By
Alex Smith |
American Cruise Lines has officially named two of the new riverboats set to join its fleet: American Beauty, which will begin sailing the Mississippi River in September 2028, and American Rhapsody, which will debut on the Columbia and Snake Rivers in 2029.
Both ships are being built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland, and will become the 29th and 30th vessels in American Cruise Lines' fleet. They join the line's modern American Riverboat series, which began in 2018 with the debut of American Song and has continued to expand, most recently with American Encore, which entered service in May 2026.
American Beauty and American Rhapsody will each accommodate 180 guests across six decks, with 100 per cent private balcony accommodations including Singles and Suites. Both ships will include the line's newest cabin category, a 1,500-square-foot Signature Suite.
Onboard, the riverboats will feature a top-deck lounge with a walking track, a chart room, a main restaurant, a casual café and a large fitness centre.
American Beauty will operate the line's eight-day ‘Upper Mississippi River’ cruises between St Louis, Missouri, and St Paul, Minnesota, before shifting later in the season to eight-day ‘Gulf Coast’ cruises between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Pensacola, Florida. American Rhapsody will sail nine-day ‘Columbia & Snake Rivers’ cruises between Portland, Oregon, and Clarkston, Washington, when it debuts in 2029.
The pair follow three other American Riverboats already announced: American Anthem, due to launch in April 2027; American Grace, due in April 2028; and American Encore, which debuted in early 2026. American Cruise Lines is currently adding new ships to its fleet at a rate of three per year.