Cruises Within the U.S. Only
A short list of U.S.-flagged ships, and what each one does best.
Get Free Domestic Cruise QuotesCruises within the U.S. only are run by a small club of companies, all using U.S.-flagged vessels. Here is who they are, in plain terms, with what each is known for. Itineraries change by season, so check the current schedule or ask us.
Norwegian Cruise Line: Pride of America
Pride of America is the domestic big ship. According to Norwegian’s Pride of America page, it is the only U.S.-flagged cruise ship in Hawaii and sails year-round from Honolulu, visiting four islands in seven days with overnights and no sea days. It is a full-size resort ship with the restaurants, pools and shows you would expect, which makes it the easiest domestic cruise for families and first-timers. Our sister sites Cruise Hawaii and Cruise Honolulu cover Hawaii cruising and the Honolulu port in depth.
American Cruise Lines
American Cruise Lines describes its fleet as the only fully U.S.-flagged fleet of riverboats and small ships in the world. It runs dozens of U.S. itineraries: the Mississippi and its tributaries, the Columbia and Snake in the Pacific Northwest, Puget Sound and Southeast Alaska, New England’s islands and harbors, the Chesapeake, the Southeast’s Intracoastal Waterway and Florida. It has also launched cruises on the Great Lakes that stay entirely in U.S. waters.
Ships carry roughly one to two hundred guests, and the line adds new small ships regularly. Its style suits travelers who want history, local food and easy walking ashore more than nightlife.
Expedition Lines: UnCruise and Lindblad
UnCruise Adventures sails U.S.-flagged small ships in Southeast Alaska each summer, built around kayaking, hiking and wildlife rather than shopping ports, with other regions in some years. Lindblad Expeditions, in partnership with National Geographic, runs U.S.-flagged expedition ships in Alaska and on the Columbia and Snake Rivers; some of its itineraries continue into British Columbia or Mexico’s Baja coast, so check the ports if a purely domestic trip matters to you. Lindblad has announced the retirement of its two smallest U.S.-flagged ships after their 2026 seasons.
Viking on the Mississippi
Viking Mississippi brought Viking’s Scandinavian-style river cruising to America’s biggest river, sailing between New Orleans and the upper Midwest. For a line-by-line comparison of the river operators, see our sister site US River Cruises, and for the luxury end of U.S. river cruising, Deluxe River Cruising.
Domestic Line Questions
Is Pride of America the only big cruise ship that sails only in the U.S.?
Norwegian describes Pride of America as the only U.S.-flagged cruise ship in Hawaii, and it is the large ship most travelers mean by a domestic cruise. The other domestic operators run small ships and riverboats.
Do domestic small ships stop in Canada?
Some itineraries do, for example on the St. Lawrence or in British Columbia, so read the port list. Many others stay entirely within the U.S.
Fares on these lines often include more than a big-ship fare — some shore tours, wine or beer with dinner, or Wi-Fi on certain ships — so compare inclusions line by line. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise can lay them out side by side for you.
Compare the Domestic Lines for Your Dates
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will line up Pride of America, the small-ship lines and the riverboats side by side.
Compare Domestic Lines