Status: American Queen Voyages shut down in February 2024. In its shutdown notice, the company said it "has made the difficult decision to shut down," that it was "shutting down the business," and that "all future AQV cruises have been cancelled." Trade reports at the time put the end of operations at February 20, 2024. Nothing on this page can be booked.
This article used to be a promotional review of the line. It's been cut back to what the company's own notices and the reporting at the time record.
What Happened
American Queen Voyages (AQV) said in its notice that it had been unable to rebound from the effects of the pandemic, that the overnight cruise industry was especially affected by changes in travel preferences, and that as a result it had become financially unsustainable. A notice to employees, as quoted at the time, also cited "an inability to obtain sufficient capital at a commercially reasonable rate to continue operations."
The company's refund site says AQV "has filed for Chapter 11 to conduct its business shutdown."
What Guests Were Told About Refunds
The company told guests with cruises booked that they "should expect to be fully refunded" for their cruise deposits. Its refund site, still online, describes a three-part process for guests affected by a canceled cruise:
- Submit a claim form, online or by mail, with proof of payment.
- Receive a denial notice from AQV, because AQV isn't making reimbursement payments directly.
- Have the claim forwarded to Argonaut Insurance Company, which the site says insured AQV cruises. When we read it on October 3, 2026, the site still said Argonaut had not yet announced the procedures it would follow for processing claims and issuing refunds.
The site also says guests located outside the United States should contact their travel or booking agent about a refund first.
What the Line Was
AQV was part of the Hornblower Group. It ran paddlewheel river cruises and small-ship expedition cruises in Alaska. Its own site, before the shutdown, listed destinations including the Lower Mississippi, the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, the Columbia and Snake rivers, the Great Lakes, and Alaska and British Columbia. Its flagship was the paddlewheeler American Queen.
Updated October 3, 2026: shutdown.
Sources
- American Queen Voyages refund portal (aqvrefunds.com; aqvinfo.com redirects here): "For guests of American Queen Voyages (AQV) who have been affected by a cancelled cruise, there is a three-part process to seeking a reimbursement"; AQV "has filed for Chapter 11 to conduct its business shutdown"; claims forwarded to Argonaut Insurance Company (read 2026-10-03)
- American Queen Voyages shutdown notice, aqvinfo.com as archived May 24, 2024: "American Queen Voyages has made the difficult decision to shut down"; "We are therefore shutting down the business, and all future AQV cruises have been cancelled" (read 2026-10-03)
- American Queen Voyages home page as archived August 18, 2023: destinations listed include Columbia & Snake Rivers, Lower Mississippi River, Ohio & Mississippi Rivers, Great Lakes, Alaska & British Columbia (read 2026-10-03)
