American Queen to Refocus, Selling Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager

[Host Jazzbeau]

New article on Cruise Industry News:

American Queen to Refocus, Selling Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager

 

Among a series of deployment changes and updates set to start in early 2024 and extend into 2025 the company also confirmed it would sell the Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager and will not return to the Great Lakes in 2024.

 

[bob brown]

54 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

New article on Cruise Industry News:

American Queen to Refocus, Selling Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager

 

Among a series of deployment changes and updates set to start in early 2024 and extend into 2025 the company also confirmed it would sell the Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager and will not return to the Great Lakes in 2024.

 

Thanks for the “heads up”!

I haven’t received any notice from AQV regarding my booked Ocean Voyager September 2024 Chicago to Montreal cruise.

 

What a disappointment, if it’s canceled. The article doesn’t say if another company will operate them, or not…🤔

[bob brown]

I just called them, and they confirmed the news, and said they would send me a notice “soon”.

The rep had no knowledge if the purchaser of the ships would operate the itineraries, or not.

Only that I would receive a refund or future cruise credit “in her experience “…🙄

[Host Jazzbeau]

20 minutes ago, bob brown said:

What a disappointment, if it’s canceled. The article doesn’t say if another company will operate them, or not…🤔

Competition in the Great Lakes is heating up.  Maybe Viking is eating their lunch?

[bob brown]

 Viking doesn’t sail from Chicago, and is much costlier, but if AQV is defunct on the Lakes, and no one takes over their operation, I may have to bite the bullet and try them…🤷‍♂️

[bob brown]

40 minutes ago, bob brown said:

I just called them, and they confirmed the news, and said they would send me a notice “soon”.

The rep had no knowledge if the purchaser of the ships would operate the itineraries, or not.

Only that I would receive a refund or future cruise credit “in her experience “…🙄

She just called me back and said my travel agent  was sent the details, but that I could choose between a full refund or a 120% future cruise credit.

I’ll contact my TA…

[Host Jazzbeau]

12 minutes ago, bob brown said:

She just called me back and said my travel agent  was sent the details, but that I could choose between a full refund or a 120% future cruise credit.

I’ll contact my TA…

Based on my Covid cancellation experiences and the recent problems of several other cruise lines, I would take the money.

[uktog]

Sorry to those who have been disappointed for 2024.  We kind of got the sense this might be happening when onboard and there were elements where it was showing that there was no enthusiasm to "build the brand" in this area.  It is a shame but I would say although Viking is more expensive, their boats and food offering are in a different league to AQSC.  I suspect AQ knew this and realised they couldn't justify the investment to match Viking

[DaveinCharlotte]

14 hours ago, bob brown said:

 Viking doesn’t sail from Chicago, and is much costlier, but if AQV is defunct on the Lakes, and no one takes over their operation, I may have to bite the bullet and try them…

Another possibility to consider is Pearl Seas.  https://www.pearlseascruises.com/

 

Their Great Lakes itineraries, ship, and costs seem to be very comparable to what AQV is abandoning. 

[bob brown]

12 hours ago, uktog said:

Sorry to those who have been disappointed for 2024.  We kind of got the sense this might be happening when onboard and there were elements where it was showing that there was no enthusiasm to "build the brand" in this area.  It is a shame but I would say although Viking is more expensive, their boats and food offering are in a different league to AQSC.  I suspect AQ knew this and realised they couldn't justify the investment to match Viking

I was going to ask…the news can’t be very good

for crew morale.  Hope they don’t sail with “one foot already off the ship” attitude….🙁

[bob brown]

I would have thought that AQV, being part of the larger Hornblower group, would have deep enough pockets to invest more in this market…🤷‍♂️

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, bob brown said:

I was going to ask…the news can’t be very good

for crew morale.  Hope they don’t sail with “one foot already off the ship” attitude….🙁

Hopefully AQV is large enough to be able to absorb them.  Or there will be jobs at other cruise lines, most of which are still staffing up post-Covid.  But the ranks onboard may thin noticeably as D-Day approaches.

[uktog]

6 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Hopefully AQV is large enough to be able to absorb them.  Or there will be jobs at other cruise lines, most of which are still staffing up post-Covid.  But the ranks onboard may thin noticeably as D-Day approaches.

Because of the market operating rules the hotel staff on the Ocean vessels were predominantly from the Philippines, something tells me there are limitations on using them on all American vessels. 
Most were quite good, none we spoke to aspired to Ocean vessels most saw European rivers as their option 

[NancyDrew1953]

On 6/21/2023 at 11:54 PM, bob brown said:

 Viking doesn’t sail from Chicago, and is much costlier, but if AQV is defunct on the Lakes, and no one takes over their operation, I may have to bite the bullet and try them…🤷‍♂️

I have cruised on both Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator including a round trip on the Great Lakes starting and ending in Chicago. Although definitely not as luxurious as the Viking Great Lakes offering, the pricing was much more attractive.  However, the reason I elected AQV and not Viking was the shore offerings.  Viking’s offerings were much more geared to active offerings, e.g., hiking, kayaking, biking, etc., while AQV offered a greater range of activities such as a tour of an old copper mine, a museum, etc. I am at that stage of life that most  (if not all) of the Viking choices are beyond my physical limitations or interests.  Hopefully, some other line will continue to provide competition to Viking on the Great Lakes — maybe Am Cruise Lines.  I believe that ACL already has some affiliation with Pearl, which operates one ship on the Great Lakes?

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, NancyDrew1953 said:

I have cruised on both Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator including a round trip on the Great Lakes starting and ending in Chicago. Although definitely not as luxurious as the Viking Great Lakes offering, the pricing was much more attractive.  However, the reason I elected AQV and not Viking was the shore offerings.  Viking’s offerings were much more geared to active offerings, e.g., hiking, kayaking, biking, etc., while AQV offered a greater range of activities such as a tour of an old copper mine, a museum, etc. I am at that stage of life that most  (if not all) of the Viking choices are beyond my physical limitations or interests.  Hopefully, some other line will continue to provide competition to Viking on the Great Lakes — maybe Am Cruise Lines.  I believe that ACL already has some affiliation with Pearl, which operates one ship on the Great Lakes?

The itinerary, including Chicago departure, is what drove my choice of AQV. And the tours offered. I agree about being past bicycles and strenuous hikes. I can walk all day in a city or museum, but I'm not looking to climb a mountain.

 

And as a solo, price matters a lot to me, and Viking was more expensive. 

[American Queen Voyages]

On 6/21/2023 at 6:29 PM, bob brown said:

Thanks for the “heads up”!

I haven’t received any notice from AQV regarding my booked Ocean Voyager September 2024 Chicago to Montreal cruise.

 

What a disappointment, if it’s canceled. The article doesn’t say if another company will operate them, or not…🤔

Hi there! What sailing in September 204 were you booked on? We are disappointed to hear that you were not made aware of the cancellation at an earlier date.

[Host Jazzbeau]

14 hours ago, uktog said:

Because of the market operating rules the hotel staff on the Ocean vessels were predominantly from the Philippines, something tells me there are limitations on using them on all American vessels. 
Most were quite good, none we spoke to aspired to Ocean vessels most saw European rivers as their option 

You're right.  I hadn't thought about the PVSA aspect.

[bob brown]

6 hours ago, American Queen Voyages said:

Hi there! What sailing in September 204 were you booked on? We are disappointed to hear that you were not made aware of the cancellation at an earlier date.

September 28 - October 10, Ocean Voyager, Chicago to Montreal…

[bob brown]

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

You're right.  I hadn't thought about the PVSA aspect.

Unlike the river cruises, which are all US registered boats, the Great Lakes ships are foreign registered, and they comply with PVSA rules, starting voyages in either US or Canada, and ending in the other country. That’s why they can employ foreign crew.

[bob brown]

10 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

The itinerary, including Chicago departure, is what drove my choice of AQV. And the tours offered. I agree about being past bicycles and strenuous hikes. I can walk all day in a city or museum, but I'm not looking to climb a mountain.

 

And as a solo, price matters a lot to me, and Viking was more expensive. 

Agreed…

[bob brown]

12 hours ago, NancyDrew1953 said:

 I believe that ACL already has some affiliation with Pearl, which operates one ship on the Great Lakes?

I looked at Pearl, but didn’t care for their itinerary…besides starting in Chicago, I really want to cruise the Seaway from Toronto to Montreal.  I have already cruised the St. Lawrence from Montreal into the Atlantic…

[ericosmith]

I read an interesting article (sorry don't remember where) that said that the reason they were selling the ships is that they can only sail the great lakes for part of the year.  They weren't able to generate any revenue during the winter months.  By the same token they wanted to focus on the rivers and on Alaska which is also just a part year destination.  

[bob brown]

6 hours ago, ericosmith said:

I read an interesting article (sorry don't remember where) that said that the reason they were selling the ships is that they can only sail the great lakes for part of the year.  They weren't able to generate any revenue during the winter months.  By the same token they wanted to focus on the rivers and on Alaska which is also just a part year destination.  

Don’t those ships reposition to do cruises along the southeast US coast each winter, or Bahamas/ Caribbean?  The riverboats really don’t have much options…they don’t do the upper Mississippi or Ohio, only the lower Mississippi.

[uktog]

Last winter as I understand they were laid up for most of the time as the crewing precludes all America sailing. I suspect the cost to change crew model plus the fact the competition (albeit more expensive) are offering better boats meant these two vessels on that route didn’t stack up economically. It’s a shame but inevitable 

[ericosmith]

Here is the article I referred to:

 

https://www.upmatters.com/news/michigan-news/american-queen-voyages-ending-great-lakes-cruises/

 

I think uktog hit the nail on the head.  I'm not sure a southeast US cruise is even legal since the ships are flagged in the Bahamas and would need to include a foreign port.