The 2018-built MS American Song cruise ship is the first newbuild in the American Cruise Lines fleet from the company's "Modern Riverboat" series. From this class/with the same design are the sisterships American Harmony (2019), American Jazz (2020), American Melody (2021), American Symphony (2022), American Serenade (2022).

History - construction and ownership

The shipowner American Cruise Lines (ACL) is the USA's largest river cruise company (headquarters in Guilford Connecticut) operational since 1991. The company specializes in cruise shipping on the USA's largest navigable inland waterways (rivers and lakes) as well as in cruises along the US East Coast, US West Coast and Florida. All ACL vessels feature some of the industry's largest passenger cabins with private balconies, spacious lounges and outdoor deck spaces, gourmet cuisine, top-quality enrichment program with many complimentary land tours and excursions, highly-personalized service by all-American staff and crew.

All ACL cruise ships are US-flagged and built by the company-owned Chesapeake Shipbuilding Yard in Salisbury (Maryland USA).

Unlike anything seen before along American waterways, the innovative vessel brings a new dimension to river cruising in the United States. American Song integrates contemporary design with no sacrificing the comfort that American Cruise Lines is popular for. Quieter, wider, and faster than any other river ship, it is the most environmentally friendly in the industry.

Traditionally for large-sized US riverboats, American Song has a fore-located boarding ramp (bow-location on Deck 1) that allows passengers to go ashore at any place along the ship's cruise itinerary route. The ramp has an innovative design being constructed as a retractable gangway (passenger bridge). The technology is often implemented on some of the largest ferries and features an opening bow door.

While other small cruise lines repurpose old casino ships, American Cruise Lines decided to build brand new boats to maintain the company's reputation for premium quality and services. Each of the newbuilds features most innovative design, spacious indoor and outdoor areas. Each vessel is a traditional US built (at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury Maryland), as well as American-flagged and crewed.

Decks and Cabins

ACCL's American Song ship has 5 passenger decks (accessible via two elevators) and a total of 94 staterooms. The number of cabin categories is 7. All accommodations are Balcony cabins, with floor-ceiling sliding doors opening onto a private step-out veranda. The boat has no connecting rooms.

The smallest staterooms (including the studios / single-occupancy cabins) sizes start at 250 ft2 (23 m2). Other staterooms range between 305-330 ft2 (28-31 m2). Veranda Suites are 405 ft2 (38 m2). Owner's Suites are 445 ft2 (41 m2). The boat's largest staterooms are the two Grand Suites located aft on deck 3. Each measures 900 ft2 (84 m2) and features 2 walls of floor-ceiling windows, sliding doors (opening to a wrap-around balcony), separate bedroom/lounge area, marble bathroom (double-sink vanity),

Shipboard facilities and amenities

MS American Song features innovative interior design concepts - from the 4-story glass-walled Vestibule (Atrium) to spacious indoor and outdoor lounges, large open-deck spaces, floor-ceiling windows throughout the vessel. The 4-decks high Vestibule has floor-ceiling windows (portside and starboard) and SkyLight (transparent glass-roof cover) that allows natural light into ship's interior.

Two Sun Decks (Lower on Deck 5-aft, and Upper on Deck 6) are fitted with sunbathing and shaded seating areas, putting green, deck-game area (shuffleboard). The ship has 5 lounges (2 with large outdoor terraces), Grand Dining Room (complimentary, glass-enclosed restaurant), Chart Room (Library Lounge), fore-located Main Lounge (deck 4), aft-located Sky Lounge (deck 4), indoor Gym/Exercise Room. The Upper Sun Deck (top-deck) is furnished with comfortable deckchairs and has 3x shaded seating areas (Canopies) and 2x SkyLights (glass-roof cover).

The aft-located (on Deck 4) Sky Lounge features premium furniture, floor-ceiling windows, glass-roof cover (SkyLight), direct access to an open-air Terrace (for relaxation and alfresco dining/Back Porch Cafe). Throughout the day, there are served beverages, snacks, freshly-baked cookies, and pastries. Sky Lounge's glass doors open to the Back Porch Cafe (alfresco dining venue) - a spacious Terrace furnished with wicker furniture (armchairs and 4-seat tables). The lounge bar serves water, soda, and light snacks throughout the day. A Complimentary Afternoon Tea service is offered between 3:30-4:30 pm. In the evening, there is a complimentary cocktail hour.

The fore-located (on Deck 4) Cascade Lounge is the boat's main lounge with floor-ceiling windows and glass-roof cover. It also serves as the ship's show lounge with a central stage, grand piano and ample comfortable seating area full of comfy armchairs and plush sofas. Here are served warm cookies starting at 10 am. The complimentary Afternoon Tea service (with fresh pastries) is at 3:30 pm. The free-drinks cocktail hour is at 5:30 pm. Root beer and ice cream are passed around during the evening show. The evening entertainment includes one show (beginning at 8:15 pm) lasting about 1 hour. The show program could be a live concert, solo performances, music tribute, themed music, movie trivia. The large space for the evening shows is in the room's center. Furniture is daily rearranged (sometimes 2 or 3 times a day) to suit the themed entertainment. This is also the place for the American Cruise Lines' enrichment program, consisting of differently-themed lectures (history, food and wine, literature, etc). Also hosted here are media presentations and the current ACL cruise itinerary and tours-related multimedia presentations and port talks.

The list of the American Song ship's main public venues includes:

• (Deck 1) Boarding Ramp/bow, Vestibule/lobby level, Ship's Office, Lounge/midship-starboard, Dining Room Restaurant, Galley/Kitchen & Storage Rooms, Staff & Crew cabins/forward
• (Deck 2) Bow Terrace/observation area with seating, Lounge/midship-starboard, River Lounge/aft
• (Deck 3) Pilothouse/Wheelhouse, Library Lounge/midship-starboard
• (Deck 4) Cascade Lounge/forward, with a wraparound terrace, Fitness (indoor Gym) and Laundry Room/midship-starboard, Sky Lounge (indoor, aft), Back Porch Cafe (aft, outdoor terrace serving as an alfresco dining venue)
• (Deck 5) Sun Deck with outdoor seating (premium patio furniture) and Mini-Golf Putting Green

Two Lifts (passenger elevators in the Atrium) connect all cabin decks.

Itineraries

American Song itinerary program started on October 6, 2018, with 8-day inaugural cruise on Mississippi River leaving roundtrip from New Orleans. Other itineraries are 8-day / 7-night Lower Mississippi River cruise from Memphis TN to New Orleans and the reverse itinerary from New Orleans to Memphis.

• 8-day "Lower Mississippi River" from Memphis to New Orleans itinerary's ports of call are Memphis (day 1 / embarkation), river cruising (day 2), Vicksburg MS (day 3), Natchez MS (day 4), St Francisville LA (day 5), Baton Rouge LA (day 6), Oak Alley Plantation LA (day 7), New Orleans LA (day 8, disembarkation).
• 8-day "Mississippi River" roundtrip from New Orleans itinerary's ports of call are New Orleans LA (day 1 / embarkation), Oak Alley Plantation LA (day 2), Natchez MS (day 3), Vicksburg MS (day 4), St Francisville LA (day 5), Baton Rouge LA (day 6), Houmas House Plantation LA (day 7), New Orleans LA (day 8, disembarkation).

In 2019, the ship was deployed on the US West Coast for Columbia and Snake river cruises.

ACL cruise deals are inclusive of a pre-cruise hotel package, all shore excursions (organized daily), cocktail hour (each evening), cruise accommodation, gourmet meals, Afternoon Tea service, room service (Breakfast only), onboard enrichment and entertainment programs, Wi-Fi (shipwide coverage).

The improved ship design allows "bow landings" via a retractable and rotating gangway (passenger bridge) that extends from Main Deck (deck 1) to the dock or directly onto the river bank. This feature is available on all traditional-design US paddlewheel riverboats and provides expanded options for river cruise itineraries unmatched by most newbuild river cruise ships.

The ship has a modern propulsion system consisting of 2x azimuth thrusters ("Z-drives") manufactured by Veth (Holland). These 360-degree rotating propellers (1x forward, 1x aft) provide the boat with greater manoeuvrability and berthing flexibility.

The ship is powered by 2x Caterpillar marine engines running on low-sulfur diesel. These modern engines require less fuel and produce fewer emissions (COx, NOx, SOx) and soot particles in comparison to other boats on the US river cruising market.

The vessel was launched on November 17, 2017, which was 7 weeks ahead of schedule. The ceremony was held at the Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard in Salisbury MA. During the launch, the hull was floated-out from drydock into Wicomico River. Then it was positioned in the shipyard's East Outfitting Basin to receive the superstructure (upper decks) and outfitting.

On February 27, 2018, the shipowner American Cruise Lines announced the start of construction works on the second riverboat in this series (American Harmony) of all 5 same-design ships. For the 5 vessels series was again contracted the US shipbuilder Chesapeake Shipbuilding (Salisbury MD).

MS American Song's "Inaugural cruise" (maiden voyage) was initially scheduled for September 29, but later re-scheduled for October 6, 2018. The 8-day / 7-night "Mississippi River" itinerary was a roundtrip from New Orleans, with prices starting from USD 4800 (category AAR balcony cabin) and up to USD 7100 (Owner Suite).