ACL Scraps Two Boats, Mulling Options For Queen

American Cruise Lines (ACL), a Guilford, Conn.-based operator of river and coastwise passenger vessels in the United States, has announced plans for three of the four vessels the company acquired from American Queen Voyages (AQV) following that company’s bankruptcy earlier this year.

According to court documents, ACL paid roughly $2.15 million for the American Queen, $1.6 million each for the American Empress and American Countess and $200,000 for the American Duchess.

In a statement released May 14, ACL confirmed the fates of two of those vessels, while also pointing to the likely future of a third.

“American Cruise Lines remains focused on modernizing and elevating the domestic cruise industry with new ships, large staterooms, modern technology and rigorous environmental standards,” the company said in a statement. “We have recycled the former AQV vessels Countess and Duchess. We continue to evaluate options for the Queen, including the possibility of donation to a municipal or nonprofit entity.”

The American Queen was built in 1995 for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company. HMS Global Maritime bought the vessel in 2011 when it launched American Queen Steamboat Company, later rebranded as American Queen Voyages.

The Duchess, a former casino boat, was launched in 1995 with the name Bettendorf Capri and later rebuilt and renamed by AQV in 2016. Similarly, the Countess was built in 1995 and originally operated as the Kanesville Queen. AQV rebuilt and relaunched the vessel in 2020.