Hornblower Cruises facts for kids
Hornblower Cruises is a company that offers exciting boat trips, dining experiences on the water, and ferry services. They started in San Francisco, California. In recent years, many of their services have been renamed to City Cruises or City Experiences. In 2024, the company had some financial difficulties and sought help to reorganize its business.
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| Locale | Most Major US Waterways, Niagara Falls, London |
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| Waterway | Near Coastal and Lakes, Bays & Sounds, |
| Transit type | Charter Yachts, Dining Cruises, Ferry Service, Tourist Attractions, Commuter Ferry, Overnight Cruises |
| Owner | Terry MacRae (1980-2020 Founder, now Chairman of the Board) Kevin Rabbit (CEO as of 2021) |
| Operator | Hornblower Yachts, Inc. |
| Began operation | 1980 |
History of Hornblower Cruises
How It All Started
The company began in 1974 in Berkeley, California with just two ships. In 1980, the first owner, Ward Proescher, sold the business. Terry MacRae and P. Michael Watson took over.
Growing Bigger and Bigger
Hornblower grew by buying other boat companies. They expanded to San Diego in 1984. Then they went to Newport Beach in 1987. Soon after, they bought Marina Cruise Lines in Marina del Rey.
By 1989, Hornblower was operating in many California cities. Their main office is on a historic ferryboat called the Santa Rosa. This boat is docked at Pier 3 in San Francisco.
In 1992, Terry MacRae became the only owner of Hornblower. The company changed its name to Hornblower Cruises & Events. This new name better showed all the fun things they offered.
Helping Other Boat Companies
In 1996, Hornblower Marine Services (HMS) was created. This part of the company helped other businesses with their ferry services. By 2003, HMS had 80 employees. They had offices in San Francisco, New London, Boston, and Jacksonville. Just three years later, HMS became a top helper for high-speed ferry services around the world.
Adding More Locations
In 2019, Hornblower Cruises & Events bought Entertainment Cruises. This purchase doubled the number of ships and places Hornblower operated. In the same year, they also bought City Cruises, a tour boat company in England. City Cruises had operations in London, Poole, and York. In 2020, Hornblower grew even more in Boston by buying Boston Harbor Cruises.
In 2022, Hornblower bought Experience Australia Group. This company ran famous trains in Australia, like The Ghan and the Indian Pacific. It also had interests in cruises and air tours.
Recent Changes
On February 21, 2024, Hornblower Group had to file for bankruptcy protection. This means they needed help with their money problems. They also started similar steps in Canada. Hornblower announced they would stop all future trips for their American Queen Voyages brand. They put this brand up for sale. The company plans to focus on its other businesses.
Today, Hornblower operates from 19 different ports. These include San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, Marina Del Rey, Long Beach, Newport Beach, San Diego, Washington D.C., Alexandria, Boston, Chicago, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Toronto, Baltimore, Port of New York and New Jersey, London, Poole, and York. The company now has more than 80 boats!
Cool Boat Trips and Ferries
Niagara Falls Boat Tours
Hornblower Canada Company runs the Niagara Falls Gorge Boat Tour. This tour starts from the Canadian side of the Niagara River. It is similar to the Maid of the Mist cruises on the American side. Hornblower has two ships for this tour, Niagara Wonder and Niagara Thunder. Each boat can carry 700 passengers.
- Niagara Wonder
- Years of service: since 2013
- Type: double-stack catamaran tour boat
- Niagara Thunder
- Years of service: since 2013
- Type: double-stack catamaran tour boat
Lake Tahoe Cruises
Between 1997 and 2002, Hornblower operated in Lake Tahoe. They bought Lake Tahoe Cruises Inc. and its boats, the Tahoe Queen and Tahoe Princess. They also offered ferry service across Lake Tahoe. This included shuttle services between South Lake Tahoe and Squaw Valley Ski Resort. The Lake Link ferry service was the fastest passenger boat on the lake. In 2002, the Lake Tahoe operations were sold.
Alcatraz Island Ferries
In 2006, Hornblower won the contract to provide ferry service to Alcatraz Island. This service is called Alcatraz Cruises. The company sells tickets and takes about one and a half million visitors to the island every year.
In 2008, Alcatraz Cruises launched the Hornblower Hybrid. This was the first hybrid ferry in the United States! The Hybrid uses solar power, wind power, and special low-emission diesel fuel.
Statue of Liberty Ferries
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In 2007, Hornblower was chosen to operate ferries to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. These are the only public ways to reach these important national sites in the Port of New York and New Jersey. This service is called Statue Cruises. The company sells tickets and takes visitors to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
Boats leave from Liberty State Park in Jersey City or Castle Clinton in Lower Manhattan. All passengers go through security checks, like at an airport, before getting on the boat.
New York City Cruises
Besides its Liberty and Ellis Island service, Hornblower also has a fleet of six yachts in New York. These boats operate from Pier 15 on the East River and Pier 40 on the Hudson River. They offer sightseeing cruises and special event trips. Their vessels include the Hornblower Infinity and the Hornblower Hybrid.
NYC Ferry Service
In 2015, Hornblower Cruises was chosen to operate New York City's NYC Ferry service. This service started on May 1, 2017. It was the company's first commuter ferry operation. Commuter ferries help people get to work and school every day.
One route connects Lower Manhattan and Midtown Manhattan with parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Another route connects Lower Manhattan with Rockaway Park in Queens. More routes were added later, connecting Manhattan with southern Brooklyn, Astoria, Queens, Soundview, Bronx, and the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Awesome Boats They Have
- The M/V Zumbrota was built for a famous circus owner, Charles Ringling. It was named after the largest elephant at the time. This boat now serves guests in Marina del Rey.
- The M/V Wild Goose used to be the private yacht of actor John Wayne. This historic 1942 boat joined the fleet in 1995. It still operates in Newport Beach.
- The ferryboat Santa Rosa used to carry passengers between San Francisco and the East Bay. Now, it serves as the company's main office.
- The M/V San Francisco Belle is a paddlewheel style vessel. It joined the fleet in 2001. The Belle can hold 2,200 people. It is the largest dining yacht on the West Coast.
- The Hornblower Hybrid was the first hybrid ferry in the United States. It was finished in 2008. This boat takes visitors to Alcatraz Island and Angel Island in San Francisco Bay.
