American glory: plenty of good things in this small package

Cruise Travel, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Theodore W. Scull

With each new class of cruise ship getting ever larger, it is indeed refreshing to learn of one cruise company that believes "smaller is better." Based at Haddam on the Connecticut River, American Cruise Lines is in its second incarnation with a tiny fleet of two 49-passenger ships and a third under construction in the company's Chesapeake Shipbuilding yard.

In the blue-water cruising industry, where a capacity of 500 to 800 passengers is now considered small and 100 to 200 is boutique or yacht-like, this issue's Ship of the Month could be considered a bathtub toy by comparison. But putting American Cruise Lines' American Glory up against Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Glory is about as logical as discussing the merits of a small county inn on the coast of Maine versus a casino hotel palace on the strip in Las Vegas.

American Cruise Lines, a U.S.-flagged cruise operator, has plenty of competition in its niche field of providing destination-driven coastal itineraries. The firm got its start in 1974 at the beginning of the revival of American coastal passenger shipping and subsequently produced six vessels, most of them at the company's own yard in Salisbury, Maryland. In 1986 its owners sold the firm, which continued on for three more years before going out of business. Then in 2000 the original owner launched the 49passenger American Eagle from the company's shipyard and two years later completed the similar American Glory.

With 49 passenger berths, the ships rank among the smallest in the field; while within, the pair easily qualifies as the most spacious and comfortable. They aim to provide top-of-the-line food and service on mostly one-week itineraries spanning the East Coast between Maine and Florida. In July 2000 we sampled a New England Islands cruise aboard the then-new American Eagle and in June 2004 we embarked on the American Glory at Baltimore for a week on the waters of Chesapeake Bay.

Most passengers had spent the previous night or two within view of Baltimore's busy Inner Harbor with the American Glory berthed between the National Aquarium and the USS Constellation. We came down the Northeast Corridor by Amtrak on sailing day, and with no check-in lines, we simply walked aboard a little before noon. With everyone now accounted for, we were underway a full hour before the scheduled sailing time.

Nicely printed tags with names and hometowns revealed that our group hailed from California, the Sunbelt, and the Northeast; about half were repeaters, and most were retired. The previous cruise had been a Smithsonian charter, and alumni groups often book the two boats. Socializing comes easily with a gathering before dinner in the Nantucket Lounge and open seating at meals. Single travelers need never feel alone on this boat.

The American Glory's 27 cabins are the largest in the coastal cruise industry, averaging more than 200 square feet. Located on three of the four decks, all are outside with doors that open to an interior corridor; 14 have private balconies--a narrow terrace furnished with chairs and a small table, used mainly for quick access to the open air and to observe the local scene in port. The boat is often tied up by late afternoon and typically remains so into the wee hours.

Furnishings are similar throughout, and beds can be made up as twins or a double. Amenities include a desk, a couple of chairs, a chest with deep drawers, curtained closet, satellite TV, and large-view windows that slide open. Roomy bathrooms have good counter space and large stall showers. Toilets are the traditional saltwater flush types, much quieter than vacuum units. On such a small boat, location is not much of a factor, apart from the Main Deck forward cabins that are shaped by the bow curve and affected by noise from the bow thrusters. Otherwise we found the cabins were well insulated--during the week aboard, we never heard our next-door neighbors, who included a young child.

The American Glory has three lounges (most boats this size have just one), affording a choice of camaraderie or a quiet spot to read or enjoy a card game. The forward Nantucket Lounge, furnished with cane-style chairs and sofas, provides the social center with seating for everyone. With three exposures and a bow deck to stand out on, the passing scene is always in view.

At 5:30 every evening the line hosts an hour of complimentary cocktails, beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres served by the hotel manager and an assistant. The captain or first mate appeared most nights. Creative hors d'oeuvres changed daily to include jumbo shrimp, bacon wrapped scallops, pate de foie gras, cheeses and crackers, baby lamb Wellington, fresh vegetables and dips, soft-shell crabs, and oysters freshly shucked on Observation Deck (I easily consumed 15--leaving plenty for oysters Rockefeller two days later and oyster omelets at breakfast.)

The Dining Salon, located on Main Deck aft, offers big-window/three-exposure views from eight round tables of six and seven places. All meals are wait-served. The dining and cabin staff, young American men and women of college age, attends a training course before coming aboard for a contract lasting several months. Because many need only take a semester off, the hiring pool from which to choose those with the right attitude and personal skills is huge. The result is very good service, and an easy relationship develops between crew and passengers.