If you love the thought of traveling over beautiful bluish green water with fresh ocean air blowing through your hair as you visit an entirely new destination each day, then a harbor cruise may be just for you. American Cruise Lines offers a sweet package on eight different harbor and coast cruises from the quaint cities that dot Maine’s harbors to the great rivers lining the Florida coast.
American Cruise Lines is best known for their intricate array of shore excursions along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Guests rave about the onboard experience as it is as delightful as the harbor visits themselves, due mainly to the crew’s high standards of treating passengers like they are royalty. The activities are designed to enlighten passengers about the areas that are visited, giving them a full feel of the culture and history of each harbor tour.
American Cruise Lines provides an outstanding adventure for cruise lovers to experience a multitude of fascinating destinations unreachable by larger, conventional cruise ships. The harbor cruises are even more enriched due to educated onboard lecturers, naturalists, and visits from local experts. The smaller ship offers passengers a relaxed atmosphere, along with a casual environment, and the opportunity to be a part of an historic adventure that offers natural East Coast wonders that are otherwise left unseen by the human eye.
The dining is exceptional as chefs from top culinary schools prepare cuisine that embodies the local region at each stop-over. Fresh seafood, quality produce, and unique entrees are all a part of the menu that gives guests a taste of the area that they are visiting. Each region has its own specialty, so guests are offered an array of the finest food on the eastern seaboard that is expertly handled, and later served by a wait staff that will leave you feeling pampered.
Historic Antebellum South Cruise
A favorite shore excursion for history buffs is the Historic Antebellum South cruise that takes passengers from Charleston, South Carolina to Amelia Island in the Jacksonville, Florida area. The first day of the cruise starts with docking at a live museum that offers real scenes of major Revolutionary War naval battles, and Civil war sieges as you stroll along the banks of the tranquil Ashley River. Sights further enjoyed are the gas lit lamps and cobblestone streets that welcome you to the city that is best known as the site where the Civil War began.
The New England Islands-Rhode Island Cruise
This leisure cruise will put you straight into a nautical mood with the fresh smell of seafood wafting through the air at each harbor. Starting at Providence, RI, you will be enticed by the many seafood shacks that offer visitors the latest catch of the day as you take in the fascinating scenery of immaculate examples of Colonial, Federal, Greek revival and Victorian architecture that makes Providence the picturesque city that it is known for. Your cruise comes to a close with a warm stroll along the Mohegan Bluffs that features the Southeast Lighthouse, located along the scenic southern shore of the island.
The Maine Coast & Harbor Cruise
A popular choice for harbor hopping simply due to the charming fishing villages, protected coves, and secluded inlets that offers the surprise of beauty at every stop. From Bucksport, Maine to Bangor, there is something for everyone to enjoy along the harbor stops. Frolicking wildlife in an unspoiled habitat, fine architecture, ship building, unique galleries, abundant succulent lobster and ocean vistas are only a few of the offerings that you will find along the way.
Chesapeake Bay Cruise
Colonial American history is the highlight on the Chesapeake Bay cruise as richly preserved ports invite you to mingle with the locals and take in the history while enjoying the huge variety of architectural styles that embellish each and every harbor. Your trip begins by exploring the ships and the cobbled streets of the charming waterfront Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland.
You will next be taken back in time at Yorktown/Williamsburg with the recreated Continental Army encampments and restored homes from the 1700’s. The finale of the cruise is Annapolis, Maryland where you can enjoy the finest legendary Chesapeake Bay cuisine while taking in the Colonial American history and charming waterfront shops.
Hudson River Cruise
From the end of September through the month of October you can hop aboard the cruise ship and enjoy a cruise along the Hudson River. Starting at New York, New York you will visit the West Point Naval Academy in Catskill, followed by a trip to Albany and Sleepy Hollow. During your harbor stops you can enjoy the life works of one of the country’s first great writers, Washington Irving. The author found inspiration in the tales and scenery of the Hudson Valley as the basis for “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” Your last stop will bring you to the architectural beauty of some of New York’s most prized monuments. From Central Park to the Museum of Natural History, the city’s biggest landmarks will not disappoint anyone that enjoys exquisitely designed art.
The Great Rivers of Florida Cruise
Cruising on the Great Rivers of Florida will bring you in contact with spectacular wildlife, history at its finest, and some of the most beautiful quart beaches and rolling sand dunes that you have ever laid eyes on. Palatka, Florida was once known as the “Gem of the St. Johns”, as it attracted America’s rich and famous after the Civil War. It is now brimming with history, along with the Ravine Gardens State Park which is truly dazzling to view with the thousands of azaleas and camellias in winter bloom.
The cruise leads passengers to fresh seafood at each port and will lead you directly into America’s oldest surviving European settlement in St. Augustine, Florida. Amelia Island is the last adventure on the cruise, but certainly not the least when it comes to architecture, scenery, dining, and calm waterways. The stunning Island is filled with a treasure trove of history, antiques, and collectibles just a brief walk from your cruise ship.
The Mid-Atlantic Inland Passage Cruise
This cruise comes highly recommended for anyone that wants to visit four states in just eight short days. This cruise begins in Baltimore, Maryland and ends at Charleston, South Carolina, and allows you to take in the sights of tall schooners in Virginia, while a few days later you will explore Georgian, Victorian and antebellum-style homes restored to their original grandeur in Wilmington, North Carolina.
East Coast Inland Passage Cruise
A spectacular fourteen day cruise that covers six beautiful states and their historical harbors that starts with the charming waterfront Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, and next leads you to the isolated island of Jeckyll Island, Georgia where the millionaires play. You will be mesmerized by the 240 acres of extravagant homes found on the island and later you can delight in the historical lush antebellum plantations that adorn St. Simons Island in Georgia.
The stop at Savannah, Georgia is quite possibly the highlight as passengers will be entertained with a narrated evening ghost walk at the heart of the Victorian district of the city. Visitors can then enjoy live music and southern cuisine on magnificent streets that seem to come alive at night with the bountiful festivities that take over the city. This Savannah bustling seaport is home to a renowned historic district that preserves its phenomenal 19th century wealth and opulence, and visitors simply love gracing its perimeters.
