ACL-American Cruise Lines opens 2023 season with American Star ship from Florida

   February 11, 2023 ,   Cruise Industry

ACL-American Cruise Lines announced that February 18th would mark the opening of the company’s 2023 U.S. cruise season when the American Star ship departs from Florida.

The line is celebrating Wave Season via running more small boats from U.S. ports than ever before. In February 2023, American begins the new cruise season with 2 riverboats/2 small ships setting sail along the Mighty Mississippi River from Louisiana, the East Coast from South Carolina and Florida, and the West Coast from California.

On the West Coast, the American Jazz ship will embark on a historic voyage from San Francisco on February 24th. Following a new 8-day San Francisco Bay itinerary, the vessel will be the first U.S. riverboat in 80+ years to explore San Francisco Bay/the California Delta, cruising Wine Country along the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Napa Rivers.

On the East Coast, a couple of the company’s smallest ships, the 90-guest American Star and Independence set sail on February 18th and 25th, respectively.

American Star is scheduled to begin the season along the line’s unusual 8-day Great Rivers of Florida voyage, round-trip from Jacksonville (JAXPORT, Florida). Sistership Independence will sail ACL’s popular 8-day Historic South & Golden Isles itinerary between Charleston SC and Amelia Island FL, exploring the country’s Gold Coast along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Newly renovated American Heritage, one of the classic paddle wheelers of ACL, begins the 2023 season on the Mississippi, following a classic 8-day Lower Mississippi itinerary out of New Orleans (Port NOLA, Louisiana) to Memphis (Tennessee), departing on February 25th.

American offers 5 new river boats and 11 itineraries on the Mississippi River alone in 2023 and has a growing fleet of small ships and river boats operating 50+ itineraries in 35 states. All American cruises follow 100% U.S. itineraries whether they operate along U.S. Coasts/U.S. Rivers. ACL is the only cruise line in the world with a 100% U.S.-flagged fleet of both riverboats/small cruise ships.

This year, with 17 vessels sailing across the country, American will offer the largest collection of domestic itineraries available for exploring the country.

American Star cruise ship

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