American Cruise Lines announced  that construction has begun on American Legend, the 4th new Coastal Cat in the company’s Project Blue series. First announced in January 2022, the Project Blue series is a set of 12 small ships designed to sail almost any domestic cruise itinerary. The 100-guest American Legend is built for coastal operation and features the innovative new hull design that is a hallmark of the series. All American’s new Coastal Cats are being built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD.

The first 3 ships in the series, American Eagle, American Glory, and American Liberty are scheduled to begin sailing in the next twelve months. American Legend will begin cruising the U.S. in late 2024, and is the 19th new small ship in American’s fleet.

American Cruise Lines has grown substantially in the past several years and has led the resurgence of the river cruise market here in the U.S.A. In just the past 5 years, the company has nearly tripled its fleet by introducing innovative new small ships. The company is the only cruise line in the world to operate a 100% U.S. flagged fleet of both riverboats and small cruise ships, and the only cruise line in the country to offer 100% U.S. itineraries along both rivers and coasts.

American Legend, like its sister ships, will feature many amenities including 56 staterooms and suites, each with a furnished private balcony. The nimble go-anywhere ship will also offer spacious lounges inside and out, an open-air top deck for spectacular views, and multiple dining venues. The ship’s unique hull form also allows for a wide activity platform at the stern, equipped with kayaks and a large tender for in-depth adventure directly from the ship.

To take a virtual tour of American Legend and all American Cruise Lines’ small ships, please visit the company’s website, and explore under the “Ships” tab.

A virtual 360-degree tour of American’s new series of Coastal Cats is also available here: American Cruise Lines Virtual Coastal Cat Tour: