American Queen Steamboat Company has canceled the entire 2020 season for its two Victory
Cruise Lines ships and pushed back the
start dates for its four riverboats.
AQSC said prolonged government restrictions and uncertainty
about sailing in Canadian waters forced it to suspend all sailing this year
aboard the Victory I and Victory II.
Also, AQSC delayed from June to July its planned resumption
of domestic river cruises.
AQSC founder and CEO John Waggoner said the decision to
suspend Victory sailings was “a difficult and disappointing choice, but
necessary in response to uncertainties of Canadian travel in the coming months.”
During the shutdown, he said, the company will focus on the
2021 season, which will include the debut of the Ocean Victory in Alaska and
new itineraries on the Great Lakes and in the Canadian Maritimes, New England
and Southeastern U.S.
Waggoner said the company decided to push back domestic
river cruising while finalizing health and safety protocols with Ochsner
Health.
Under the new timeline, the American Empress, which sails
the Columbia and Snake rivers, will make its first trip of the summer July 6 to
13. The American Duchess will sail the Mississippi starting July 20.
AQSC said it is still reviewing sailing dates for its other
two ships, the new American Countess and the flagship American Queen.