The Overnight Experience Provider Introduces American Queen Voyages™, The New Overarching Brand Name For Its Expansive River, Lake and Ocean Expedition Cruising Offerings

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (September 28, 2021) – American Queen Steamboat Company®, part of Hornblower® Group, is now American Queen Voyages™, the new overarching brand merging American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise Lines®. Offering a varied and comprehensive portfolio of North American itineraries, American Queen Voyages is comprised of American Queen Voyages River, American Queen Voyages Lakes & Ocean (welcoming the Victory Cruise Lines fleet) and American Queen Voyages Expedition, which includes new Alaska and Central America expedition experiences beginning 2022.

Embracing its new tagline “Discovery Runs Deep,” American Queen Voyages invites travelers to throw away the guidebook and go off the beaten path to discover the unscripted experiences of North America. New worlds and encounters await guests- from interacting with flinty New England oystermen while warming up over salty fish tales, docking next to Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, to shadowing marine science researchers from California Polytechnic State University on a Zodiac approaching a secluded cove. New creative elements will also be unveiled in the coming months including a print and digital campaign, a reimagined loyalty program, onboard enrichment offerings and milestone moments.

“Through a decade of transformation, American Queen Voyages has surged from the great American rivers to include lakes, ocean and expedition experiences,” said Shawn Bierdz, president, American Queen Voyages. “Today, we are American Queen Voyages and embrace this simple but important expression – Discovery Runs Deep™. As we move into this new chapter and introduce our version of encounter travel, we uphold the originating vision of our company’s founder and chairman, John Waggoner and his unwavering belief in the renaissance of U.S. river cruising and close-to-home adventures.”

Integral to the creative rebrand effort is the interplay between data and creativity. The most iconic part of the legacy, is the paddlewheel, and it is deconstructed into individual paddles to establish a pattern that represents its movement. The creative team behind American Queen Voyages established an algorithm that is informed by measuring the distance traveled and varying nautical speeds on any given vessel. By visualizing the paddles through a generative system informed by the algorithm, an identity was created with endless possibilities of discovery – yet establishing memorable brand recognition. This identity system is being used to create various branding materials like the website, digital experience, posters, guidebooks, merchandise for staff, agents and passengers.

“To see America, you have to look beyond the roads, and American Queen Voyages embraces this notion with compelling travel encounters,” shares Kari Tarnowski, senior vice president marketing and sales, American Queen Voyages. “We celebrate 10 incredible years in business as American Queen Steamboat Company and embrace its legacy as we enter this new phase. We look forward to delivering American Queen Voyages to our guests, travel advisors and port partners across North America.”

American Queen Voyages River
American Queen Voyages River is led by namesake U.S.-flagged American Queen® riverboat in the world. Longer than a football field, towering six decks in height and laced with fanciful, the largest, most opulent gingerbread trim, she is a marvel of modern engineering. Her journeys through the heartland offer a unique perspective on America’s history, culture and landscape with convenient departures from America’s river port cities, including Memphis, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Louisville, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Minneapolis. In April 2014, American Queen Steamboat Company began serving the Pacific Northwest with the grandeur of the American Empress®, and added the American Duchess™ to the Mississippi River in August 2017. The newest and fourth boat to join the American Queen Steamboat Company fleet is the American Countess™, which made her debut in March 2021 and sails the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee rivers.

American Queen Voyages Lakes & Ocean
Formerly Victory Cruise Lines, American Queen Voyages Lakes & Ocean encompasses the brand’s voyages to Canada, the Great Lakes, New England and Eastern Seaboard and Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula. Sailing on identical 202-passenger ships, formerly Victory I® and Victory II™ and to be renamed Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator to American Voyages Lakes & Ocean offers award-winning, small-ship cruising with immersive shore excursions and onboard programming. With itineraries widespread throughout coastal North America, American Queen Voyages Lakes & Oceans reveals the diverse cultures of the U.S. through some of its most historic ports including Mackinac Island and showcases a different perspective of New England’s leisure side. Cities like Charleston and Savannah offer a glimpse into coastal southern living, while the islands of the Bahamas feature a tropical oasis.

American Queen Voyages Expedition
American Queen Voyages Expedition launches the brand’s advance into expedition cruising. Comprised of newly built 186-passenger vessels, created for intimate access with an innovative X-Bow design, American Queen Voyages Expedition will operate all-inclusive cruises to Alaska on the Ocean Victory™ in 2022 and the Ocean Discoverer™ in 2023. The brand new, expedition style Ocean Victory™ will traverse 12 and 13-day journeys through the less-traveled regions of Alaska’s Inside Passage led by a seasoned expedition team. Like-minded explorers will deploy kayaks and Zodiacs with expedition leaders, view wildlife from sliding observation platforms, witness marine research by California Polytech University students in real-time and have engaging discussions with First Nation leaders. Accommodating only 186 guests, the focus of the expedition program is exploring Alaska up close.

VIDEO & IMAGE LINK: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/t1BJtm4eCp

About American Queen Voyages
American Queen Voyages™, the leader in close to home encounter travel, offers the most varied and comprehensive portfolio of North American itineraries and experiences, comprised of American Queen Voyages River, American Queen Voyages Lakes & Ocean and American Queen Voyages Expedition, which includes new Alaska and Central America expedition experiences beginning 2022. Visit www.AQVoyages.com.

About Hornblower Group
Hornblower Group is a global leader in world-class experiences. The corporate entity of Hornblower Group is comprised of American Queen Voyages® and City Experiences. Seaward Services, Inc., a marine services company specializing in the operation, maintenance and repair of government and privately owned vessels, is also a subsidiary of Hornblower Group, operating and maintaining U.S. Navy Ranges and port facilities, including local oil spill response. Today, Hornblower’s footprint spans 111 countries and territories, and 125 U.S. cities, with offerings including water-based experiences, land-based experiences, overnight cruise experiences, ferry and transportation services and full-service support via Hornblower Shipyard at Bridgeport Boatworks in Connecticut. Hornblower Group is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with additional corporate offices in Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; London, United Kingdom; New Albany, Indiana; New York, New York; and across Ontario, Canada. For more information visit hornblowercorp.com.

Press Contacts:
Contact: Elsbeth Pratt/Halley Autry
LOU HAMMOND GROUP
[email protected]

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