American Cruise Lines Adds America’s Test Kitchen Theme Cruise for May 2027
American Cruise Lines` has announced a culinary themed sailing built around America’s Test Kitchen, putting Bridget Lancaster aboard a 9-day Lower Mississippi River cruise from New Orleans to Memphis on May 21, 2027. The sailing runs aboard American Melody, and the theme programming, not a new route, is the point: Lancaster will host an exclusive cocktail-hour meet and greet and a cooking demonstration during the voyage.
Lancaster is the draw. She is the Executive Editorial Director for America’s Test Kitchen and an original cast member and co-host of the Emmy-nominated America’s Test Kitchen television show, a familiar face to millions of home cooks. During the sailing, guests can watch her prepare a Southern-inspired dish while she shares tips, techniques, and stories from the test kitchen.
What happens on board
The theme events are twofold. Guests get an exclusive cocktail-hour meet and greet with Lancaster, plus a cooking demonstration built around a Southern-inspired dish. The emphasis is on technique and stories rather than a formal class, and the Southern menu fits the route: the sailing runs the Lower Mississippi, so the food programming matches the river it travels. For guests who already know the Mississippi itinerary, the events are the reason to choose this departure over any other Lower Mississippi sailing.
The sailing itself
The voyage is a 9-day Lower Mississippi River cruise from New Orleans to Memphis, departing May 21, 2027, aboard American Melody. The announcement came about seven months before departure, giving the sailing a long booking window. The sailing is a single departure date in the announcement, not a series, which makes the theme programming a one-time draw rather than a recurring product. Bookings are open through a travel advisor or by calling 888-322-7057. American Cruise Lines did not publish a fare for the themed sailing in its announcement.
Why a test kitchen theme fits this line
Themed sailings let a river line sell a familiar route a second time with a different reason to book. The Lower Mississippi itinerary itself is standard American Cruise Lines territory; what changes here is who is aboard and what happens in the evening. That is a lower-risk way to add a sailing with a distinct identity than building a new itinerary from scratch, and it leans on a brand home cooks already trust.
The announcement also lands while American Cruise Lines is expanding its fleet, with new U.S.-built ships entering service through 2028. A themed sailing on an established Mississippi riverboat shows the other side of that growth: filling existing ships with programming that gives past guests a reason to return.
More details are on the line’s America’s Test Kitchen cruise page.
