American Cruise Lines has announced a new slate of extended cruises and 50-day+ U.S. river cruises honoring the country’s 250th birthday in 2026.
American said in a press release that these follow the launch of the company’s first Great United States Cruise in 2024.
Itineraries and highlights for the new cruises include the following:
“The Great United States Cruise 2026”: 52-Days
- Sailing from Portland, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts, from May 29 to July 19
- Itinerary: Sails from the Pacific Northwest coast in Portland and Astoria, or along the country’s western rivers to Clarkston, WA.
- Highlights include 18 states aboard three small ships, including the American Pioneer, and three national parks. Guests will spend July 4 in Boston at the Four Seasons Hotel and experience the city’s 250th celebrations and fireworks display over Boston Harbor.
“Spring Across America 2026”: 51-Days
- Sailing from Charleston, South Carolina, to Juneau, Alaska, from April 3 to May 23
- Itinerary: Cruising from Charleston, S.C., along the country’s Gold Coast, to the Gulf Coast of Florida and the Keys; the Lower Mississippi River and western rivers; and sailing from Seattle, WA, up the Inside Passage to Alaska.
- Highlights include 10 states aboard five small ships.
“Great American Fall Foliage Cruise 2026”: 55-Days
- Sailing from Juneau, Alaska, to Washington, D.C., from September 5 to October 29
- Itinerary: Sailing throughout Alaska, then down the Inside Passage; cruising through Puget Sound and Friday Harbor and the Columbia and Snake Rivers; cruising the Upper Mississippi River; cruising the New England coastline plus sailing the Chesapeake Bay; and cruising up the Potomac River to Washington, D.C.
- Highlights include exploring 18 states aboard four small ships, including the American Patriot.
A reprised “Civil War Battlefields Cruise 2026”: 36-Days
- Sailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from May 5 to June 9
- Highlights include exploring 12 states aboard three small ships. The itinerary focuses on the battles and theaters of the Civil War, exploring Fort Sumter, Shiloh, Chickamauga and Antietam.