Looking for a way to explore America’s beautiful small towns along the Great Lakes? American Cruise Lines is offering the very first all-domestic Great Lakes sailings next year. It’s great to spend time in some of our country’s most interesting waterways while dipping into port cities for top-notch excursions—and you won’t need a passport. The new cruise offerings begin in summer 2026, just in time for America's 250th celebration of independence.
There are three different options: the eight-day Great Lakes and Thousand Islands Cruise from Oswego, New York, to Cleveland, Ohio (a great one to see one of the most beautiful American castles), the 13-day American Great Lakes cruise from Cleveland to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the eight-day Lake Michigan and Upper Peninsula Cruise which starts and ends in Milwaukee.
RECOMMENDED: These extended cruises will let travelers hit 20 states in one trip, all to celebrate America's 250th birthday
The cruises sail through Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan without penetrating into Canada: no passport needed. It’s the cruise company’s first Great Lakes cruise offering, and passengers will embark on the brand-new American Patriot ship, built in the U.S. this year. It can host 130 guests in its large staterooms, each with a private balcony, and its restaurant focuses on American cuisine and locally sourced ingredients. The cruises are all-inclusive, with unlimited beverages, gratuities included and free excursions. Going solo? You won’t be punished with a single supplement because some of the staterooms—still with balconies—were built as singles. To make the deal even sweeter, the pre-cruise hotel stay and domestic transportation to the ship are covered.
Along the way, depending on which cruise passengers select, they can see historic shipwrecks (via glass-bottom boat ride) and lighthouses, and visit charming waterfronts: major cities include Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee. Anyone who loved the movie Somewhere in Time can “set jet” at Mackinac Island where it was filmed and visit the Grand Hotel. Music lovers can tour Detroit’s Motown or Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There are plenty of museums in the various ports, most notably the Susan B. Anthony Museum & House in Rochester, New York, which honors the woman who worked tirelessly to allow women to vote in this country. A trip to iconic Niagara Falls is included in the Great Lakes and Thousand Islands cruise. Active passengers can paddleboard, kayak and kite surf on Lake Michigan.
"Guests have long asked for our style of cruising on the Great Lakes,” said the cruise line president and CEO Charles B. Robertson in a press release shared on the company website. “We are now proud to offer these cruises as only American can, aboard a new small ship sailing 100 percent domestically.”
Last question: Can you experience all three itineraries? For sure. In 2026, the dates for the Great Lakes and Thousand Islands cruise are May 22, May 29, June 5 and August 27; for the American Great Lakes Tour June 12, July 8, July 20 and August 15; and for the Lake Michigan and Upper Peninsula cruise June 24, July 1, August 1 and August 8. You can do them in this order—which makes sense, going from Oswego to Cleveland to Milwaukee—or mix them up. More dates for 2027 cruises will be announced later, too.