SunStone Ships announced the successful sale of Victory Cruise Lines to the American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC). After rapidly expanding market share in the Great Lakes, French Canada, and St. Lawrence Seaway, Victory
became the market leader in these regions. Having recently added the VICTORY II, afforded AQSC the opportunity to acquire the largest capacity in the region.
AQSC will acquire the VICTORY I and VICTORY II cruise vessels, as well as some assets in connection herewith, among them being the Victory brand, all Great Lakes charters, group bookings, individual passenger reservations, and related assets. SunStone Ships has been working on this sale for some time, with the transaction expected to close in January, 2019.
AQSC has been operating river cruise ships in the United States for several years with three vessels and one more on order. AQSC primarily serves American passengers and operate their ships in the United States and has been looking for additional products to offer their passengers.
“We appreciate the Victory team getting us so far, so fast. We believe we have found the perfect home for Victory Cruise Lines by selling it to AQSC and we are certain they can make this wellknown, respected and accepted product an even better brand for the future,” stated Niels-Erik Lund, SunStone’s President and CEO.
In a very short period of time, Victory Cruise Lines has been able to build a well-respected product on the Great Lakes and has seen bookings increase substantially over the years, with the 2019 Great Lakes season being the best ever.
