Discover 400 years of American history on a cruise through the Chesapeake Bay

"This is a noble sea... calm and welcoming, majestic in size."

These are the imaginary words of Captain John Smith, who led two expeditions up the Chesapeake in southeastern America in the early 17th century in search of gold and silver.

He found neither, but he did discover the vast expanse of water that later inspired James Michener's 1978 novel Chesapeake. The 1,132-page novel of historical fiction takes you on a rollercoaster ride through 400 years of American history.

The Chesapeake River, also called a bay or estuary in the United States, flows south from Havre de Grace, Maryland, just ...