ACL American Melody

The 2021-built MS American Melody cruise ship is the fourth newbuild in the American Cruise Lines' "Modern Riverboat" fleet.

From this class and with the same design are the sister ships American Song (2018), American Harmony (2019), American Jazz (2020), American Symphony (2022), American Serenade (2023), American Encore (2026), and American Anthem (2027).

American Melody is identified by IMO number 9901697 and is USA-flagged (MMSI 368205140).

History - Construction and Ownership

The shipowner, American Cruise Lines (ACL), is the largest river cruise company in the USA (headquartered in Guilford, Connecticut) and has been operational since 1991. The company specializes in cruising on the USA's largest navigable inland waterways (rivers and lakes) as well as voyages along the East Coast, New England, West Coast, and Florida.

All ACL vessels feature some of the industry's largest passenger cabins, with private balconies, spacious lounges, outdoor deck spaces, gourmet cuisine, a top-quality enrichment program with many complimentary land tours and excursions, and highly personalized service by an 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 previously seen on American waterways, this innovative vessel brings a new dimension to river cruising in the United States. American Melody integrates contemporary design without sacrificing the comfort that American Cruise Lines is known for. Quieter, wider, and faster than any other river ship, it is the most environmentally friendly in the industry.

Traditionally, for large-sized USA riverboats, American Melody features a forward-located boarding ramp (on Deck 1) that allows passengers to disembark at any location along the ACL's cruisetour itinerary. The ramp features an innovative design, constructed as a retractable gangway (passenger bridge). This technology is commonly used 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 service. Each newbuild features the most innovative design, with spacious indoor and outdoor areas. Every vessel is traditionally US-built (at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland), as well as American-flagged and crewed.

Decks and Cabins

American Melody staterooms (91 total) are all outside, among the industry's largest, with full-size bathrooms, private step-out balconies, and modern hotel amenities.

All staterooms feature step-out balconies. The smallest are the Studios (single-occupancy cabins for solo travelers) sized at 250 ft² (23 m²). Cabin sizes range between 275–315–350–370 ft² (26–29–33–34 m²), including the balcony. Veranda Suites are sized at 405 ft² (38 m²). The largest accommodations are the Grand Suites (650 ft² / 60 m²) and feature top-deck locations (forward on Deck 4), a separate bedroom/living room, and a spacious terrace (with an alfresco dining area).

The ship has 5 passenger-accessible decks, of which 4 are equipped with cabins.

Shipboard Facilities and Amenities

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

The Sun Deck is fitted with sunbathing and shaded seating areas. Unlike the larger sister ships, it lacks a deck-games area (with a Putting Green and Shuffleboard). The ship has 6 lounges (3 with outdoor terraces), a Grand Dining Room (complimentary, glass-enclosed restaurant), a Chart Room & Library, a fore-located Main Lounge (with a central stage for live shows and musical productions, and a glass-roof cover), an aft-located Sky Lounge (with a glass-roof cover and access to an alfresco dining terrace/Ellipse Cafe), a Fitness Room (indoor gym), and a Yoga Studio (for group classes and private lessons).

The Sun Deck (top deck) is furnished with plenty of outdoor furniture, including padded sun loungers, padded wicker sofas and deck chairs, 2-seat and 4-seat tables, and live plants. The Sun Deck has 3 large shaded seating areas (covered by retractable canopies) and 2 SkyLights (glass roof covers) over the Sky Lounge (aft) and the Atrium/Vestibule (midship-portside).

The list of American Melody's main public venues includes:

• (Deck 1) Boarding Ramp/bow, Vestibule/lobby level, Ship's Office, Dining Room Restaurant, Galley/Kitchen & Storage Rooms, Staff & Crew cabins/forward
• (Deck 2) Bow Terrace/observation area with seating, Lyric Lounge/midship-starboard, wellness facilities/aft (Yoga Studio, Fitness Room/indoor Gym)
• (Deck 3) River Lounge/forward, with a wraparound terrace, The Study & Library/midship-starboard
• (Deck 4) Pilothouse/Wheelhouse, High Note Lounge/midship-starboard, Sky Lounge (indoor, aft), Ellipse Cafe (aft, outdoor terrace serving as an alfresco dining venue)
• (Deck 5) Sun Deck with plenty of outdoor seating (premium patio furniture)

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

Deck 4's fore-located River Lounge is the main lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass-roof cover. It also serves as the boat's show lounge with a central stage, grand piano, and ample comfortable seating (comfy armchairs and plush sofas). Warm cookies are served starting at 10 am. 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 may include a live concert, solo performances, music tributes, themed music, or movie trivia. The large space for evening shows is in the room's center, where furniture is rearranged (sometimes 2 or 3 times a day) to suit the themed entertainment. This is also the location for the American Cruise Lines enrichment program, consisting of themed lectures (history, food and wine, literature, etc.). Media presentations and ACL cruise itinerary and tours-related multimedia presentations and port talks are also hosted here.

Deck 4's aft-located Sky Lounge is an indoor venue with premium furniture, floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows (allowing 270-degree views), a glass-roof cover (SkyLight), and direct access to an open-air terrace (Ellipse Cafe). Throughout the day, beverages, snacks, freshly baked cookies, and pastries are served. Sky Lounge's opening glass doors allow it to expand by including the furnished Terrace/Ellipse Cafe. The Cafe’s bar serves complimentary water, soda, and light snacks. Complimentary Afternoon Tea service is available between 3:30 and 4:30 pm. In the evening, there is a cocktail hour with free drinks.

Sky Lounge's Ellipse Cafe staff serve the entire Sun Deck (relaxation and sunbathing top-deck area) with drinks and snacks.

Itineraries

American Melody's itinerary program is based on homeporting in New Orleans for Mississippi River voyages. The new boat started service for ACL on September 3, 2021, with a 21-day "Complete Mississippi River Cruise" itinerary. Initially, the Maiden Voyage was scheduled for August 27th (an 8-day roundtrip from New Orleans).

• The Maiden Voyage (21-Day "Complete Mississippi River Cruise" from New Orleans to St. Paul, MN) visited ports in the states of Louisiana (Oak Alley Plantation, Houmas House Plantation, Baton Rouge, St. Francisville), Mississippi (Natchez, Vicksburg, Greenville), Tennessee (Memphis), Missouri (New Madrid, Cape Girardeau), Illinois (Chester), Missouri (St. Louis, Hannibal), Iowa (Fort Madison, Davenport, Dubuque), Wisconsin (La Crosse), and Minnesota (Red Wing, Minneapolis-Saint Paul).
• Due to Hurricane Ida, the inaugural cruise actually started from Natchez (passenger embarkation).

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, and Wi-Fi (shipwide coverage).

The improved ship design of the Modern Riverboat series 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 riverbank. 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 features a modern propulsion system consisting of 2 azimuth thrusters ("Z-drives") manufactured by Veth (Holland). These 360-degree rotating propellers (1 forward, 1 aft) provide the vessel with enhanced maneuverability and berthing flexibility.

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

All American Cruise Lines' Modern Riverboats are constructed at the Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard in Salisbury, MA. During the launch ceremonies, the vessel's hull is floated out from drydock into the Wicomico River, then positioned in the shipyard's East Outfitting Basin to receive the superstructure (upper decks) and final outfitting.

American Melody was launched (floated out from drydock) on November 17, 2020.

In mid-June 2021, ACL signed a contract with Chesapeake Shipbuilding to construct two more units (5th and 6th) of the "Modern Riverboat" series, expanding ACL's fleet to 15 vessels (5 small, 4 paddle-wheelers, and 6 modern riverboats). ACL also announced plans to continue building small ships (100-190 passengers) designed for US coastal itineraries.

American Melody was officially delivered to ACL on August 3, 2021. On the same day, the names of Modern Riverboats 5th (American Symphony) and 6th (American Serenade) were announced. Both are under construction at Chesapeake Shipbuilding and planned for inauguration in 2022.

Melody's Maiden Voyage was scheduled for August 27, 2021 (roundtrip New Orleans, 6-day Mississippi River itinerary).