DULUTH, Minn. – The cruise ship company American Queen Voyages is pulling out of the Great lakes market. The plan, said company President Cindy D’Aoust, is to concentrate instead on Alaska and river cruises. D’Aoust said that harsh winters on the Great Lakes hasn’t made fiscal sense. The company had two vessels on the Lakes — the Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager. The vessels have been making calls of port, including Duluth and Thunder Bay, only for two years. There had been a hope for a 12-month schedule, but, said D’Aoust, that wasn’t feasible even on the lower Lakes. American Queen Voyage’s departure leaves four companies with Great Lakes sailings.
Showing stern to Duluth. American Queen cruise boats are ending voyages to Duluth and other Great Lakes ports.
American Queen Voyages
he company formerly went by the corporate name American Queen Steamboat Company.The company is continuing its Mississippr River calls, including Winona in the summer. The boats also sail the Lower Mississippi all year – a much more hospitable clime than the Great Lakes. The 2024 schedule has yet to be announced.