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American Queen Voyages has celebrated the maiden arrival of the Ocean Navigator at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

Through a partnership with sister company City Experiences, American Queen Voyages is the only overnight cruise line to dock at the downtown Chicago destination, the company said, in a press release.

Sister ship Ocean Voyager will also call on Chicago’s Navy Pier for the first time on June 8, as the two boutique coastal ships offer unique Lakes & Oceans experiences designed to navigate the locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway and all five Great Lakes.

City and state leaders including Choose Chicago CEO Lynn Osmond, Navy Pier President & CEO Marilynn Gardner, and Magnificent Mile Association President & CEO Kimberly Bares welcomed American Queen Voyages executives and Captain Gary Kerr to Chicago.

“Today, we celebrate the arrival of American Queen Voyages’ Ocean Navigator and Chicago as a cruise destination,” said Lynn Osmond, chief executive officer, of Choose Chicago. “Chicago’s tourism industry plays a large role contributing to the vibrancy of the city, and we are thrilled to have partners like American Queen Voyages who offer extraordinary experiences for our locals and tourists alike.”

“Travelers are ready to make up for lost time and are eager to deeply discover North America now – and Chicago is a stunning backdrop to embark on that journey,” shared Isis Ruiz, chief commercial officer, American Queen Voyages. “Ocean Navigator’s arrival at Navy Pier is a fitting way to celebrate tourism in Chicago, exploring the city’s bounty of culture and history. We look forward to an exciting season showcasing the many treasures across the Great Lakes.”

American Queen Voyages Great Lakes voyages of 11 to 16-days call on North America’s historic five Great Lakes and the storied St. Lawrence River. Port highlights include exploring the Victorian-era charm of Mackinac Island, historic Soo Locks, breathtaking Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world, the Horseshoe Falls of Niagara Falls, the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Photo: From left: Kimberly Bares, Dan Russell, Lynn Osmond, Captain Gary Kerr, Bill Annand, Marilynn Gardner

Has P&O boss made an Olympian decision about his new cruise ship?

BY JOHN HONEYWELL ON SEP 6, 13 09:25 AM IN CRUISE NEWS

The publicity machine is cranking itself into gear for P&O’s new baby – the biggest cruise ship ever to be built for the British market.

As construction gathers pace in an Italian dry dock, the company has disclosed the team of senior officers who will command the ship.

The long-awaited announcement of the vessel’s name is expected to be made before the end of the month, and speculation is beginning to build.

The only certainty is that – in common with every other vessel in P&O’s fleet – it will end with an ‘a.’ Beyond that, predictions (or guesses) have veered from a revival of the much-loved Canberra to something new. My money was mischievously on Carolia – after managing director Carol Marlow – until it was announced she would be leaving the company.

Gerard Tempest, the chief commercial officer at parent company Carnival UK, told me in July that his boss, chief executive David Dingle, would have a big hand in selecting the name.

“David is a walking encyclopedia of shipping and of P&O,” said Tempest. “He knows exactly what has gone before and what the name for the new ship will mean in terms of the heritage of the business.

“Before we can make a final decision there’s the whole legal business of registering the name as a trademark and ensuring that we actually own the name.”

So it is interesting to see that within the past few weeks, Carnival UK has registered two trademarks with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office.

First to be filed, on June 12, was Olympia. It was followed on July 27 byBritannia.

If either of them is the chosen name, it will be an interesting selection. Britannia is, of course, the name of the Royal Yacht, now a tourist attraction in Leith, Scotland, rather than an active ship on Her Majesty’s service. Britannia was also the name of the first steamship built for Cunard’s Transatlantic mail service, in 1840.

Olympia has been used to name a previous P&O ship, albeit more than 100 years ago.

Both names have other historic echoes. Olympic and Britannic were sister ships to the Titanic, a name you may have heard of and which is guaranteed never to be revived.

Those crew names, by the way: Paul Brown and David Pembridge are to be captains.

Brown joined P&O in 1996 and was first promoted to captain in June 2007 on board Aurora. He then went on to be master on board Artemis, Oriana, Ventura and Azura.

Pembridge joined the company in 1976 and was first promoted to captain in October 2002 on board Pacific Princess. He then went on to be master on board Royal Princess, Sun Princess, Artemis, Oceana, Ocean Village 2, Oriana and Aurora.

Martin Allen and Hamish Sunter have been named as deputy captains, and Darljit Sharma and Keith de la Mare as executive pursers.