Table Of Content
This has turned the Great Lakes into an exclusive zone for a handful of smaller cruise operators that focus on very small vessels. Some Great Lakes itineraries only include stops at relatively small towns such as Midland, Parry Sound and Little Current in Ontario; and Muskegon, Marquette and Houghton in Michigan. Others mix in calls at some of the bigger cities of the Great Lakes region, notably Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland and Toronto. On longer sailings, vessels often will overnight in such places as Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Thunder Bay.
Highlights of Great Lakes Cruises
Itinerary and shore excursions are subject to change and may vary by departure. Discover this car-free island by carriage, bicycle or on foot; kayak along the shoreline. Keep in mind that, heading east, you’ll be dropping in elevation through one or more sets of locks (depending on your final destination).
Journey from nature to culture
Visitors can take it in both from viewing areas on land and from a tour boat. As the name suggests, Holland is a little bit of The Netherlands transported to the Americas. Settled by Dutch immigrants in the 1800s, it's home to the annual Tulip Time Festival, which takes place every May, and offers up such Holland-themed attractions as Windmill Island Gardens, where you'll find a working Dutch windmill, canals and dikes. Holland's downtown is a charmer with cobblestone sidewalks and more than 100 specialty shops, breweries and restaurants. When you want to go will depend on which activities you want to do, how you feel about cool weather and the price.
Day by Day
Camping Cruise on the Great Lakes - Sail Magazine
Camping Cruise on the Great Lakes.
Posted: Tue, 29 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
So you can go off on your own in any of the places these ships visit. But you might just have a no-extra-charge outing including many of the highlights of each place already planned for your voyage. Two more lines that occasionally operate sailings in the region are German line Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and France-based Ponant. Tour organizer Smithsonian Journeys also occasionally offers Great Lakes sailings using chartered Ponant vessels. Both cater to a generally older crowd, which is the main market for Great Lakes cruises.
FEATURED PORTS
From the fudge-forward downtown, it is a 20-minute hike to the grounds of the famed Grand Hotel or a $7 ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Outdoors, the sunken Finse Terrace, just outside the Aula auditorium, was our favorite spot for relaxing in an out-of-the-way retreat with heated couches, lava rock firepits, and a hedge surround. Indoors, we found plenty of comfortable seating nooks and viewing spots, along with an impressive art collection that includes historic black and white photograph reproductions from polar expeditions and of explorers such as Ernest Shackleton and Roald Amundsen. We found or sections honoring other iconic explorers such as aviator Amelia Earhart as well. The Viking Voyager app has a fact-filled audio tour on the art throughout the ship, but we were happy to just stop on each floor and in the corridors to be amazed at what these early adventurers endured. We were pleased to see that Viking Octantis has made room for a well-equipped fitness room.
Georgian Bay, often called the sixth Great Lake, is a large, picturesque, island-filled bay off the eastern side of Lake Huron. Some cruises on the Great Lakes might sail straight through the bay or call on Parry Sound. Pearl Sea Cruises operates the 210-passenger Pearl Mist on seven- or 11-night cruises between Milwaukee and Toronto or Midland. Be awed through the cruise to Niagara Falls as our local expert guide shows you the best vantage points. Discover the history of American Music at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH, visit Motor City Detroit, and stop in Sainte-Marie, Ontario’s first European community.
Tips on Cruising The Great Lakes - Hour Detroit Magazine
Tips on Cruising The Great Lakes.
Posted: Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The Great Lakes stand alone in their majesty as the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. It's a retired Great Lakes freighter (named Valley Camp) that you can climb into and explore. In addition to touring the living quarters for its 29-person crew, you'll find a 20,000-square-foot maritime museum in its cargo hold with exhibits on the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and more. Then there are stops at quieter places such as Mackinac Island, where your sightseeing might include an excursion by horse-drawn carriage to historical sites. Of the three main lines operating in the Great Lakes, as noted above, Pearl Seas Cruises focuses the most on the region's small towns, with fewer stops at bigger cities. All this can be seen via an overland trip, of course, and many people explore the Great Lakes region by car or on motorcoach tours.
The onboard lab where scientists, including from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will conduct research and experiments is another wow factor, as is the 20-person expert expedition team onboard. In addition to the submarine, the ship also carries Zodiacs and kayaks (for use in Canadian waters). It’s the kind of ship without a lot of activities, where passengers are happy to occupy themselves with views, reading, or conversation. Shore experiences include kayaking, hiking, lobster fishing, and glass-bottom boat tours. Detroit alone will have 50 cruise ship visits this year, according to Kyle Burleson, director of port operations for the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority.
Cruises on the Great Lakes will cumulatively call at 28 different ports in 2022, offering a welcome boon in visitors to the destinations in the American Midwest and Canada that they visit. There are seven-day cruises; two-week ones; those that call more ports in the US than Canada and vice versa; those that enter Lake Superior and those that only offer a quick transfer through Soo Locks. On this comprehensive 15-night St. Lawrence Seaway & Great Lakes cruise, explore the breathtaking landscapes, historic harbors, and cosmopolitan cities that make this region incredible. Begin your journey in Québec City, a living museum with nearly four centuries of history, before exploring the narrow cobblestone streets and alleyways of Montreal, admiring the splendid architecture of one of the oldest cities in North America.
Enjoy a narrated cruise on the beautiful St. Mary’s River in Sault St. Marie and learn the rich 300-year-old history of the area and the story behind the Soo Locks. Explore Michigan’s pristine wilderness and scenic landscapes in Marquette, lined with miles of Lake Superior shoreline. There's a lot to see and do in the Great Lakes region, and it's hard to argue that there's a better way to see and do it than on a cruise. Cruise vessels departing from such cities as Chicago and Toronto can take you to all of the highlights of the region — from the breweries of Milwaukee to thundering Niagara Falls — in a single trip. That's something that you'll be hard-pressed to accomplish any other way.
There’s a one-hour time change between Chicago and Toronto or Montreal. Whether in the midst of the Geogian Bay or navigating through the Milwaukee channel locks, enjoy the personalized service, exquisite cuisine, and world-class entertainment that Pearl Seas is known for. On this enchanting 11-night cruise, travel through four of the Great Lakes and the Georgian Bay to admire the magnificent scenery that surrounds you from the comfort of the Pearl Mist. With Pearl Seas Cruises, every moment of your Great Lakes voyages are carefully curated to ensure an unforgettable experience. Discover the wonders of the Great Lakes region in ultimate comfort and style, and create memories to last a lifetime. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content.
Cruise lines often run sales in the fall or in the early months of the year (a period known in the cruise industry as "wave season"). Some of the most desirable cabins might be sold out; being flexible about your sail date or itinerary can help. The best time to book a Great Lakes cruise is right when a cruise line first opens bookings on that sailing, often more than a year in advance. You'll have your pick of itineraries and cabins and often the best fares. The Great Lakes region may not be a bucket list destination on the scale of Alaska or Antarctica.
Another seven-night option is a one-way cruise from Chicago to Midland, ON, or vice versa. Hapag-Lloyd’s Hanseatic Inspiration offers 10- to 18-day cruises departing from Milwaukee and traveling to Halifax, Toronto or Detroit. The Great Lakes cruise season is a relatively short one, running from late May through mid-September. Generally, the best time for cruising the Great Lakes is from July on, when the days are warmer and sunnier.
Enjoy a day aboard Pearl Mist, cruising the scenic Keweenaw Waterway, ornamented with sandstone cliffs and sparkling spring waterfalls. Delve into its fascinating history of Duluth with an exploration of the area’s many museums, including the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. Motor City should probably be called Museum City, as it's home to a wonderful array of museums worth a visit, from The Detroit Museum of Art and the Motown Museum to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History. Settled by Germans in the 1840s, "Brew City," as it's known, also is a mecca of sorts for beer lovers — and not just because it's home to the original Miller Brewing Company complex, which is open daily for tours. You'll also find lots of craft breweries that you can visit on your own or as part of a tour, and you can tour (and drink at) the original Pabst Brewery. Included tours are part of what you're paying for when you pay the high prices noted above.
In general, waiting until the last minute is not the best idea, unless you live in a gateway city such as Chicago, Milwaukee or Toronto and don't need to book flights. Note that Great Lakes cruise vessels don't travel directly on the 36-mile-long strait that connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, which is known as the Niagara River (lest they go plunging over the falls). Instead, they use the Welland Canal — another marvel of engineering and an attraction in its own right. All of the above lines operate ships in the Great Lakes that carry fewer than 400 passengers. In general, the vessels are intimate and relatively high-end, with pricing to match. The diversity in Great Lakes itineraries extends to their start and end points.
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