A small-ship cruise operator
is pursuing a comeback in the U.S.

Victory Cruise Lines is relaunching in April with Great Lakes and Canada cruises. American Queen Voyages’ founder, John Waggoner, is reviving the brand with two 190-passenger ships, Victory I and Victory II.

The vessels, which were purpose-built to sail the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and French-Canadian Maritimes, were owned by American Queen Voyages before it shut down last year (Waggoner was no longer involved with the company at the time). American Queen Voyages acquired Victory Cruise Lines in 2019.

Both ships have been refurbished and will sail popular and lesser-visited ports within North America. Many of Victory’s customers want to “wrap (themselves) in the American or Canadian flag,” founder and chairman Waggoner said.

“I think what we find is that a lot of our guests have traveled all over the world, and now they are looking for something that’s at home,” he told USA TODAY.

When will Victory Cruise Lines relaunch?

Waggoner and his wife, Claudette, who co-owns the company, will host Victory’s first cruise of the year. The 10-night cruise aboard Victory I will sail from Portland, Maine, to Toronto in April ahead of the ship’s christening.

Victory II will be christened in Chicago on May 12.

The ships can accommodate 190 guests.

What can guests expect?

Victory will sail itineraries ranging from nine to 14 nights in 2025. Those include All 5 Great Lakes cruises, which visit Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Superior, sailing from either Chicago or Milwaukee to Toronto (or departing from Toronto).

The 5 Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway itinerary will sail between Chicago and Montreal, while the Great Lakes & Thunder Bay cruise round trip from Chicago covers two great lakes – Michigan and Superior – and an overnight stay in Michigan’s Mackinac Island, among other sailings.

Stops will include Detroit and Marquette in Michigan; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Port Colborne, Ontario – giving guests access to Niagara Falls – and more. Victory will also be the only cruise line to dock at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

The company offers a variety of excursions along the way, from a visit to the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and the Museum Ship Valley Camp, where guests can learn about the area’s history, to a behind-the-scenes tour of Lambeau Field, where the NFL’s Green Bay Packers play.

“And then you hit Cleveland, where you dock right (near) the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Waggoner said. “And then Detroit, where you get to go to the Henry Ford Museum of (American) Innovation.”

The ships also will host a LakeLorian program in partnership with the National Museum of the Great Lakes, offering lectures from historians and naturalists. Other onboard features include three dining concepts, a sundeck and a salon and spa.

Passengers can catch some sun on an open deck.

How much does Victory Cruise Lines cost?

Available cruises start at $4,999 per person, according to Victory’s website. The fares include a pre-night hotel stay, transfers from the hotel to the ship, food and drinks on board, a tour in each port, Wi-Fi and more.

“What I hope (guests) take away is the grandeur and the beauty of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway,” Waggoner said.

USA Today

Great Lakes maritime industry
gets backing from Trump Administration

Bartlett Maritime Corporation has plan for submarine repair facility in Lorain

By Heather Chapin [The Morning Journal]
PUBLISHED: April 17, 2025

The company aiming to bring a submarine repair facility to Lorain praised President Donald Trump’s administration for calling for an increased investment in the maritime industry.

“That is exactly the type of message that Ed Bartlett (founder of Bartlett Maritime Corporation) and the city of Lorain has been hoping for,” said Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley.

The White House Executive Order issued April 9, called “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” directs the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with other cabinet members, to find opportunities to encourage investments in American “maritime prosperity zones,” according to a news release from Bartlett Maritime Corporation.

The order specifically identifies the Great Lakes for inclusion in the effort, which will be part of a Maritime Action Plan developed by the assistant to the president for National Security Affairs, the release stated.

“I’m hoping with the vice president (J.D. Vance) being from Ohio and two new innovative senators (Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted) that we can get this done,” Bradley said.

Bartlett praised the Trump Administration’s call for increasing investment in the maritime industry of the Great Lakes region and welcomed the growing national urgency to build national maritime capacity.

“We appreciate the Administration’s action to restore and expand the shipbuilding industry in the United States and look forward to the growth of Ohio’s role in this important industry,” Bartlett said in the release. “Right here in Northeast Ohio, we have the skilled workforce available, we have significant potential for industrial facility development and we have a proud maritime heritage.”

The corporation received a grant through the Lorain City Port and Finance Authority to train welders to work in the many positions that are expected to open up once the project is finalized.

The Executive Order calls for the maritime prosperity zones to provide “opportunities to incentivize and facilitate domestic and allied investment in United States maritime industries and waterfront communities.”

“The need for greater shipbuilding and ship repair capacity is a national challenge that goes beyond the geographical limits of coastal areas,” Bartlett said. “America can only meet this challenge by making the most of our industrial capabilities nationwide.”

The corporation has been looking at purchasing or leasing land from two entities, Republic Steel and Stein Corporation, which is located next to the steel mill, Bradley said.

Republic Steel has about 400 acres available and Stein has approximately 60, he said.