American Cruise Lines has announced details of a brand new cruise that visits nearly every major battlefield of the American Civil War. The 35-day Civil War Battlefields Cruise, which spans 13 states and all three major theatres of the war, departs 4th May 2024 from New Orleans and finishes in Gettysburg on 6th June 2024. Each day will highlight battlefields and events from Fort Sumter and Shiloh to Vicksburg and Antietam.
The onboard experience will be curated to bring context to each day’s exploration and provide a greater understanding of the war as a whole. Dedicated onboard Civil War experts will join guests for the entirety of the experience to discuss the motives, strategies and personalities that drove each side of the war.
The Civil War Battlefields Cruise will be led by Bertram Hayes-Davis, the great great grandson of Jefferson Davis, an American politician who represented Mississippi in both the US Senate and House of Representatives and served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861-1865. Bertram Hayes-Davis is a unique scholar of Civil War history, able to offer both his extensive knowledge and rare personal perspective on the events and battles that divided the country, but ultimately helped forge a more perfect union.
“This cruise is one of the most holistic views of the Civil War ever offered. Guests will experience the people places and events of the war as they visit the battlefields and stand where history was made,” said Bertram Hayes-Davis. “This is a unique opportunity to see the entire scope of the battles of the Civil War and put them in context to each other and the entire conflict.”
The cruise takes place on three ships and sails the Mississippi River, the Tennessee River, the Potomac River, the East Coast Intracoastal Waterway and the Chesapeake Bay. Please see the Day-by-Day itinerary overview below.
Prices start from £21,995 per person including international air, overseas transfers, a one-night pre-cruise stay in New Orleans, daily excursions and entertainment, all meals and beverages including beer and wine with lunch and dinner and a daily cocktail hour, hotels and transportation between cruise segments, WiFi, gratuities and port charges. A deposit of £4,500 per person is due upon reservation.
