John Waggoner's Victory Is Cruising's Latest Comeback Story

John Waggoner’s Victory

By Anne Kalosh

Good news for Great Lakes cruisers — there will soon be another choice with the rebirth of Victory Cruise Lines in 2025.

Its 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.

All Five Great Lakes

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.

Earlier this month, Waggoner finalized the acquisition of Victory I and Victory II, which most recently sailed in the American Queen Voyages fleet as Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator.

In 2011, he had founded what ultimately became American Queen Voyages by acquiring the paddlewheel steamboat American Queen from the U.S. Maritime Administration, then grew the company over a decade to field seven vessels and was bought out by a private equity firm, Crestview Partners, a few years ago.

Victory II will be getting a new engine before resuming service on the Great Lakes. * Photo: Victory Cruise Lines

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Leaving a Better Legacy

Waggoner told me he got back in the game because he was too young to retire and missed the business, he wanted to leave a better legacy and to “put the band back together.” Also, he got an “unbelievable deal” on the vessels, and he loves Great Lakes cruising.

The entrepreneurial Waggoner had forged a company that started as Hornblower Marine Services in 1994 and became HMS Global Maritime, adding Seaward Services, HMS Ferries then American Queen Steamboat Co. and Victory Cruise Lines (the last two combined as American Queen Voyages).

After selling the business to retire, he was saddened it “evaporated in a quick period.”

Little Competition

Waggoner champions the Great Lakes, where there’s little cruise competition and “so much to offer,” he said.

To fit through the St. Lawrence Seaway Locks that are the only access to the lakes, vessels can’t be longer than 740 feet/225.5 meters, and there are width and height restrictions, too.

The only overnight cruise ships scheduled for the 2024 season are Ponant’s Le Champlain, Pearl Seas Cruises’ Pearl Mist, Viking’s expedition pair Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, St. Lawrence Cruise Lines’ Canadian Empress, and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Hanseatic Inspiration.

Victory Itineraries

In 2025, Victory’s core 10-day itinerary, between Chicago and Toronto, is expected to feature a coveted berth at Chicago’s Navy Pier, cruising to Michigan’s historic Mackinac Island, a transit of the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie into Lake Superior, Detroit and Cleveland calls, the Thousand Islands of Lake Ontario, Niagara Falls and winding up at Toronto — touching all five Great Lakes.

The company plans 31 of these 10-day cruises, either Chicago to Toronto or Toronto to Chicago. Previously this was Victory’s most popular route, with a daily fare that averaged $600. Plus, there will be three 12-day Chicago-Montréal cruises and two 12-day Chicago roundtrips that explore Lake Michigan and go far into Lake Superior, including Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Duluth, Minnesota.

Pricing hasn’t been announced yet but will be inclusive with a pre-cruise hotel night, hop-on, hop-off motor coach excursions and Wi-Fi bundled into the fare.

During 2025, Victory I will operate a 197-day season and Victory II will be in service 153 days.

There are no plans to deploy the coastals outside of the Great Lakes. They will be laid up in winter.

Victory I is scheduled to begin sailing the Great Lakes again in spring 2025. * Photo: Victory Cruise Lines

“Unbelievable Deal”

Waggoner paid $55 million for Victory I and II in 2018 but now was able to snap up both at bankruptcy auction for less than $2 million. The deal closed May 9.

Ocean Navigator (Victory II), which suffered a generator fire last year, will be getting a new engine and control system and fresh carpet and wallpaper, all to the tune of $3 million, while Ocean Voyager (Victory I) needs only half a million dollars of cosmetic refurbishments, according to Waggoner.

The vessels are in Portland, Maine, where the work will be done.

Victory I and II were built in 2001 as Cape May Light (I actually attended and reported on the ship’s naming in Alexandria, Virginia) and Cape Cod Light and went through several owners and name changes over the years. They were extensively upgraded in 2019 under Waggoner’s prior ownership.

John Waggoner's Victory Cruise Line to start up again, here the Compass Lounge on the Victory I & II

The Compass Lounge is the main lounge aboard Victory I and Victory II. * Photo: Victory Cruise Lines

July 1 Marketing Launch

Victory Cruise Lines targets a July 1 marketing launch with an outreach to past passengers and an invitation from John Waggoner and his wife Claudette to the inaugural “family reunion cruise,” Victory I’s repositioning from Portland to Toronto.

Waggoner said it makes sense to come out marketing to loyalists, including many who are members of the American Queen Steamboat Society of America and have kept in touch.

The same menus, wine list and onboard style/programming are planned, including a Lakelorian (a resident expert on each sailing who delivers lectures, host discussions and answers questions).

“I want people to feel like they’re coming home,” Waggoner said.

For now, there’s just a holding page before the July marketing launch at https://victorycruiselines.com/, but travelers can write to register their interest at info@victorycruiselines.com.