第116期：邮轮公司——美国皇后汽船公司

Company history

AQSC公司历史

In 2012, with PS American Queen AQSC resurrected the overnight Mississippi River cruise operations - a US travel service that was almost dead since 2008. SInce 2019, AQSC owns the company Victory Cruise Lines, which fleet is listed at CruiseMapper as part of AQSC. The company's founder and CEO is John Waggoner.

2012年，美国皇后AQSC恢复了密西西比河夜间巡航业务——一项从2008年开始濒临停滞的美国旅游服务。从2019年以来，AQSC 拥有“胜利号游轮”，该船队成为 AQSC 巡航版图的一部分。公司的创始人兼首席执行官是约翰·瓦格纳。

Currently, the American Steamboat company is led by Ted Sykes. He previously worked in leadership and executive roles at Viking Cruises, Vantage, Grand Circle Travel, and Saga Cruises. This genuine USA cruise company employs resident experts who narrate the history of all towns visited along the itinerary routes. Onboard bicycles are also at hand, allowing passengers to enjoy biking along the river and through ports the riverboats call at.

目前，美国汽船公司由泰德·赛克斯负责。他曾在维京游轮、华帝游轮、大圆环旅行和佐贺游轮担任领导和行政职务。这家名副其实的美国邮轮公司聘请了常驻专家，讲述旅程中沿途所有城镇的历史，船上配备自行车，让乘客可以在沿河与停靠的港口骑行。

All AQSC ships are stern paddlewheel steamers, decked out in Victorian elegance. Their interior decorations feature rich upholstery, ornate chandeliers, brass, and polished wood. The riverboats offer modern amenities, such as Wi-Fi in all public spaces, gourmet cuisine, tickets price-inclusive tours and excursions ashore. 

所有AQSC的船都是船尾桨式轮船，装饰出维多利亚时期的优雅风。内部装修以丰富的内饰、华丽的吊灯、黄铜和抛光木材为特色。内河船提供现代化的便利设施，如公共场所的无线网络、美食、含门票的旅游和岸上游览。

Still, they aim to evoke the "old timer's" memories of the 19th century's paddlewheel steamships. Each of the riverboats is powered by an original design steam plant. The steam engine drives a stern paddle-wheel to propel the ship through water.

尽管如此，他们的目标是唤起“老前辈”对19世纪桨轮蒸汽船的记忆。每艘内河船都由一个原始设计的蒸汽轮机提供动力。蒸汽机驱动船尾的桨轮推动船在水中前进。

New ships

新船

In September 2016, the company announced a fleet expansion with one newbuild - American Duchess, scheduled for launch in July 2017. However, due to Mississippi's unseasonably high water levels, the launch was pushed back 6 weeks to August 13 (christening ceremony). The inaugural cruise was on August 14, with prices starting from USD 1500 pp (double-occupancy Interior Suite rates).

2016年9月，公司宣布扩大船队规模，计划于2017年7月推出一款新款"美国公爵夫人号"。然而，由于密西西比河水位异常高，发布会被推迟了6周，一直到8月13日才发布。首航于8月14日，最低1500美元起（双人入住室内套房的价格）。

The American Duchess has traditional Mississippi paddle wheeler ship design. Boat's itinerary program offers overnight port stays and shorter roundtrips from homeports Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Nashville TN and New Orleans, and also (for the first time) from Chicago (Ottawa, Illinois).

“美国公爵夫人号”有传统的密西西比桨轮船设计。行程计划里提供夜间港口住宿和较短的往返行程，经过明尼阿波利斯-圣保罗、田纳西州纳什维尔和新奥尔良，以及这也是第一次从芝加哥（伊利诺伊州渥太华）经过。

In 2018 was acquired the casino boat Kanesville Queen - previously operated by "Harrahs Council Bluffs Casino and Hotel" in Council Bluffs (Iowa USA). The vessel (renamed American Countess) is scheduled to enter service in 2019, following drydock lengthening at Gulf Island Shipyard (Houma, Louisiana).

2018年该公司收购了“凯纳斯维尔皇后号”赌场船，该船以前由哈拉斯布卢夫斯赌场和酒店运营（爱荷华州）。这艘船在海湾岛造船厂进行干船坞加长后，后来更名为“美国伯爵夫人号”于2019年投入使用。

船只延伸包括将现有的船体切割为两半，并添加一个60英尺（18米）长的预制船中部。近150名工人参与了这一项目。

AQSC cruise deals

AQSC游轮优惠

Operated with all-inclusive cruise packages, AQSC deals are inclusive of:

AQSC 套餐提供全包游轮套餐，包括：

1. all shore excursions ("Steamcoach Tours" by luxury buses)

    所有岸上游览（豪华蒸汽巴士之旅）

2. 1-night pre-cruise hotel package

    1晚游轮前酒店套餐

3. soft drinks and bottled water (offered throughout the voyage)

    软饮料和瓶装水（全程提供）

4. wines and beers (offered at dinner only)

    葡萄酒和啤酒（仅晚餐提供）

5. 24-hour room service (menu has standard breakfasts fare, plus sandwiches, burgers, macaroni and cheese, fresh salmon, desserts)

    24 小时客房服务（菜单提供标准早餐，外加三明治、汉堡、通心粉和奶酪、新鲜三文鱼、甜点）

6. Wi-Fi Internet

    无线网络

7. Pilot House tour (of the ship's Navigation Bridge)

    引航员参观（位于船上的导航桥）

8. Smoking inside the cabin and on the balcony is forbidden. The only smoking-allowed area on the ship is the sun deck

    禁止在客舱内和阳台吸烟。船上唯一允许吸烟的区域是太阳甲板

AQSC宣传视频：

Victory Cruise Lines

“胜利号游轮”

In mid-November 2018, AQSC announced an agreement to acquire the brand "Victory Cruise Line" and its two chartered (Sunstone Ships-owned) vessels Victory I (2001-built) and Victory II (2004-built). To the AQSC fleet was also added the Ocean Victory (2021) - Sunstone-owned newbuild vessel to be operated under charter. All the 3 ships are in a separate fleet - under the "Victory Cruise Lines" brand. Transaction terms were not disclosed. The acquisition deal was closed in mid-January 2019.

2018年11月中旬，AQSC宣布收购品牌"胜利号游轮"及其另外两艘被租用的船“胜利1号”（2001年建造）和“胜利2号”（2004年建造）。AQSC船队还会增加“海洋胜利号”（2021年），这是一艘新船，由太阳石公司所属，将以租赁方式经营。这3艘船在一个单独的船队，以"胜利号游轮"为品牌运营。收购于2019年1月中旬完成，交易条款未披露。

AQSC宣传视频：

For season 2019 (May through October), Victory Cruise Line scheduled 10-day Great Lakes cruises operated with all-inclusive deals. Victory 1 ship was homeported in Montreal and Detroit MI, with route ports Quebec City, Kingston, Toronto (with crossing Welland Canal between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie), Port Colborne (gateway to Niagara Falls) and Cleveland. Victory 2 ship was homeported in Toronto and Chicago, with route ports Port Colborne, Cleveland, Detroit, Lake Huron (scenic cruising), Little Current (Manitoulin Island), Soo Locks (connecting Lake Superior with Great Lakes). Sault Ste Marie, Mackinac Island, Lake Michigan.

2019年5月至10月，“胜利号游轮”计划进行为期10天的五大湖游轮旅游，并提供全方位的服务。“胜利1号”在蒙特利尔和底特律港停泊，航线港口有魁北克市，金斯敦，多伦多（穿过安大略湖和伊利湖之间的威尔德运河），科尔伯恩港（尼亚加拉瀑布的门户）和克利夫兰。“胜利2号”停泊在多伦多和芝加哥，航线港口港口有科尔伯恩港，克利夫兰，底特律，休伦湖（风景优美的巡航），小洋流（马尼图林岛），苏洛克斯(连接苏必利尔湖和五大湖)，索尔特玛丽，麦可纳岛，密歇根湖。

资料来源：

https://www.cruisemapper.com/cruise-lines/Avalon-Waterways-66

视频来源：

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RJN09T0zKE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en-JphQ8iD4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAwbKF0rBik

第115期：邮轮公司——ACL-美国邮轮公司

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第113期：邮轮公司——阿瓦隆

第112期：邮轮公司——P&O邮轮

第111期：邮轮公司——途易邮轮