Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2020

6 5 ACL’s ships feature contemporary styles and spacious cabins with large windows to enable guests to enjoy the river scenery For example, the newest riverboats have standard cabins over 300 square feet (among the largest rooms available in river cruising), and suites ranging from 400 to 900 square feet. All the rooms have a sliding door leading out to a private furnished balcony. “We went from 2.5-foot balconies on the older ships to five-foot balconies on the new ships which give us space for a table, chairs and chaise lounge,” says Robertson. The line also overcame significant regulatory challenges to create a five-storey atrium, a unique design element for a river cruise ship. “We transformed the standard vestibule into a gathering place,” says Robertson. Behind the scenes, the newest ships are also advancing the company’s environmental performance – they are EPA Tier 4 compliant on emissions and use green technologies such as LED lighting. ACL’s new coastal ships also employ eco-friendly technology and advanced safety and navigation equipment. Guests on the new ships enjoy features including an outdoor casual cafe, fine dining in the grand dining rooms and room service. ACL also enhanced its shore programmes in partnership with an operator that provides ACL-branded buses that follow the ships along the Mississippi River to provide comfortable excursions in ports. ACL plans to expand this service to the Columbia River. ACL attempted to restart cruises in the Pacific Northwest and along the Mississippi in June and July 2020, but new regulations introduced due to a resurgence of Covid-19 forced it to postpone. Robertson believes ACL’s disciplined management approach will help it to weather the current situation. “We’re prepared to operate but ready to wait,” he says, adding that he hopes ACL might be able to resume limited operations in New England this autumn. River cruising, which makes up most of ACL’s business, will be a priority for growth, with five new contemporary- style riverboats and two coastal ships added between 2017 and 2022. “River cruising has become a mainstream segment of travel in many parts of the world,” says Robertson. “But there is still a lot of potential to expand the domestic US river and small-ship coastal market.” He expects to grow the line’s drive- to-cruise business, with 90 per cent of Americans living in driving distance of one of the company’s ships. ACL has also begun to build an international market. “UK guests like the idea of experiencing Mark Twain’s America and our long Mississippi River cruise provides the opportunity to see the whole American experience,” says Robertson. “Our tailored destination experiences, personalised services and our ship enhancements mean we’re well-positioned for growth.” C&F INTERV IEW