American Cruise Lines is launching a unique new West Coast itinerary for travel advisors to sell: an eight-day San Francisco Bay exploration onboard American Jazz starting in 2023. It marks the brand’s first California sailing with calls in San Francisco, Napa Valley, Vallejo, Stockton and Sacramento, plus cruises in the namesake bay, as well as San Pablo Bay, the Napa River and the San Joaquin River.
“American continues to expand the possibilities for exceptional domestic small-ship cruises across the country,” said Charles B. Robertson, president and CEO of American Cruise Lines. “Exploring this beautiful region of Northern California by riverboat will provide a new opportunity for our guests to discover the Bay Area and Napa Valley in an exceptional way. Many have driven there, but not many can say they have actually cruised through wine country.”
Featured experiences in San Francisco include visits to Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square. Cruisers will also visit a Napa Valley winery and experience a Nascar-like driving event at the Stockton 99 Speedway.
Susan Shultz-Gelino, vice president of trade relations for American Cruise Lines, shared what the development of this new route means for travel advisors.
What inspired the introduction of this unique bay/river itinerary?
While American Cruise Lines specializes in U.S. river cruising, the company began with just a few small ships offering domestic itineraries along the East Coast. Next year, in 2023, we will have 17 U.S.-built riverboats and small ships operating across the country. And despite the growth of our fleet, two constants which continue to make American unique in the marketplace are that we remain the only cruise line offering 100% domestic itineraries on U.S. rivers and coasts, and that all our ships remain very small. American Jazz is just 190 [passengers], and it is our largest.
So, it was just a matter of time before we built more new ships and could expand our itinerary options further west to California. And San Francisco Bay and Napa Valley are particularly stunning, offering amazing opportunities for river cruises. We are looking forward to exploring this dynamic region with our guests next year.
What benefits does this circuit highlight that larger ocean ships do not?
With the exception of San Francisco Bay, most of our new itinerary up into Napa Valley — which includes cruising on the Napa River, the San Joaquin River and the Sacramento River — is inaccessible to large ocean ships. But it is a perfect region to be explored by small, nimble, eco-friendly vessels such as our new American-built riverboats
Which clients do you think are best suited for this route?
Anyone who appreciates great river or small-ship exploration will enjoy this new itinerary, and wine enthusiasts will love the special opportunity it provides to explore wine country by riverboat, which is a unique and relaxing new way to tour wine country.
How should agents sell the new product?
This is one of the most amazing new opportunities available for anyone who has ever wanted to visit San Francisco, explore wine country and take a river cruise. It checks all three boxes, and it will deliver an exceptional way to see this area of the country in a refreshing new way.
