What Victorian Princess does

Victorian Princess is a privately held Erie, Pennsylvania-based cruise and event tourism operator that runs scheduled public cruises and private charters aboard a single 107-foot, three-level authentic paddle wheeler (the Victorian Princess) on Lake Erie's Presque Isle Bay. The vessel, built in 1986, was acquired by current owner Duryea Gette in April 2016, who also serves as Cruise Director and holds a U.S.C.G. captain's license; the company employs 4+ licensed captains and an office staff of 2, and is actively hiring across crew, service, and sales roles. The product portfolio spans approximately 15 cruise SKUs across four categories: (i) Sightseeing Cruises ($21.99), (ii) Dining Cruises (brunch, lunch, sunset dinner, Italian dinner, R&B brunch, early-bird dinner) typically priced $35–$75 per diner with optional sightseeing-only fares, (iii) Entertainment Cruises (Happy Hour, Moonlight, Halloween themed nights) at $15–$35, and (iv) Holiday/Featured Cruises (4th of July Fireworks Dinner, Red White & B'Luau, Parade of Sail). Catering is delivered through partnerships with Sabella's Catering, Oakwood Catering, and McGarrey's Oakwood, with full-service cash bars and live or DJ entertainment on most evening cruises. The vessel has 120-passenger capacity (1st deck 72 seats, 2nd deck 50, open-air 3rd deck 45), two climate-controlled enclosed salons, and is inspected annually by the U.S. Coast Guard under the Marine Transportation Security Act of 2002. Revenue is generated entirely through transactional, one-time ticket sales, private and semi-private charter bookings (50–120 guests), ancillary food and beverage, and non-refundable gift certificates; customers book via embedded FareHarbor, phone, or walk-up at the Dobbins Landing dock. The company targets a hybrid customer base of Erie residents, regional tourists, wedding and social-event hosts, corporate groups, tour operators, school field trips, and adult nightlife-seekers, with a stated minimum of 15 passengers required to sail.

Name

Victorian Princess

Legal name

Victorian Princess

Website

https://victorianprincess.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Victorian Princess operates Erie, Pennsylvania's only authentic three-level paddle wheeler on Lake Erie, offering scheduled sightseeing, dining, entertainment, and holiday cruises plus private charters for up to 120 passengers. Privately held, founded 1986 as a vessel and acquired in 2016 by current owner Duryea Gette, it serves Erie residents, regional tourists, weddings, corporate groups, and tour operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Riverboat Cruise Services

NAICS

Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty-Themed Boutique Cruises (Culinary, Wellness, Diving, Culture) (THAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Paddle wheeler cruises
• Sightseeing cruises
• Dining cruises
• Private event charters
• Entertainment cruises

Headquarters

HQ city

Erie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cruise Ticket Sales: Individual ticket sales for various cruise experiences including sightseeing, dining, entertainment, and special events. Tickets priced per person with different tiers for adults, children, and seniors.
2. Private Event Bookings: Full boat private rentals and semi-private deck rentals for weddings, corporate events, birthdays, reunions, proms, and field trips. Semi-private options include private 2nd deck rental for up to 50 guests.
3. Food and Beverage Service: Full-service cash bar and catering services included with dining cruises. Catering provided by Sabella's and Oakwood Catering. Pepsi products and alcohol available for purchase. Gratuity automatically added for parties over 12.
4. Gift Cards: Gift certificate sales representing value of specific cruise offerings. Non-refundable final sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Victorian Princess operates Erie, Pennsylvania's only authentic paddle wheeler cruise vessel on Lake Erie, offering sightseeing cruises, dining cruises (brunch, lunch, and dinner), entertainment cruises (happy hour and moonlight), holiday-themed cruises, and private event charters for weddings, corporate functions, and celebrations. The vessel accommodates up to 300 guests and operates seasonal cruises from the Bayfront docking area.

Product overview

Victorian Princess operates as a premier riverboat cruise company in Erie, PA, offering experiences aboard Erie's only authentic paddle wheeler. The product portfolio centers on the Victorian Princess vessel (a 107-foot, 3-level paddle wheeler with 120-passenger capacity) and comprises multiple cruise types: Sightseeing Cruises (hour-long educational tours), Dining Cruises (brunch, lunch, and dinner options including Italian, Early Bird, R&B Brunch, and Spectacular Sunset Dinner with live bands), Entertainment Cruises (Happy Hour, Moonlight, and Halloween themed cruises), and Private/Charter Cruises (customizable events for weddings, corporate functions, field trips, and celebrations for 50-120 passengers). The company also sells Gift Cards as an ancillary product. Cruises run year-round with seasonal variations, featuring catering partnerships with Sabella's Catering and Oakwood.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sightseeing Cruises Scenic sightseeing cruises aboard an authentic paddle wheeler on Lake Erie, allowing passengers to enjoy panoramic views and the unique paddle wheel experience. Designed for tourists, local residents, and casual visitors seeking a distinctive maritime outing.
• Dining Cruises Food-and-beverage-inclusive cruises offered as brunch, lunch, and dinner experiences aboard the paddle wheeler. Targeted at couples, families, friend groups, and tourists seeking a combined dining and scenic cruise experience on Lake Erie.
• Entertainment Cruises Themed evening and social cruises such as happy hour and moonlight sailings on Lake Erie. Targeted at adults seeking a nightlife-style cruise experience with beverages and social atmosphere.
• Holiday and Featured Cruises Seasonal and themed cruises tied to holidays and special occasions (such as Easter, Mother's Day, fireworks nights, and other featured events). Targeted at families, couples, and groups looking to mark celebrations with a themed paddle wheeler outing.
• Private Event Charters Full-vessel or section charter bookings for private events including weddings, receptions, corporate outings, birthday parties, anniversaries, and group celebrations. Targeted at event planners, brides and grooms, corporate event organizers, and private hosts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 120 passengers capacity per cruise
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sabella's CateringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJanet and Bill Miller, owners, established Sabella's Catering in 1983 as a small family run business. Sabella's provides full catering services for dining cruises including Italian Sunset Dinner Cruise and other themed dining experiences. The company has built a fine reputation based on dedication, customer satisfaction, reliability and trust.
• Oakwood CateringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakwood Catering provides food services for Spectacular Sunset Dinner Cruise and other dining experiences. Partners with Victorian Princess for event catering including the July 3rd Fireworks and Dinner cruise.
• FareHarborcoreTechnology or IntegrationFareHarbor provides the embedded booking and reservation platform for Victorian Princess. Customers book cruises through FareHarbor calendars embedded on the website. Handles booking confirmations and payment processing.
• Featured Artists (Chelcie Gette, Justin Moyar, Ron Yarman, Tony Kellogg)minorOthersLocal and regional musicians and performers who provide live entertainment during cruises including Chelcie Gette (Nashville singer-songwriter), Justin Moyar (one man band), Ron Yarman (NASH FM artist), Tony Kellogg (RockErie Award winner), and Familiar Spirit Band.
• VisitErieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism partner listing Victorian Princess as a member. VisitErie promotes the cruise line as part of Erie tourism activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Creole Queen: New Orleans paddle wheeler operating sightseeing, dining, and jazz dinner cruises on the Mississippi River — directly comparable heritage vessel type and themed dining-cruise model.
• Gateway Clipper Fleet: Pittsburgh-based operator of a fleet of paddle wheeler vessels offering dining, sightseeing, and private charter cruises on the rivers — directly comparable vessel type and business model to Victorian Princess.
• Goodtime III: Cleveland-based Lake Erie sightseeing and dining cruise operator offering similar narrated and themed cruise experiences on the same Great Lake Victorian Princess serves.

Regional players

• Nautica Queen: Cleveland-based Lake Erie dining cruise operator offering lunch and dinner cruises — same lake and comparable product offering but operating in a different local market from Victorian Princess.

Broad incumbents

• City Experiences (Hornblower): Large-scale cruise, ferry, and water-experience operator across U.S. and global cities — overlapping sightseeing and dining cruise offerings with Victorian Princess at a much larger portfolio scale.
• American Queen Steamboat Company: Multi-day paddlewheel and steamboat river cruise operator across U.S. inland waterways — comparable heritage vessel category but at a much larger multi-night cruise scale.
• Spirit Cruises: Multi-city operator of dining, sightseeing, and charter cruises — overlapping product offering with Victorian Princess but at significantly larger national scale.
• Pearl Seas Cruises: Small-ship cruise line operating itineraries on the Great Lakes and Canadian Maritimes — same Great Lakes region as Victorian Princess but offering multi-day overnight cruises at a different price tier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/victoriancruise
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@VictorianPrincessErie
• Facebookfacebook.com/VictorianPrincessCruiseline
• Instagraminstagram.com/victorianprincesserie
• TikToktiktok.com/@victorianprincess
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/victorian-princess-cruise-line

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Victorian Princess