American Queen Voyages (AQV), which operates riverboats on the Mississippi River and other waterways, has ceased operations. Company officials blame ongoing challenges spurred by the pandemic for the closure.
The company operates the iconic paddle-wheeler American Queen and other vessels, and has made stops in the Quad Cities.
AQV officials made the announcement to end operations on its Facebook page on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
“We are saddened to share that American Queen Voyages (AQV) has made the difficult decision to shut down. The overnight cruise industry was especially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and related changes in travel preferences. Despite great efforts by our team, Crew and partners, demand has not recovered, and AQV has become financially unsustainable,” according to the company announcement.
The announcement added: “Effective immediately, all future AQV cruises have been canceled. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this decision causes, and guests should expect to have their cruise deposits refunded in full.”
Refund information is available at www.AQVrefunds.com.
“We are disappointed that American Queen Voyages (AQV) has ceased operations as of February 20, 2024,” said Dave Herrell, president and CEO of Visit Quad Cities, in an email to the QCBJ on Wednesday. “As a long-standing partner of Visit Quad Cities, AQV has played a significant role in bringing visitors to our region, with 2,165 visitors in 2023 alone. Their presence, alongside all our river cruise partners, contributes significantly to enriching our regional destination with vibrant tourism experiences and exploration of the Mississippi River. Visit Quad Cities will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates to stakeholders who may be affected.”
As of Wednesday morning, Feb. 21, the AQV company website was still promoting various cruises. However, a page on the company website also announced the business closure. Visitors to the company website are directed to that page when they click on any scheduled trip to request more information.
Employees and crew were told the shutdown was due to “unfortunate business circumstances and an inability to obtain sufficient capital at a commercially reasonable rate to continue operations,” according to a story on Cruise Industry News website.
Employees received an email from the company on Tuesday stating that their positions would be terminated that day at all locations. The action is expected to be permanent, according to a story on the Travel Weekly website.
“The timing of this notice is necessitated by both the unforeseen business circumstances and an inability to obtain sufficient capital at a commercially reasonable rate to continue operations,” the email states.
Travel Weekly also recently reported that in the past few weeks, several major trade organizations and companies, including Signature Travel Network, Pleasant Holidays, AAA Travel and Virtuoso, had all suspended sales of American Queen Voyages over service issues, among which included late commission payments.
AQV is one of several cruise lines whose vessels have visited the Quad Cities in the past few years. Some have docked in Bettendorf, and others at River Heritage Park at 615 E. River Drive on the Davenport riverfront.
