(From left): John Waggoner, Founder & Chairman of American Queen Voyages; Van R. Johnson, Mayor of Savannah; Captain Gary Kerr, Bill Annand, Vice President of American Queen Voyages.
The vessel will sail up the eastern seaboard for the 2022 great lakes season.
SAVANNAH, GA – American Queen Voyages, part of the Hornblower Group, marks the return of Ocean Navigator, the final Lakes & Oceans vessel to be added back to the fleet, as she welcomes her first guests in over two years. The 202-guest boutique coastal ship, a sister to Ocean Voyager, was greeted in downtown Savannah at River Street Market Landing by city leaders and dignitaries, including Mayor Van R. Johnson, who toured the vessel, visiting with crew and officers before an afternoon guest embarkation.
“The Great America-tion summer is nearing, and travelers are ready to make up for lost time and deeply discover North America now,” shared John Waggoner, founder & chairman, American Queen Voyages. “The return of Ocean Navigator signals yet another opportunity to explore with us beyond the Mississippi River, without the uncertainty and the complexity of international travel.”
The first voyage on Ocean Navigator in over two years will be a 17-day itinerary up the Eastern Seaboard, calling on ports including Charleston, Norfolk, Baltimore, Newport, Nantucket and more, disembarking in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her sister ship, Ocean Voyager, will begin making her way north towards the Great Lakes after completing a final Southeast U.S.A. sailing from Jacksonville on April 12. Both Lakes & Oceans vessels arrive in Toronto May 10 and 12 after exploring the Eastern Seaboard and St. Lawrence Seaway. The first highly-anticipated arrival at Chicago’s Navy Pier will be Ocean Navigator on May 18.
The month of April marks the 10th anniversary of American Queen Voyages and the debut of expedition ship Ocean Victory on May 6, sailing between Vancouver, B.C. and Sitka, AK.
In June, Founder and Chairman, John Waggoner, and Culinary Ambassador, Regina Charboneau, will celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary with four newly added Lower Mississippi River itineraries on the flagship American Queen. The nine-day itineraries will sail between Memphis and New Orleans with departures on June 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2022. Ports of call include Cleveland (Terrene Landing), Vicksburg, Natchez, St. Francisville, Baton Rouge and Nottoway. Celebrating the 10th anniversary season, American Queen Voyages Founder and Chairman John Waggoner will join the June 12 American Queen sailing from New Orleans to Memphis to serve as host and special guest Riverlorian. As special guest Riverlorian, Waggoner will host exclusive lectures and share tales on the history of the company, memories from ports along the rivers, the making of the newest paddlewheeler American Countess, and more.
Adding to the anniversary festivities, on the American Queen June Lower Mississippi River sailings will be newly added experiences with Culinary Ambassador Regina Charboneau. Guests booking a Luxury or Owner’s Suite will receive a complimentary exclusive cooking class and brunch hosted by Regina Charboneau at her Natchez cooking school while in port. All guests will also be joined onboard by Charboneau for a special pre-sail biscuit demonstration and champagne toast before departing Natchez.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
