by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 11:45 AM ET, Wed January 10, 2024
Several trade organizations—including Signature Travel Network, Pleasant Holidays and AAA Travel—have stopped selling American Queen Voyages trips because of service issues, reports Travel Weekly. In addition, Virtuoso has taken the U.S. cruise line off its preferred supplier list.
In a statement shared Thursday, a spokesperson for American Queen Voyages said: "We acknowledge and apologize for the issues. American Queen Voyages deeply values all of our travel agent partners and are taking all matters very seriously. We are working to address the situation as quickly as possible."
The issues range from late commissions to problems with customer service and refunds, according to Travel Weekly. Travel advisors told the publication their clients also dealt with poor communication, late-issued travel documents and pre-cruise package mishandling, including a last-minute pre-stay cancellation with no notice.
Trade organizations trace the issues back to “recent sales support and leadership changes” at American Queen Voyages, according to a Jan. 3 statement to travel advisors from Julie Howard, Signature's vice president of cruise partnerships, as reported by Travel Weekly.
However, many clients also reported having positive onboard experiences during their cruises. The trade organizations said they would consider resuming their partnerships with American Queen Voyages, once the cruise line resolves the problems.
"We stopped selling American Queen Voyages in November 2023 and have not resumed sales to date due to service issues," said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, to Travel Weekly. "If outstanding service issues can be resolved, we will consider resuming sales."
American Queen Voyages provides domestic cruises on the Mississippi, Illinois, Columbia, Snake, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers aboard its four river cruise ships. In addition, it offers expedition cruises in Alaska and British Columbia, as well as Mexico and Costa Rica, aboard its one expedition ship, the Ocean Victory.
The cruise line resulted from the September 2021 merger of American Queen Steamboat Company and Victory Cruise lines by parent company Hornblower Group. This summer, the company sold its two coastal ships, Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager, and announced it would not return to the Great Lakes, where it had previously offered cruises.
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