American Queen Steamboat Company, one of the country’s leading river cruise companies, has changed its name to embrace the breadth of its river, lake and ocean offerings in North and Central America.
As announced at the 2021 Seatrade Global conference in Miami, the new brand, American Queen Voyages, merges American Queen Steamboat Company and its Victory Cruise Lines division. The portfolio comprises American Queen Voyages River, American Queen Voyages Lakes & Ocean and American Queen Voyages Expeditions.
The line will have an eight-vessel fleet by 2023—four with names starting with “American” and four with “Ocean.” Its new tagline: “Discovery Runs Deep.”
In addition, the company announced it is moving its headquarters from southern Indiana to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Led by the 414-guest American Queen, a fixture for decades on the Mississippi River and the largest paddlewheeler in existence, American Queen Voyages River includes three other plush paddlewheelers—the 223-guest American Empress, which sails the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest; the 166-guest American Duchess, which began Mississippi River service in 2017; and the 245-guest American Countess, which made her debut in March 2021 and sails the Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. American Queen and American Duchess itineraries also include the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee.
American Queen Voyages Lakes & Ocean, formerly Victory Cruise Lines, encompasses the brand’s voyages to Canada, the Great Lakes, New England and Eastern Seaboard, and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The 202-passener ships Victory I and Victory II are being renamed Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator.
American Queen Voyages Expedition launches the brand’s advance into expedition cruising with two newly built, 186-passenger vessels. The Ocean Victory will operate Alaska cruises in 2022, while the new Ocean Discoverer will do so in 2023. The vessels will explore less-traveled regions of Alaska’s Inside Passage, deploying kayaks and Zodiacs with expedition leaders and offering sliding observation platforms for wildlife viewing. Passengers will witness marine research by California Polytech University students in real-time and have engaging discussions with First Nation leaders.
American Queen Voyages is part of Hornblower Group, a company whose footprint spans 111 countries and 125 U.S. cities, with offerings including water- and land-based experiences, overnight cruise experiences, ferry and other transportation services, and full-service support via Hornblower Shipyard at Bridgeport Boatworks in Connecticut.
For more information, visit aqvoyages.com.
