American Cruise Lines season opens, Davenport stops to restart in June

The American Symphony riverboat docked in Davenport in September and is the subject of a celebration. American Cruise Lines has announced that this year’s cruising season will begin soon. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON

For American Cruise Lines Saturday, Feb. 18 marked the opening of the line’s 2023 U.S. cruise season with the American Star’s departure from Florida. The cruise line also offers Upper Mississippi River cruises with stops in Davenport. Those cruise routes will restart in late June, according to the company website.

American is celebrating “Wave Season” by running more small ships from U.S. ports than ever before. American begins the new season with two riverboats and two small ships setting sail along the East Coast from Florida and South Carolina, the West Coast from California, and the Mighty Mississippi River from Louisiana.

“2023 is poised to be the most exciting cruise season ever for American Cruise Lines. More small ships exploring in more states than ever before is the best way that I can think of to celebrate 50 years cruising American’s waterways,” Charles Robertson, president and CEO of American Cruise Lines, said in a news release.

On the West Coast, American Jazz will embark along a historic cruise from San Francisco on Friday, Feb. 24. Following an all-new, eight-day San Francisco Bay itinerary, American Jazz will be the first U.S. riverboat in over 80 years to explore San Francisco Bay and the California Delta, cruising Wine Country along the Napa, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Rivers. 

American Cruise Lines offers five new riverboats and 11 itineraries on the Mississippi alone in 2023 and has a growing fleet of new small ships and riverboats operating 50+ itineraries in 35 states this year. 

The cruise line helped make Quad Cities history last Summer when two Two American Cruise Lines boats – the American Symphony and American Melody riverboats — were docked at the same time at River Heritage Park in Davenport.

The company has become the leader in the domestic industry and has distinguished itself among all small ship operators, by becoming the only cruise line in the world with a 100% U.S. flagged fleet of both riverboats and small cruise ships. This distinction enables American Cruise Lines to offer destination focused River and Coastal cruises anywhere in the country, without ever visiting a foreign port of call.

In 2023, with 17 ships sailing across the country, American Cruise Lines will offer the largest collection of U.S. itineraries available in the U.S.A.

American’s 2023 season continues to open around the country, with Chesapeake Bay cruises in March; Columbia and Snake rivers cruises and Puget Sound cruises in April; New England cruises in May; Alaska cruises in June; Hudson River cruises in September, and holiday cruises in November and December.

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