Grand Victoria Casino Boat
The below schedule and dining options have been temporarily suspended.
Our buffet service has been temporarily suspended and only à la carte service will be available.
À la carte must be purchased on the ship.
Property Info Grand Victoria Casino Welcome to Grand Victoria Casino in beautiful Elgin. Perched atop the spectacular Fox River, Grand Victoria Casino boasts over 1,100 exciting slots, a countless variety of Vegas-style table games, acclaimed gaming promotions and giveaways, three extraordinary restaurants, including award-winning Buckinghams, and unparalleled customer service. Visit Cocoa Beach Aerial Adventures, an aerial adventure park with dozens of fun and challenging obstacles. After a short “ground school” lesson to learn proper form and technique, it’s off to the ropes course, which includes suspension bridges, wide balance beams, tunnels, zip lines, balancing logs, monkey bars, and more.
We are voluntarily closing on Mondays and Tuesdays, on a temporary basis,
in order to provide ample opportunity for additional deep cleaning of all Victory facilities.
The departing and arrival times, listed below, for Wednesday thru Sunday cruises remains the same.
Victory I Cruise Schedule: Boarding is one hour prior to departure | ||
| Departs | Returns | |
| Monday thru Saturday AM Cruises | 11 AM | 4:15 PM* |
| Sunday thru Thursday PM Cruises | 7 PM | 12:30 AM* |
| Friday PM Cruise | 7 PM | 1 AM* |
| Saturday PM Cruise | 7 PM | 1 AM* |
| Sunday Day Cruise | Noon | 6 PM* |
| *All return times are approximate. | ||
Victory I Pricing Per Person For Cruise (Includes Port Fee/Parking/Federal Tax) | |||
| Boarding | Advance Dining | Dining Purchase On Ship | |
| Monday thru Saturday AM Cruises | $13 | $15 | $17.50 |
| Sunday thru Tuesday PM Cruises | $13 | À La Carte Menu Available Only | |
| Wednesday and Thursday PM Cruises | $13 | $15 | $17.50 |
| Friday and Saturday PM Cruises | $13 | $20 | $22.50 |
| Sunday Noon Cruise | $13 | $20 | $22.50 |
| Buffet may have special pricing on holidays and special events. Atlantic Café is available on the Sunday Noon cruise, Monday AM cruise, Tuesday AM cruise and Wednesday through Saturday AM & PM cruises. Buffet is not available on the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday PM cruises. À la Carte menu is available, for your dining needs, on Deck 1 everyday. | |||
Minimum Age: 18 years of age to sail and/or gamble, 21 years of age to consume alcohol. Valid Government I.D. Required.
Proper attire required (shoes and shirts).
Wheelchair and handicap scooter accessible (except for Transportation for scooters). We have 3 elevators on board and we also have a marine crew that will be happy to assist you up and down the ramp; if necessary. If you require a wheelchair during the cruise, you would need to provide your own.
Rising Sun, IN
Grand Victoria Casino Buffet Hours
The Grand Victoria II, since 1996 is the center part of the Grand Victoria Casino & Resort in Rising Sun, Indiana. While the boat is “the finest diesel-electric sternwheeler ever built” (Capt. Don Sanders), she is permanently moored right on Indiana’s state border and can’t move without violating Kentucky’s strict gambling laws.
The Grand Victoria II was launched as “Queen of New Orleans” in 1993 by Halter Marine of New Orleans for the Manthe Family.
The Queen of New Orleans/Flamingo was built as a much larger version of the Creole Queen. Captain Troy Manthe was fond of saying that “the best of the Creole Queen went into the Flamingo.”
In 1995 the boat was sold to Hilton Flamingo in New Orleans where Hilton operated her as a floating casino for about one year. Still officially named “Queen of New Orleans”, she was called “Flamingo” (“Queen of New Orleans” still being painted on the bow, life vests etc.).
Hyatt Gaming bought the vessel in 1996 and renamed her Grand Victoria II.
Capt. Don Sanders says about the boat: “The Flamingo, designed by Guido Perla, is arguably, the finest diesel-electric sternwheeler ever built. We raced and whipped the Mississippi Queen who was running alongside on a full head of steam before we even came ahead on the 1.500 hp paddlewheel over a two-mile course soon after the beautiful boat started running the gamlin’ boat trade, on the Ohio River, opposite Rabbit Hash, about ten years ago.”
The “Flamingo” aka “Queen of New Orleans” in 1995 at New Orleans.
Whistle of the Grand Victoria II
Listen to the whistle of the Grand Victoria II:
Here is a special recording Capt. Don Sanders sent us – the Grand Victoria II greets the Delta Queen as she passes by, and the Delta Queen’s whistle is answering:
The Grand Victoria II had been built as a fine paddlewheel riverboat in a time where casino boats still had to cruise while their guest were gambling. So the Grand Victoria II also has a beautiful whistle she still blows as of today when towboats or steamboats like the Delta Queen, American Queen, Mississippi Queen or Belle of Louisville are passing by.
When listening to the whistle recording you might recognize that steamy puff-puff – that is from the Belle of Louisville from steam exhaust pipes. The recording was made from aboard the Belle of Louisville when passing the Grand Victoria II on her way to Tall Stacks 2006.