American Queen Voyages, an operator of river and expedition ships based mostly in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, shut down on February 20, 2024, after it was unable to beat the monetary challenges of the pandemic period. The corporate stated that visitors who’ve paid deposits for future sailings will obtain full refunds.
Cruise Line Unable to Recuperate From Pandemic’s Impression
American Queen Voyages, a cruise model with seven ships that embody a mixture of genuine paddlewheel riverboats, and boutique and expedition vessels, is now not working as of February 20, 2024. The corporate has filed for Chapter 11 chapter, and all cruises have been cancelled.
“We’re saddened to share that American Queen Voyages (AQV) has made the tough determination to close down. The in a single day cruise business was particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and associated adjustments in journey preferences. Regardless of nice efforts by our workforce, crew and companions, demand has not recovered, and AQV has turn into financially unsustainable,” the corporate stated in an announcement.
American Queen Voyages owns American Queen, a 417-guest ship inbuilt 1995; American Countess, a 245-guest ship that launched in 1996; American Duchess, with a capability for 166 visitors and inbuilt 1996; and American Empress, a 217-guest ship that entered service in 2003.
Moreover, it owns the expedition ship Ocean Victory, which carries 186 visitors and was the corporate’s latest ship, having debuted in 2021. The corporate’s river ships operated on the Decrease and Higher Mississippi, Cumberland, Tennessee, Columbia, and Snake rivers. Ocean Victory sometimes sailed Central America itineraries in winter and Alaska cruises in summer season.
The corporate was within the means of decommissioning and making ready to promote two extra expedition ships, Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager. Ocean Navigator was within the information in October of 2023, when an explosion onboard the vessel because it was docked in Portland, Maine, induced all visitors and crew to be evacuated. One crew member was injured.
The cruise line’s future regarded brighter only a yr in the past: In February 2023, the road grew to become one of many business’s first to implement SpaceX Starlink Maritime, the satellite-based web service, throughout its fleet.
Nevertheless, in latest weeks, a number of main journey companies had suspended gross sales of American Queen Voyages cruises on account of sluggish cost of commissions and repair issues, in line with commerce stories. The companies included AAA Journey, Nice Holidays, Virtuoso, and Signature Journey Community.
Visitor Refunds to Come By way of Insurance coverage Company
The American Queen Voyages web site supplies directions to booked visitors, who will now have to use for refunds of deposits already paid for future cruises. The cruise line’s deposits are insured by Argo Surety, and all purposes for refunds have to be made to that outfit.
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Visitors can print a declare kind, or fill it out on-line, and should present supporting documentation, together with proof of cost. Visitors will obtain a denial discover from American Queen Voyages, and may then file a refund declare with Argo Surety.
In accordance with the cruise line, visitors can’t submit a request for a refund on to Argo Surety until American Queen Voyages first denies their declare or 180 days have handed since they submitted a declare to the cruise line.
American Queen Voyages was based because the Nice American Steamboat Co., when John Waggoner purchased the 436-guest riverboat American Queen from the US Maritime Administration in 2011.
In September 2021, the corporate was rebranded American Queen Voyages. Its dad or mum firm is Hornblower Group, based mostly in San Francisco.
