American Queen Voyages — Update on Refund Process

Surety Bond processes

Passengers who had booked travel aboard an American Queen Voyages (AQV) vessel departing from a United States port may file a refund claim against the surety bond. The now-insolvent company was required to maintain this form of financial coverage under the Federal Maritime Commission regulations. Instructions for how to file a refund claim against the surety bond can be found on the AQV Customer Claims Portal.

The surety bond is being administered by Argonaut Insurance Company (Argonaut). If necessary, passengers can contact Argonaut directly by email at Hornblower.Claims@Argonaut.com or via mail to: Argo Group US, Attn: Hornblower/AQV Claims, 711 Broadway, Suite 400, San Antonio, TX 78215, United States of America.

All passengers must file a refund claim via the AQV Customer Claims Portal as the initial step in making a claim against the surety bond. There is no specific deadline for passenger refund claims against the surety bond – passengers can file full or partial refund claims against AQV’s surety bond at any time. Argonaut is obligated to pay valid claims within 90 days of the claim submission to them.

Bankruptcy proceedings

Making a refund claim against the surety bond is a separate process from the AQV bankruptcy proceeding. Passengers who do not want to file their claims against AQV through the bankruptcy proceeding can file their claims against the surety bond through the AQV Customer Claims Portal described above. Any passenger seeking to file claims directly against AQV in addition to, or in lieu of, filing claims against the surety bond should also review information regarding the bankruptcy and submission of bankruptcy claims at https://omniagentsolutions.com/Hornblower.

Participation in the bankruptcy proceeding does not limit access to seeking a refund via the surety bond. Passengers unable to resolve all or part of their claims through the bankruptcy proceeding can still make a claim against the surety bond. Passengers receiving a partial refund through the bankruptcy proceeding can still file a claim against the surety bond for the remainder of the deposit. A passenger who misses the so-called “Bar Date” deadline to file a claim in the bankruptcy proceeding can still file a claim against the surety bond for the entire deposit.

The Federal Maritime Commission’s Bureau of Certification and Licensing is available to assist passengers with respect to questions about AQV or their refund claim procedures and may be contacted by phone at (202) 523-5818 or e-mail at pvo@fmc.gov.