Victory Cruise Lines will double capacity on July 27 when the Victory II enters service, later than originally anticipated to allow for the refurbishment of the vessel, according to Chairman Bruce Nierenberg.

“We already have significant bookings for the season,” he told Cruise Industry News.

The ship will debut on July 27, sailing from Montreal to Detroit ahead of its Great Lakes program, which begins from Detroit on August 5, following the line’s originally published schedule.

After her summer season, the ship heads to Miami to offer a new all-inclusive cruise between Miami and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula that features three of the country’s Mayan archeological sites as well as the cultural and historical highlights of the Mexican states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Campeche.

“The response to the new Mexico product that will start in January has been significant,” Nierenberg added.

The Victory II will join the Victory I in service for the company. The Victory I was originally launched as the Cape May Light in 2001, while the Victory II debuted as the Cape Cod Light. 

Built at a cost of $30 million each, the ships entered service at the time for Delta Queen Coastal Voyages, a subsidiary of American Classic Voyages.

Both the Victory I and II were built to resemble the classic coastal steamers of the late 1800s and entered service with destination-oriented itineraries throughout the Great Lakes, Canadian Maritime Provinces, the East Coast and the South.

Powered by Caterpillar diesel engines, the ships had a cruising speed of 13 knots when launched.