MV American Patriot. Photo by American Cruise Lines.
GUILFORD, Conn. — Domestic U.S. Great Lakes cruises are now available. In response to guest demand, American Cruise Lines is proud to announce the debut of three Great Lakes itineraries for the 2026 cruise season. These brand-new cruises, sailing May through August 2026, will be operated aboard MV American Patriot, the newest small cruise ship in the country.
“Guests have long asked for our style of cruising on the Great Lakes,” said Charles B. Robertson, president & CEO of American Cruise Lines. “We are now proud to offer these cruises as only American can, aboard a new small ship sailing 100% domestically.”
This announcement marks the first time in decades that an American ship will offer domestic cruises in the growing Great Lakes cruise market. Without the need to cross borders, the new cruises are a completely unique experience apart from all other cruise lines currently on the Lakes. Where other ships dock at ports intended for foreign ships and international entry, American Cruise Lines can dock in the heart of small towns, city parks, and private marinas for an authentic and exclusive experience not available with any other cruise line.
American’s 2026 Great Lakes itineraries include a nine-day cruise visiting the Thousand Islands and Niagara Falls, while an additional nin-day itinerary highlights Lake Michigan, Green Bay inlet, and the Upper Peninsula. The line’s signature 14-Day cruise, dubbed the American Great Lakes, travels 800 miles through Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.
All cruises offer an included pre-cruise hotel stay and complimentary domestic airfare. Each itinerary is comprised of days filled with excursions in small towns, and time spent cruising the magnificent Lakes. All itineraries begin, end, and remain in the U.S., making a passport or international flight unnecessary for American travelers.
American Patriot is fully stabilized for smooth sailing and accommodates just 130 guests. The ship was built this year and is 243 feet long and 56 feet wide. It was built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md. for a cost of $4o million. The new ship features private balcony staterooms including suites, and singles available without supplement, plus many amenities like spacious lounges including a top deck lounge and walking track, a main restaurant with views from every seat, a casual café, chart room, fitness center, laundry room, and elevators to all decks.
American Cruise Lines also operates the Pearl Seas Cruises and its Marshall Islands-flagged vessel Pearl Mist, which also operates on the Great Lakes. American-flagged vessels such as American Patriot must have American citizen crews.
Ludington currently does not host cruise ships but efforts are underway to consider them in the future. Currently, Muskegon is the only port on the east shore of Lake Michigan that regularly hosts cruise ships. Holland has hosted the ships before and one cruise ship stopped in Traverse City last summer.
The Pearl Mist entering Muskegon channel earlier this summer.
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