The American Eagle, the first American Cruise Lines’ Coastal Cat, has passed sea trials with flying colors, according to a press release.

American Cruise Lines accepted delivery of the 100-passenger small ship from Chesapeake Shipbuilding on-time as scheduled.

The American Eagle is the first of 12 new Coastal Cats American Cruise Lines is planning to build at Chesapeake Shipbuilding. The next four ships are already under construction for delivery over the next year. The new boat is the first in its class and the namesake of American Cruise Lines’ first vessel in 1972, the company said.

The American Eagle is already on its way to Massachusetts, where it will embark on its first passenger cruise.

The company said the new ship will sail a slate of 100 percent U.S. itineraries along the East Coast which will blend the luxury of river cruising with the access and adventure of expedition cruising.

The American Eagle’s first cruise is scheduled to depart August 14, 2023, following the line’s popular eight-day Cape Codder itinerary, roundtrip from Boston.

“American Eagle embodies our continued commitment to building new small ships to explore America’s rivers and coasts,” said Charles B. Robertson, President & CEO of American Cruise Lines. “It is the flagship in American Cruise Lines new series of small Coastal Cats, which are unlike anything else available in the U.S. market. American Eagle and her sister ships will change the landscape of possibilities for small ship adventures around the U.S.A.”

The American Eagle is being introduced just a few months after American Serenade, the company’s 6th new modern riverboat.

The company plans to introduce the second new Coastal Cat in the series, American Glory, in November 2023.