American Cruise Lines Latest Topics

Any word from ACL on March cruises?

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 12:06:37 +0000

The ACL website show Historic South cruises starting on March 13th and Mississippi River Cruises starting on March 21st. Is anyone booked on these March cruises and have they had any updates from ACL ? Are the cruises happening and if “yes”, have they told you of any changes (like port changes), special requirements other than those shown on the website?

Tables for Two at Dinner?

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 00:59:23 +0000

My wife and I have been on nearly thirty ocean cruises on quite a few different lines, and have always been able to get a table for two at dinner, either by pre-cruise reservation or by requesting one onboard. I've looked at all the American Cruise Line deck plans, and the restaurants all seem to show tables of four or more. Am I correct that there are no tables for two?

Freezing South

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 04:57:49 +0000

I hope all who have been dealing with freezing temps, power outages,frozen pipes are safe and warm. I’m in Houston area it has been challenging. Random power outages that are from a couple of hours to days, I think are behind us. We have a hard freeze again tonight and Friday then hopefully it will be over.

Constellation Class Cabins

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 19:22:31 +0000

Do any of the cabins have mini refrigs? Is there storage in the bathrooms in the cabins?. It seems like the AAL and AAC are the same size are are just on different decks. The AAM are listed as 18 sq ft larger.

Any cabins to avoid?

Thanks for the info.

PRE-Travel covid testing

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 17:08:42 +0000

My next scheduled cruise is in April. I am anticipating need pre travel negative covid tests to be required. I am starting to stress out.
Just checking it appears pre- travel covid testing is pricey. I have seen prices from $150 - $350. I’m not sure I want to pay that.

Will also check with cruise line if test needed if have received vaccine.

April 13, 2021 Northwest Cruise

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 23:02:41 +0000

Is anyone else booked on the Constellation for the first cruise in the Northwest on April 13 (seven days Seattle to Seattle)? We are just a week from final payment and I can't decide whether to pay up or not. I really want to go and am willing put up with mask wearing, distancing, etc. but realistically don't expect the cruise to go. I hate to pay, have ACL cancel, and then have the wait and uncertainty involved in getting a refund.

I just spoke with ACL and they said the trip is still on and they were not extending final payment date. He said that they were currently only concerned about shore excursions. Apparently they are still working on whether ports will allow shore excursions or passengers off the ship. They don't want to do a cruise where passengers cannot do excursions. I didn't ask about vaccines and covid testing. Before committing I would like to know what their current plans and requirements are for passengers and crew.

Thoughts, comments??? Have you made your final payment? Thanks.

Where are the ships???

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 21:44:54 +0000

Sitting here hoping my April ACL cruise happens and Covid won't cancel it (again). So, with lots of free time I decided to look for the ACL ships online (Marine Traffic website) Here is where most of their ships are docked. It looks like most have been docked since June or July.

American Star -Brunswick, GA
Independence - Brunswick, GA
American Spirit - Tacoma, WA
American Constellation - Tacoma, WA
Queen of Mississippi - New Orleans
Queen of the West - Astoria, OR
American Pride - Astoria, OR
American Song - Astoria, OR
American Harmony - New Orleans
American Jazz - New Orleans

A few of the ships didn't pop-up on the website

CDC and American Cruise Line

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 21:13:55 +0000

This may be a stupid question but does any one know if American Cruise line is subject to the same CDC rules that the big cruise lines are following? I thought I heard or read that because of the size of the ships and number of passengers onboard they were not under the same protocols. Anybody have knowledge of such a thing? Perhaps I was having another senior moment...

New to river cruising

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 20:48:18 +0000

We are new to river cruising but not to big ship cruising. We completed our 21st cruise a couple years ago. It is beginning to look like it will be several months before the larger lines will start back up--if at all in 2021. That is the reason we are thinking about a river cruise with ACS. I think we are looking at a Nashville to Memphis itinerary cruise in August on the Jazz.

Having never taken a river cruise, we don't know what to expect. Teresia and I are hoping that some of you folks can give us some first hand accounts of your experiences with ACS. I think that one of our biggest fears is not having as many activities as the larger ships do. I guess the cruise experience is much different on a river cruise. That being said, my mobility is getting worse and big ships are becoming more of a challenge. I do use a collapsible travel scooter part of the time but I don't believe that would be an issue on the Jazz---but I don't know.

We would appreciate some insight into your experiences and recommendations on making the best of our cruise...

Ray & Teresia

Florida trip cancelled

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 03:42:54 +0000

Well, won't get to experience ACL Star this spring. 🙁 TA phoned this morning to say the March 5 sailing was cancelled but they were offering one on March 27 if wanted to change to that. Said, "Sure!" Three hours later he calls to say they decided not to do that itinerary again until November. Already have plans for summer and fall trips so that wouldn't work.

Their credit offers were only good for sailings in 2021 so was unable to take them up on anything except refund. Saddens me since really anxious to go somewhere and wanted to see how we liked ACL. Maybe in the future......

Third Person in Cabin - Jazz?

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 19:27:59 +0000

Does anyone know if we can put a third person in one of the regular balcony cabins?

thanks,

Marc

Eagle Society Cruises

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 13:59:04 +0000

Hi All,

We just received the brochure for the 2021-2022 Eagle Society Cruises. Anyone here planning on doing any of these itineraries?

NRayH

Sure Has Been Quiet Here -- Lately

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 12:43:36 +0000

Hi All,

How are things progressing (regressing ?) in your cruise-world?

This "Wait and See" mode is getting tiring for us here. Two cruises on the books for 2021 (May and September) and hoping to add a December 2021 itinerary. This "Wait and See" mode is understandable, but still getting to be somewhat "old".

Stay safe, and smart. Hopefully we will meet aboard a ship someday "soon" (he says -- somewhat hopefully"

NRayH

Social Security Scam

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 21:31:41 +0000

Just a warning for everyone. I received 3 calls from similar numbers // very similar to mine. The recording said fraudulent activity in South Texas, was found with my SSN. I hung up all calls. You can report the calls to OIG.SSA.GOV and complete the form.

New ACL pricing

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 01:28:18 +0000

I decided to check on my scheduled cruise in April. Im hoping it is an error but my April cruise pricing has doubled . It is a 7 night cruise and is now listing for $12;000 per person. I’m okay for upcoming cruise, we are set at rates from last summer. I hope and pray it is an an error.

American Cruise Lines Cancelled our Cruise and Kept our Money

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 16:41:32 +0000

My wife and I booked a cruise on American Cruise Lines to celebrate our 50^th Wedding Anniversary. We paid $15,840.00 for an American Revolution Cruise that was to depart April 11, 2020. We have never spent this amount of money for a cruise and had been saving for this special occasion.

American Cruise Lines cancelled the cruise and kept our money. We contacted them with no success. We engaged a highly regarded law firm to assist us but American Cruise lines stone walled them and dragged the process out so we incurred even more legal fees. We spent an additional $5,644.08 in attorney fees in an effort to get our money back.

Our attorneys advised us we had a solid legal case but that the additional costs of filing suit would be more than the money we already lost.

American Cruise Lines is not a reputable company. They kept our money and refused our rightful refund knowing that legal costs to pursue the case would make filing a suit against them unlikely.

Do Not Do Business with American Cruise Lines. They do not respect or value their customers and treat them terribly. Do Not Trust Them!

What are you doing to be ready for 2021 cruise season?

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 17:35:06 +0000

I am going to find the better me. Last cruise I am ashamed to say I was one of biggest cruisers. My goal is to get to my weight when I was 50 (lose 75). Not sure if I will be able to do it by April 13 cruise but should be close. Short term goal is 5 lbs a month. By end of October should be at halfway point. I walk every morning have gone from slooow mile to moderate 2.5 miles. ***Don't forget to get your annual flu shot and save the receipt/ record — might need it for next cruise.

Columbia and Snake River ?

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 23:02:55 +0000

I apologize if this has already been addressed....new to this cruise line. We are thinking of cruising, early Fall, on the Snake River. Any word on the departure port? of if this is going to happen? Thank you

Eagle Society Cruise

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 19:35:36 +0000

Our Alaska Explorer cruise next summer is now labeled as "Eagle Society Cruise" on ACL website. Doanes anyone know what might be different? I cannot find info on their website that describes anything different, or in doing a internet search.

Thanks for any info.

Passport renewal

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 16:22:25 +0000

Just saw on news about passport renewal delays.
I sent my passport for renewal in early March. ( at the beginning of covid) I got my new passport at the end of July (20 weeks later)

I didn’t have any need for the passport but was getting worried it was lost at the bottom of a large bin.
I live in Texas so application sent to Austin.

i can’t imagine what the back log is at this time. I was already planning on starting the process all over with a birth certificate.

i don’t know if it matters but I suggest taking pictures of your current passport prior to sending.

ACL website new format

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 19:17:31 +0000

The website has changed. One error is my PUGET sound cruise is listed as a themed cruise. Should be Tulip but listed as Cival
war.

American Star information

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 04:06:28 +0000

Can anyone help with information re: set up of bathroom on the Star? Have done tons of searches for this ship and there's not much. I can find a picture of cabins although am sure the web site shot showed when new, but not even a diagram of how bathrooms are arranged. Is is a regular bathroom with all facilities in one room or is the shower in a separate compartment from the toilet and sink or is it one of those wet rooms where just a curtain is pulled around and most everything gets wet?

Are there any suggestions or advice you could give about the Star? Have never traveled with ACL at all and know smaller ships can be quirky.

Thanks for any help!

ACL doing their best

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 17:05:18 +0000

I want to commend ACL doing there best for their cruisers. I like most others had my cruise cancelled x 2 this year. Had been scheduled to cruise Puget Sound which has been rescheduled for April next year. This cruise will be three generations myself, son and granddaughter. My son cruised last year with me and had a great time.

issue was that I had two cruises scheduled for 2021 already May 13 and September 11. Booked last year yes early but traveling solo and needed to book early to get a cabin. I knew when I booked the cruises that if circumstances changed and I needed to cancel I would forfeit $250. Since I don’t want to cruise so close together ( more an issue of leaving my dog then finances——yes my dog is spoiled rotten)

I had my travel agent cancel the May 13 cruise. To my surprise I will get all of my $500 deposit back. Half needs to be applied to upcoming cruise the other half will be mailed.

I am looking forward to having many more cruises with ACL. They have earned my loyalty.

Two ships on simultaneous itineraries -- how does that work?

Sun, 13 Sep 2020 16:34:54 +0000

Planning on taking the American Star on its Inland Passage trip (Baltimore to Jacksonville) next fall, but noticed that the American Independence does the same trip on exactly the same day (11/06/21). Checked the schedules for other trips, and discovered many duplications:

On 10/03/21, 10/09/21, 10/16/21, 10/23/21, 10/02/22, 10/08/22, 10/15/22, and 10/22/22, both the Star and the Independence start their Hudson River Fall Foliage cruises on the same day. And on three of these dates, they are joined by the Constitution as well.

On 10/31/21, both Star and Independence start their Chesapeake Bay cruises.

I have been to most of the ports on the Hudson River, Chesapeake Bay, and Inland Passage cruises, and many of those ports seem much too small to accommodate two ships. (Let alone three on the Hudson River, along with all those other cruise lines that will probably be doing the same thing.) How does ACL handle this? Does one ship raft up alongside the other, forcing passengers from the outer ship to clamber through the inner ship? (On Blount, had to do that at West Point once.) Does one ship stick to the advertised itinerary while the other one follows a very different itinerary? (That might work when starting and ending cities are the same, but don't see how that could work on Baltimore-to-Jacksonville trip.) Do we have to share bus rides with the other ship and hope we both fit in the same museums, etc.? Both ships look identical from a distance, and I can see us returning to the port and discovering we're walking toward the wrong ship!

Hopefully someone here can clue me in to what I'm missing here...

American Star New England Islands, July 13-20, 2019

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 01:13:23 +0000

American Cruise Lines Star from July 13 to 20, 2019
July 13: Ship did not convene an all passenger safety briefing and demo of life vest donning. We found a safety briefing on Channel 12 but this was not mentioned in the “Welcome Aboard” briefing. However, the mandatory safety briefing was annotated on the daily schedule, but the video did not indicate where life vest could be found (under bed) nor did it demonstrate the correct way to don the vests. (Possible violation of Coast Guard regulations?) Only topics covered by "Welcome Aboard" were brief introduction of department heads, shore excursion decisions that needed to be made, and a lecture to be presented at 4 PM that day to introduce ports on itinerary. However, the planned lecture was canceled because the ship did not have the necessary cable to connect their computer to their projector to support the lecturer’s PowerPoint slide show. At lunch, the server returned to tell wife that the brand of beer she ordered not available since it was not cold. The server returned to say that her second choice also was not available because it was not cold. When the third choice was delivered, so was the first choice, nicely cooled! Slow service in aft dining room for dinner; difficult to carry on a conversation because the ship was underway and noise from engine room below the dining room was too loud.
July 14: Stateroom not furnished with bath towels and bathroom night light was inoperable. Verbally reported both to service staff and were furnished bath towels, but no replacement night light. July 13 lecture was rescheduled at same time as shore excursion so we were unable to attend. Learned later that lecture presenter had to rely upon a passenger to advance his PowerPoint slides because the ship computer had only one operable USB port, which had to be used to connect to the projector. Dining service for breakfast, lunch and dinner was slow but conversation possible since ship was not underway. We did not have to check out or in when leaving the ship, a practice followed by every other cruise we have taken, whether a larger or smaller ship than the Star! Excellent program by Kerri Burrer and commercial fisherman on the working waterfront of New Bedford
July 15: Stateroom serviced but plastic disposable cups were removed but not replenished. Wash cloths removed but not replaced. Obtained both from service staff during the afternoon. Verbally reported inoperable night light again, but no replacement. Slow service in aft dining room; difficult to carry on conversation because ship was underway and noise from engine room below dining room too loud. Excellent evening entertainment by violinist Rebecca Laird and keyboardist Griffin McMahon with a good mix of pop and classical music.
July 16: Once again stateroom serviced but plastic disposable cups removed and not replenished. Reported night light again, but this time with a note on the bed before dinner. Dining service for breakfast, lunch and dinner slow but conversation possible since ship not underway. Good evening program by Mark Lovewell on sea shanties and stories with passenger participation.
July 17: Dining service for breakfast, lunch and dinner slow. Conversation difficult for breakfast since ship was underway. Submitted mid-week evaluation for ship with the above concerns noted. A new night light was in bathroom after dinner. Chose not to attend evening entertainment of Bingo.
July 18: Dining room service noticeably improved with replacement of dining room manager this morning. Told by activities director during breakfast that we would not be making scheduled port docking in Newport due to high winds. We were to dock in Fall River, MA and we would be transported to Newport for the scheduled shore excursion. Ship captain came over PA later to announce the port docking in Newport cancelled due to regatta in Newport. (Surely our docking reservation was made in advance of this regatta and the regatta was not planned overnight. Unclear why activities director was misinformed.) Transportation to Newport was an uncomfortable tourist trolley ride 55 minutes one way to Newport and 55 minutes back, absorbing most of the planned 3 hour shore excursion. Excellent evening of live local music by Don Pride Duo.
July 19: For morning lecture, to preclude having lecturer once again use a passenger to advance slides, husband furnished his computer with working USB ports that allowed lecturer to use remote slide control. Outstanding Lobsterbake Luncheon. Good evening entertainment by Blurred Vision Band.
July 20: Ship handled baggage well for disembarkation and taxi was available 15 minutes earlier than requested.
General: Ship not cleaned well, with boxes frequently cluttering first deck passageway to dining room and no sign that emerging rust was being addressed.

We have done many cruises on rivers in the US and Europe and Mediterranean. I certify that this review is my genuine opinion of this cruise and all tour operators/guides/businesses in ports of call. I have no personal or business affiliation with any establishment, and have not been offered any incentive or payment originating from any of these businesses to write this review”.