American Queen Voyages founder John Waggoner has emerged as the highest bidder for the former company's two Great Lakes ships at a bankruptcy auction for AQV's assets, according to documents viewed by Travel Weekly.
John Waggoner
The Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator were purchased for less than $1 million each at the April 1 auction, according to the documents.
The two Bahamas-flagged vessels had been on the market since last year, when American Queen Voyages announced it would pull out of the Great Lakes region after the season there ended in November.
American Queen Voyages ceased operations on Feb. 20, and its parent company, Hornblower Holdings, submitted a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing soon after.
AQV's assets, which included the two Great Lakes coastal cruising vessels and its four paddlewheeler ships, had been put up for sale following the Chapter 11 filing.
American Cruise Lines purchased all four of AQV's paddlewheelers, including its flagship vessel the American Queen and the former company's intellectual property, this week for a total of $6.3 million.
The Ocean Voyager, one of two former American Queen Voyages coastal cruise ships that was bought by AQV founder John Waggoner. Photo Credit: American Queen Voyages