It may not win any beauty contest, but the new Ocean Victory from American Queen Voyages may be the adventure ship of the future.
Docked between two looming monster cruise ships, our 180-guest ship with its high, rounded nose looks like it was designed in an animation studio for a cartoon about cute blue whales. But there’s a method to the unique design. Ocean Victory’s unique bulb-like bow is designed to push waves aside rather than ride up on them, making for a remarkably smooth ride in even the roughest seas. And its sturdy hull and twin electric engines can sail confidently through the ice at either pole.
We’re about to put the small but mighty expedition ship to the test on an uncharacteristic cruise, a journey along the balmy coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica where an iceberg wouldn’t stand a chance. But we have a full compliment of marine biologists on board, so in addition to enjoying ports and beaches, we’re scanning the seas for whales and dolphins and the skies for boobies, pelicans and pygmy owls.
This is not a cruise they keep telling us: It’s an expedition. But with all the comforts of home, it’s still as comfortable as any cruise ship. It’s a new departure for American Queen, well known for its ships plying American rivers and the Great Lakes. Let’s explore:
Creating ideal surfing curls as we sail the deep blue–Photo by Wallace Immen
What the heck is an X-bow?
As we pull up to the pier in San Diego, the bright blue ship with its robin’s egg racing stripe and a set of eye-like windows seems to smile at us. Its radical, patented X-Bow is designed part waves rather than riding up on them, enabling the ship to remain more stable during poor weather conditions, increasing comfort for passengers and crew alike. And because it uses less fuel to get through the waves, it also helps to save energy, we’re told.
As innovative as it seems, the shape of the bow designed by a Norwegian company is not actually new. The Vikings used similar tall rounded bows on their open long-ships centuries ago to keep the swells of the Atlantic Ocean from splashing over their crews. Ocean Victory’s ride is made more stable by a modern-day addition: big stabilizing wings on each side of the ship that prevent side to side movement.
As we get under way, we discover other advantages. Sitting on cushioned chairs on our stateroom’s balcony, the ride is indeed smooth and the wake of the ship seems to form surf-like blue curls that are mesmerizing. As we will discover , dolphins love surfing on the crests.
Plenty of space on board
The ship is intimate and personal, yet at eight decks high, extremely spacious. The added advantage of the rounded bow is that Ocean Victory doesn’t taper at the front as most other ships do, so all the rooms and public spaces are full-width throughout the ship.
The itinerary on this cruise is familiar territory for two of the dozen wildlife specialists on board who live in Mexico and did their graduate work studying the Baja Peninsula. Two other marine biologists on board got their marine science degrees from California Polytechnic University in San Diego. For the rest of the expedition crew who have specialized in the Arctic or Antarctic, this is virgin territory and they’re all on deck scanning the horizon to learn more about the wildlife along Mexico’s coast.
What’s a day like?
Things tend to start early, with a morning announcement at 7:30 about the day’s activities. On a day at sea that means a roster of presentations about wildlife, history of the region or photography tips mixed with hands on experiments like netting plankton to view under a microscope or heading out on observation platforms that extend over the water along the side of the ship to use high-powered binoculars to view sea life or the ever-hanging variety of birds soaring overhead. Deck 5 is the social hub, with a tiered show lounge that doubles as the expedition lecture room with an adjacent bar and lounge that features a grand piano.
Days in port include complimentary shore excursions as well as extra-cost specialty outings, On an Alaskan cruise, the days would include kayaking or touring with the ship’s flotilla of zodiacs around glaciers or inland wildlife sighting tours. Along Mexico’s Pacific coast the choices included snorkeling with sea lions, 4 X 4 off-roading on Baja trails or tours to Mayan archeological sites.
Fun facts we learn: The Baja peninsula is really part of a different continent than the Mexican mainland. It’s connected to the Pacific plate rather than the North American and has two distinct ecologies, that abruptly shift about halfway down the peninsula. A cold current flowing along the northern half promotes the growth of kelp that is the incubator of fish including monster grouper and lobsters. To the south, a competing warm current encourages growth of mangrove forests along the coast and more nutrients for young sea life including marlins, skates and rays. In all there are 36 species of marine mammals, including seven species of whales to be seen along the Pacific Coast as we head from California to Costa Rica.
Who you’ll meet
As you might expect, this is not the first cruise for most of the guests on board. Many have traveled the world and are looking for a different and more personalized kind of experience than the typical big cruise ship offers. They’re eager to share experiences and tips on where to go next. One couple was doing this sailing as a break between two world cruises. Another couple was taking the cruise while planning a land adventure driving the Pan American Highway from South America to California. After experiencing the comfort, food and service you get on a cruise, they decided they preferred this to weeks of hard driving.
Get hands on experiences—or just relax
All around the ship are telescopes and microscopes and lists of species sighted in the air and the water. Every hour there’s a lecture or a hands-on experiment—trolling for plankton anyone?– you can get involved with. But this is still a well-appointed cruise ship and if chilling, relaxing with a cappuccino, taking a dip in the infinity pool or doing a workout in the gym are your ideas of a good time, then this is still very much a cruise. All drinks are included, the complimentary wi-fi is generally quick and the service from a staff of 100 is impeccable .
We’ve still got a long way to go and there’s a lot of food and fun ahead. Stay tuned.
American Queen Voyages operates Ocean Victory and sister ship Ocean Discoverer due in 2023 on Mexican Riviera and Alaska cruises from April through October.
Story by Wallace Immen, executive editor of The Cruisington Times
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