Charles A Robertson News

American Glory, the second Coastal Cat in American Cruise Lines’ new series of 100-passenger ships, was christened in Key West, Fla. on Sunday. The ceremony took place at Mallory Square where the ship docks when visiting Key West along the company’s newest U.S. itinerary—Florida Gulf Coast & Keys cruises, operating roundtrip from St. Petersburg.Charles B. Robertson, President & CEO of American Cruise Lines, gave remarks and introduced American Glory’s Godmother, the Honorable Teri Johnston, Mayor of Key West.

American Cruise Lines’ newest Coastal Cat, American Glory, completed sea trials and has been delivered from Chesapeake Shipbuilding on-time as scheduled.The the 100-passenger small ship is the newest ship in American’s ongoing series of 12 new Coastal Cats for exploring U.S. waterways. Additional ships in the series are already under construction, with the next two scheduled for delivery in 2024. American Glory will sail its inaugural cruise on November 28 from Maryland to Florida…

American Cruise Lines on Wednesday announced Susan Shultz-Gelino, Vice President of Trade Relations, has retired after several decades with the company, and that Melissa Young has joined the company as Director of Business DevelopmentShultz-Gelino began her career in travel with American Cruise Lines in the 1980s. Among her many achievements, she established and led American’s sales department to record numbers through the company’s early years. Shultz-Gelino developed strong trade partnerships industry-wide and also established a growing team of Business Development Managers.

American Cruise Lines introduced its first new Coastal Cat, American Eagle, during a christening ceremony in at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy campus on Buzzards Bay last week.Carol Robertson, wife of American Cruise Lines’ founder the late Charles A. Robertson, served as godmother for the ship and christened the 100-passenger American Eagle with one of her handmade, ribbon-wrapped champagne bottles. The American Eagle is named after the first American Cruise Lines’ ship, which the couple launched in the 1970s.The ceremony began with remarks from Robertson…

In a canyon at the Idaho border and alongside a bayou in Louisiana, two nearly identical cruise ships were just christened. American Cruise Lines announced the christening of sister ships American Jazz and American Serenade, two of the lines’ six new riverboats.“The two christenings, one in a desert canyon and one on the bayou, show the incredible breadth of river cruise options in the USA,” said Charles B. Robertson, President & CEO, American Cruise Lines. “They also show the growth of American Cruise Lines and the range of places that we explore.

American Cruise Lines announced it will begin offering California cruises starting in 2023.The U.S. river and small ship coastal cruise line will offer a new eight-day round tris from San Francisco exploring the San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, the Napa River and the San Joaquin River, with stops in San Francisco, Napa, Vallejo, Stockton and Sacramento.“American continues to expand the possibilities for exceptional domestic small ship cruises across the country. Exploring this…

U.S. river and coastal cruise shipping company American Cruise Lines announced plans for 12 new identical sister ships that will more than double the nation’s current capacity for domestic coastal cruises.The new U.S.-built fleet, announced as part of ACL's newly revealed Project Blue expansion plan, will operate exclusively in the United States, with a focus on small towns and close-to-home adventures, the company said, adding that the hybrid catamarans have been designed to offer improved near-shore operating versatility.Charles B.

U.S.-based river and coastal cruise operator American Cruise Lines announced on Tuesday that it has signed contracts with Chesapeake Shipbuilding of Salisbury, Md., to build two more modern riverboats in 2022. The newbuilds will be the fifth and sixth in American Cruise Lines revolutionary modern series, first introduced in 2018. Both vessels are yet to be named and will follow the 2021 debuts of American Jazz and American Melody on the Mississippi River. American Cruise Lines has more than doubled in size since 2017.

American Cruise Lines announced it has taken delivery of a new riverboat from Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md.The 190-passenger American Jazz is the latest in American’s series of five new modern riverboats and will be added to the company’s fleet on the Mississippi River. American’s building plans have continued at full strength, despite this year’s pause in cruising.“American Jazz and the modern riverboats we currently have under construction demonstrate our commitment to leading the U.S. river cruise market by adding new small ships each year,” said Charles B.

American Cruise Lines announced that it will launch two additional modern riverboats for the 2021 season. Construction is already underway on the new riverboats and will ramp up as American Jazz, the Line’s third modern riverboat, is readied for its 2020 debut in New Orleans.The two riverboats coming next year will be sister ships to the American Harmony and American Jazz, but will feature new design elements that appeal to today’s discerning travelers. Further design enhancements…

Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp. said that Steven McGee, P.E. has joined the senior executive team as Director of Design and Engineering at Chesapeake Shipbuilding. With more than 20 years of engineering and maritime experience, McGee will oversee vessel design from preliminary conceptual design to complete Coast Guard and regulatory approvals. Chesapeake Shipbuilding currently has on staff five naval architects and 2 engineers. “McGee’s experience in various positions with the U.S.

Pearl Seas Cruises plans to launch a series of “cultural voyages” from the United States to Cuba beginning in the spring of 2016, the cruise line announced today. Offering 7- to 10-night voyages aboard the line’s newest vessel, the 210-passenger luxury ship Pearl Mist, the round trip voyage from South Florida will visit several Cuban ports including Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. Pearl Seas Cruises plans itineraries on both the Southern and Northern coasts of Cuba, featuring people-to-people cultural exchanges authorized under U.S. law to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Cruise Shipping Miami 2015 is gearing up to offer the most comprehensive and robust roster of panel discussions featuring the industry's most knowledgeable and experienced executives. The panels will be grouped under several broad themes based on industry trends during the four-day conference. The 31st edition of Cruise Shipping Miami is scheduled for March 16-19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Organized by UBM Connect, thematic topics include The Geography of Cruise Tourism, Safety and Ship Operations, Market Segments and Cruise Product Development. On Tuesday morning, March 17, the conference will open with the popular State of the Industry session. Participants in that plenary session will be announced in the coming weeks. This program may be subject to alterations and additions.

American Cruise Lines announces that the first authentic paddle-wheeler in 20 years will set off on first cruise after christening. “The christening of Queen of the Mississippi is a meaningful way to celebrate the official launch of American Cruise Lines service on the Mississippi River,” said Charles A. Robertson, president and CEO, American Cruise Lines. The christening in Nashville, will be performed by Phyllis Dale , a nationally-recognized travel agent and small-ship cruise expert. Then Queen of the Mississippi will set sail at full capacity on an eight-day voyage from Nashville to St.

American Cruise Lines announce plans for an upcoming travel agent portal, the first of many new features to be added to the company’s new website. ▪ Promotional/Marketing Tools – Letterhead shells, email blast archive, product PDFs, etc. “We highly value our travel agent partners and continuously aim to provide them with the best resources possible,” said Susan Shultz, Director of Sales for American Cruise Lines. “Dedicated entirely to agents, the new portal will allow them to both master and promote our products in a way that will maximize their selling ability.” Agents working with American Cruise Lines can typically earn between $1,000 and $2,300 per booking, depending on the selected stateroom and itinerary.

American Cruise Lines announced that, on March 18, the Queen of the Mississippi left the pier at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland, for its first sea trial. The vessel performed perfectly, as the huge paddlewheel churned the water and onlookers lined the riverbanks to watch. “The Queen of the Mississippi sets a new standard in river cruising and raises the bar for grand travel on the Mississippi River,” said Charles A. Robertson, President of American Cruise Lines. Robertson also revealed that the new riverboat is slightly faster than expected and is now nine weeks ahead of schedule. The Queen of the Mississippi will be completed in May with its inaugural cruise scheduled for August 11, 2012, from New Orleans to Memphis.