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
DISCOVERY RUNS DEEP™
The company began when HMS Global Maritime, founded by John Waggoner, bought the 436-guest riverboat American Queen® from the United States Maritime Administration and formed the Great American Steamboat Co. to revive travel on U.S. rivers with an all-American crew.
For 10 years, this business entity operated as American Queen Steamboat Co. offering close-to-home adventures on America’s rivers. In September 2021, the line was rebranded American Queen Voyages to better reflect the broad choice of destination experiences offered.


We’re bound for the North America you can’t get to on the highway — places where tradition comes alive in stories and everyday life — where Past and Present share space in convivial harmony.
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.
American Queen Voyages is one of three divisions that make up the Hornblower Group, a global leader with world-class offerings including a range of water- and land-based experiences, overnight cruises, extended rail journeys, and ferry and transportation services. The organization, which traces its heritage to the establishment of Boston Harbor Cruises in 1926, has a long history of expertise and innovation across its growing portfolio with a footprint that today spans 111 countries and territories. City ExperiencesTM and Journey Beyond round out the divisions that make up the entirety of the Hornblower Group’s travel services enterprise.

American Queen Voyages™, operates the overnight cruise division of Hornblower Group. Brands within this division include:
- American Queen Voyages – River: all-inclusive luxury voyages along the Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois, Cumberland, Columbia and 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, as well as ports in between.

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 privileged to operate 13 brands spanning the country, connecting guests to the land, and to each other. Headquartered in Adelaide, Journey Beyond formed in 2016 and now comprises tourism brands including: iconic trains The Ghan, Indian Pacific, Great Southern and The Overland; premium small-group outback operator Outback Spirit; eco-luxe lodge Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef; aquatic adventures Cruise Whitsundays, Rottnest Express, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, Darwin Harbour Cruises and Journey Beyond Cruise Sydney; and our tallest members, Melbourne Skydeck and Eureka 89.