American Cruise Lines Opens 2023 Season

American Cruise Lines will open its highly anticipated 2023 U.S. cruise season on February 18 when American Star departs from Florida.

The U.S. cruise line is celebrating its Wave Season launch by running more small ships from U.S. ports than ever before. This February will see American Cruise Lines sail two riverboats and two small ships along the East Coast from Florida and South Carolina, the West Coast from California, and the Mississippi River from Louisiana.

American Jazz will embark along a historic cruise from San Francisco on February 24. With an all-new eight-day San Francisco Bay itinerary, the vessel will be the first U.S. riverboat in more than 80 years to explore the San Francisco Bay and the California Delta, cruising Wine Country along the Napa, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Rivers. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, two of the line’s smallest cruise ships, the 90-passenger American Star and American Independence, set sail February 18 and 25, respectively.

American Star will begin the season along the company’s unusual eight-day Great Rivers of Florida cruise, sailing roundtrip from Jacksonville. American Independence will sail the popular eight-day Historic South & Golden Isles itinerary between Charleston, South Carolina and Amelia Island, Florida; exploring the Gold Coast along the protected picturesque Intracoastal Waterway.

Finally, the newly renovated American Heritage will set sail on the Mississippi River, following a classic eight-day Lower Mississippi itinerary from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Memphis, Tennessee departing February 25.

“2023 is poised to be the most exciting cruise season ever for American Cruise Lines. More small ships exploring in more states than ever before is the best way that I can think of to celebrate 50 years cruising America’s waterways,” Charles B. Robertson, President & CEO of American Cruise Lines, said in a statement. In all, American Cruise Lines offers five new riverboats and 11 itineraries on the Mississippi alone in 2023 and will operate 50-plus itineraries in 35 states this year.

American Cruise Line’s 2023 season will also include Chesapeake Bay cruises in March; Columbia & Snake Rivers cruises and Puget Sound cruises in April; New England cruises in May; Alaska cruises in June; Hudson River cruises in September, and Holiday cruises in November and December.