American Queen Voyages is now operating its inaugural expedition cruise in Alaska on the new 196-passenger Ocean Victory.
The ship, notable for its unique X-Bow design, departed Vancouver, B.C. on May 7 and will sail between Vancouver, B.C., and Sitka, Alaska, on 12- and 13-day cruises through September.
Ocean Victory is the seventh vessel for American Queen Voyages, which also operates U.S. river cruises and sailings on lakes and oceans.
On the inaugural Alaska voyage, 18 naturalists and guides are onboard to help guests explore the destination, often by sea kayaks or Zodiac motorized rafts.
Because of its small size and longer itinerary, Ocean Victory noses into less-traveled regions of Alaska's Inside Passage. Passengers can view wildlife from observation platforms, witness marine research by California Polytechnic State University students, and learn about indigenous culture with native Alaska leaders.
American Queen also has partnered with Dr. Michelle Fournet, director of the Sound Science Research Collective, so the ship essentially becomes an extension of their research lab. Hydrophones will be used onboard Zodiacs to listen to Alaska's whales in real-time.
"As we celebrate the debut of Ocean Victory, I am inspired by our growth from a one paddlewheel cruise line, the American Queen, to a fleet of vessels this very day sailing Mississippi, Kentucky, Washington, Prince Edward Island and Quebec," said John Waggoner, founder and chairman of American Queen Voyages. "Today we call on over 125 ports with seven vessels, employing over 670 teammates - far exceeding even the dreams of this boy of just one boat."
Among the season highlights are Anan Creek Bear and Wildlife Observatory, to view the forest's wildlife in their natural habitat; Five Finger Lighthouse at the confluence of Stephen's Passage and Frederick Sound, a home to seabirds, bald eagles, sea lions, sea otters, humpback whales and more; a Tlingit village in Kake; and the Waterfall Coast on Baranof Island.
Ocean Victory Alaska voyages include a pre-cruise hotel stay in Vancouver or Sitka, and sail through the Canadian Inside Passage, Fiordland (Kynoch Inlet), Misty Fjords National Monument, Wrangell/Stikine River Wilderness, Tracy Arm/Endicott Glacier, and Waterfall Coast/Baranof Wilderness. The ship calls at Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg/Le Conte Glacier, Kake and Sitka.
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