On the heels of news that a major competitor is up for sale with its parent company declaring bankruptcy, American Cruise Lines opened the 2024 season with five riverboats cruising the Mississippi, in its largest season ever. This year, it will sail 16 itineraries on the Mississippi and its tributaries, the Tennessee, Ohio, and Cumberland Rivers.

American Cruise Lines has nearly tripled its US fleet over the past five years, introduced a new ship every year since 2018, and recently announced that it has five more ships under construction. Rival Mississippi steamboat company American Queen Voyages, meanwhile, has failed to fully recover from the pandemic, its parent Hornblower has announced, leaving Viking River Cruises as its only competitor on the river, at least for now. Hornblower last week entered chapter 11 and shut down operations at American Queen (for more on this see American Queen Is Up for Sale as Hornblower Files for Bankruptcy | Travel Research Online.)

In May, American will begin sailing several new Mississippi River itineraries, including an exclusive 12-day cruise in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a sailing from Knoxville to Nashville, cruising the Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers. Also coming in May is a 35-Day Civil War Battlefields cruise on the Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers and Chesapeake Bay, visiting more than 20 Civil War battlefields. In August, American will sail the longest river cruise in US history—a 61-day Great United States cruise—down the Mississippi, passing 20 states, 3 national parks, 4 rivers, and on to the Hudson River, visiting New York, Boston and Bar Harbor.

Citing the fallout from Covid-19, cruise operator Hornblower has filed for bankruptcy, and its American Queen subsidiary has ceased operations.

Private-equity firm Strategic Value Partners has agreed to acquire majority ownership of Hornblower and “provide a significant equity investment in the business,” but the deal will require approval from the US Bankruptcy Court in Houston, the Wall Street Journal reported. Private-equity firm Crestview Partners will retain a minority interest and become the sole owner of Journey Beyond, the leading experiential travel provider in Australia.

Hornblower said in a statement that American Queen Voyages hopefully will be sold; if no buyer is found its operations will be wound down.

Hornblower also provides ferry services to the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis National Museum of Immigration in New York, and to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco. Those services will continue operations.

Guests who have booked an American Queen Voyages cruise should visit the line’s dedicated refund website to submit a claim form and begin the refund process, or call (888) 202-5784.

Hornblower said it expects to move through the bankruptcy process quickly and emerge from Chapter 11 in about four months. It has a commitment for $300 million in financing from Deutsche Bank, $121 million in new-money financing from SVP-managed funds and Crestview.

“The steps we are taking today will enable us to address AQV and strengthen our financial foundation as we continue serving our guests and commuters around the world. With the support of our financial stakeholders, we will continue to advance our business initiatives and drive growth. We thank the entire Hornblower team for their hard work and dedication, as well as our vendors and partners across our businesses for their continued support,” said Hornblower Group CEO Kevin Rabbitt.

It’s warmer than Europe and closer to home—and now only time will tell if cruisers will buy Natchez as a Christmas market destination.

American Queen Voyages is giving it a go, partnering with the city of Natchez, MS, to recreate a traditional Christmas market for cruisers on select itineraries during the 2023 and 2024 holiday seasons.

AQV president Cindy D’Aoust called Natchez “the quintessential Christmas town,” perfect for fusing “European yuletide nostalgia and authentic Southern charm.”

Stopping in Natchez will be:
• American Countess – Memphis to New Orleans, November 27 sailing
• American Queen – New Orleans to Memphis, December 3 sailing
• American Countess – New Orleans to Memphis, December 4 sailing
• American Queen – Memphis to New Orleans, December 10 sailing
• American Countess – Memphis to New Orleans, December 11 sailing
• American Queen – Roundtrip New Orleans to Memphis, December 17 sailing
• American Countess – Roundtrip New Orleans to Memphis, December 18 sailing
• American Queen – Roundtrip New Orleans to Memphis, December 23 sailing
• American Countess – Roundtrip New Orleans to Memphis, December 25 sailing

AQV also will offer special “Holidays on the River” experiences for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, all of which are now available for booking.

The cruise line in June announced that despite solid bookings, it was pulling out of the Great Lakes to focus on its river and Alaska itineraries.

It’s the last season for American Queen Voyages in the Great Lakes, the company announced on Tuesday. All published voyages through November 2023 will continue, but then the company plans to sell Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager and focus on its river cruises.

“Our customers consistently tell us our US river itineraries are exceptional and demonstrate this by returning again and again,” said AQV president Cindy D’Aoust. “All of our focus is being put into updating and enhancing our popular river product with strategic partnerships and an elevated culinary program, which we know have been very well received.”

Viking, meanwhile, which began sailing the Great Lakes in 2022, just launched its second expedition ship there.

AQV now will add new itineraries for several ships in 2024 and 2025, including:

• New three- and four-day Lower Mississippi cruises on the American Queen.
• A 16-day trip down the Mississippi from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, including intricate locks and dams and the birthplaces of jazz and country music.
• American Countess will sail a new bourbon-themed voyage featuring food and spirits experts such as Dickie Brennan, chef-owner of Bourbon House in New Orleans, and American Empress will sail new wine-themed cruises on the Snake and Columbia rivers.

American Queen Voyages™, part of the Hornblower® Group, is launching a new City Stay Package in 2023, giving guests the option to enjoy a post-cruise experience in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.. The Official Vancouver and Victoria City Stay Package is available after Ocean Victory™ sailings from Sitka to Vancouver, Read the rest of this entry »