Globalfish
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Posts posted by Globalfish
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3 hours ago, bob brown said:
Don't know if I will ever go on Victory, but I would like to sail into Duluth some day, so who knows?🤷♂️
Pearl Seas now offers a 15-day Great Lakes Explorer Cruise that includes ports on Lake Superior including Thunder Bay and Duluth that it didn't do prior to this year.
https://www.pearlseascruises.com/cruises/great-lakes-cruises/great-lakes-explorer
Wish they offered a shorter cruise that just did Lake Superior because the 15-day is too duplicative of ports I have already been on the 4 other Great Lakes and doesn’t get into Superior until well more than halfway through the cruise.
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23 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:
I did Chicago to Toronto last year. We docket on the US side at Sault Ste Marie, where there's a lot to see. A viewing platform at the lock, an ecology museum, and a museum inside a former freighter.
Yes, the US side of the Soo is far more interesting. Mercifully I was able to make it up the steps to the top viewing platform at the lock in an orthopedic boot for a broken foot. Did the Museum Ship Valley Camp two years ago on a Pearl Seas cruise.
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1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:
Thanks for posting that. The description sounds exactly like the cruise I did last year--I was on one of the fortunate sailings that had no problems. Sounds like he connected with the same vendors.
You welcome. He didn’t waste a moment’s time after he bought those ships back, but methinks the Victory II (previously the Ocean Navigator) still needs a lot of work to make it seaworthy again. The 15-day Chicago round trip is identical to the AQV cruise I was supposed to take on the Ocean Voyager this August. But its only posted dates thus far are May 30 and June 13, 2025, which conflict with my Quark Svalbard expedition from June 9-18, so alas the Victory cruise will have to wait at least another year. But I’m OK with that because I just returned home last night from a 7-day Road Scholar land program to Traverse City, Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinac Island (followed by 3 days in Chicago on my own). Sadly, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario is economically depressed and a “nothing burger” (with the exception of the excellent bush plane museum). Their lock is not currently in operation because they’re building a new one. But watching the big tankers going thru the Soo Locks on the other side of the border in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan was exciting and wonderful.
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Seems like 2025 dates and routes for Victory I and II have been announced, although not yet available for booking until next month. See https://www.greatlakescruises.com/victory-cruise-lines.html
Website https://www.victorycruiselines.com launches in July 2024.
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The Pearl Mist (Pearl Seas Cruises) has better food than ACL by far.
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32 minutes ago, steamboats said:
@Globalfish the article is correct. So far - according to ACL - there is no final decision about the fate of the AQ or American Empress. The article states that the AQ is in storage at MARS in Houma. There is a slight hope she might find some new owners but then it´s pretty sure that she won´t be back as an overnight river cruise boat.
steamboats
Thank you, Steamboats, for the explanation. Good to know that there is some slight hope for her.
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On 5/22/2024 at 2:59 AM, steamboats said:
The American Queen has arrived at MARS (Modern American Recycling Services) in Houma and Captain Bert Suarez pushed the "all out" button.
The end of an era of overnight steamboating on the US river systems which started in 1811 with Robert Fulton´s "New Orleans".
steamboats
I interpret Steamboat’s comment about the American Queen arriving at a recycling plant in Houma to mean that it’s about to be scrapped.
Therefore I assume that the following article that just appeared in today’s edition of Travel Weekly is outdated:
https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Fate-of-American-Queen-and-American-Empress
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29 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:
I wonder if he could get Road Scholar back again. They booked quite a few Great Lakes cruises.
Road Scholar is probably salivating at an opportunity to offer Great Lakes cruises again and I’m sure they would jump at it. Without them leaves a terrible void in their domestic cruise offerings.
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24 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:
But if he spruces them up and can match or beat Viking and ACL's prices, he could make it work. I hope he can.
Yes, I too hope he can make it a go. Would book a Lake Superior cruise that begins and ends in Chicago (with a similar itinerary to AQV’s Ocean Navigator cruise that I was originally supposed to take this August). I agree with you that it would have to be cheaper than Viking.
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On 4/1/2024 at 12:45 AM, owensp said:
Travelling again on RA in August, doing Vancouver to Nome, but have moved a deck up to 801
Will also be on the RA from Vancouver to Nome starting 4 Aug 2024. Cabin 721. It will be my first expedition, but not my first cruise. See you in Alaska!
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The sale of the four AQV riverboats to ACL was just approved by the Bankruptcy Court in Houston. The sale of the Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator to a different buyer is still pending.
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9 hours ago, ericosmith said:
The Empress originally came from Alaska. It will be interesting to see if it goes back there.
I’d like to see it return to Alaska. For prospective repeat Alaskan cruisers, ACL could use a more innovative Alaskan cruise itinerary in addition to their wonderful Alaskan Explorer cruise that I took last summer (or the longer and shorter versions of it that they offer). I’m thinking along the lines of Metlakatla, Misty Fjords, Kake, Endicott Arm, Dawes Glacier, Elfin Cove. In other words, something similar to Ponant’s July 2024 9-day Inside Passage itinerary, albeit hopefully cheaper. ACL, if you are reading this, hint, hint. Would do it in a heartbeat!
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13 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:
Road Scholar had groups on the AQV Great Lakes ships, too.
Yes, if the Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator purchase goes through and the vessels are appropriately brought up to “ship shape” to ply the Great Lakes once again, Road Scholar is likely to be one of John Waggoner’s first customers.
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14 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:
This would be a big step up for Road Scholar, as their previous Mediterranean ship was an old rust bucket (forget the name).
Aegean Odyssey. $&#*!
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1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:
The final (I think) piece of the puzzle was announced yesterday:
The charterer isn’t mentioned, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is US educational study program provider Road Scholar which used the same ship in Alaska with AQV.
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Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator rescued from the scrap heap?
https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/American-Queen-Great-Lakes-cruise-ships-sold-at-auction
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On 3/27/2024 at 10:47 PM, ericosmith said:
What transpired with this? Don’t see anything online about it. Has the auction been further postponed?
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10 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:
But I also think the market for AQV-style cruising is probably only able to support two boats, and Queen and Empress would suit that market.
Agree. If AQV’s competitor ACL had sensed more of a market for AQV-style cruising, they would have commissioned their 3 newest boats plying the Mississippi (the Melody, the Symphony, and the Serenade) to be built as [pseudo] paddlewheelers instead of sleek modern design.
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21 minutes ago, eroller said:
I agree. They are blaming Covid. Easy scapegoat and BS.Definitely BS. If it were Covid, ACL and possibly even Viking would be “on the rocks” as well.
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1 hour ago, eroller said:
That would be my guess. And several AQV executives enjoyed a “preview” at company expense which never got paid.
Another possibility is that it’s an expense from Hornblower, the parent company or one of its other brands. They also filed bankruptcy so I’m not certain that creditor list is just from AQV or all of Hornblower? San Diego might pertain to Hornblower as well.
For university business schools — a classic, textbook case on how NOT to run a company.
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8 minutes ago, GottaKnowWhen said:
I appreciate the useful discussions here!
Ditto!
Revived Victory Cruise Lines now taking 2025 reservations
in Victory Cruise Lines
Posted
https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Revived-Victory-Cruise-Lines-opens-2025-reservations