ACL American Jazz

The 2020-built, 2021-inaugurated MS American Jazz cruise ship is the third newbuild in the American Cruise Lines' "Modern Riverboat" fleet.

From this class, the sisterships include American Song (2018), American Harmony (2019), American Melody (2021), American Symphony (2022), American Serenade (2023), American Encore (2026), and American Anthem (2027).

American Jazz is identified by the IMO number 1295690 (formerly 9901685) and is USA-flagged (MMSI 368135920).

History - Construction and Ownership

The shipowner, American Cruise Lines (ACL), is the USA's largest river cruise company (headquartered in Guilford, Connecticut), operational since 1991. The company specializes in cruises along the USA's largest navigable inland waterways (rivers and lakes), as well as 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, a top-quality enrichment program with many complimentary land tours and excursions, and highly personalized service by all-American staff and crew.

All ACL ships are USA-flagged (Jazz has MMSI number 368135920) and are built by the company-owned Chesapeake Shipbuilding Yard in Salisbury, Maryland, USA.

Unlike anything seen before along American waterways, this innovative vessel brings a new dimension to river cruising in the USA. American Jazz 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 US riverboats, American Jazz has a fore-located boarding ramp (bow-location on Deck 1), allowing passengers to disembark at any point along the ship's cruise route. The ramp features an innovative design, constructed as a retractable gangway (passenger bridge). This technology is often implemented on some of the largest ferries and includes an opening bow door.

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

Decks and Cabins

ACL's American Jazz ship has 6 passenger decks (accessible via two elevators) and a total of 99 staterooms. The ship offers 8 cabin categories. All accommodations are Balcony cabins, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that open onto a private step-out veranda. The ship does not have connecting rooms.

The smallest staterooms, including single-occupancy studio cabins, start at 250 ft² (23 m²). Other staterooms range from 305-330 ft² (28-31 m²). Veranda Suites are 405 ft² (38 m²), and Owners Suites are 445 ft² (41 m²). The largest staterooms on the riverboat are two Grand Suites located at the aft on Deck 3. Each Suite measures 900 ft² (84 m²) and features 2 walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, a wrap-around balcony (accessible via sliding doors), separate bedroom and seating areas, and a marble bathroom with a double-sink vanity.

Shipboard Facilities and Amenities

MS American Jazz 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-high Vestibule has floor-to-ceiling windows (on both port and starboard sides) and a SkyLight (a transparent glass roof) that allows natural light into the ship's interior.

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

The aft-located Sky Lounge (on Deck 4) features premium furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows, a glass-roof cover (SkyLight), and direct access to an open-air Terrace (for relaxation and alfresco dining at the Back Porch Cafe). Throughout the day, beverages, snacks, freshly baked cookies, and pastries are served. The 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 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. In the evening, there is a complimentary cocktail hour.

The fore-located Magnolia Lounge (also called the River Lounge) is the boat's main lounge, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass-roof cover. It also serves as the ship's show lounge, featuring a central stage, a grand piano, and ample comfortable seating with plush sofas and armchairs. Warm cookies are served 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 served during the evening show. The evening entertainment includes one show (beginning at 8:15 pm), lasting about 1 hour. The show could be a live concert, solo performance, music tribute, themed music, or movie trivia. The large space for evening shows is in the room's center, and furniture is rearranged daily (sometimes 2 or 3 times a day) to suit the themed entertainment. This is also the venue for American Cruise Lines' enrichment program, featuring lectures on various topics such as history, food and wine, and literature. Additionally, media presentations and multimedia port talks related to the current ACL cruise itinerary and tours are hosted here.

The main public venues aboard American Jazz include:

• (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) Magnolia 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

The American Jazz itinerary program (so far) will be similar to that of the sistership American Harmony. The Mississippi River cruise itineraries depart roundtrip and one-way from homeports New Orleans, Louisiana, and Memphis, Tennessee.

• 7-day "Lower Mississippi River" (Memphis to New Orleans) itinerary's ports 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).
• 7-day "Mississippi River" (roundtrip New Orleans) itinerary's ports 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).

The Jazz ship may also be seasonally deployed on the US West Coast for Snake and Columbia river cruises.

American Jazz's 2023 schedule (February-March and November-December) included ACL's first-ever California voyage (departure February 24th). The 7-night/8-day "San Francisco Bay Cruise" itinerary (roundtrip from San Francisco) visits four other Californian ports (Stockton, Sacramento, Napa, Vallejo) and ends with an overnight in San Francisco. A pre-cruise hotel package (inclusive of a San Francisco Four Seasons Hotel overnight stay) is optional. The itinerary features scenic cruising in San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay (with an evening stop in Vallejo), as well as cruising on the Napa River and San Joaquin River.

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 allows for "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 offers expanded options for river cruise itineraries, unmatched by most newbuild river cruise ships.

The ship is equipped with a modern propulsion system consisting of two azimuth thrusters ("Z-drives") manufactured by Veth (Holland). These 360-degree rotating propellers (one forward, one aft) provide the boat with greater maneuverability and berthing flexibility.

The ship is powered by two 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 boats in the US river cruising market.

On October 11, 2018, the vessel's lower bow (hull section) was moved out of drydock (wheeled out from Fabrication Building No. 4) to the shipyard's Assembly Launchways. The ship was launched (floated out from drydock) on October 13, 2019, five 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 final outfitting.

Sea trials were successfully completed, and on September 1, 2020, the ship was officially delivered to ACL-American Cruise Lines from Chesapeake Shipbuilding. The delivery ceremony was attended by Charles B. Robertson (ACL's CEO and President).

On May 3, 2023, ACL officially announced dual naming ceremonies for American Jazz (on the Snake River) and American Serenade (on the Mississippi River). American Jazz was christened by godmother Stacia L. Morfin (CEO of Nez Perce Tourism) in Clarkston, WA, while the 2023-built American Serenade was named by Julia Letlow (Representative for Louisiana's 5th Congressional District) in Vidalia, Louisiana. Both events were attended by passengers and crew, as well as ACL executives and VIP guests, including state and local officials.