Field Tripping on a Cruise Ship
American Cruise Lines has channeled its namesake to offer a vastly different kind of sailing experience. Beginning this spring, the company begins 11-day journeys through the history and landscape of the American Revolution. But fear not, this isn't your high school history class. The trip is packed with a diverse lineup of important historic ports and destinations (and there isn't even a quiz at the end).
Each cruise is an exclusive 175-person expedition, spanning the entire coastline of the Chesapeake Bay, between Virginia and Maryland. And all of it takes place upon the brand new cruise ship, the American Constitution. The route stops at ten ports of call, all sites important to the Revolutionary War. In order to give guests the best experience, experts on the subject are coming along for the ride as well. Professionals from the Virginia's Mariner's Museum serve as guides through the historic waters, providing insight during the cruise. And if that wasn't enough, actors portraying people from the 18th-century tag along as well. Their goal is to remind travelers what colonial mariner life was like, while the guests enjoy their brand-new cruise ship.
The destinations along cruise route are sure to captivate anyone with an interest in the past. Just outside of the Baltimore embarkation, is the port of Annapolis. This is the largest collection of original buildings from the 1700's in America. Washington DC's stop is home to the Smithsonian and a visit to the National Museum of American History. Also, neighboring Mount Vernon (George Washington's home) provides a great visit to one of America's most historic estates.
Southern Charm, Colonial-Style
In southern Virginia, cruise guests tour of the state's entire “historic triangle.” Most notably, Williamsburg offers an uncanny window into the past of a revolutionary city. The streets are filled with reenactors, period-accurate shops and taverns, and the beautiful campus of William and Mary. Eastward, the foggy earthworks of Yorktown frame the site of the Revolutionary War's last battle and a wonderful new museum. Then the trip finishes with a tour of colonial tall ships and Virginia and Maryland's Eastern Shore. This sleepy shoal on the Chesapeake is like stepping back in time with Mayberry-esque communities based around fishing and crabbing.
This offer is limited to only a handful of voyages beginning in 2018, planned around the hot muggy Virginia summers. The American Constitution departs from Baltimore on April 28th, May 8th, and October 29th. The last trip is the perfect time to experience colonial Virginia in its most beautiful season.
