HAMPTON, Va. — The Hampton Queen, which had sat in the water in front of Bull island Brewing Co. in downtown Hampton since 2023, is gone. The boat provided sightseeing tours around Hampton.
The company behind the tours, Hampton Roads Harbor Tours, decided to no longer offer tours. While that will be a hit to the city's tourism economy, it could be good for the brewery.
“The view is much better," Bull Island Brewing Co. Owner Doug Reier said.
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Reier had no issue with the tours but was hopeful the better view will mean better business.
“They were good neighbors. We got along well with them. We worked together," Reier said of the tour company. "People come here for the view. They like sitting on the patio or sitting inside and looking at the water.”
Almost exactly a year before the announcement was made that the tours were ending, News 3 was at the dock reporting on the ribbon-cutting for the boat’s first full season. It had been in operation since 2023, but because of maintenance issues hadn’t run a full season until 2025.
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“It’s an unfortunate, difficult decision," Hampton Roads Harbor Tours Sales & Marketing VP Drew Yochum said.
Yochum explained the boat didn’t generate the revenue the company was hoping for and as of April 2026 needed expensive repairs. Another factor in the decision was the uncertainty of fuel cost.
“It’ll undergo those repairs and get inspected and things like that. We do operate in some other markets, so it’ll end up elsewhere. We just haven’t decided on that quite yet," said Yochum.
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In a statement, the Hampton Convention and Visitor Bureau said, in part, "The City of Hampton is actively exploring alternative harbor tour opportunities for the 2026 season and beyond."
The brewing company would welcome more tours, but believes docking the boat in a different spot would be best for everyone.
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“It’d be nice if they had it closer to the carousel and the parks, where visitors could actually see it and know it’s there. I think it would help their business as well," Reier said.
As of April 7, the tour company was working on refunding anyone who bought a ticket for the 2026 season.
