by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 10:00 AM ET, Tue July 23, 2024
Victory Cruise Lines is officially back.
The revived company has opened bookings for its 2025 season on the Great Lakes and the Canadian coasts. It will offer sailings onboard two vessels, Victory I and Victory II.
Most recently, the sister ships belonged to American Queen Voyages, which stopped operating in February. Not long after, its parent company, Hornblower Group, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
John Waggoner, the founder and chairman of Victory Cruise Lines, bought the ships at auction for around $2 million this spring. He was also the founder of American Queen Voyages and had previously owned the ships, but sold his shares to retire before the company began struggling.
The vessels, formerly named Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager, will be christened next spring—Victory I in Toronto on April 27, and Victory II in Chicago on May 12.
“Our cruise experience will offer many special touches, including being the only cruise line to dock at Chicago’s Navy Pier, and most of all, our ships will be a home away from home exploring all five Great Lakes,” says Waggoner.
Next year, Victory Cruise Lines will offer 36 departures of four Great Lakes itineraries from April through September. Many of those—33 departures in total—will visit all five Great Lakes.
Along the way, travelers can explore destinations like Mackinac Island, Niagara Falls, the Soo Locks and Detroit, among many others. Onboard the ships, guests can listen to talks given by naturalists, historians and other experts through the company’s LakeLorian lecture program. The vessels also boast relaxing spaces like the Compass Lounge, an English-style tavern, a sun deck and a Coastal Dining Room.
The season will kick off with a special 10-night reunion cruise hosted by John and Claudette Waggoner. Departing April 16, 2025, the cruise will travel from Portland to Toronto and will feature Phil Westbrook and Greg and Lindy Pendzick as guest entertainers.
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