Positioning Hornblower Group for a Successful Future
Hornblower Group is taking steps to strengthen our financial foundation and position our business for the long term as we continue providing outstanding land- and water-based travel experiences around the world and providing commuters with reliable transportation services.
- All services are operating as usual and running on their normal schedules
- Booked trips, excursions, private events and charters, dining and sightseeing cruises, tours and activities and other experiences are continuing as planned
- Guests and commuters can purchase tickets, make reservations, book groups and private events, participate in excursions and utilize transportation services as usual
- We intend to pay our vendors, suppliers and partners in full under normal terms for goods and services provided on or after the Chapter 11 filing date of February 21, 2024
- We are continuing to execute on our existing contracts and agreements with government agencies
The Path Forward
We have entered into an agreement with our investors under which we are:
AQV, Hornblower’s overnight cruising division, has not rebounded from the pandemic and is no longer financially sustainable. We are conducting an orderly sale and exit of the business.
Strategic Value Partners, LLC and its affiliates (together, "SVP"), a global alternative investment firm, will become our new majority owner. Crestview Partners ("Crestview") will retain a minority ownership position in the business.
Funds managed by SVP and its affiliates will make a significant new equity investment in Hornblower, we will receive new financing and our total company debt will be significantly reduced. This will strengthen our balance sheet and better position us to enhance our focus on our core land- and water-based experiences and transportation services, which are performing well and serving thousands of guests every day.
Consistent with our focus on our core businesses, Crestview will become the sole owner of Journey Beyond, which operates independently from Hornblower Group.
We expect to move forward as a stronger company, with new owners and additional financial flexibility to support our growth.
Implementing the Agreement
To efficiently implement this agreement and ensure an orderly exit of AQV, we have initiated a voluntary court-supervised Chapter 11 process in the U.S. and ancillary proceedings in Canada. Journey Beyond in Australia is not included in this court-supervised process.
As we move through this process, we Are:
- Serving our guests, commuters and B2B customers around the world
- Working closely with our vendors, suppliers and business partners
- Executing on our existing contracts and agreements with government agencies
- Paying employees and providing benefits
FAQ for Guests & Commuters
FAQ for Vendors, Suppliers, Partners & Port Services
Additional Information About American Queen Voyages
All future AQV cruises have been cancelled, effective immediately. Guests should expect to be fully refunded for cruise deposits. For information about the refund process, please visit www.AQVrefunds.com. Additional information, including FAQs, is available at www.AQVinfo.com