American Classic Voyages
Encyclopedia
American Classic Voyages was an American-based cruise ship holding company cruise line
, headquartered in Chicago, that operated between 1993 and 2001. The company attempted to take advantage of federal loans and other incentives to build and grow a US-flagged passenger ship industry. The company traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol "AMCV". The company operated the Delta Steamboat Company, Delta Queen Coastal Voyages, American Hawaii Cruises and United States Lines.
, along with their acquired subsidiary American Hawaii Cruises, who operated the cruise liners Independence
and her sister Constitution
, in 1993. In the mid 1990s American Classic was in good shape, with the paddle boats of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company often running at maximum passenger capacity, while the American Hawaii Cruises fleet ran at fairly large passenger capacity but had small MARAD
repair loans unpaid. In 1996 Constitution, at 45 years of age, was in need of extensive repairs. These repairs were not carried out, and the Constitution sank while under tow to a scrapyard on November 17, 1997, in over 10,000 feet of water. The wreck was unrecoverable, although insurance would cover her loss.
American Classic Voyages then purchased the Holland America Line
cruise ship Nieuw Amsterdam
and renamed her the Patriot to operate her in Hawaii beginning on December 9, 2000 under the brand name United States Lines, a revival of the original company which had ended operations in 1986. American Classic Voyages then bought the small coastal cruise ships Cape May Light and Cape Cod Light in hopes of starting a new subsidiary company for these vessels called American Coastal Voyages.
A contract was signed with the Litton-Ingalls yard in Mississippi for construction of the two new ships for United States Lines under the code name Project America
. The US government contributed considerable support in the form of loan guarantees, tax credits, and a construction mortgage from the Maritime Administration. American Classic Voyages planned to have put six vessels into service by 2004.
United States Lines, Delta Queen Coastal Voyages, and American Hawaii Cruises immediately ceased operations. amcv.com was taken down by September 21, 2002.
The MS Patriot was laid up and eventually sold back to her original owner, Holland America Line
, before being chartered to Louis Cruise Lines
and being chartered again to Thomson Holidays
. The unfinished Project America hulls were later purchased for USD
$24 million and completed for Norwegian Cruise Line
, the resulting ship being the Pride of America
. Additional parts from the other mainly unfinished Project America hull were later refitted onto the Pride of Hawaii
. Pride of America continues to sail Hawaiian cruises for NCL America, while Pride of Hawaii was eventually transferred to Norwegian Cruise Line as Norwegian Jade. After years of lay-up in California, the American Hawaii Cruises liner Independence was wrecked while under tow bound for the scrapyard, the remains are being broken up on site.
Cape May Light, which completed only two cruises for Delta Queen Coastal Voyages prior to the bankruptcy, and her unfinished sister ship, Cape Cod Light, were repossessed by the shipyard and eventually sold to International Shipping Partners and renamed Sea Discoverer and Sea Voyager, but remained largely unused for years aside from a charter to the US government to house aid workers after the 2010 Haiti earthquake
.
The original Delta Queen Steamboat Company division survived the bankruptcy of American Classic Voyages, being purchased by Delaware North Companies in 2002, along with three of its four riverboats (Delta Queen
, Mississippi Queen
, and American Queen
.)
Cruise line
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain,...
, headquartered in Chicago, that operated between 1993 and 2001. The company attempted to take advantage of federal loans and other incentives to build and grow a US-flagged passenger ship industry. The company traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol "AMCV". The company operated the Delta Steamboat Company, Delta Queen Coastal Voyages, American Hawaii Cruises and United States Lines.
History
American Classic Voyages acquired the Delta Queen Steamboat Company, operators of the famous river boat Delta QueenDelta Queen
The Delta Queen is an American sternwheel steamboat that is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Historically, she has been used for cruising the major rivers that constitute the drainage of the Mississippi River, particularly in the American South. As of June 2009, she is docked in Chattanooga,...
, along with their acquired subsidiary American Hawaii Cruises, who operated the cruise liners Independence
SS Independence
SS Independence was an ocean liner built in 1951 for American Export Lines. Between 1974 and 1982 she sailed as Oceanic Independence for Atlantic Far East Lines and American Hawaii Cruises, after which she reverted to her original name...
and her sister Constitution
SS Constitution
The SS Constitution was an ocean liner owned by American Export Lines. She was commissioned in 1951. She sailed on the New York-Genoa-Naples and Gibraltar route to Europe...
, in 1993. In the mid 1990s American Classic was in good shape, with the paddle boats of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company often running at maximum passenger capacity, while the American Hawaii Cruises fleet ran at fairly large passenger capacity but had small MARAD
Marad
Marad was an ancient Sumerian city. Marad was situated on the west bank of the then western branch of the Upper Euphrates River west of Nippur in modern day Iraq and roughly 50 km southeast of Kish, on the Arahtu River.The city's ziggurat E-igi-kalama was dedicated to Ninurta the god of...
repair loans unpaid. In 1996 Constitution, at 45 years of age, was in need of extensive repairs. These repairs were not carried out, and the Constitution sank while under tow to a scrapyard on November 17, 1997, in over 10,000 feet of water. The wreck was unrecoverable, although insurance would cover her loss.
American Classic Voyages then purchased the Holland America Line
Holland America Line
The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
cruise ship Nieuw Amsterdam
MS Thomson Spirit
MS Thomson Spirit is a cruise ship owned by the Holland America Line and operated under charter by the United Kingdom-based Thomson Cruises. She was built in 1983 at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in France for Holland America Line as MS Nieuw Amsterdam...
and renamed her the Patriot to operate her in Hawaii beginning on December 9, 2000 under the brand name United States Lines, a revival of the original company which had ended operations in 1986. American Classic Voyages then bought the small coastal cruise ships Cape May Light and Cape Cod Light in hopes of starting a new subsidiary company for these vessels called American Coastal Voyages.
Project America
The Patriot was re-registered in the United States by special act of Congress as a "stop gap" until a pair of new 72,000 ton cruise ships could be completed in an American shipyard. The decision to relaunch United States Lines was taken due to the historic connotations of the brand name and the strong association of the American Hawaii brand with its aging ocean liners, being deemed unsuitable for the fresh, modern image American Classic Voyages hoped to create for their Hawaiian operations.A contract was signed with the Litton-Ingalls yard in Mississippi for construction of the two new ships for United States Lines under the code name Project America
Project America
Project America was the designation for a contract between American Classic Voyages and the Litton Ingalls Shipyard of Pascagoula, Mississippi. The contract was to build two cruise ships, with a each, with an option for a third vessel. The contract had the initial potential value of $1.4...
. The US government contributed considerable support in the form of loan guarantees, tax credits, and a construction mortgage from the Maritime Administration. American Classic Voyages planned to have put six vessels into service by 2004.
Bankruptcy
After the September 11 terrorist attacks caused a slump in the cruise industry, the company started losing large amounts of money. A month after the terrorist attacks, in October 2001, American Classic Voyages filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reporting assets of just over $37 million and liabilities of nearly $453 million.Aftermath
The company released a statement on their website:We believe this process will allow us to rebuild our business in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks and continue our proud tradition as America’s cruise line.
United States Lines, Delta Queen Coastal Voyages, and American Hawaii Cruises immediately ceased operations. amcv.com was taken down by September 21, 2002.
The MS Patriot was laid up and eventually sold back to her original owner, Holland America Line
Holland America Line
The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
, before being chartered to Louis Cruise Lines
Louis Cruise Lines
Louis Cruises is a Cyprus-based cruise line that operates cruises from Cyprus, France, Italy, India and Greece . The company also charters several ships to Thomson Cruises...
and being chartered again to Thomson Holidays
Thomson Holidays
Thomson Holidays is a UK based travel operator and part of TUI Travel PLC. The company was founded as part of the Thomson Travel Group in 1965 following the acquisition of three package holiday travel agencies and the airline Britannia Airways by Roy Thomson...
. The unfinished Project America hulls were later purchased for USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
$24 million and completed for Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
, the resulting ship being the Pride of America
Pride of America
MS Pride of America is a cruise ship partly built in the United States, now a member of the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet. Inaugurated during the 2005-2006 cruise season, she is the first new U.S...
. Additional parts from the other mainly unfinished Project America hull were later refitted onto the Pride of Hawaii
Pride of Hawaii
Norwegian Jade is a cruise ship for Norwegian Cruise Line, originally built as the Pride of Hawaii for their NCL America division. She was christened in a ceremony at the San Pedro Pier in Los Angeles, California on May 22, 2006...
. Pride of America continues to sail Hawaiian cruises for NCL America, while Pride of Hawaii was eventually transferred to Norwegian Cruise Line as Norwegian Jade. After years of lay-up in California, the American Hawaii Cruises liner Independence was wrecked while under tow bound for the scrapyard, the remains are being broken up on site.
Cape May Light, which completed only two cruises for Delta Queen Coastal Voyages prior to the bankruptcy, and her unfinished sister ship, Cape Cod Light, were repossessed by the shipyard and eventually sold to International Shipping Partners and renamed Sea Discoverer and Sea Voyager, but remained largely unused for years aside from a charter to the US government to house aid workers after the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
.
The original Delta Queen Steamboat Company division survived the bankruptcy of American Classic Voyages, being purchased by Delaware North Companies in 2002, along with three of its four riverboats (Delta Queen
Delta Queen
The Delta Queen is an American sternwheel steamboat that is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Historically, she has been used for cruising the major rivers that constitute the drainage of the Mississippi River, particularly in the American South. As of June 2009, she is docked in Chattanooga,...
, Mississippi Queen
Mississippi Queen (steamboat)
The Mississippi Queen was the second largest paddle wheel driven river steamboat ever built. The ship was the largest such steamboat when she was built in 1976 by the Delta Queen Steamboat Company at Jeffboat in Indiana and was a seven-deck recreation of a classic Mississippi riverboat now owned by...
, and American Queen
American Queen
American Queen is the largest steamboat ever built. The ship was built in 1995 and is a six-deck recreation of a classic Mississippi riverboat, built by the Delta Queen Steamboat Company...
.)