bob brown

They just emailed me a form to request 2025 brochures…

I might have taken the Chicago to Montreal that I had originally booked on AQV, but they are not ready for this Autumn season, so stuck with Pearl Seas cruise Milwaukee to Quebec, instead. Don't know if I will ever go on Victory, but I would like to sail into Duluth some day, so who knows?🤷‍♂️

So I sent them an email, asking if they were planning to do the Autumn, Chicago to Montreal cruise, and they did answer, saying they would begin Great Lakes cruising in April, 2025. I will keep my booked Pearl Mist cruise for this year.

the new "Victory Cruise Lines", that is... Their web site only gives a notice "starting in July 2024, email for info..." https://www.victorycruiselines.com/

Well after I booked this cruise, it now seems that my original ship may be doing the voyage after all, under the new Victory Cruise Lines... I will probably stick with the Pearl Mist, though, as it is probably a sure thing, and besides, I have already booked another cruise and train travel to get me home to Florida (on HAL and VIA Rail).🤷‍♂️

Maybe so, but environmentalists have long forgiven the occasional use of historic treasures like railroad steam locomotives, on fan trips, or historic regular operations…

The American Queen, due to her relatively large size (for a riverboat), besides offering a classic heritage paddlewheel steamboat experience, also can offer more on board variety of venues and activities that a smaller boat can’t. As far as size goes, the modern design Viking Mississippi is pretty close, and is far more luxurious, so apparently there is a market for that…

If the AQ isn’t saved, that would be sad. Glad I had my chance to sail on her from Red Wing to New Orleans, and Alton to Pittsburgh…

Viking can expand. Other's can also bring newbuilds. Maybe not for a while, but eventually.

If they want to keep most of AQV's customer's, it might be a good idea to make it happen. Otherwise, some other player might enter the market, (besides Viking), and take some of them... 🤷‍♂️

That’s no help to me, as I haven’t sailed on either previously. Now if they would “merge” their loyalty program with the former AQV, since they purchased some of their vessels, that would give me some “status”…😉

Hey people! Don't you realize that these pins are by far the most expensive jewelry I own? (As in the fares paid to obtain them)....😁

Has anyone cruised this line more recently?

I had long given up on 'O' doing what is "right", and accepted it is what it is; but since this subject has resurrected, I will comment... If someone can take a friend on their "Milestone" free cruise, who say, has no history on "O", does that person, who begins cruising on 'O' on their own, now have to cruise 40 times to get their first "earned Milestone"? That would seem to be how 'O' is interpreting their "fine print". Or...suppose someone else wants to take that person on their first Milestone cruise...would they have to pay to go on it, since they have already been on another person's Milestone? The "fine print" does not address all these possibilities. The perk should be for an individual to use, and the status of the 'guest', should have no bearing on whether they can be a 'guest' of the Milestone awardee, or not. Or simply change it to make it clear, the milestone cannot be 'shared'.

Okay...then just divert some of their new coastal ACL ships to cover the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence itineraries. Then keep or get rid of the Pearl Seas ship. 🤷‍♂️

I am still hoping ACL takes the opportunity to increase their presence on the Great Lakes and upper St. Lawrence via their Pearl Seas subsidiary, hopefully with a pair of new ships, to replace the former Victory pair... And sail into Chicago instead of Milwaukee on most sailings...

I am wondering if it is the scope of the Longshoreman's union that handles ship's mooring lines at docks and piers? Is it from the same 'craft' that loads and unloads baggage and freight from ships, or a separate entity?

Anyone do the St. Lawrence Seaway on the Pearl Seas, Pearl Mist? Wondering how their food compares with AQV...

The American Queen is in a class by itself, not just for its steam propulsion, but also for its size. Its size allows it to offer a level of on board entertainment and facilities that a smaller boat cannot. The modern Viking Mississippi probably comes closest in that regard…

The American Countess and Duchess aren’t exactly new, either…rebuilt from former Iowa gambling boats…

I am one of those displaced from an AQV booking for their Ocean Voyager Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway cruise this year that chose to try the Pearl Seas, Pearl Mist version of it. Nice that I will be able to use that status on the ACL brand later... I am hoping that Pearl Seas will expand to fill the vacuum, and maybe with a new ship for that market, more like the two that Viking has...

I too have noticed recent ACL ads. I am not sure if they are running more, to target former AQV customer's, or maybe I am just more aware of them now...🤷‍♂️

The same for the two Superbowls I have seen on Oceania cruises. Instead of the often entertaining commercials, they just kept repeating the same boring network "promo's", over and over and over...🥱

I wish they would be more like their rival, ACL, as far as investing in new boats and ships, although I haven’t sailed with that line yet to compare their products. Due to AQV canceling my Great Lakes and St. Lawrence cruise this year, I will try ACL’s subsidiary, Pearl Seas Cruises, Pearl Mist for a similar itinerary. Not sure if that will be a good measure of ACL or not, since the Pearl Mist is not a US registered ship, so a different crew experience…

Agree that they should not get into the Alaska market. IIRC, they don't even own the expedition ship they use up there, but charter it from another company. I would have liked them to stay on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence market, however...