We went on the Grand New England Cruise offered by American Cruise Lines and enjoyed it very much. The Lobster Bake in Rockland, ME was wonderful...from music to our lobster. In fact, we found every port interesting especially visiting the Portland, ME Lighthouse, and the excursions we signed up for (Lobster and Lighthouse in Camden, ME and Schooner Sail in Gloucester, MA). We found the ship and our stateroom very clean. Weather made it impossible to tender at Bar Harbor, but safety of passengers should be the main concern which it was. The food was delicious and we were thrilled with all the seafood offered. The waitstaff, for the most part, was excellent. The crew was very friendly and attentive especially our Cruise Director. We also enjoyed the on board Historian. This was our first cruise experience and would go again with American Cruise Lines. We met some wonderful people and will have great memories. Read Less

This was my first small cruise, determined not to go on a ship with a thousand other people. Overall I found it relaxing. However, though I had anticipated a small single cabin as not being very large, to call it small would be an understatement. What was particularly galling was the ship I was told, was designed for 80 persons and many of the double cabins were empty, as there were only 38 passengers on board. I could easily have been upgraded along with the other singletons to a larger cabin. The Ac was very noisy and erratic. My sleep was constantly disturbed. For this reasons regarding the cabin I would not go on another Blount cruise. Furnishings in the room were a bit shabby. Most of the other passenger were pleasant and friendly, except for one or two who expressed their right-wing opinions loudly. One could sit with different people at meals. Food was served plated and there was always two choices, including fish,for dinner. We had fresh lobster twice. The kitchen was always willing to make accommodations for me as I am pescatarian. Over all the food was very good. One could bring your own tipple on board and wine and beer were served at lunch and dinner at no extra cost. Excursions were very overpriced. All in all, was a bit expensive for what was provided cabin wise. Read Less

We just returned from an 11 day American Cruise Lines cruise of New England. Overall this is an average cruise with a very above average price. There were both pros and cons: Pros: 1. The food was excellent, although the selection was quite limited. 2. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We got to know two staff people in the dining room and enjoyed interacting with them (Ike and Marquita). They provided very good service. Some of the other dining staff were not as engaging or as talented, as in all cruise ships. 3. The Cruise Director and her direct report were very accommodating to me to provide me with Wifi service on our cruise, they let me use an I-Phone from the ship to use as a "hot spot" source for Wifi. This was above and beyond the call of duty to help correct a serious flaw in American Cruise Lines Wifi issues. (see below). 4. Overall the ship was clean. 5. The stops on the cruise were nice. We had not been to New England before so it was enjoyable seeing this part of the country. Cons: 1. The Wifi is a serious problem on American Cruise Line ships. This ship is only a year old so this should not be an issue, but it is. Its understandable to have sketchy Wifi access when out at sea, but this problem persisted when we were in port. I was unable to download email or access websites despite my phone and laptop stating that I was connected. In talking with the crew this is a known problem that has not been corrected yet. This is serious flaw for those who need dependable Wifi on their trip. 2. The clientele on this cruise line is VERY elderly. I would estimate that the average age on our cruise was in the low 80's. Most of the passengers were very friendly and it was nice to get to know some of them, but it really felt like we were vacationing in an elderly retirement community. A large number of folks were unable to ambulate easily with many using canes and some with walkers or motorized carts. This was a factor in the tours we went on. It took a fair bit of additional time for people to get on and off tour buses as you can imagine. There were some who had difficulty understanding basic instructions related to the tours. We are in our 50's and throughout the cruise we were identified as the "youngsters"! I think its great that these folks are getting out and enjoying life and I say more power to them, but I'm looking for a different environment for our vacationing. 3. The entertainment was average, I think mainly due to the clientele the cruise line is catering to. 4. Although the ship was clean overall, our stateroom had some issues. The bathroom had a urine smell. There was half a cookie on the carpeted floor with associated crumbs that was left under the desk. There were some small paper wrappers on the floor that were left. At this price range this was unexpected. 5. The dining area is cramped. There are 8 people at the majority of tables, which is a bit overcrowded for the table size. You are unable to eat a meal with just you and your spouse. This can be enjoyable or not depending on who sits with you since its open seating. I noted that in their official pictures the tables show 6 places at each table, this is inaccurate. 6. This is an expensive cruise line. Our 11 day cruise up the New England coast with a one night stay in Boston before the cruise cost around $18,000. We opted for the pre-cruise package in Boston which cost us $900. This is not worth it. Its one night at the Four Seasons, breakfast, a 90 minute bus tour of Boston, and dropping you off at the ship. It was nice, but very overpriced. 7. The tours are very sedentary, pretty much all bus tours. There is opportunity in several of the ports to explore on your own, but again, its an older crowd that this trip is geared toward. 8. The ship had an exercise room but all it contained were a couple of free weights and a few recumbent exercise bikes. In summary, overall it was nice seeing New England, but we would not use American Cruise Lines again. Read Less

We love the "small ship" experience of American Cruise Lines and selected this 11 day Grand New England cruise for the wonderful scenery, food, and ports. Two special highlights - the lobster roast picnic in Rockland, ME at the Sail Power and Steam Museum, and the sail on the Schooner Lannon in Gloucester, MA. The new ship the Constitution was lovely but seemed very crowded. Staff had to conduct Cocktail Hour in both lounges and it was still difficult to get a drink and find a place to sit. Dining room was crowded and noisy. Not everyone could be accomodated on all of the shore excursions they wanted to take. This is the largest ship American has built so far - we had to take the tender in 4 of the ports which really cut into touring and sightseeing time. Was this because the ship was too big to dock at the smaller ports? The food was excellent for the most part with a few misses, and the service was pretty good in the dining room most of the time. Wine is included at lunch and dinner, but American serves very low end inexpensive wines. They are now offering room service breakfast and an additional cocktail time after dinner - I guess to make it feel like a more luxury line - but I feel you still choose American for the small intimate ships and opportunity to see the smaller ports, and this trip did not deliver as successfully as other trips. Some of the staff - Guest Services Coordinator, Assistant Hotel Manager to mention two of them - were especially gracious, and we did book another trip on American. It will be our 14th to clearly there is much to love about this cruise line. We long for the older ships - the 50 passenger Eagle and Glory - but I guess American just can't make a profit with a ship that size. Read Less

Not since our first four-day cruise in 1985 on the Star Ship Royal in the wake of a hurricane have we been more disappointed. We have traveled all over the world on many different cruise lines but have never been more disappointed than in American Cruise Lines. The cruise experience with American did not have the value we expected for the price we paid. This was our first experience with American and for now we will return to our favorite cruise lines where service and value is foremost. We booked one of the Owner Suites because the American advertisement stated they were up to 450SF and had a “Full-Size Bathroom.” I should have been suspect when I could not find a single picture of their Full-Size Bathroom. Now I know why no pictures. It was literally three steps by five steps (size 11 shoe) and a shower at the end with a door that could not be closed for use unless you were in the shower! My picture is attached for future buyers. I hate to think what the size of the bathrooms were in all the room categories below the owner suite. We took the pre-hotel package at the Battery Warf hotel in Boston. It was adequate and located just outside the North End areas. The transfers to the ship the next morning where well organized and fortunately arrived at the pier after a thunderstorm. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for disembarkation. American docks on Pier 8 in Charlestown. There is no cover between the parking lot and the 100-yard walk along the pier to the ship. The morning of disembarkation we had torrential rain and got soaked making the walk to the parking lot where our luggage was under a kitchen fly tent getting wet with blowing rain. It took two days for some items to dry out! The dining experience was disappointing. The serving staff could not take and deliver an order without multiple errors. My wife has a food allergy and tried ordering meals not specified on the meal option card as available. She got totally frustrated with what was delivered for her meals. The food portions were small, and I didn’t think one could get prime rib ¼ of inch thick—but I was wrong. The way we got great meals was to eat lunch off the ship and select some of the best seafood restaurants in out port of calls. Thanks Miss Google! We never saw the captain introduced himself during any of the functions/meals. Did not see much of him about the ship (only 164 passengers on board) and after he blew the docking at Martha’s Vineyard and we had to go to an alternate port (New Bedford) we did not see him again. The day after New Bedford there was a different captain onboard the ship until we returned to Boston! The good part about the experience was the neat New England ports we visited along the way. The included shore excursions options were educational and the optional ones we bought were priced reasonably. A plus. Of the ten evenings, the entertainment was good for four or five nights. Local talent got on the ship, entertain and then departed. The other nights we departed the area after a few minutes. The resident local expert on board provided good insight into the region. There were basically no other activities. The workout area was a total loser. The low ceiling would not allow treadmills or elliptical devices. All that was there were variants of incumbent bikes. They did learn a lesson from earlier reviews and did not run out of food during the pre-diner “happy hour.” Some evenings they had nice choices. In summary, the cruise experience with American did not have the value we expected for the price we paid. This was our first experience with American and for now we will return to our favorite cruise lines where service and value is foremost. Read Less

Wish we could have seen cruise critic reviews before we booked in Dec 2017. We wanted to see New England, particularly Maine, and thought we would splurge for a relaxing, enjoyable experience. $25,000 later we found we had made a huge mistake; worst money we have ever spent! I've waited over 2 months to write my review because I was so mad I thought my initial comments might not be fair. Sorry time hasn't made it any better. Some of the blame is on us but we were out and out lied to and their advertising certainly stretches reality. Shared all of the following comments with american Cruise Line in their post cruise survey and didn't even get a response. Pre trip- We asked about the mix of travelers in terms of ages and were told that it would be widely varied. Yeah as long as the variation was late 60's and older. We are in our younger 60's and were told by a number of guests they were surprised to see someone so young on the cruise. Not anything wrong with a mature group; just not what was advertised. Also, we specifically asked if there were any tenders to shore or if we would be docked. Told that here were no tenders. Frankly I don't think the telephone sales person knew what a tender was but who cares as long as they get the sale, right? More ports have tenders than docks. Specifically asked what resort casual clothing meant and was told the men would feel most comfortable in a jacket at dinner. Seriously, I asked. Was then told really just no t-shirts at dinner. Saw sleeveless undershirt and cut-off jeans at dinner first night. Wouldn't have cared but set a realistic expectation ahead of time so everyone feels comfortable and can pack accordingly. Service- We were told onboard that American Cruise Lines hires young people for one 12-16 week term and they can't return unless promoted. This creates constant turnover. While most are very pleasant and want to please they are not properly trained. The person cleaning our cabin had never cleaned before and after 4 days we had to tell him that he should be cleaning the toilet. He thanked us as nothing was explained to him when he started the day before the cruise. Our dining room server had never been a server before and had no idea what to do. etc., etc., .... Our linens were not changed for an entire 10 day cruise. At a premium price we expect more. Dining- Food was very average at best. First morning ordered eggs over medium and after 3 tries and 45 minutes later gave up on getting eggs that weren't still raw. For many menu items, descriptions did not resemble the actual food served. There were supposed to be 2 dinner seatings but it was reduced to only one. It appeared that the favorite food selection was the large platter of prunes each morning at breakfast that was refilled several times each morning. Entertainment- "Late night" cocktail hour was literally at 8:15 p.m. Always ran out of appetizers at pre dinner cocktail hour. Ship- Brand new ship but no work out facilities to speak of and wi-fi didn't work the entire trip thought it is advertised. Told by ship employee that it never works. Ship decor is dated even though it is a new ship though it might be to the liking of the typical older guest Read Less

Grand New England Coastal Cruise 2018 July 21 – August 2 ~~~My Trip to Boston, July 21st~~~ Since my nonstop American Airlines flight to Boston was not until 1:50 pm, SuperShuttle picked me up around 11 am, a few minutes early. Being a Saturday morning I expected the traffic to LAX would be light. So much for expectations, the traffic was unusually heavy with periods of stop and go on the I 405 freeway, but we finally arrived at Terminal 5 at 12:30 pm, plenty of time for my TSA Pre-check through security. Everything appeared normal with our boarding right on time and pullback, and we were soon zooming down the runway. But then there was a loud bump and the captain powered down the aircraft, returning us back to the terminal. Apparently there had been an indication that a door was open. After some time of seeing mechanics going back and forth down the aisles, we were requested to depart the aircraft. Shortly it was announced that there would be a change in aircraft and departure gate to 40B in Terminal 4, a fair walk down the connecting tunnel from Terminal 5. Once there we were met with a series of delays: new aircraft had not yet arrived, then the new aircraft had not finished being cleaned, and then a further wait for the catering to be completed. Finally at 4:30 pm, we were allowed to reboard our new aircraft, again waiting for pullback and departure. Then around 5 pm, over THREE HOURS LATE, we took off for Boston. I was expecting a rather bumpy ride over the Midwest with all of the storms present, but it turned out to be a rather smooth flight, arriving in Boston at 2 am instead of the scheduled 10:23 pm arrival. Luckily my luggage had survived the plane change and turned up on the carrousel shortly. After figuring out just where to get a taxi to my hotel, The Constitution Inn in Charlestown, I was on my way in the first available one, the driver of which knowing exactly where to go, and by 3 am I was comfortably settled in my room, #616. I had emailed The Inn about my possible late arrival and that had caused no problem, so I soon found my bed - actually only midnight at home! Needless to say, I slept well! Sunday I had made no plans except to have dinner at a nearby restaurant, the Navy Yard Bistro, which I had found on the Internet. Also I had chosen The Constitution Inn because of its close proximity to Pier 8, the location of the American Constitution ship’s docking on Monday morning, close enough to just drag my luggage the three blocks to the ship for check in. Rising about 10 am I decided to go out exploring to find the Tedeschi’s Deli, also nearby and found on the Internet. It turned out to be just around the corner from the Navy Yard Bistro, but had been acquired by 7-11 and now named TD’s Deli. Hungry, I ordered a freshly made steak and cheese sandwich which was delicious, enjoyed back in my room at The Constitution Inn. Starting off on the rainy side, the afternoon cleared to beautiful sunshine and when I returned down the street to the Navy Yard Bistro for dinner at around 6:30 pm, I decided to choose one of the tables out front and the atmosphere was absolutely delightful! The pedestrian street connecting the Navy Yard Bistro to The Constitution Inn is cobble-stoned and covered by a canopy of huge trees. A most pleasant place to dine! My menu selection was Ancho Chile & Coffee Braised Short Ribs - DELICIOUS! accompanied by a half bottle of Sauvignon Blanc wine; dessert was a fantastic Crème Brûlée. I thoroughly enjoyed my huge, delectable dinner, so much so that I asked to purchase one of monogrammed wine glasses, but was told to just take it! I was thrilled! Then it was back to my room and repacking for my departure the next morning, Monday. I slept VERY well that night! ~~~The American Constitution Cruise Ship, July 23rd~~~ Fearing an upcoming rain, I left The Constitution Inn this morning around 9:00 am, while it was still clear, to drag my luggage the three blocks to Pier 8, where I was met by an ACL crew who took my luggage the rest of the way down the pier to a waiting golf cart for the trip down the dock area to the ship: obviously I was the first aboard although that was no problem. Soon I was resting comfortably in the Chesapeake Lounge on Deck 3, just above my cabin 203, which was not yet ready for me. Sure enough, at 10:00 am, the rain came, but only a short shower. Soon a staff member brought out a table full of goodies: cheeses, crackers, tiny muffins - SO good! - as well as a rum punch which was true to its name. Then about 11:00 am we were told that our cabins were then available although luggage delivery would follow shortly. So an hour later I am nowalmost unpacked in my spacious stateroom for one, with a large picture window, and just answered a rap on my door. It was Dakota, one of the ship’s managers, with a gifted bottle of wine - Clos du Bois chardonnay from Patric, my friend and travel agent. It was quite a surprise! And a pleasant one at that! Thank you Patric so VERY much!!! I am enjoying a glass as I speak. Normally check in isn’t until 10:30 am but my very early arrival created no problem at all, AND I avoided the rain! Lunch was served at 12:30 pm, the customary time, and the ship had almost filled to capacity. Tables are set for 4 or 6 and everyone aboard is seated at one time. Servers are, in general, college students and have been well trained by ACL. Wine and beer are offered complimentary at lunch and at dinner, and if the wine offered is not to one’s liking, then another will be found! Afterwards I returned to my comfortable room #203 to rest - until Happy Hour from 5:30 pm ‘til 6:30 pm, our dinnertime. Happy Hour is quite an occasion with an open bar serving whatever your heart desires, along with a table loaded with delectable goodies; servers circle the Chesapeake Lounge with trays of delicious hors d'oeuvres. Then it was time for dinner in the Main Restaurant. The menu offers a choice of soup or salad along with a selection of entrees from which to choose. Then comes dessert! Magnificent desserts! I have absolutely no complaints about the food served aboard! The ship departed right on schedule at 1:30 pm, next stop Portland, Maine. Due to the surrounding rain flurries, rather rough seas hindered our cruise during the night, largely because of the wind. I especially was affected since my stateroom was the second from the bow. ~~~Portland, Maine - July 24th~~~ A heavy fog as well as strong winds creating a rather bumpy ride from Charlestown, complicated our arrival at 10:30 pm on Monday, July 23rd in Portland. Being near the bow I got to hear the ship’s foghorn throughout the night and was relieved when we finally docked. I got very little sleep until then. Breakfast is served in the Dining Room from 7:30 am until 9:00 am, with an early breakfast offered in the Chesapeake Lounge at 6:30 am. When I arrived at 8:00 am, the Room was already full and I hunted for a place to sit. This would become a routine, selecting a seat in the Dining Room, often sitting with new acquaintances. People were generally very friendly and most had previously sailed with ACL before. Scheduled for the day was a Portland City Tour of 2 hours length, at 9:30 am, and again in the afternoon at 2:30 pm. I decided to do the afternoon tour. My breakfast was routinely a Western Omelet accompanied with a side of bacon, along with both cranberry and orange juices - and coffee, of course. There is a Keurig coffeemaker in each room that, after several failed attempts, I was able to get working. Good coffee is very important with me and I found the ship’s coffee to be such. Still groggy from lack of sleep I returned to my stateroom #203 to rest and take a nap. Lunch would be served at 12:30 pm. There was still some room organization left to be done. Lunch is served at 12:30 pm and beer or wine is served complimentary. Again my choice is for one of their excellent salads in addition to a tasty entree; dessert also, of course. At 2:30 pm I departed the ship with others on the afternoon City Tour, first recording my exit from the ship by placing my key card on the receptor at the door. When returning, this process was repeated enabling the ship’s management to know who’s back aboard. Loading into a comfortable tour bus conveniently located near the gangplank, we were off on our tour of Portland, first traversing through downtown streets. The unique architecture caught my eye and I found the ride to be most enjoyable as well as informative, due to our guide’s narration. Leaving the downtown area we then traveled out to the coastline, to a very rocky outcropping atop which sat the famous Portland Head Lighthouse where we were given time to walk around the structure and admire the fantastic vista presented. I returned to the bus pickup area a few hminutes early, with just enough time to enjoy a blueberry gelato at a wagon shop; it was delicious! Then back on the bus for our return to the ship, promptly at 4:30 pm, just enough time to briefly rest and get ready for the daily Happy Hour held in the Chesapeake Lounge, just above my stateroom on Deck 3, forward. As I mentioned before, most passengers were repeats and the Happy Hour is WELL attended! Everything one could desire as far as drinks and hors d’oeuvres. My choice was my usual Sauvignon Blanc. Then it was time for dinner at 6:30 pm, announced by a crewmember striking chimes. It reminded me of how, on Holland America ships in the old days, dinner was similarly announced by a crewmember wearing a pillbox hat, striking chimes. Dinner was always an enjoyable experience. First taking our drink orders, our server then took our preferences: salad or soup (the salads were consistently good and ingenuously created, using spinach leaves with different toppings), and then our choice of entree - always a fish, chicken or meat offered. The desserts were extra special and absolutely delectable! I found the food to be exceptionally and consistently good. Each evening after dinner in the Chesapeake Lounge, a crewmember would give a discussion of the next day’s schedule, preceding nightly entertainment, accompanied by more drink service. Alcohol was easy to find on this ship! I routinely skipped this session, preferring to return to my cabin for the night. So ended our day in Portland; the next stop would be in Bar Harbor. ~~~Bar Harbor, Maine - July 25th~~~ Again, traveling during the night from Portland, we encountered strong winds, rough seas, and dense fog, which made for another night of broken sleep for me, listening to the ship’s foghorn and swaying with the motion of the ship. Arrival in Bar Harbor at 7:00 am came none too soon! We are at anchor today in Bar Harbor with our own launch used to transfer passengers from ship to shore. This launch is attached to the rear of the ship using two hoists, not visible in most views of the American Constitution. The Dining Room was surprisingly full at 7:30 am when I went down to breakfast, contrary to what I had expected after the rough night. Evidently not everyone was as susceptible to the ship’s motion as was I. The Dining Room is on Deck 1, aft, and the exit to the launch is through a door at the rear of this Room. My Western Omelet, juices, bacon and coffee were a welcome repast from the night’s trip. Scheduled for the day were optional (charge applies) tours to the Acadia National Park, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Due to the persisting foggy conditions, I chose to wait for the afternoon tour. Instead, I returned to my stateroom to try to sleep some more. Lunchtime saw a slight let up of the fog and the waters inside the confines of Bar Harbor were calm. Again I enjoyed my glass of Sauvignon Blanc along with a delicious spinach salad, followed by an entree that I don’t recall at present. Then it was time to get ready for the Acadia National Park tour for which the launch to shore would depart the ship at 1:20 pm in order to be on the 1:45 pm tour bus. Bar Harbor sits on an island, Mt. Dessert, the summit of which is Cadillac Mountain from which fantastic views are usually possible on a clear day. Not today! Fog was still intermittent but our excellent driver/guide decided to proceed up the highway to the top of Cadillac Mountain anyway, hoping that the fog would have cleared by the time we got there. It hadn’t! So we left the top and headed for the coastal part of our tour, including a stop at Thunder Hole. We also had a brief stop along the way at a delightful natural garden providing a chance to stretch our legs and soak in the calm coolness of this shaded retreat. A convenient bathroom break also. Back on the bus we then proceeded on to a parking area on the coast road near a set of hand-railed stairs down to this remarkable inlet in the rocky shore where the surf gets trapped in the narrows, creating a loud “thunder” sound, as water is thrust upward into the air. And the surf was certainly cooperating at the time, provided thundering sounds on a frequent basis. A truly remarkable experience! The return ride back to the town of Bar Harbor was equally enjoyable, arriving with plenty of extra time for a quick visit to a local Irish Pub for a pint of Harp beer. There was a slight wait at the dock for the next launch back to the ship but it was delightful sitting in such a pleasant setting with the fog now gone. The launch ride back to the ship was smooth and uneventful, returning us to our “home afloat” just before 5:00 pm, at which time in the Chesapeake Lounge staff members were available to discuss future cruises, giving a whopping 15% discount in addition to forgiveness of the port fees and taxes (up to $330). I decided to investigate. Long story short, I booked the “Northwest Pioneers” cruise from Portland, Oregon, to Clarkston, Washington, along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, a trip of 11 days starting October 11, 2019, with a complimentary pre-cruise hotel stay in Portland. Everyone I talked with that had taken this cruise raved about it. AND, saving over $1700 on the fare is substantial! Besides, I got to choose a prime Single Balcony stateroom #409 on the new American Song cruise ship. I will fly into Portland from Orange County Airport and then fly home from Spokane, Washington, about a 2-hour drive from Clarkston. The ship will provide a bus transfer, for a fee. Happy Hour followed, attended by most everyone aboard, followed by another delightful dinner. So ended my day in Bar Harbor, Maine. ~~~Bucksport and Rockland, Maine - July 26th & 27th~~~ Due to high winds, the Captain thought it best to forego our scheduled stop in Camden where we would have been at anchor, requiring the use of the ship’s launch to go ashore, instead docking at nearby Bucksport and doing the Camden tours by means of buses. I chose not to go ashore in this small town of 5,000 but remained on board for the day. The difference between high and low tides is substantial in this area and during the day I observed the change in the height of docking platform relative to the dock itself; it was up to 7 or 8 feet. Of course there was plenty to do aboard: breakfast, lunch, Happy Hour and dinner! No one goes hungry on this ship! At 5:00 pm there was a tour of the Pilot House on Deck 4 that I attended, finding the Captain’s explanations quite interesting. Unlike larger ocean liners, the Captain has sole responsibility for the ship’s movements and safety. He also discussed the special operations of this small ship including operating within 20 miles of the coastline. Finally, I got a full night’s sleep because we did not depart for the next port of call, Rockland, Maine, until 4:30 am the next morning. It was such a treat! ~~~Rockland, Maine~~~ Anchoring off the port of Rockland at 7:00 am, the ship’s launch would be used throughout the day to get back and forth from ship to shore. Breakfast proceeded as usual, of course with my usual Western Omelet, side of bacon, cranberry and orange juices, and coffee. It was always interesting to see just where I would sit: at a table with Bonnie and Haynes from Tennessee, or at the table with Richard and Pat from Maryland, or at the table with M.J. and John from South Carolina, or at the table with Lynne and Jack from Arizona. With most tables set for 6, it was often not possible to sit where desired because the table was filled. Once or twice, however, the group decided to move in a seventh chair so that I could join them. I felt very honored! The highlight of the day was the Lobster Bake scheduled for 12:30 pm ashore at a location near the water, beneath a giant tent. I took an earlier launch ashore with plenty of time to walk around the 1-mile path along the bay to the site of the Lobster Bake, arriving shortly after 12 noon. Several pots of boiling water were placed on grates under which a roaring fire had been built. Piles and piles of fresh lobsters were put into the pots along with scores of ears of fresh corn still in the husk; mussels were also added, and then the entire contents were covered by seaweed and allowed to cook. Very traditional! I had selected one of the many picnic tables, near the “action”, and attempted to seat myself, throwing my leg over the seat, failing to observe a bolt protruding out of the lower structure of the table. At once I knew I had hit something but was not prepared for the bloody wound that resulted. Fortunately there was a roll of paper towels on each table, which I helped myself to, but the bleeding would not stop. Richard came up, noticing I was in trouble, and FORTUNATELY he had some Band-Aids on him that he offered me. So temporarily, I got the Band-Aids applied and seemed to stop the bleeding. I also got the attention of Dakota, one of the ship’s managers, who offered his assistance. He ordered my lobster plate with corn, cold slaw, and potato salad delivered to me, which was very thoughtful. The entire serving crew from the ship was on hand to assist passengers with their WHOLE lobsters, breaking the lobster into pieces and extracting the meat from the claws and tail. It was all delicious! Despite my injury, I thoroughly enjoyed this highly anticipated event. Needless to say, I chose to ride the bus back to the landing from which the launch returned to the ship. The bleeding seemed to have stopped. Onboard I had the services of Willis, one of the ship’s officers, trained in EMT, who came to my room to clean and treat my puncture wound, putting on a salve of some sort, placing a thick gauss and then wrapping it securely. It felt good. Happy Hour was as usual with everyone commenting on my injury, but I felt okay. Richard came up and gave me two more Band-Aids of a larger size, which turned out to be very helpful. After dinner I returned to my cabin, prepared to spend another restful night as our departure for the next port of call, Boothsbay, Maine, would not be until 4:00 am the next morning. And the night started off well, UNTIL around midnight when I got up to go to the bathroom. The bandage had managed to come undone and my wound had opened up again, bleeding all over my bed, the floor, and into the bathroom. Luckily I still had the two large Band-Aids that Richard had given me and, after some effort, I got them in place, stopping the bleeding. It was quite a chore, trying to clean up all the blood from the bathroom floor as well as the spots on the carpet, but I got it done, using wet towels that I rinsed out in the sink. There was nothing I could do about the blood on my bedding but apologize to my room steward the next morning. The rest of the night I finally got some sleep, using wet towels to protect from further bleeding in the bed. At breakfast the next morning my wound had remained covered with the bleeding controlled, but I knew that expert attention was needed. ~~~Boothbay Harbor, ME and Gloucestor, MA - July 28th, 29th~~~ After breakfast I returned to my room where I did some research on my iPad in regard to an “Urgent Care” facility in Boothbay Harbor where we were at anchor for the day. I found one at the LincolnHeath Center, 6 Street Andrew Lane. With the help of one of the managers in the ship’s office, who called to make sure their Urgent Care would be open on Saturday, we also arranged for a taxi to be waiting at the dock for me upon my arrival by launch from the ship. And so it went; I took the ship’s launch to the dock on shore where, as arranged, a taxi was waiting to take me to the Urgent Care Center. The driver knew exactly where to go, and within minutes we were there. The taxi fare was only $10 and the driver refused a tip, saying that he got a cut of the fare. Inside I waited only a short time until being called to speak to a clerk who took all of my personal information. Then I was ushered into an examination room where a nurse removed the old bandage; my wound immediately began to drain. She cleaned the wound with a liquid - NOT alcohol, and then a female doctor came in to examine it. Apparently this Urgent Care Center was an all woman operation! A piece of Surgifoam was applied directly to the wound, to encourage clotting as well as containing an antibiotic. It was not to be removed even if the dressing were to be changed. Then a gauss pad was placed and secured by wrappings, the last of which was a flesh-colored elastic fabric. This all took less than 30 minutes! Before leaving I had the receptionist call my taxi to take me back to the dock and the launch back to the ship. I felt SO MUCH BETTER and relieved that I had had proper medical attention. I was back aboard in a little over an hour! With my injured calf properly bandaged I then proceeded to rejoin my cruise, more thoroughly enjoying lunch, Happy Hour, and then dinner. HNo further draining of my wound was evident and I got a wonderful night of sleep. The ship departed Boothbay Harbor at 6:00 pm. ~~~Gloucester, Massachusetts – July 29th~~~ Docking at 3:00 am after a restful night of sleep with smooth seas, the optional tour (charges apply) for the day was the morning Maritime Heritage Center and Narrated Sightseeing Tour, which departed after breakfast at 9:00 am. “Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann primarily known for its fishing industry. It was one of the first English settlements in what would become known as The Massachusetts Bay Colony. The town took its name from the city of Gloucester in Southwest England where many of its occupants originated.” The Heritage Center turned out to be quite small but still very interesting. Outside and down stairs were aquarium exhibits displaying local sea life. A large tank contained skates and halibut, all very interesting to see and actually touch. The City tour took us around the many scenic streets of Gloucester with the typical New England type architecture prominent among the homes. Charming on such a sunny day but I could imagine how cold and dismal it could be during the winter. Returning by bus to the dock and our ship at 11:15 am, there was just enough time to visit my stateroom for a while before going to the dining room for lunch. As usual a creative salad topped my choices along with a tasty lobster roll. Lobster was plentiful on our menus; one night we were served an entire lobster for dinner! I had as much lobster as possible; it was SO GOOD and fresh! For some reason, the ships had to leave the dock at 12:00 noon and move to anchor in the harbor. On such a nice sunny Sunday afternoon, many people were out on their boats and the harbor was bustling. Boating is quite popular in this region. My afternoon was spent resting in my stateroom. My leg was doing just fine after its expert treatment the day before, and I decided to leave the bandage alone for the duration of the cruise. Happy Hour went according to plan with many caring passengers inquiring about my injured leg. The Chesapeake Lounge was crowded as usual and the liquor and wine flowed freely! Dinner was announced as usual by the ringing of chimes by a staff member, Gabby, I believe. Who knows with whom I was seated? It is all beginning to blend into a good memory by now. The ship would be pulling up anchor and departing at 12:01 am and setting sail for our next port of call, Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. ~~~Martha’s Vineyard, MA and Newport, Rhode Island - July 30th, 31st~~~ Our ship arrived at Vineyard Haven on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, at 8:00 am and docked at 62 Beach Road, Tisbury, MA. “Martha’s Vineyard is an island south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Vineyard Haven is one of the 5 towns of Marty’s Vineyard. The indigenous Wampanoag Indians called it Noepe, which meant ‘land amid the streams’. Did you know, Martha’s Vineyard’s beautiful scenery was immortalized in Steven Spielberg’s highly successful movie, Jaws? Three islanders were given important roles in the film and numerous others were involved as extras.” After my usual breakfast of a Western omelet, bacon, cranberry and orange juices, and coffee, I joined others from Staterooms 120 - 308 aboard a school bus for our 9:00 am narrated tour around Martha’s Vineyard to take in the sights of the island. (Passengers in Staterooms 390 - 510 took the 10:45 am tour.) We traveled all over the island, visiting the several small towns along the way, and taking in the absolute beauty of this island. It is quite wooded, which was surprising to me, and the road meandered through many charming neighborhoods. We returned to the dock at 10:30 am. With my leg now bandaged expertly and showing no further signs of draining, I was happy and tried to put my unfortunate injury in the past. Of course, many passengers expressed their concerns, insisting that I would seek further medical attention when back home. The people on this cruise have been wonderfully friendly and kind. We departed Vineyard Haven at 5:30 pm, next stop Newport, Rhode Island. ~~~Newport, Rhode Island - July 31st~~~ Being such a short distance across from Martha’s Vineyard, our arrival in Newport, Rhode Island occurred at 10:30 pm the previous evening and we were docked in the harbor requiring the ship’s launch to go ashore. Choosing to take the afternoon tour see the mansions, I took the morning launch over to the downtown dock, along with Bonnie and Haynes, new friends from Tennessee. Newport is the home of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and I wanted to again visit it, not recalling just what a walk it was from the dock area. Bonnie and Haynes joined me since Haynes plays tennis, and we walked and walked before finally reaching the Hall of Fame. We went inside and viewed all of the grass tennis courts, also visiting the arena where recently there had been the annual championship matches, and then it was time to walk back to the dock in order to catch the noon launch back to the ship. It was QUITE a physical exercise, and Bonnie and Haynes were doubting the wisdom of taking it! But we made back in time for the launch. After a rest and lunch I was ready to board the launch over to Fort Adams where we boarded the trolley for the following: Avenue of Mansions Tour - Enjoy a narrated trolley tour down Bellevue Avenue and journey back in time through one of America’s premier collections of historic houses. There will be a stop for a self-guided audio tour of The Breakers, originally built by the Vanderbilts, the grandest of all the “cottages”, as they were called. Having been here before I again enjoyed the unparalleled splendor of our last stop and was sorry that we had only limited time to investigate further. Back on the trolley we then proceeded down Bellevue Avenue, again passing by the International Tennis Hall of Fame which we had visited during the morning, and returned to a different dock near Fort Adams from which we boarded the launch back to our ship. At 5:00 pm on the dot, we hauled anchor and departed Newport, Rhode Island, next stop: Provincetown, Massachusetts. ~~~Provincetown and Boston, Massachusetts - August 1st and 2nd~~~ We arrived at dock in Provincetown at 12:30 am while I was still deep asleep. I had been sleeping much better since getting my leg attended to in Boothbay Harbor at the Urgent Care Center, and it still was looking good - no discharge. When I did wake up we were securely tied up at the dock at the end of a long pier. During the night we had passed through the Cape Cod Canal from Newport, Rhode Island, into the Cape Cod Bay; this is an artificial waterway of approximately 7 miles length. I saw lights on shore as we did this transit but not much else. Then back to sleep. “Located at the northern tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Provincetown is the home of the Mayflower’s landing in 1620. Today, the landing is commemorated by the Pilgrim Monument and the Provincetown Museum, and the town is populated with galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping.” After enjoying my breakfast at around 8:00 am, I had to decide between the morning or afternoon Trolley Tour; I chose the afternoon one departing at 3:00 pm, returning at 4:30 pm. At 3:00 pm I went down to the dock to catch the Trolley Tour which departed from just outside the ship. There were two such trolleys, both open air, with somewhat uncomfortable wooden bench seats. The pier at the end of which our ship was docked was unbelievably crowded with tourists; big tour boats from Boston make frequent runs to Provincetown that evidently is a very popular tourist destination. Making our way down the pier to the street took much care and caution by the trolley driver. Once off the pier the crowd got even worse; very slowly we proceeded down the front street passing many restaurants, bars and shops - all crowded to capacity. Finally reaching the end of that street, our route took off towards the headland of this spit on which Provincetown is situated. Once out of town we encountered many sand dunes along the rugged coastline, as well as wooded hills. Quite a relief from the downtown crowds. At one point, a National Park, I believe, there was a brief stop for restrooms and leg stretching. I chose to just stay on the trolley. I did notice that our driver, a big muscular man, had gotten out and was enjoying his cigarette. Strange, because I hardly see anyone smoking anymore. Then it was back around to the other side of the spit, returning to the downtown area. The coastline here was open to the Atlantic and the surf was quite active. Back in town, we again traversed the pier, now less crowded as the tour boats had departed back to Boston. Right on schedule we were back at the ship, our behinds reminding us of the hour and a half ride on those hard bench seats! With just enough time for a quick rest in my stateroom, it was soon time for the daily Happy Hour in the Chesapeake Lounge. Apparently everyone aboard was taking full advantage because the Lounge was packed, this being the last night before disembarkation. And of course I was one of those enjoying my two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc wine! Dinner was extra special with one menu item being “Surf-and-Turf” which was my choice. I was not disappointed! The steak was cooked to medium- rare perfection! The jumbo shrimp were spectacular! ~~~Boston, Massachusetts - August 2nd~~~ Departing Provincetown at 11:59 pm, our arrival back at Pier 8 in Charlestown was at 6:00 am. Breakfast was served earlier than usual at 6:30 am and we were told to be out of our staterooms by 8:00 am. Luggage was requested to be placed in the hallway the previous night before midnight; mine was put out around 10:30 pm, before I went to bed. Packing is always the most unpleasant part of a cruise but I was able to get everything packed away after dinner. By previous arrangement I had booked the ship’s bus to the airport for $20, and a tag was placed on my suitcase indicating my airline - American Airlines - and terminal - B - at Logan International Airport. Also a departure group number sticker was given signifying which bus one was on; mine was 4. So between 8:30 and 9:00 am, I departed the American Constitution for the last time and walked along the dock to where I boarded my bus, first identifying my suitcase that traveled in the same bus. The ride to the airport was complicated by the mid morning Boston traffic that is horrific! But we soon arrived at Logan and disembarked our bus, collected our luggage, and proceeded towards Security. I had gone online on the ship’s computer the day before to print my boarding pass, but this turned out to be unnecessary; checking in my suitcase outside the terminal, and paying my $25 luggage fee, I had to present my ID which apparently was enough for the agent to access my reservation, and print another copy of my boarding pass! With my TSA Pre-check, I was through Security quickly and on my way to the gate area, mine being B35, to await the 11:55 am boarding time for my nonstop 12:25 pm flight to Los Angeles. Boarding in Group 5 I quickly found my seat, 8C, a Main Cabin Extra seat for which I had paid extra. Unfortunately, it was a bulkhead seat but didn’t make all that much difference, since my carryon was only my Princess bag. The flight departed a little late but the Captain came on the PA to announce our flight time would be only slightly over 5 hours. The flight went well with three small bottles of Sauvignon Blanc for me - no charge being seated in a Main Cabin Extra seat, and our arrival at LAX was indeed right on time. Being forward I was one of the first off the airplane, my first stop being the bathroom. My luggage appeared after a moderate wait - I struggled getting it off the carrousel, and soon I was outside Terminal 5 at the SuperShuttle Dispatcher. Forgetful me, I had packed my paperwork but used my iPad to bring up my reservation number and soon I was seated in a van on my way to Orange County and home. Unfortunately, the driver had allowed the Dispatcher to load our van with 6 passengers; usually 3 is the limit. And of course, I was number 5 to finally be delivered home after driving all over Orange County, but home is home! All was found to be okay when I entered my house, after a ride of 3 hours from the airport, but it was very hot and stuffy inside. I immediately opened all of my doors and turned on the box fans that I use. But I was HOME! Ron Read Less

We stayed at Wharf hotel. the ship sent over 4 buses......three were very old without any mike. Most of the folks were 65 to 96 and needed help just to climb in these buses that did not lower to the curb. We wait a good hour to get on and have all our bags put on. The air conditioning was not working and it was in the 90's. After a tour we finally got near the ship but had to wait for other buses to be unloaded. Due to being close to heat exhausting we all got off and walked a few blocks to get water and get on the ship. They just told us to go to our room where the doors will be open. Minimal security. Young people working summer jobs in the dining room and house keeping. Our intiniery was changed without notice. Tours were changed without notice and mostly one or maybe two per day and some were extra, This is an expensive trip .$10,500 for doing the islands of New England. Some were good and some weren't . We were on our own to Uber or take public transportation On Martha's Vineyard. I felt so bad for the elderly without have transportation available just to go shopping. Food was pretty good but every night they ran out of dessert. One time seating for everyone. Entertainment was minimal. One crude comedian who most walked out on. For those staying on board during the day there were no activities except for a speaker occasionally. I did enjoy seeing the island even though they were so congested. I don't know what the draw is. Cabin room was bigger than most cruise ship. No pool of course. But did meet a ton of wonderful people and enjoyed our happy hours Read Less

My wife and I were fortunate to cruise aboard American Cruise Line's newest ship " The American Constitution" on a ten day cruise to New England. I cannot express a better way to see the splendor of this part of America than by taking this cruise. The ship was new and clean; the service was impeccable; and, all the noteworthy ports were visited. To name just a few, were: Bar Harbor, Booth Bay Harbor, Newport, Camden, Portland, Gloucester. Daily excursions were available in these ports, or you could self direct your own tours. The night before, there would always be a description of the next day's events. That was of course after a wonderful cocktail hour with hors d'oeuvres, followed by a dinner with fabulous choices of appetisers and entrees. This was a lobster clambake cruise, so the lobster was overflowing during the cruise. We also had an old fashioned Lobster Clambake with an accompanying band for entertainment at one of our stops. We just loved it. I have to agree with the company's slogan. "This is small ship cruising, done perfectly". Read Less

This cruise line doesn't even deserve one star. I have been cursing for 15 years and this cruise had to be the worst I have ever taken. I chose this cruise to see if there really was a difference between the “luxury” cruise lines and the Celebrities, Princess, etc. cruise lines and the substantial higher price. I spent three times the amount I would have spent on one of the other cruise lines to see if there actually was a difference. difference I am not the only one on this cruise who was thoroughly dissatisfied. It started when I first got onto the ship. I was very under-whelmed by the decor. It was very drab and plain. I got into my stateroom and the coffee maker didn't work, the safe didn't work, there was nowhere posted in the room to let you know where the ice machine was, there was no refrigerator in the room and no makeup mirror in the bathroom. to us, we had to go to the On all other cruise lines you had a cabin steward. We had none. As for your “Exquisite Cuisine” some meals were inedible. shown on your website. You only had a choice of two entrees. THE FOOD WAS TERRIBLE! Between meal offerings were a selection of 3-4 canned soft drinks and 2 kinds of bottle juice. And the snacks….small bags of pretzels, granola bars, 2 kinds of chips, fig newtons and half baked cookies in the afternoon. They put out a dozen cookies for a ship that carried nearly 200 people. At cocktail time, most of the hors d'oeuvres were gone in 15 minutes and never refilled. entertainment. SERIOUSLY !!!!! You think of yourself as luxury??? Most of the staff were new and inexperienced. Read Less

This was my first riverboat cruise after almost twenty traditional cruises. Pros: 1) Ship was new & beautiful; 2) my single cabin w/balcony was very comfortable and clean with nice bathroom; 3) cuisine was the best I've had on any cruise line in at least 20 years; 4) staff was young, very friendly, and tried to be very helpful; 5) lounges were very comfortable and well laid out; and 6) the included wines at dinner & happy hour were delicious and served liberally. Cons: 1) This particular cruise up the Hudson Valley had way too many rough edges and poor coordination; 2) the complimentary excursion in Martha's Vineyard and the $65 excursion of NYC were well meaning but very poorly done by the respective tour companies; 3) even though the cuisine was delicious, way too many times the food was served either tepid or had completely cooled; 4) loading of luggage at the hotel recommended by American Cruise Lines was absolute chaos...the very worst I've every experienced; 5) there was no reason to leave the vessel at many of the ports of call simply because there was nothing of interest to do or see; 6) Disembarkation involved a very long walk from the vessel to the airport transfer buses; and 7) Laguardia was an absolute nightmare...avoid it like the plague. Having said all of this, I've already booked a second time on ACL for Christmas 2018 on the lower Mississippi cruise, which everyone I've spoken with said was an excellent experience. Read Less

Cabins are roomy and well appointed. The balcony was carpeted and equipped with two comfortable chairs and a nice size table. This ship is new ...May 2017. Service is excellent.. Food is better than average with good choices. Breakfast choices are excellent with a made to order variety of selections. Soups are fantastic for lunch and dinner. The baked goods and desserts are out of this world. Cocktail hour is outstanding with a nice selection of mixed drinks. A red blend wine or old vine zin would be a suggested improvement especially at dinner. This cruise line is best for adults who have travelled before without children. The crew is relatively young with lots of energy and a desire to please you. Be prepared for changes in the schedule due to weather, port availability or customer suggestions. The ports of call are excellent but subject to change on short notice. The lounge areas are many and they create a luxurious atmosphere to read, work puzzles or just have a nice conversation with new friends. Read Less

Summary: Poorly trained staff, inadequate staffing, chaotic alcohol service, mediocre cuisine and 20th century room design made this our first and last American Cruise Line experience. We had cruised on Crystal, Regent, Celebrity, Avalon and AmaWaterways over the past 17 years. Mostly, these involved flights of over 10 hours. We searched for a domestic cruise to equal these experiences and discovered American Cruise Lines. We chose the fall New England cruise due to a nice length, a luxury description and destinations. We booked; we arrived; we cruised. The Constellation is a new ship; 2017 is its maiden year. The overall design is gorgeous. Lounges, public rooms and dining room are airy and bright. The rooms are large, with many storage locations and a tiny closet. There was a single vanity and no (!) refrigerator. The lighting was good. The TV was a standard definition monitor with SD satellite service; this is the 21st century…where is HD? The Wi-Fi barely connected, had low speed and was AWOL a good deal of the time. The safe never worked. We didn’t try room service. The service level, in general, was not up to luxury standards. While enthusiastic and energetic, stewards seem like they had little training and only National Park-level experience. The staffing level seemed to be inadequate for the required tasks. Calls to Maintenance went directly to a full voicemail message box. The cruise “directors” were called on to set-up, tend and tear down bars, manage tours, marshal complaint lines and explain deviations. The dining room stewards tried their best. Dining was disappointing. Early-riser breakfast looked like a 7-11 had exploded. Dining room breakfast was the best meal of the day with lots of fruit, pastry and cereal choices. The hot items were pretty good, too. Lunch was Applebee level, only with lobster (everyday). Dinner was uneven – the soups were uniformly good, the entrees commonplace with insipid saucing. We didn’t try the desserts. Alcohol service reflected a company in transition. (Perhaps an all-inclusive fare is in the future?) There are no bars on-board. Wine and beer were served at lunch and dinner; a cocktail hour preceded dinner and accompanied the evening entertainment. These were from temporary set-ups in the two major lounges. Service was chaotic using a cattle call approach. Quality was poor with wines from Gallo predominating. They ran out of chardonnay, the most popular wine in the country. Scotch inventory dried-up. Gratis tours were okay but nothing special. However, the included lobster bake was delicious and fun. If ACL is going to charge $1000 per day per person, several levels of improvement are needed throughout the ship. Read Less

The Constellation is a new ship with spacious rooms and balconies. Food was fresh and excellently prepared. We loved all the ports on this grand New England cruise. We met great people who enjoyed having fun. The ship's crew were all young energetic adults who did everything possible to make our stay enjoyable. Some were exceptional in their interactions with us. Many of us were seniors but we still asked for more music for dancing in the evening. For the price of this cruise I felt the quality of the entertainment could be better. The comedienne was fabulous and proved to be a fun night with him onboard. I would recommend the grand New England cruise to anyone. Some of the towns are small and not much except little boutiques but the beauty of these ports were fun to visit and other towns had a lot of history and interesting things to see. Provincetown was lots of fun. Read Less

Customer Service, customer service, customer service - the passenger was treated like a queen! From my first phone call to gather information to my disembarkation, everything went smoothly. Very clean, excellent food, and accommodating staff. Would have liked even more port and shore excursions. Staff was extremely accommodating - when the tours were fully booked, they would add additional ones in the afternoon, so everyone who wanted to go on an excursion could. Would have also liked more than recumbent bikes in the fitness center although with a rolling ship at times, don't know if other equipment could be added. I liked the free washers and dryers and detergent, etc. that was available. Excellent food - service was sit down rather than a buffet. And beverages, including alcohol, was freely available. Other than a few of the shore excursions, everything was included. There were no additional charges for anything! Closing comments: The majority of individuals on this cruise were over 55 and retired. Met many people who had gone on numerous cruises and many said American Cruise Lines was the best line they've traveled. I would definitely take another excursion on this cruise line. Read Less

We wanted a small ship cruise experience. Constellation is ACL's newest ship and it is very beautiful. Our cabin was very roomy and the bathroom was adequate. The food was delicious and the chef came by at every meal to be sure everyone was satisfied. The wait staff was college age young people and they were the most polite young people we have been around. The entire staff was very eager to please. We have never been on a 'small ship' like this before, so we found out that things are very different on it than on the larger cruise ships. Example: no shops on board, no pictures being made, not the type of entertainment on large ships, and no medical professional on board. It was a very relaxed atmosphere which is what we enjoyed. The entertainment was speakers and a singer or two. They were very nice people and did a good job. They offer some complimentary shore excursions and others at a nominal price (especially compared to larger ships). These ports were small towns which were interesting and beautiful to visit. However, our itinerary was changed and we were taken to the town of Bucksport. There was no explanation given. The town was extremely small and we were there on a Sunday with everything shut down. In the afternoon we were given an opportunity to take the excursion to the Fort. Unless you went on the excursion there was nothing to do all day there. In Boothbay we were not allotted enough time and it seemed like a quaint little town. The tender ship was reserved for excursion passengers which allotted the rest of us about 1-1/2 hours in the town. We did anchor out at most stops and had to be tendered in. The tender boat ran every 30 minutes and they had people on it to help everyone in and out. This staff were all young, but they went above and beyond to be sure that everyone was happy and taken care of. This was the first time this particular ship had done this itinerary and some of the time it seemed like a 'work in progress' for them, but they did their best to satisfy everyone. Disembarking was pretty good except there were not enough seats on our bus and we had to ride a taxi. The young man in charge did immediately call a taxi, but our luggage went without us on the bus. We had concerns about meeting up with our luggage, but it all turned out ok. We did enjoy ourselves even though this was a new experience for us. There were 143 passengers on this cruise. There were age ranges from 40's on up to 80's represented - mostly senior citizens. It is pretty costly, but it was worth it. We have already made plans on board for a future cruise. Read Less

Last minute decision to book this cruise. I had never been to Maine and it had been on our bucket list. Great ports of call starting in Bar Harbor. Love the size of the ship, met lots of interesting people during our week on board. The food is excellent, I think I had lobster everyday. With wine/beer provided at lunch and dinner and cocktails provided an hour before dinner and after dinner during the evening entertainment, our Bar Bill was $0. We booked a cabin on the second floor (206) with the balcony. It seems that all the rooms are about the same size, so price is dependent on where you are on the boat. We could hear the anchor being pulled up and set and the Fog horn, but otherwise it was very quiet. For some reason one of our ports was changed. We went to Bucksport. There was was a fort there, but we couldn't go up the Observatory. Nothing else to do in that town. Would have liked more time in Boothsbay Harbor. The service is very good and everything requested was responded to with a smile. Evening entertainment consisted mostly of singers (piano, guitar). Two nights was a lecturer. Read Less

The ACL Constellation is a new vessel with all the amenities of a much larger vessel that accommodates only 180 passengers. The vessel is well staffed and equipped and can accommodate wheelchair passengers very well. The single launch was adequate for all the excursions where we could not dock and to transport passengers in comfort. The food was excellent and the kitchen was very willing to prepare special requests. Ship supplies were refreshed often so all produce was fresh and seasonal. Fresh and prepared lobster was available daily as the Maine Red shrimp and mussels were excellent. The pastry chef was excellent with fresh bread and desserts daily. Our suite was cleaned daily with fresh linen and restock of the mini fridge. The available guest laundry was free. Shore excursions were well planned and our onboard historian did an excellent job of preparing us for each port, leading walking tours and conducting evening lectures. The shore excursions included a lot of local history from the 17th to 20th centuries. The amenities included fresh hot cookies in the lounges at 10:30 every day, high tea at 4:30 and cocktail hour wt 5:30. Dinner included two bottles of wine at each table or other beverages as requested. This is our second cruise with ACL and we plan on traveling with them again next year on the Columbia River. Read Less

Choice of ports, tours on land, and time on land were all terrific, and the seamless high level of service on board this very small ship was exceptional. A small ship -- we had only 125 passengers -- allows for a much more personal experience that feels much more like a vacation with friends ("Hey, come for a trip with me on my yacht") than a feeling of being on an "ocean cruise." The All-American nature of this cruise line, with most staff members college-age students from U.S. colleges rather than professional workers from other countries, not to mention a completely U.S. deck and ship crew, heightened the feeling of enjoying our own country. The cabins were the perfect size and configuration -- aside from the family-size cabins, ever cabin on the ship is the same size and every one has a generous verandah. We were as comfortable as we could have been in a hotel on land, and yet we were able to visit a different port town every day. Overall we couldn't have been more pleased, and we've already booked our next trip for a year from now. Read Less

We did use the pre-cruise package and enjoyed a little bit of Boston before embarking on our cruise. I would recommend that to everyone. We have done one other trip with this cruise line and we have found them to be outstanding in what they do. Service is magnificent!! You feel like you are their only priority when you are in need of something. If there is something not on the menu, for example, you can speak with the chef or dining service personnel and see if it is possible to obtain that item at the next port. We have recommended this cruise line to all our friends. Everything was run so efficiently from the time we boarded until the time we left. I was amazed as the organization that was used in getting everyone on and off the ship, for example. Our luggage was taken care of for us prior to leaving and was delivered to our stateroom promptly. Likewise, when it was time to leave, our luggage was tagged and taken to the place where we were to meeting our next mode of transpiration. We have already booked our next cruise with American Cruise Lines and look forward to spending 11 days and 10 nights with them again! Read Less

We are very pleased with American Cruise Lines - service, ships, destinations, fantastic staff. The new ships (one just about every year) are well outfitted, the cabins are superior to those on other cruise lines, and we totally appreciate the "all inclusive" pricing. On the "Grand New England" cruise, we enjoyed the ports of call, the excursions, and the size of the ship (175 passengers). Having been on larger ships (2,000 - 4,000) the ACL ships provide an exceptional opportunity to meet people, to enjoy access to smaller ports of call, and to have flexibility in dining. The quality of the food, the personal attention of the dining room staff, and the flexibility (no rigid time, no fixed table assignments, and an excellent variety and choices at each meal) made the dining experience the best of any cruise line we have taken. The guest speakers, entertainers, and on-board activities and the excursions were outstanding and tailored to the areas where we were traveling. Rachel Perkins on the Grand New England cruise was exceptional in sharing with us the geography of the area, the specifics of each place, and her fun stories were a highlight.She also offered an early morning walk in each port. We appreciated the problem-free WiFi and that it was complimentary (another benefit of "all inclusive" pricing). The Laundry facility was clean, fast and also complimentary. Read Less

First, very good friends recommended it - they had been on the American Cruise Lines steamboat/Mississippi River cruise in 2016 and loved it; found out about this brand new cruise while on the Mississippi trip, signed up right away and urged us to join them. I had always wanted to see the coast of New England - and this brand-new cruise – Grand New England – in Mid June 2017 had just the itineraryI was wanted, so we didn't hesitate to sign up. This is a small ship - 175 passengers/ I believe there were about 145 of us. Perfect size, I think, easy to get everywhere! Very good value for the money. The staff is probably 90% American (can't speak for those who work below decks) - young, enthusiastic, friendly, helpful, and fun! The tour directors were excellent and able to answer all manner of questions re: shore excursions. Almost felt like some of them were family by the end of the voyage. Demographics are mostly over 55, although there was a family of with college age daughters and a Grandfather traveling with his two late-20s/30s grandsons. I will say most of the passengers were pretty lively and interesting and fun to exchange pleasantries with. Food was consistently excellent. We had the most wonderful Chief Chef (Joselito H.) on board - and he made a point of visiting a few tables each and every night to inquire about our dinners/ask if there was anything else people wanted to see on the menu, etc. all alcoholic drinks were included in the cost of the fare (as were standard gratuities for the staff). No "nickel and dining as some larger cruise ships do! Always a cocktail party at 5:30, and entertainment after dinner. Onetwo nights the entertainment was excellent, the other evenings I opted to retire early and read. Bear in mind this is coastal new england so no broadway stars on board to sing or dance for the passengers! Our lecturer, Rachel P. was so much fun - she knew so much and made her lectures (with a white board to illustrate various parts of the coast) so entertaining). She also lead early morning walks in each port - with of course, a walking commentary about the area/flora/fauna/fish/ etc. JUST GREAT!! The excursions / bus transportation ranged from good to excellent, and these small ports can allow one to just wander around on one's own, but keep in mind there are also WONDERFUL things to see and learn about which did require transportation. The scenery and sunrises and sunsets were breathtaking. I can't wait for our next ACL cruise, and we're sure to sign up for more in the future. Cheers! Read Less

Really love the idea of seeing AMERICA! We went on an 11 night Cruise to New England. There were about 120 guest on this new boat. It was smooth and the rooms were amazing with nice balconies. The staff is all American and made up of respectable young people who really want to make your vacation relaxing and wonderful. The FOOD was 5Star and we ate lobster almost every day! We went in late May and it was cool, so if doing this again, June might be better for weather but there were no crowds and the towns were lovely. Started in Boston, MA, Went to Bar Harbor, ME; Boothbay Harbor, ME; Camden, ME (my favorite); Rockland, ME, Portland, ME; Newport, RI; Martha's Vineyard, MA; Provincetown, MA and back to Boston, MA. In Newport, RI we went on a really cool trolley tour of several mansions including the BREAKERS. Will definitely recommend this for anyone wanting to see America's East Coast. Read Less

Fall Foliage Cruise. Spent an extra day in Boston as it was our first time there. Very interesting city. Bus to Gloucester to board the ship. Only 96 pax instead of the full capacity of 210 pax which facilitated embarkation etc. Very good food and wine and meal service throughout the cruise. Good-sized comfortable stateroom with balcony an extra feature. Even the bathroom was quite good. Good housekeeping staff as well. Many onboard were sea-sick during one full day at sea under less than ideal weather conditions but the crew handled the situation well. Generally speaking, the tours were not really to our liking; too much time on buses and some destinations of limited interest, but the destinations themselves were good. Limited destination info provided, and we found that the briefings provided by the onboard expert/guide were of limited use. Evening entertainment by two musicians also of limited interest. Wifi was slow and at times did not work at all.Two good quality elliptals & 2 exercise bikes were on board but did not work due to prolonged exposure to sea air. Free weights were available but only in 3, 5 & 8 lb barbells. Overall an excellent return to cruising after so many years. Pearl Seas did a good job. Read Less

This was the smallest ship I have ever been on, and being in my mid to late thirties I was very skepticle in traveling on this ship, however it was a very enjoyable experience on the Pearl Mist. Cruising on a smaller ship is a much more of a family,homey atmoshphere that being the only way I can describe it and although my cousin also in her thirties who I was travelling with was being asked what are you doing on here with us older folks we were truly happy to be there. Everyone was so friendly, the passengers, the crew, everyone!!! We stayed in stateroom 421, it was spaceous and had everything we could have possibly needed. The food was delicious, great choices all sit down meals. Our shore excirsions were included and it was only one tour in each port on the New England Fall Foliage Cruise. The only thing I wish there would have been more of was more activities on board such as maybe bingo more then one night or maybe organized card games, more entertainment then just the same singers in one lounge every night. That aspect of the ship has the potential to be much better. Overall we met great people on the Pearl Mist and had a great trip. Read Less