ACL-American Cruise Lines has completed the acquisition of all four paddlewheelers previously belonging to the AQV-American Queen Voyages fleet.
Following AQV's cessation of operations on February 20, and subsequent Chapter 11 filing by both the U.S. river cruise line and its parent company, Hornblower Holdings, ACL procured the vessels as part of the bankruptcy proceedings.
ACL's acquisition includes American Queen (AQV's flagship) American Empress, American Countess, and American Duchess. The USА-flagged vessels operated primarily on the Mississippi River and its tributaries, as well as on the Colombia and Snake rivers.
Among the acquisitions, the American Queen commanded the highest price at US$2.15 million, while the American Empress and American Countess were purchased for US$1.6 million each. American Duchess was acquired for just US$200,000.
The American Queen (1995-launched, extensively refurbished in 2013) boasts a rich history on the rivers. Similarly, the American Empress (2003-inaugurated) underwent significant refurbishment in 2014.
Originally built as casino boats in 1995, both the Duchess and Countess were converted into riverboats in subsequent years, with the Duchess transformed in 2017 and the Countess in 2021.
Additionally, ACL acquired the intellectual property of AQV, including trademarks, website domain names, and certain business records, for US$750,000.
According to court documents filed with the Bankruptcy Court in Houston, ACL paid a total of US$6.3 million in cash for AQV's assets. A hearing to finalize the sale has been scheduled for April 4th in Houston Texas.
Meanwhile, AQV's former Great Lakes deployed ships Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager were auctioned off on April 1st.
With this acquisition, ACL's paddlewheeler fleet expands to eight vessels, complementing the company's existing portfolio.