In anticipation of the 250th anniversary of America on July 4, 2026, Princess Cruises has unveiled its new “Historic America Cruisetour,” a 14-night journey that blends a comprehensive land tour with a scenic Canada and New England cruise.
The cruisetour, which kicks off in 2025 from New York City, offers cruisers an in-depth exploration of the United States’ foundational history.
The itinerary begins with a seven-night land tour featuring stops in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and Gettysburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Each destination has been chosen for its significant contributions to American history.
Guests will then embark on the Enchanted Princess for a 7-day roundtrip cruise.
“Visiting our nation’s capital, nearby historic cities and landmarks always ranks high on travelers’ lists of places to visit in their lifetime,” said Terry Thornton, chief commercial officer at Princess Cruises. “We are making traveling to historic America easy, educational, and memorable with our knowledgeable and inspiring tour guides sharing the incredible stories of our country’s settlers, leaders, landmarks, and historic sites.”
The cruisetour includes hotel accommodations, motorcoach transportation, and most meals, alongside guided tours that highlight major historical sites.
Cruisetour Explores America’s Foundation
The Historic America cruisetour has 10 departure dates throughout August, September, and October 2025, beginning August 16 and ending with the last itinerary setting sail on October 18.
Guests will arrive in Washington, D.C., and explore its national monuments and museums, including an evening illumination tour of landmarks like the Lincoln and Vietnam War Memorials, with two full nights in a D.C.-area hotel.
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The journey continues with visits to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown Settlement in Virginia, home to the first permanent English settlement in North America. Travelers will enjoy dinner at a Colonial Williamsburg tavern, spend the night, and have a full day to enjoy the living-history Museum, which features costumed reenactors showcasing life in 18th-century Williamsburg.
The tour also includes visits to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as Harpers Ferry National Historic Park in Virginia and the iconic Gettysburg Battlefield, offering insights into both the Revolutionary and Civil War eras.
Finally, the land tour ends in Philadelphia, where guests will spend a full day and night visiting the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House, and other pivotal sites in the birthplace of American democracy, including Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.
After completing the land tour, guests will travel to New York City and board the 141,000-gross-ton Enchanted Princess to sail along the picturesque coastlines of New England and Canada.
The 3,660-passenger cruise will call on Newport, Rhode Island, home to Gilded Age mansions and a vibrant waterfront; Boston, Massachusetts, which witnessed the start of the American Revolution; and Portland, Maine’s Old Port district.
The cruise also calls in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which became the refuge of Loyalists fleeing the newly independent American states.
Built in 2020 and launched in 2021 following the pandemic, the Enchanted Princess spends most of the year in the Caribbean, based in Fort Lauderdale, before relocating to New York City from August through October to visit New England and Canadian ports.
Its 2024 Canada and New England itineraries, as well as 7-night roundtrip voyages, stop in Newport, Boston, and Halifax and visit additional and varying ports, including Bar Harbor, Maine, and Saint John, New Brunswick. The 2025 cruisetour will be the first time the cruise will offer the extensive 7-night vacation package for these itineraries.
