Exploring America’s Waterways: How Victory Cruise Lines Is Meeting the Surge in Domestic Travel

Victory Cruise Lines is making a big push to keep American travelers closer to home. With America’s 250th birthday on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be better.

Why Victory Cruise Lines Is Betting Big on U.S. Waters

“Our guests want to stay a little bit closer to home. It’s a perfect year with America’s 250th to explore home,” said John Waggoner, founder and chairman of Victory Cruise Lines.

Victory has two ships sailing the Great Lakes this summer. The company is also stretching its season deeper into fall and adding new routes along the Eastern Seaboard.

The Great Lakes Are the Star of the Show

The crown jewel of Victory’s lineup is a nine-day sailing from Chicago to Toronto. This route touches all five Great Lakes and draws from a huge local population.

Waggoner pointed out that about 26 million people live within a five-hour drive of Chicago. That’s a massive pool of potential cruisers who don’t need to board a plane.

“People aren’t flying for six or eight hours. They don’t want to get stranded,” he said.

A Small Fleet With a Big Advantage

Only six ships currently sail the Great Lakes. Waggoner calls it “a virtual oligopoly,” but he sees that as an opportunity rather than a problem.

“There’s plenty of room for all of us. The Great Lakes are still like an uncapped market. Anything we can do to get brand awareness is great for us,” he said.

Victory’s ships are smaller than most cruise vessels. That size actually works in their favor. The ships can dock right at Navy Pier in downtown Chicago and pull directly into Mackinac Island, while larger ships must use tender boats.

“Our guests really do want the intimate experience. They want 200 passengers or less. They want memorable experiences. They want their crew members to know their name,” Waggoner added.

Fresh Upgrades for 2025 and Beyond

Victory spent the off-season at BAE Shipyards in Jacksonville, Florida. This was a change from their previous winter base in Portland, Maine, where cold weather made exterior work difficult.

The move to Jacksonville also opened up new sailing routes. “Because of that, we’ve added a couple of itineraries down the Eastern Seaboard and then round-trip Jacksonville,” Waggoner said. “We’re excited about those and excited about extending the season.”

Inside the Ships Got a Serious Makeover

In past years, Victory focused its spending on safety and mechanical upgrades. This past winter, the focus shifted to what guests actually see and feel on board.

“Most of the money was really spent on satisfaction things, new flooring, building new walls around the galleys, new carpet, new chairs, new light fixtures, wallpaper in the staterooms, new upholstery, new china and more,” Waggoner said. “We spent a lot of time and money.”

Victory is also adding a photographer-lecturer to upcoming sailings. The goal is to build a richer onboard learning experience heading into 2027.

New Routes Are Opening New Doors

The Bahamas itinerary is attracting a different kind of traveler. These are warm-weather seekers who might never have considered a Great Lakes cruise. That’s good news for Victory’s growth without losing what makes the brand special.

Further out, a Newfoundland itinerary is already in early planning for 2029. The St. Lawrence Seaway sailings are also generating buzz. A recent voyage spotted a pod of nine whales, which is the kind of experience money can’t buy.

Waggoner’s long-term goal is simple. “As a boat owner, I don’t like to have our boats laid up more than 60 days,” he said. He plans to add a couple of new departures each year to keep the ships moving.

What the Business Looks Like Right Now

Victory’s pricing model is all-inclusive. Shore excursions are bundled in, with options ranging from standard included trips to premium private experiences at extra cost.

“Our guests love that we don’t nickel and dime them,” Waggoner said.

With only around 400 total berths across both ships, Victory operates on a much smaller scale than mainstream cruise lines. As Waggoner put it, “One Oasis of the Seas departure is us for the whole year.”

Sales Are Strong Despite a Rocky Patch

Current bookings are running 23% ahead of last year. Waggoner describes 2027 bookings as very strong. That said, early 2026 brought some turbulence.

“We had four weeks there where our sales went down by about 50 percent,” Waggoner acknowledged, pointing to stock market swings. “But, we bounced right back up.”

The stakes feel personal for Waggoner. “When we bought the ships, it wasn’t investment dollars, it was us going into our savings, pulling money out,” he said. “I told everybody: we are not going to experiment. We need to hit a home run.”

His definition of a successful year is clear and grounded. “Hitting our revenue numbers, being at 80 percent occupancy or higher, not having any guest incidents, not having any mechanical failures, seeing fuel prices come down, and getting unbelievable guest scores,” he said. “We know we have a great product.”