AQSC-American Queen Steamboat Company announced that its passengers will no longer be required to wear masks onboard or receive pre-cruise COVID testing and can once again enjoy unrestricted shore excursions beginning with all of the line's Cumberland, Ohio, and Mississippi river sailings.
The policy update is a result of AQSC’s vaccination requirement for both passengers and crew members, first announced in February, making AQSC the first and only fully vaccinated United States' river cruise line.
To celebrate the milestone, the company is rolling out its FREEDOM sale, a bonus savings of up to US$2,000 on select 2022 bookings made by August 31, 2021.
The new American Countess and boutique riverboat American Duchess commenced sailing in March under SafeCruise protocols, visiting ports including Louisville KY, Memphis TN, New Orleans (NOLA port), and Pittsburgh PA.
American Empress, sailing the Pacific Northwest on Columbia and Snake rivers, welcomed her first passengers as the first 100% vaccinated US river ship on June 14, 2021. American Empress guests continue to participate in a PCR test at the pre-cruise hotel per Washington state guidelines.
All passengers must show proof of vaccination by uploading an image of their vaccination card before the pre-cruise hotel check-in. Those who fail to provide proof will be denied boarding and are subject to full cancellation penalties. Masks are not required onboard after embarkation. However, a face-covering must be worn during boarding as well as on shore excursion motorcoaches per CDC transportation guidelines.
The SafeCruise health & safety procedures continue throughout the entire cruise experience, and feature pre-boarding / boarding / onboard processes to enhance health & safety. Guidance may change without notice based on local regulations.
The FREEDOM sale is applicable to VCL-Victory Cruise Lines’ 2022 itineraries. Guests will sail to some of North America’s most popular destinations on educational itineraries.
Those who book by August 31 can maximize savings and enjoy up to USD 2000 off per stateroom on select 2022 VCL itineraries, including Ocean Victory and her inaugural Alaskan season, as well as new itineraries to Mexico and Yucatan Peninsula and voyages along the US southeastern seaboard.