American Cruise Lines, one of the largest U.S. river cruise companies is building a fleet of sleek new European-style ships, dropping the 1830s paddle-wheel look of most U.S. riverboats, such as the one below.
The first of the new line, American Song, seen at top, will enter service after Fall 2018, featuring cabins for 190, all with balconies, and two glass-topped atriums. Charles Robertson, the line's owner, told CruiseCritic earlier this year that the new design is based on passenger requests who have sailed on Europe's sleeker-looking ships.
It's not as big a changes as one might think: The paddlewheels on American river ships are only design elements, like the trolley-car style bodies on tourist trams. The new ships will carry about the same number of passengers as their European cousins, but have much larger cabins, since the ships don't have to be built for the low bridges and narrow locks of the Rhine, Danube and others.
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