American Song Launched Seven Weeks Ahead of Schedule

American Cruise Lines has announced that it successfully launched its brand new riverboat American Song into the Wicomico River on Friday, November 17th. The first ship in the Line's highly anticipated Modern Riverboat Series, American Song has made a big splash—both in the water and the news. With its sleek modern design and state-of-the-art technical features, it sails past the competition and will be the finest ship available in U.S. river cruising.

Built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD; American Song is already 7 weeks ahead of schedule. Immediately after the launch, the ship was positioned in Chesapeake's East Outfitting Basin where it will receive its upper decks and outfitting. Chesapeake Shipbuilding has a long history of designing and building innovative new ships for American Cruise Lines. American Song embodies this tradition and will possess a host of superior technical advancements, revolutionary in the industry.

American Song has 5 decks, accommodates 190 passengers, and has 102 staterooms. The bow of American Song is designed to open, allowing a retractable rotating gangway to extend from the ship's main deck directly to a river bank or dock. The uniqueness of this advanced bow and nimble gangway gives the ship the ability to make "bow landings" wherever needed. This feature will give American Song an array of options for its itineraries unmatched by other ships. The new riverboat also employs a superior propulsion system; 2 Veth Propulsion Z-drives (supplied by Veth of the Netherlands). These 360-degree azimuthing forward and aft propellers give American Song total flexibility for docking and maneuvering. American Song is also equipped with 2 advanced main engines from Caterpillar. These twin, ultra-low-sulfur diesel engines require less fuel and produce lower emissions than other engines currently in use on the market. In all, American Song will be the most technically superior, efficient, and environmentally friendly ship in U.S. river cruising.

The Inaugural season aboard American Song will begin in Fall 2018 on the Mississippi River and will continue on the West Coast in 2019 for American Cruise Lines' magnificent Columbia and Snake River itineraries.

American Cruise Lines is the largest cruise line in the U.S. and the premiere leader in the industry. The Line has become the gold standard for cruising in the U.S. through a focus on ship innovation and a tradition of introducing only brand new ships. With two new vessels being introduced in 2018, the Line will operate 10 ships; the largest modern fleet of small cruise ships, modern riverboats, and authentic paddlewheelers in the country. With over 35 itineraries, the Line cruises along the rivers, as well as the coastal and inland waterways of the U.S. including New England, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the Mississippi River system, and the Southeast.

To learn more about American Cruise Lines and the 2018-2019 season on American Song, visit AmericanCruiseLines.com.

Image Courtesy of American Cruise Lines