VICTORY Cruise Lines (When Part Of American Queen Voyages)

Victory Cruise Lines

Update May 2024 — Victory Cruise Lines is coming back to life starting in 2025. The line’s former owner, John Waggoner, picked up the coastal vessels Victory I and Victory II at the bankruptcy auction for American Queen Voyages, a company he founded and ran until a few years ago. Waggoner came out of retirement to bring back the Victory brand with a veteran team of executives. They plan to relaunch the 190-passenger vessels on itineraries around all five lakes with sailings between Chicago and Toronto or Montréal, or roundtrip Chicago. Most recently the two ships sailed in the American Queen Voyages fleet as Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator.

Update October 1, 2021. American Queen Steamboat Co, which operates paddle-wheelers in the U.S. heartland and the Pacific Northwest, and Victory Cruise Lines, with its two coastal vessels and new expedition ships, announced their rebranding as American Queen Voyages.

The company includes American Queen Voyages River, American Queen Voyages Lakes & Ocean (formerly Victory) and American Queen Voyages Expedition with its new Alaska and Central America expeditions beginning in 2022.

Founded 10 years ago with the grande dame Mississippi Queen, the company will have eight vessels in 2023.

Victory I and Victory II will be renamed Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator, which syncs with the new expedition vessels Ocean Victory (2020) and Ocean Discoverer (summer 2023).

Victory Cruise Lines began operating with a short first season in 2016 along the St. Lawrence River and in the Great Lakes, using the American-built coastal ship Cape May Light (built in 2001), which had operated for Delta Queen Coastal Cruises until that company went bankrupt. After a lay-up period and work for other companies, she joined the new line in 2016 as Victory I.

A second ship, built as the U.S.-flagged Cape Cod Light, sailed as the Sea Discoverer until chartered by this line in 2017. Following a refit in Europe, it appeared in summer 2018 as Victory II and focused on New England, Eastern Canada, St. Lawrence Valley, and the Great Lakes.

In 2019, both ships were purchased by American Queen Steamboat Company, and the pair continues to operate as a brand, retaining the name Victory Cruise Lines. They expanded their horizons to include the American Southeast and Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Then in September 2021, American Queen Steamboat Co announced their rebranding as American Queen Voyages.

The current Victory Cruise Lines also includes the charter of a 200-passenger ship called Ocean Victory, which was built for Miami-based SunStone Ships, offering Alaska and Pacific Coast cruises. Another operator, Albatros Expeditions, charters the vessel for part of the year.

An interesting aside, sister-company Hornblower Cruises & Events operates dinner cruises, chartered private events and sightseeing tours from major American cities and destinations, including Niagara Falls, Liberty Island and Alcatraz.

UPDATE: American Queen Steamboat Co & Victory Become American Queen Voyages. by Anne Kalosh

OCEAN VICTORY will cruise Alaska in summer 2021. Here is a rendering of the splendid library. * SunStone Ships

Fleet

Victory I (built 2001 & 202 passengers) – Great Lakes & St. Lawrence River — to become Ocean Voyager
Victory II (b. 2004 & 202 p) – Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River, New England, American Southeast & Mexico/Yucatan Peninsula — to become Ocean Navigator
Ocean Victory (b. 2020 & 200 p) – Alaska & Pacific Northwest
Ocean Discoverer (b. 2023 & 200 p) – Alaska & Pacific Northwest

The Victory I . * Photo: Victory Cruise Lines

Passenger Profile

Americans, Canadians, and a few Europeans mainly 50 and older. These are well-traveled cruisers, and many passengers will be veterans of American Queen Steamboat Company.

Price

$$ to $$$ – Pricey

Included Features

Pre-voyage hotel stay
On-board meals, afternoon tea service and pre-dinner cocktail parties
Wine, non-premium spirits, beer, coffee, tea and soft drinks
Unlimited shore excursions
Wi-Fi is complimentary

Tips are not included; the recommended amounts are $16.50 per person per day for the ship’s crew, and ashore, $5 per person for guides and $2 for the bus driver.

Itineraries

Victory Cruise Lines is known for Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River cruises, which run from 11 to 16 days, and Canada and New England cruises, which run 9 to 11 days.

After the autumn foliage changes, the ships sail south for 12- to 17-day cruises of the historic American Southeast and the Bahamas (they cruise this region in the spring months as well, when the ships are repositioning back north).

Over the winter, the ships cruise Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula with 11-day itineraries. The line also offers an Alaskan and Pacific Northwest cruise, ranging from 11 to 17 days, during the summer.

Toronto’s skyline seen from Center Island, reached by passenger ferry from downtown. * Photo: Ted Scull

Public Gardens, Halifax, Nova Scotia. * Photo: Ted Scull

Sample Itinerary

Victory’s “Yucatán’s Mayan Cruise Tour” is a roundtrip Cancun voyage that begins with an overnight in Cancun before embarking in Cozumel/Tulum for 9 nights of sailing on the scenic Gulf of Mexico with calls at Costa Maya, Progreso, Campeche and Valladolid before returning to Cancun.

Along the way, travelers enjoy days of scenic sailing in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as visits to UNESCO World Heritage site Chichen Itza and off-the-beaten-path villages.

Why Go?

The key is the ease of cruising on a small ship to attractive ports, large and small, in the U.S. and Canada.

Few ships cruise the Great Lakes, though the numbers are growing. So, it’s less-charted territory for the many aficionados of exploring inland waters — lakes, rivers and canals.

Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, lives up to its name. *Photo: Ted Scull

Activities & Entertainment

Victory I and Victory II host onboard lectures and have games in the lounge. Each night, there’s live entertainment from the in-house band. For every port there’s a free excursion or optional premium experience (added cost) led by local guides.

Sustainability Initiatives

On Ocean Victory, passengers are given personal water bottles that can be refilled at various on-board water stations.

Dining

On Victory I and Victory II, there are two dining rooms, the main Coastal Dining Room serves regional and seasonal fare, and there’s a contemporary and casual, buffet-style eatery, The Grill located at the aft on Deck 4.

Aboard Ocean Victory, meals are served in the Main Restaurant. The ship’s Panorama Specialty Restaurant is an outdoor bistro and barbecue deck. Enjoy coffee, tea and cocktails at the Explorer Bar and an observation lounge that wraps around the front of the ship for optimal views.

The Ships

Victory I (Ocean Voyager)

Victory II (Ocean Navigator)

These 202-passenger sister ships each have Decks 1 through 4 accessed by elevator. The top Sun Deck has no elevator access.

The Tavern, a cozy bar, serves up cocktails, while the Compass Lounge handles lectures and larger gatherings in a bright and airy space.

The cozy Seascape Tavern aboard Victory I * Photo: Victory Cruise Lines

The Sun Deck provides comfy chairs and couches (with an awning for shade) arranged for conversation and viewing the passing scenery, and a wraparound promenade has a narrow path for constitutional walkers. Victory I & II also feature a fitness center, spa, salon and medical clinic.

All cabins are doubles with twin or queen-size beds, picture windows and measurements of 146 to 185 sq. ft., and a single owner’s suite at 335 sq. ft.

Single travelers normally pay 200% for single occupancy of a double cabin.

In cabin: en suite with a shower, L’Occitane toiletries, individual climate control, TV, minifridge, and safe.

An AA Category cabin aboard VICTORY I * Photo: Victory Cruise Lines

Ocean Victory

A contemporary expedition ship, the 200-passenger Ocean Victory packs a lot on its six spacious passenger decks (all of which have elevator service).

Passengers can attend programs in the Expedition Lecture Room and learn on their own at the Voyager Library.

For relaxation, there’s a showpiece infinity pool, two hot tubs, a fitness center, small spa and boutique. Ocean Victory has Zodiacs and kayaks, a mudroom and medical clinic.

Cabins have queen and twin beds and desks; many have private balconies, a few have French balconies, still others have porthole views.

In cabin: en suite with showers, individual climate control, TV, minifridge, safe & hair dryer.

The 200-passenger Ocean Victory with its distinctive X-Bow profile. * Rendering: Victory Cruise Lines

Special Notes

A doctor is carried on all Ocean Victory cruises, operating out of an infirmary.

Along the Same Lines

Pearl Seas Cruises operates some similar itineraries, while Croisieres Saint Jacques and St. Lawrence Cruise Lines exclusively cruise the St. Lawrence River, while Ponant include the St. Lawrence River as part of longer cruises into the Great Lakes and southeast to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New England.