AQV-American Queen Voyages celebrated the maiden arrival of its Ocean Navigator ship, with her first passengers arriving at Navy Pier in downtown Chicago (Illinois USA).
Through the exclusive partnership with sister company City Experiences, AQV is the only overnight cruise company to dock at the downtown Chicago destination. Ocean Navigator's sistership Ocean Voyager will also dock at Chicago’s Navy Pier for the first time on June 8, as the coastal vessels offer Lakes & Oceans experiences navigating the St. Lawrence Seaway locks and all 5 Great Lakes.
City and state leaders - Navy Pier President & CEO Marilynn Gardner, Choose Chicago CEO Lynn Osmond, and Magnificent Mile Association President & CEO Kimberly Bares - welcomed American executives and Capt. Gary Kerr to Chicago.
Ocean Navigator accommodates only 202 passengers, delivering Lakes & Oceans experiences in North America operating the Great Lakes, Canada/New England, Southeast USA, Yucatan & Mexico. The arriving voyage originated in Toronto (Ontario Canada) while the embarking one of Ocean Navigator will be an 11-day itinerary featuring all 5 Great Lakes and visiting ports like Mackinac Island, Sault Ste Marie (Soo Locks), Manitoulin Island (Little Current), Cleveland (Ohio), Detroit (Michigan), Port Colborne (Niagara Falls, Ontario), and disembarking in Toronto.
All voyages include a pre-cruise hotel night in Chicago and offer an optional tour of the iconic architecture from the water. In addition, passengers sailing on the fall Great Lakes itineraries enjoy overnight excursions in a number of city ports for the first time including Mackinac Island and Toronto on American Queen Voyages.
This year, American is celebrating its 10th anniversary as the leader in encounter travel.