offered on several of the Line’s first four Project Blue ships, 100-passenger Coastal Cats: American Eagle and American Glory (2023), and American Liberty and American Legend (2024).
American Patriot and American Pioneer will feature 5 decks and 56 staterooms. They will offer a more traditional bow construction and slightly deeper draft with full stabilization, enhancing coastwise capabilities for smooth sailing. These new ships will further broaden the itinerary possibilities for the company’s growing array of U.S coastal itineraries.
American Cruise Lines remains the only company in the world with a fleet of 100% U.S. flagged riverboats and small ships, enabling the Line to offer domestic cruises no one else sails across the U.S.A.—exploring both rivers and coasts.
American Patriot and American Pioneer will showcase elegant interior design and spacious 100% private balcony accommodations—including a range of large standard staterooms, suites, and singles. The ships’ 4th decks will offer all-suite accommodations ranging from 420 to 620 square feet, extraordinary for ships of this size.
Both new ships will feature an expansive Main Lounge and Restaurant on deck 1, offering guests water views from every seat. On the 5th deck, American Patriot and American Pioneer will offer sitting, dining, and fitness areas including a 360-degree Skywalk walking track, an indoor Sky Lounge, outside Sun Deck, and casual café. The new ships also offer a Bow Terrace and Horizon Lounge on deck 3, as well as indoor fitness center on deck 4.
When American Patriot and American Pioneer begin sailing in 2025, American Cruise Lines will be operating 21 small ships across the country. All the company’s cruises operate like river cruises, remaining fully in U.S. waters throughout the entire itinerary, and exploring along protected waters in sight of land.
“Coastally, this category of cruise has never been available in so many regions of the country before. American continues to respond to the demand for 100% domestic itineraries by introducing new small ships with world-class amenities,” according to the company, “unlocking amazing new opportunities for cruising closer to home year after year.”
