Today, American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC) announced a definitive agreement to acquire the Victory I and sister ship Victory II from Sunstone Ships, Inc., as well as the Victory brand. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed but are expected to close in early January 2019.
The 5,000-ton, 300-ft.-long, 202-passenger Victory I and Victory II are both identical and will join the AQSC fleet under the Victory Cruise name. They will travel alongside the flagship American Queen and the 166-guest boutique paddlewheeler American Duchess sailing the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, along with the American Empress in the Pacific Northwest. The new American Countess, currently under construction in Louisiana, will debut in 2020.
“We are pleased to purchase the Victory I and Victory II, which will fuel the continued success and growth of American Queen Steamboat Company,” said AQSC chairman and CEO John Waggoner in press materials. “We look forward to working closely with Victory Cruise Lines’ new and existing travel partners. These vessels enable us to provide guests with more diverse cruising options particularly in the Great Lakes, a region that our customers have been requesting for years.”
Details of upcoming operations on both of vessels will be announced in the coming months. For more information, visit americanqueensteamboatcompany.com. To keep up with other cruise industry news, click here.
