Weekly Cruise Boat Coming to Marco

Days ago, it was publicly announced a ship would be heading down the coast from Tampa on a weeklong voyage, stopping in Marco Island, Key West, Punta Gorda and St. Petersburg before returning to Tampa. 

The cruise line is American Cruise Lines (ACL) which is well experienced in this type of travel having several river boats offering a variety of itineraries that include the Mississippi, Puget Sound, New England, Alaska, and many more. The website touts it as America’s #1 river cruise line with 50 years of experience. 

The American Glory, which is a catamaran-type riverboat, will begin a weekly cruise schedule on December 20th, with a stop in Marco Island. The itinerary notes this will be the stop for Day Two. The itinerary description mentions beaches and golfing, tours to Everglades National Park, airboat tours and more. It notes, “After a day of adventure, dine at one of the elegant waterfront restaurants or peruse the artsy boutiques and designer outlets, before heading back to the ship.”

According to Dianna Dohm, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, American Cruise Lines did reach out and indicated “they bring their own transportation services for tours for their guests. This way they can assure guests the very best experience on their schedule.”  They also reached out to Rose Marina, the Dolphin Explorer, the Marco Island Historical Museum, and the City of Marco Island among other local businesses. Pat Rutledge, Chief Executive Officer of the Marco Island Historical Society said ACL is planning to add about ten options for tours in the area with the Museum being one of them. Being a new cruise route plans are in flux with updates to the website reflecting ongoing changes.

The American Glory, a new boat, will be used for the weekly cruise. It is being christened on a cruise of Southeastern cities beginning November 28th. The boat holds 100 guests in 56 rooms. It is a Coastal Cat (catamaran) which is 243’ in length by 56’ wide weighing 3000 gross tons. Costs of the one-week cruise which will stop on Marco Island begins at $6,730.

For comparison, the Key West Express website says their “Big Cat Express is 155 ft. is a jet-powered catamaran that boasts a shallow 4.5 foot draft, making it friendly to the marine environment and enables us to get in and out of shallow water ports like Marco Island and Ft. Myers Beach.”