ACL American Harmony

The 2019-built MS American Harmony cruise ship is the second newbuild in the American Cruise Lines' "Modern Riverboat" fleet.

From this class/with the same design are the sisterships American Song (2018), American Jazz (2020), American Melody (2021), American Symphony (2022), American Serenade (2023), American Encore (2026).

American Harmony is identified by an IMO number 9901673 and is USA-flagged (MMSI 368082970).

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 voyages along the East Coast USA/New England, West Coast USA, 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 ships are USA-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 USA. American Harmony 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 Harmony 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

ACL's American Harmony ship has 6 passenger decks (accessible via two elevators) and a total of 102 staterooms. The number of cabin categories is 8. 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 Harmony 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 3 shaded seating areas plus one SkyLight (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 (aka River 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 Harmony ship's main public venues includes:

• (Deck 1) Boarding Ramp/bow, Vestibule/lobby level, Ship's Office, Powder Room, Dining Room Restaurant, Galley/Kitchen & Storage Rooms, Staff & Crew cabins/forward
• (Deck 2) Bow Terrace/observation area with seating, Laundry Room, Lounge/midship-starboard, wellness facilities/aft (Yoga Studio, Fitness Room/indoor Gym)
• (Deck 3) Pilothouse/Wheelhouse, Chart Room Lounge/midship-starboard
• (Deck 4) Cascade Lounge/forward, with a wraparound terrace, Library Lounge/midship-starboard, Sky Lounge (indoor, aft), Back Porch Cafe (aft, outdoor terrace serving as an alfresco dining venue)
• (Deck 5) Lounge/midship-starboard, Lower Sun Deck/aft
• (Deck 6) 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 Harmony itinerary program was planned started on September 29, 2018, with the 8-day inaugural cruise on Mississippi River, roundtrip from New Orleans. Other itineraries are the 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 maneuverability 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.

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

On October 11, 2018, the vessel's lower bow (hull section) was moved/wheeled out from Fabrication Building No.4 to the yard's Assembly Launchways. The vessel's launch (float-out) was on November 20, 2018, and 4 weeks ahead of schedule. After the float-out, the boat was berthed in the shipyard's East Outfitting Basin to receive its upper deck blocks and outfitting. On June 7, 2019, the vessel under its own power moved to the outfitting pier for final touches. In mid-July 2019, the new riverboat successfully passed sea trials and received USCG Certification. The vessel was ready 23 days ahead of schedule. The inaugural cruise (8-day maiden voyage) is scheduled for August 17 out of New Orleans (roundtrip Mississippi itinerary).