You'll know it the first morning, coffee in hand, when Mount Rainier rises silver and enormous over the stern and the wake behind you is the only traffic you'll see all day. This is Puget Sound and the Salish Sea from the deck of a 170-guest coastal ship: quiet water, forested islands sliding past, bald eagles working the shoreline, and — if the day is generous — the black fin of an orca breaking the surface off Friday Harbor.
Aboard the American Constitution, you are not a reservation number in a crowd of four thousand. Built in 2018 and purpose-designed for inland coastal waters, she carries just 170 guests in 90 staterooms — every one of them outside-facing, and 78 with private balconies. These are, quite simply, the largest staterooms in the industry: 275 to 375 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass that turns your morning into a moving panorama. Add open-seating dining in a main restaurant framed by 270° views, the Cascade Lounge for evening entertainment and daily enrichment, a sun deck with shaded loungers, a fitness center, and elevators to every passenger deck. No queues. No announcements telling you to hurry. Just the low hum of the engines and the smell of salt air.
And the itinerary is the reason to book early. From Tacoma you'll sail north to Anacortes, the gateway to the San Juans, where Deception Pass churns below you and the galleries of nearby La Conner invite a slow afternoon. In Friday Harbor you'll wander bookshops and cafés and meet the islands' most famous residents at The Whale Museum. From Port Angeles, framed by the Olympic Mountains, the temperate rainforests and waterfalls of Olympic National Park are yours to explore. A short ferry ride delivers you to Victoria, BC — the Inner Harbour, the Parliament Buildings, the Fairmont Empress, and the impossibly saturated blooms of Butchart Gardens. Then it's back to Port Townsend, a Victorian seaport of ornate homes and maritime lore, before Bremerton and Poulsbo, where the Puget Sound Navy Museum, the preserved destroyer USS Turner Joy, and "Little Norway's" Scandinavian bakeries close out the story. You return to Tacoma with Mount Rainier waiting to say goodbye.
This is small-ship cruising the way it should be priced, too. Your fare includes an included hotel night in Tacoma before embarkation, meals crafted by regional chefs, a complimentary cocktail hour each evening, onboard entertainment and expert guest speakers, all shore excursions, gratuities, and port charges. Ask us about current savings and complimentary airfare offers, plus the Four Seasons Seattle hotel upgrade with concierge luggage service and private transfer to the ship.
There's a date to fit your calendar across the 2026-2027 season — but the balconies, and the single cabins, go first. Fares from $5,250 per person, with a deposit that holds your stateroom today.
| Cruise line | American Cruise Lines |
|---|---|
| Ship | ACL American Constellation |
| Duration | 8 nights |
| Port calls | 8 |
| Departures | 39 sailings |
| From fare | $5,425 per person |
| Year built | 2017 |
| Guests | 175 |
| Cabins | 90 |
| Crew | 43 |
| Length | 82 m |
| Beam | 17 m |
| Cruising speed | 12.0 kn |
Highlights
- Pre-cruise hotel night in Tacoma
- All gourmet meals aboard
- Nightly complimentary cocktail hour
- Wine and beer service each afternoon and evening
- At least one shore excursion every day
- All gratuities
- Port charges and fees
- Starlink Wi-Fi
- Complimentary ferry transportation to Victoria, BC
- Complimentary airfare on select departures
Cruise Summary
| Trip type | Round-trip |
|---|---|
| Countries visited | United States, Canada |
| Pre-cruise hotel | 1 night in Tacoma, Washington |
| Passport required | Yes |
| Typical guest | Retired or near-retirement |
| Family friendly | No |
Victoria, BC is a foreign port. A valid passport book or WHTI-compliant document is required.
