American Cruise Lines named two more U.S.-built riverboats on August 13, 2026: American Beauty for 2028 Mississippi and Gulf Coast service, and American Rhapsody for 2029 Columbia and Snake Rivers sailings.
For travelers planning multi-year U.S. river itineraries, the decision is whether to hold September 2028 Upper Mississippi inventory on Beauty now or wait for more 2029 Pacific Northwest dates on Rhapsody.
- Ships: American Beauty (2028) and American Rhapsody (2029), both 180-guest riverboats.
- Beauty start: Upper Mississippi from St. Louis to St. Paul in September 2028.
- Beauty later 2028: New 8-day Gulf Coast New Orleans to Pensacola season end.
- Rhapsody: 9-day Columbia and Snake between Portland and Clarkston in 2029.
- Booking cue: Beauty Upper Mississippi fares from about $6,205 on the official ship page.
What American Cruise Lines announced today
In its August 13, 2026 media release, American Cruise Lines said American Beauty will launch on the Mississippi in 2028 as the fleet’s 29th ship, with American Rhapsody following in 2029 as ship 30.
Both ships will be built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland, matching the company’s U.S.-built riverboat program.
Beauty will open with the popular 8-day Upper Mississippi River cruises between St. Louis, Missouri, and St. Paul, Minnesota, beginning in September 2028. Later in that season she is also scheduled for the company’s new 8-day Gulf Coast cruises between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Pensacola, Florida.
Rhapsody is assigned to the 9-day Columbia and Snake Rivers product between Portland, Oregon, and Clarkston, Washington, starting in 2029.
TravelPulse’s same-day report restates those rivers, years, and the 180-guest modern riverboat class, giving an independent trade confirmation of the naming announcement.
How Beauty fits the modern American Riverboat series
American Cruise Lines places both ships in the modern American Riverboat series that began with American Song in 2018. Sister ships already on the public schedule include American Encore, which debuted in May 2026, American Anthem planned for April 2027, and American Grace for April 2028.
The company says every ship in this series carries 180 guests in private-balcony accommodations. That is the capacity number to use when comparing against smaller coastal ships in the same brand, not a European riverboat cabin map.
On the official American Beauty ship page, American Cruise Lines lists Signature Suite, Grand Suite, Sky Suite, and multiple balcony categories, including a 1,500-square-foot Signature Suite and standard staterooms around 300 square feet.
Those room sizes are marketing claims from the operator, not independent measured reviews of a finished Beauty hull. Treat them as the planned product family until sailing reviews exist.
The hero image on this card shows a sister modern riverboat in the same American Cruise Lines series because Beauty is not yet in the water. The caption must not pretend the frame is the unfinished 2028 ship.
What is already bookable versus still conceptual
Beauty’s public ship page already lists Upper Mississippi start dates from September 1, 2028, with published “from” fares around $6,205. That is a concrete shopping path, not a placeholder press sentence.
Rhapsody’s 2029 Columbia and Snake assignment is named and dated at the season level, but travelers should confirm individual departure calendars before treating every week of 2029 as open for sale.
American Cruise Lines also lists a wider 2025 to 2029 newbuild cadence in the same release, including American Ranger later in 2026 on Hudson, Chesapeake, and Florida products. Those coastal ships are separate streams from Beauty and Rhapsody.
If you already hold Encore, Anthem, or Grace deposits, do not assume a free swap into Beauty. Each hull and river season is inventory the line will price independently.
Who should care first
Mississippi repeat guests who want a brand-new 180-guest balcony riverboat in fall 2028 should shortlist Beauty’s September Upper Mississippi dates first. Compare total fare, single supplements, and pre-cruise hotel nights in St. Louis or St. Paul before you treat the “from” price as the trip cost.
Gulf Coast travelers watching New Orleans to Pensacola should watch for Beauty’s late-2028 Gulf assignments once the line publishes more exact weeks. That product is newer than the classic Upper Mississippi loop.
Pacific Northwest planners targeting Portland to Clarkston should calendar Rhapsody for 2029 and keep Anthem’s 2027 Grand Columbia options in the same spreadsheet. Two different years and two different ships can solve the same river urge.
For linewide product context beyond one naming day, our American Cruise Lines guide remains the evergreen base. Pair it with the live ship pages before any deposit.
Deep Arrival previously covered the coastal newbuild stream when American Cruise Lines christened American Maverick. That is a different ship and different product family from Beauty and Rhapsody.
Solo travelers should read the Single Balcony language on Beauty’s stateroom list carefully. American Cruise Lines markets solo inventory on this class, but solo pricing and single supplements can erase a headline “from” fare that was computed for double occupancy.
Travelers who care about accessibility should ask the line which elevators, boarding grades, and suite bathrooms are confirmed for Beauty before assuming every modern riverboat in the series is identical. Sister-ship marketing photos do not prove final accessibility details on a hull still under construction.
If you need a 2027 Columbia and Snake trip rather than 2028 Mississippi, keep American Anthem on the shortlist instead of forcing Beauty into the wrong river year. Matching river and year beats chasing the newest name alone.
When comparing total trip cost, add pre-cruise hotels, transfers, optional excursions, and gratuities to the cruise fare line. A $6,205 starting price is only the first number in a multi-day U.S. river budget.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Want a new Mississippi balcony riverboat in fall 2028 | Price American Beauty Upper Mississippi weeks from September 2028 on the official ship page. |
| Prefer New Orleans to Pensacola in late 2028 | Watch Beauty’s Gulf Coast dates as they firm; do not assume every week is open. |
| Target Columbia and Snake in 2029 | Track American Rhapsody while keeping 2027 Anthem options as a backup path. |
| Already hold Encore, Anthem, or Grace | Keep that booking unless a formal transfer offer beats cancel-and-rebook costs. |
| Need a coastal, not river, itinerary | Look at Ranger and other small-ship streams instead of Beauty or Rhapsody. |
- Exact 2028 Gulf weeks: Beauty’s Pensacola season is named, but weekly inventory can still shift.
- 2029 Rhapsody calendar: Confirm individual Portland to Clarkston departures before locking hotels.
- Fare moves: Early “from” prices around $6,205 can rise as balcony categories fill.
- Sister-ship delivery risk: Yard schedules can slip; deposits should follow the line’s written cancellation terms.
The practical next step is simple: if a 2028 Mississippi or Gulf river week is already on your list, open Beauty’s official dates and fares now, and park Rhapsody on a 2029 Columbia and Snake watchlist rather than mixing the two rivers into one booking assumption.
When does American Beauty start sailing?
American Cruise Lines schedules Beauty to begin Upper Mississippi cruises in September 2028, with Gulf Coast New Orleans to Pensacola dates later that season.
What is American Rhapsody, and when does it sail?
Rhapsody is the sister 180-guest riverboat assigned to 9-day Columbia and Snake cruises between Portland and Clarkston beginning in 2029.
How many guests will American Beauty carry?
The line places Beauty in its modern American Riverboat series with 180 guests and private balcony staterooms across the class.
Are American Beauty sailings already priced?
Yes. The official Beauty ship page lists Upper Mississippi departures from September 2028 with published from fares around $6,205, subject to change.
Is this the same story as American Maverick?
No. Maverick is a separate coastal small-ship stream. Beauty and Rhapsody are named modern riverboats for inland U.S. rivers.
