About Us
“Let us cast off the bowlines and sail together into a deeper, more powerful and personal experience of the North American continent, history, and people. Are you ready?”
— John Waggoner
CEO and Founder
At American Queen Voyages™ we are proud and honored to share our dream of cruising the mighty rivers, lakes, and oceans of North America with timeless luxury and standards far beyond any expectation.


We’re bound for the North America you can’t get to on the highway — places where tradition comes alive — and Discovery runs deep™
What’s next
It’s been a wonderful ten years — but we are just getting started. We cannot wait to see what the next decade brings as American Queen Voyages™ continues to push boundaries past mainstream expectation and bring our guests ever more thrilling experiences of the entire North American continent — and the people who call these storied water towns home.
THE HORNBLOWER GROUP: BUSINESS UNITS
We are Hornblower Group, the global leader in world-class experiences and transportation. There are three divisions that make up Hornblower Group – American Queen Voyages ™, City Experiences ™, and Journey Beyond.
Hornblower Group’s heritage dates back nearly 100 years, with the establishment of Boston Harbor Cruises in 1926 in Massachusetts, United States. Hornblower Group subsequently began in 1980. Across its growing portfolio, the organization has a long-standing history of expertise and innovation, with a footprint that today spans 111 countries and territories, with iconic offerings including a range of water-based experiences, land-based experiences, overnight cruises, extended rail journeys, and ferry and transportation services.

American Queen Voyages™, operates the overnight cruise division of Hornblower Group. Brands within this division include:
- American Queen Voyages – River: all-inclusive luxury cruising along the Mississippi River, Ohio River, Cumberland & Tennessee Rivers and Columbia & Snake Rivers
- American Queen Voyages – Lakes & Oceans: all-inclusive luxury cruising along the Great Lakes, Canada and New England, Southeast U.S., Alaska, and Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula
- American Queen Voyages – Expedition: all-inclusive luxury expedition experience in Alaska and Central America

City Experiences represents our portfolio of water and land-based experiences and includes sub-brands City Cruises and City Ferry.
City Experiences offers a range of experiences including Venture Ashore shore excursions, partner-offered experiences, multi-port packages, Walks sightseeing tours, and Devour Tours food tours.

Journey Beyond is Australia’s leading experiential travel group with 13 Australian brands, operating in 60 destinations Australia wide, connecting guests to the land, and to each other. Headquartered in Adelaide, Journey Beyond offers its guests with one-of-a-kind experience from its portfolio of offerings including trains, like the popular Ghan, planes, lodges in the Outback, Great Barrier Reef underwater accommodations, Melbourne Skydeck experience, and more. Journey Beyond provides unparalleled access to remote locations, helping achieve their mission of creating amazing experiences.