12 Things to Know About Victory Cruise Line’s Victory II (& Victory I)

When American Queen Steamboat Company (later rebranded as American Queen Voyages) went out of business in early 2024, it didn’t take long for AQSC founder John Waggoner to swoop in and save Ocean Voyagers and Ocean Navigator from the wreckage. Giving them back their original names – Victory I and Victory II – Victory Cruise Lines was back up and running on the Great Lakes by the summer of 2025.

The younger of the two ships (by about three years), Victory II might look a little bit dated from the outside (especially docked next to a much younger, fancier ship as it was more than once on our Great Lakes sailing in August 2026), but inside its modern and comfortable and most definitely punches above its weight.

Not many advisors have yet heard of Victory Cruise Lines and those that have don’t have huge expectations. It is, after all, a two-ship company, sailing limited number of itineraries, and, as of 2026, only in its second year of operation (ignoring its previous iterations).  At a recent industry conference, when we approached the Victory Cruise Lines sales rep at the trade show to tell her how impressed we were with the service and dining onboard Victory II, the advisor she was speaking to was visibly surprised at how good we found the experience to be.

For travel advisors who don’t know much about Victory Cruise Lines or what their clients can expect on a Victory II (or Victory I) cruise, here are 12 things travel advisors should know about the ship.

1. It’s Old, But Doesn’t Feel It

Victory II was built in 2004, but despite being more than 20 years old, the ship mostly doesn’t feel old. Sure, it has small bathrooms with fabric shower curtains, rather than glass doors, but a significant refurbishment in early 2026 brought all new soft goods, wallpaper, and more to the ship giving it an almost new-ship feel.

Putting aside the technical overhauls – main engine, crane recertifications, decking replacement – substantial improvements were made in the staterooms and public spaces. This included redesigning the Coastal Dining Room entryway, putting in new window in The Grill, upgrading the lighting throughout public areas, installing all-new carpeting in the restaurant and on stairs, and replacing soft goods and upholstery in key guest spaces.

Also new are mobile cooking stations in the Compass Lounge, which are used for live cooking demonstrations and competitions.

Crew areas were also refreshed.

2. Service Is Phenomenal

With a rough crew to guest ratio of 1 to 2.4, you’d expect service to be pretty good, but it was better than good. We’d be willing to put the service on Victory II up against any five-star cruise ship we’ve been on.

Over 10 days onboard, TMR asked many of the 143 passengers on the ship what they liked or would change about the ship or the onboard experience. To a one, passengers enthused about the crew.

Waiters and wait staff got to know guests’ names and preferred drinks within days. Room attendants were always visible and ready to provide what was needed. And everyone, without fail, was friendly and attentive without being obsequious.

3. It’s Mostly Inclusive

There’s not a lot onboard Victory II that your clients will have to pay for. All dining, including at the specialty restaurant Tuscan Grill, is included. Wi-Fi and gratuities are included. Most beverages, including house wines, spirits, beers, soft drinks, and specialty coffees are included, with small selection of top shelf options costing extra.

A complimentary pre-cruise night is also included in the fare, as are at least one free shore excursion in every port, and ship transfers (from hotel to ship and ship to airport).

Extra expenses include things like laundry (there is no self-service launderette onboard), spa treatments (massage, facial, mani/pedi), gift store items, and premium excursions.

4. Cabins Are Small

Other than the two Owner’s Suites (335 square feet), all cabins onboard Victory II are smaller than 200 square feet, with outside cabins (category B) as small as 146 square feet.

Deluxe outside cabins (category AA) are 161 square feet, outside staterooms (category A) are 185 square feet, outside staterooms (category C) are 152 square feet, and outside staterooms (category D) are 158 square feet.

For clients who want the most space, the two Owner’s Suites (both on Deck 3) offer a queen bed, separate sitting area with a sofa and small dining table, and a larger bathroom. These are also the only staterooms onboard with a semi-private veranda.

At 185 square feet, the deluxe outside cabins on Deck 4 offer slightly more room than the bulk of the cabins onboard with a small extra sitting area immediately outside the bathroom with a vanity. These rooms are described as having a veranda, but, in fact, they simply open up to the outside, public promenade deck.

Beyond those two features (extra sitting area and door to promenade deck), these cabins are exactly the same as the bulk of the cabins onboard. Bathrooms in all staterooms except the Owner’s Suites are identical – and small. They are semi-circular, with cloth shower curtains. Wall-mounted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash do get in the way of elbows, especially for larger guests.

All rooms have either a fixed queen bed or two twin beds that can be converted into a queen, a wall-mounted TV with several channels, a mini-fridge, and one bedside charger with a single USB port. Room storage is in the form of wardrobes outside the bathroom with space for hanging clothes and several drawers. There’s also one drawer at the writing desk, and two drawers in the bedside tables.

Word of advice: If you know both clients are going to want to charge phones, tablets, cameras, etc., remind them to bring an adapter with extra plugs and USB ports built in.

Rooms also come with plush bathrobes, slippers, and a personalized reusable water bottle for every guest.

While families with younger kids are not a common sight onboard, there are two rooms with a connecting door for anyone who needs a connecting set up, such as an elderly client with a caregiver or friend groups who want to share space.

The most common complaint we heard from guests staying regarding their cabins was they would have liked a second chair. Only the Owner’s Suites and Deluxe Outside Staterooms had more than one place to sit that wasn’t a bed.

All room fares have the same inclusions except for Owner’s Suites and the Deluxe Outside Staterooms, which all fall into Club Level. These rooms come with a stocked mini-fridge with complimentary beer and soft drinks (refilled as needed), two free bags of laundry per cruise, and a once-per-cruise cocktail and special-menu dinner in the Tuscan Grill. 

5. Deck 4 Deluxe Outside Stateroom Drawbacks

As nice as the Deck 4 cabins are, they do come with a couple of drawbacks.

For one, if it’s raining, your clients will have to get wet to get either from the rest of the ship back to their stateroom, or from their stateroom to the rest of the ship (say for dinner).

Additionally, the doors are very heavy and depending on wind or even humidity conditions, they can get stuck and be very hard to open. More than once, we had to throw our entire body into it to open our door. Letting our stateroom attendant know usually got the door fixed for a time or two before it got stuck again. We heard from other passengers on Deck 4 that they also had problems with the door.

Finally, as stated above, the rooms are located off of the Deck 4 promenade. That means anyone walking by can see into the room. While there are opaque curtains for the main window, a small window in the door is covered only by a nearly transparent blind. Not only does that limit privacy, but it lets in light at night. People staying in these rooms will want to do all their changing in the bathroom unless they don’t mind the chance of putting on a show.

Additionally, clients who are sensitive to light but want a Deck 4 Club Level room should bring a sleep mask.

6. Dining Is a Highlight

We’ll be honest. We weren’t expecting anything special, but the food onboard Victory II was some of the best we’ve ever had, on any cruise line. It also offers some of the best snacks we’ve come across, particularly on a small ship, from the mini Ben & Jerry ice-creams (and other mini ice-cream choices) in the always-open refrigerators in The Grill to the take-away sandwiches and salads in the afternoon in the Compass Lounge.

Word of advice: We discovered about halfway through the sailing that potato chips and pretzels are available upon request from bartenders in the Compass Lounge. This is a great in-the-know fact to pass along to your clients.

Breakfast is served in the Deck 1 Coastal Dining Room (sit-down menu with select buffet items), as well as the Deck 4 Grill (all buffet), with the Coastal Dining Room usually opening a half an hour before the Grill. There’s also an early riser’s option (generally from 6 a.m. to about 8 a.m.) in the Compass Lounge with fruit and pastries.

Lunch follows a similar pattern, with the Coastal Dining Room (sit-down menu) opening a half an hour before the all-buffet Grill.

We found the lunch buffet to be a bit spartan for our tastes (we have some dietary restrictions), so gravitated to the Coastal Dining Room for most of our cruise – we were never disappointed, not for lunch and not for dinner.

Lunch menus in Coastal Dining Room always include a soup, two appetizers, salads, and a robust selection of four to five main courses, along with three always available items: a hamburger, all-beef hot dog, and grilled chicken breast.

At lunch and dinner, dessert options included daily specials, as well as slide fruit, a cheese plate, and daily ice cream and sorbet selections. At dinner, crème brûlée and cheesecake are always available, as well.

Dinner on Victory II is available in the Coastal Dining Room or by reservation at the Tuscan Stone Grill. The latter is in the same space as the Grill, but in the evening transforms into a hot rock-style dining venue with two seatings (6:30-8 and 7:15-8:45). The complimentary menu includes set starters and then a choice of proteins that diners cook themselves on hot lava stone. The menu changes once during the sailing, swapping out the starters for a different option.

We never made it to Tuscan Stone Grill as we don’t eat any of the proteins that are on the menu, but everyone we spoke to who went enjoyed it. Some said it was a once-per-cruise thing for them, while others made repeat reservations so they could do it again.

Word of advice: Reservations for the Tuscan Stone Grill fill up quickly, especially for first seating. Advise your clients to get to the reception desk as soon as possible to get their preferred reservation time.

Dinner menus in the Coastal Dining Room are similar to at lunch with expanded options for appetizers, soups, entrees, and sides (the parmesan fries were a particular favorite with a lot of guests). Always available options at dinner include a pan-seared Atlantic salmon (which is 100% big enough for two people), a bistro petit filet, and herb-roasted chicken.

Both the lunch and dinner menus list possible allergens (gluten, dairy, nuts, seafood, and egg) and have a nice selection of vegetarian and vegan options.

At dinner, menu items are displayed at the entrance to the dining room so guests can see visually what they might like to eat. Menus also have a fun, daily Great Lakes fact of the day at the top.

7. It’s Somewhat Accessible

For clients with mobility difficulties, Victory II makes it easy to get around, so long as they can at least walk up a ramp to board the ship. An elevator spans decks 1 through 4, leaving only the deck 5 sun deck out of reach.

The ship has two designated accessible staterooms on each ship. They do not appear on the deck plans and must be specifically requested in advance during booking.

It is important to note that Victory II is not a good ship for clients who use scooters or electric wheelchairs. There are multiple lips throughout the ship, including at the entrance to every stateroom. On our sailing, a 96-year-old man in a wheelchair most of the time traveled with his son who was able to help him on the gangway when he need to walk, and tip his wheelchair up and over any impediments that got in the way of smooth rolling.

8. It Could Use Another Lounge

Victory II has one big lounge, divided into two spaces by a wall, with two passages between them on either side of the bandstand. On one side is the smaller Tavern, where clients will find the bar and limited seating. On the other side is the Compass Lounge, where pretty much all of the ship’s onboard activities take place.

There is plenty of seating here, including window-side sofas and armchairs and center tables with chairs for two, four, and six people. In the mornings and early afternoons on port days, it is a comfortable place to relax and read. However, on the occasional sea day and starting about mid-afternoon on port days, the space is given over to various onboard presentations and activities.

During this peak activity time, the lounge is not conducive to simple relaxation. Guests can move to the next-door Tavern, but the sound carries and seating is not as comfortable. This leaves only guest cabins as a quiet place to read, do a crossword, or quietly watch the scenery go by.

While there is some seating on decks 4 and 5, the weather is often a factor in why few guests – on our sailing, at least – spent much time outdoors.

We missed having an extra space to go to for quiet reading when the Compass Lounge was busy.

Word of advice: If it is nice outside, tell your clients to look for space at the front of Deck 4 and mid-Sun Deck near the bridge. The aft Sun Deck is noisy from the engine, and the chairs that line the sides of Deck 4 are immediately outside someone’s Deck 4 room. While those seats are open to everyone, your client could make the occupant uncomfortable, especially if they’ve left their curtain open.

9. There’s Lots of Down Time

Speaking of time to relax, there’s lots of it. While every port of call provides at least once included shore excursion, they’re typically no longer than two to three hours. You clients can opt to purchase an additional extra-fee excursion to extend their time in port, though these excursions sometimes operate concurrently.

This typically leaves plenty of time to relax onboard the ship and naps on our sailing were a common theme.

Daily talks by the LakeLorian are typically held in the afternoon. Topics on our sailing included prohibition in Detroit in the 1920s, the indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes regions, the eco-system of the Great Lakes, and the tale of the Edmund Fitzgerald, among others.

The excursion manager also gives a talk right before dinner about the next day’s activities. Unfortunately, she never talked about the port or what was special about it. She simply listed the excursions and provided a brief description. This is one area we feel Victory Cruise Lines could improve the onboard education.

Most days there wasn’t much offered beyond the LakeLorian talks until after dinner when the four-piece band performed. On the two sea days (there’s normally only one, but a fluke engine problem forced us to skip a port – the one people were least upset to miss, as it turned out) there are activities throughout the day. Our 10-day sailing featured cash-only Bingo (a very popular activity), a martini making demonstration, a paper quilling greeting card craft session, meet the band Q&A, a Great Lakes-themed trivia, Liar’s Club, and a Master Chef-style cookoff between the ship’s chef and a senior officer.

Clients who like a little pampering when they’re on vacation can take advantage of the miniscule spa onboard. A single room, with one woman who does it all, the spa menu includes massages, facials, manicures and pedicures, and hair styling. Appointments fill up fast, so should be booked on day one for the best choice of time slots.

Evenings always offered live music with sets ranging from Motown hits to the songs of the 70s, to a sampling of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s winners, and more. We heard nothing great things about the band from passengers onboard, though some of the younger Boomers lamented that they band rarely played anything from beyond the mid-1970s. 

Word of advice: One of the few activities we skipped – the Master Chef-style cookoff – was the one activity that most passengers we talked to said was the most fun. It was a morning activity on a sea day that we chose to skip in order to go to the tiny gym, and after hearing everyone talk about it, we’re sorry we missed it. We’d recommend highlighting this activity to your clients.

10. Clients Might Get Seasick

This was something that caught us off guard. While there’s a lot about a cruise on Victory II that is reminiscent of a river cruise – smaller ship, lower passenger capacity, small port towns – Victory II’s sailings are not river cruises. And, while lakes aren’t known for rough waters, the “Great” lakes are different. Depending on the weather, clients very well might feel the motion of the, well, not ocean, but you get the picture.

If you know your clients are worried about being seasick or have a history of motion sickness of any kind, remind them to bring something with them. Don’t worry though. If they’ve forgotten to bring medication, the onboard doctor can dispense seasick pills if needed.

11. The Passenger Base Is Older

While there is nothing to prevent younger folks from taking a cruise on Victory II around the Great Lakes, the passenger base is solidly older. On our sailing, the average age had to be in the low-70s. More passengers had hearing aids than didn’t, slow walking was generally the norm, and you could probably count the non-retired people on two hands at most.

The onboard activities and shore excursion choices are, therefore, generally targeted at this demographic. There was only one active excursion available (a kayaking trip in Sault Saint Marie, that had only four participants, this 50-something-year-old included).

We recommend mostly sticking to this demographic when selecting clients to talk to about a cruise on Victory II. While there are certainly exceptions, generally speaking a Victory II cruise is best suited to post-retirement clients.

Surprisingly, our sailing only had three solo travelers (this writer included). Most guests came in couples or in small friend groups. There is a sign-up for solo meetups but on our sailing it didn’t amount to much because there were so few solos.

Word of advice: The maître d’ does keep at least one sharing table open, at least for the first half of the sailing after which time most people have assigned themselves to the same table for every meal. If your client is a solo traveler who needs help finding people to sit with, tell them to ask the maître d’ to put them at a sharing table at the start of the cruise.

12. A Few Words on Excursions

The vast majority of the time, Victory II operates a 10-night cruise between Toronto and Chicago (or the reverse), touching all five Great Lakes, or a 15-night Chicago roundtrip sailing that spends most of its time on Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. We did the 10-night Toronto to Chicago itinerary and picked up a few excursion tidbits.

For the Niagara Falls day (Port Colborne), your clients will be offered a morning or afternoon time slot. The afternoon filled up fully because many guests liked the idea of sleeping in that day. However, where morning Niagara Falls visitors had a less than 20-minute wait to board a boat to the falls, afternoon goers had a nearly two-hour wait due to the crowds. With no shade or seating in the queue, some guests had a tough time of it. We highly recommend advising your clients to do the morning excursion.

At the end of the cruise, we asked several cruisers which excursion was their favorite. To a one, they all said the Henry Ford Museum (the Detroit port’s included excursion). From the collection of presidential cars to the display of Hallmark Christmas decorations, guests we spoke to couldn’t say enough good things about this stop.

Another popular excursion was the carriage horse ride on Mackinac Island (we learned it’s pronounced Mack-in-aw). Guests were split on whether the fancy buffet at the Grand Hotel was worth it, though everyone who paid the $14 to go inside (it’s not free to just enter the property), said it was worth it.