American Cruise Lines cruise policies
American Cruise Lines Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, what the all-inclusive fare already covers, what to wear at dinner and who can sail. Figures are American Cruise Lines' own, from the Passenger Information and cancellation terms that apply to every booking; the line sails only U.S. rivers and coasts, so there is one set of terms for everyone.
Deposit
The deposit is per person and depends on the length of the cruise. It confirms the reservation and is refundable in full, less the $250 per person Cancellation Administrative Charge, until 121 days before embarkation; cancel within 24 hours of paying it and even the $250 is waived.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| 9 nights or fewer | $500 per person |
| 10 nights or longer | $900 per person |
| Booked within 120 days of departure | Full fare at booking |
Good to know
- Any booking can be cancelled within 24 hours of the initial payment for a 100% refund with no charge of any kind; after that the $250 per person Cancellation Administrative Charge applies to every refund.
- The Cancel For Any Reason Protection Plan can be bought any time between the deposit and the final payment date, but only a plan bought within 14 days of the initial payment gets Deluxe Protection; from day 15 it is Basic Protection. The plan fee is nonrefundable and is quoted on the cost of your cruise package.
- One guest alone in a double stateroom pays 150% of the double-occupancy fare; single staterooms at a single fare are available on every ship.
- Airfare through American Cruise Lines must be added at least 60 days before embarkation, and optional Pre-Cruise Packages (a premium hotel with transfers) at least 30 days before.
- Signature shore excursions, the ones priced at $100 and up, are reserved in advance and are nonrefundable once booked.
Final payment
The balance is due 120 days before the sailing date on every cruise. Book inside 120 days and the full fare is due at booking. The cruise is not confirmed until the full fare is paid.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Any length | 120 days before sailing |
| Booked within 120 days of departure | Full payment at booking |
Good to know
- The fare includes port charges and fees, gratuities, drinks, Wi-Fi, the featured excursion in each port and, for bookings made on or after August 7, 2025, the night in a hotel before embarkation with luggage service and the transfer to the ship. Airfare, Premium and Signature excursions, Four Seasons hotel stays and Pre-Cruise Packages are extra.
- You can move the booking to another date or itinerary up to 121 days before sailing for a $125 per person administrative fee plus any fare increase; inside 120 days a change is a cancellation.
- American Cruise Lines' contract says rates and schedules are subject to change at any time, and the Passenger Information in effect on the day you first pay is the version that applies to your booking.
Cancellation charges
American Cruise Lines publishes its schedule as the percentage refunded, counted in days between its receipt of your written cancellation and the embarkation date. Every refund after the first 24 hours is reduced by a $250 per person Cancellation Administrative Charge, which ACL will credit toward a new booking if you pay the initial payment on it within a year. Shown below as the charge you pay.
Standard cancellation terms (without the Cancel For Any Reason plan)
Every cruise package: the cruise plus any tours, hotel nights or transportation bought from ACL.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | Within 24 hours of the initial payment | No charge, full refund |
| Any length | 121 days or more | $250 per person; the rest refunded |
| Any length | 120 to 91 days | 25% of the amount paid plus $250 per person |
| Any length | 90 to 46 days | 50% plus $250 per person |
| Any length | 45 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
With the Cancel For Any Reason Protection Plan, Basic Protection
Plan bought 15 days or more after the initial payment. Refund is a percentage of the eligible amounts paid (everything except the plan fee), less $250 per person.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 121 days or more | $250 per person; the rest refunded |
| Any length | 120 to 10 days | 20% plus $250 per person (80% refunded in cash) |
| Any length | 9 days or fewer, up to the start of the package | 30% plus $250 per person; the 70% comes back as Cruise Credits, not cash |
With the Cancel For Any Reason Protection Plan, Deluxe Protection
Plan bought within 14 days of the initial payment. Same basis as Basic.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 121 days or more | $250 per person; the rest refunded |
| Any length | 120 to 10 days | 10% plus $250 per person (90% refunded in cash) |
| Any length | 9 days or fewer, up to the start of the package | 20% plus $250 per person; the 80% comes back as Cruise Credits, not cash |
Good to know
- American Cruise Lines takes cancellations only in writing, through its online Cancellation Form or by email to reservations@americancruiselines.com, so tell SmartCruiser and we send it the same day; the charge is set by the day ACL receives it.
- The Cancel For Any Reason plan is a fee waiver written by American Cruise Lines, not insurance, and it ends at the start of the cruise package; it cannot be bought after the final payment date and its fee is never refunded. It can be moved to another cruise you have paid for at least 121 days before that cruise's embarkation.
- Cruise Credits are worth one dollar each toward a future cruise package, have no cash value, cannot be transferred and must be used for travel within twelve months.
- Cancel only an add-on such as a Signature excursion and the $250 charge is waived, though the excursion's own cancellation terms still apply.
- If American Cruise Lines cancels a cruise or delays it by more than 3 calendar days, you can decline any future cruise credit it offers and take a full refund of the fare, port fees and taxes; claims go in within six months of the scheduled embarkation.
- Leaving the cruise early brings a pro-rated refund of the cruise fare only, per day, less fees and charges; a no-show gets nothing.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
Gratuities
Gratuities are included in the fare on every American Cruise Lines ship. The Passenger Information lists gratuities aboard the ship among the items the per-person fare covers, and the line says guests are not expected to leave a gratuity on board. Nothing is added to a shipboard account and there is no envelope on the last night.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| All staterooms, all ships | Included in the fare; nothing is charged on board |
Good to know
- The fare also covers all meals and snacks, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, a nightly cocktail hour with a full bar and hors d'oeuvres, soft drinks, coffee and tea around the clock, Starlink Wi-Fi, entertainment, port charges and fees, at least one featured excursion in every port and, for bookings made on or after August 7, 2025, the night in a hotel before the cruise with luggage service and the transfer to the ship.
- Premium excursions usually cost $10 to $99 per person and Signature excursions $100 and up; those are the main onboard extras.
- Anything you choose to hand to a crew member for exceptional service is yours to decide; tips for local guides on excursions are likewise at your discretion.
Dress code
No formal nights on any American Cruise Lines ship, and the line says you do not have to dress up to fit right in. Days are casual sportswear; evenings and dinner are casual country club attire, dressed as if you were going out for a nice dinner.
Daytime
Casual sportswear and comfortable walking shoes: breathable tees, shorts or lightweight trousers for town walks, historic sites and national parks. Casual resort attire is the standard both on the ship and ashore.
Cocktail hour and dinner
Casual country club attire: a neat polo, a button-down shirt and slacks, or a casual dress. A sweater or light jacket is useful in the lounges and on cooler rivers.
Formal wear
Not needed. There are no formal or gala nights and no jacket-and-tie evenings on any itinerary.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Any length | 0 |
House rules
- Pack for the itinerary rather than the ship: layers and a rain shell for Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and New England, sandals and sun protection for the Southeast and Florida.
- Bring sturdy walking shoes for guided tours and water shoes if a kayaking excursion is on your list; add one smart option for the evening.
- Smoking is allowed only in the designated outdoor areas on each ship and is strictly prohibited in staterooms and on private balconies.
- Casual resort attire is the standard ashore as well as on board; cover knees and shoulders for any church or historic-house tour on the itinerary.
Age rules
American Cruise Lines publishes no minimum age, no infant rule and no separate rule for minors, and its Terms & Conditions of Passage contain no age clause. Children are welcome but the line publishes no children's program or babysitting service; the ships carry 90 to 180 guests and the itineraries are built around history, scenery and enrichment. Age is counted on the day of embarkation.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing, every ship | Not published. The contract makes the adult who books responsible for any accompanying child, so a guest under 18 should sail with a parent or guardian; call us before booking a minor alone |
Stateroom assignment
American Cruise Lines publishes no rule on who may occupy a stateroom; it sells single staterooms on every ship, charges 150% of the double rate for one adult alone in a double stateroom and expects a child to share with the adult who booked. Every guest must be physically, emotionally and otherwise fit to undertake the cruise, and the booking adult confirms that for any accompanying child.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| All sailings | No minimum age published and no infant facilities listed in the line's materials, so ask us before booking a child under 2 |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing: all ships are U.S.-flagged and sail only in U.S. waters | 21 under U.S. law; the line publishes no separate policy |
Good to know
- No passport is needed on any itinerary; bring government photo identification to board.
- Smoking is allowed only in designated areas on each ship and is strictly prohibited in staterooms and on private balconies.
- Animals of any kind may not be brought aboard except a service animal with acceptable evidence of a disability-related need presented to the line in advance.
- Most ships have an elevator serving the passenger decks; American Independence, American Star and American Spirit have limited elevator access, so call before booking a guest who cannot manage stairs.
- Every guest must be physically, emotionally and otherwise fit to undertake the cruise; the contract reserves the line's right to disembark or quarantine a guest on health grounds.
- The Cancel For Any Reason Protection Plan is a cancellation fee waiver only, not insurance; separate travel insurance for medical and trip-interruption cover is strongly recommended.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your 120-day final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it, so a booking never cancels by accident.
- Before final payment we watch your sailing for American Cruise Lines' offers, such as free airfare dates, and move your booking to them when the line allows it.
- American Cruise Lines takes cancellations and date changes in writing only, so we handle cancellations, the $125 date or itinerary change and stateroom moves with the line directly and tell you the exact charge before you decide.
- The Cancel For Any Reason Protection Plan, airfare, Pre-Cruise Packages and Signature excursions go on your invoice if you want them, and we check the 14-day Deluxe window, the 60-day airfare deadline and the 30-day hotel deadline so nothing lapses; your Eagle Society membership goes on the reservation.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on sailings where the line allows it, not available booking direct. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 14, 2026 against American Cruise Lines's own pages: Passenger Information (deposits, final payment, changes, fare inclusions; effective November 25, 2024), Passenger Cancellation Terms (24-hour policy, $250 charge, refund schedule), Cancel For Any Reason Protection Plan, full terms (revised July 1, 2026), Cancel For Any Reason Protection Plan, summary (revised July 1, 2026), Terms & Conditions of Passage (passenger contract), FAQ (included drinks, hotel night, dress code, smoking, Starlink Wi-Fi, elevators), All-Inclusive U.S. River and Coastal Cruises (fare inclusions), What's Included in the All-Inclusive Experience (blog, December 22, 2025; free Starlink Wi-Fi), Ultimate River Cruise Packing List (blog, February 10, 2025; attire), Nonperformance of Cruises: Refund Policy, Eagle Society. American Cruise Lines is a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed line based in Guilford, Connecticut, and every itinerary stays inside the United States, so there are no regional booking conditions: the Passenger Information page in effect on the day you first pay, the Passenger Cancellation Terms and the Terms & Conditions of Passage govern every guest. The cancellation figures below carry the July 1, 2026 revision of the Cancel For Any Reason Protection Plan; the deposit and payment figures are from the Passenger Information effective November 25, 2024, which was still the current version at verification. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
American Cruise Lines policy FAQ
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Ask a American Cruise Lines specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.