A small-ship cruise operator is about to make a comeback in the U.S. Victory Cruise Lines is relaunching this month with Great Lakes and Canada cruises.
American Queen Voyages’ founder John Waggoner is reviving the brand with two 190-passenger ships, Victory I and Victory II. The vessels, which were purpose-built to sail the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and French-Canadian Maritimes, were previously owned by American Queen Voyages before it shut down last year (Waggonner was no longer involved with the company at the time).
American Queen Voyages acquired Victory Cruise Lines in 2019. Both ships have been refurbished, and will sail popular and lesser-visited ports within North America. Many of Victory’s customers want to “wrap (themselves) in the American or Canadian flag,” according to founder and chairman Waggoner.
“I think what we find is that a lot of our guests have traveled all over the world, and now they are looking for something that's at home,” he told USA TODAY. When will Victory Cruise Lines relaunch? Waggoner and his wife Claudette, who co-owns the company, will host Victory’s first cruise of the year. The 10-night cruise aboard Victory I will sail from Portland, Maine to Toronto, Canada on April 16 ahead of the ship’s christening.
Victory II will be christened in Chicago on May 12. What can guests expect? Victory will sail itineraries ranging from nine to 14 nights in 2025. Those include All 5 Great Lakes cruises, which visit Erie, Huron,.
