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The two Great Lakes ships are relatively new additions for American Queen Voyages. As American Queen Steamboat Company, the line became synonymous with river cruises in the U.S. After purchasing Victory Cruises in 2019, the line became American Queen Voyages in 2021 as it eyed an expansion into North American lakes and ocean cruises. While they were set to launch in 2020, the pandemic put plans on hold (which continued until Canada lifted its ban on cruise ships this year).
What companies offer Great Lakes Cruises?
Traverse the tranquil waters on a Lake Huron cruise, immersing yourself in the peacefulness of this natural paradise. Experience the great beauty of Lake Michigan cruises, where pristine shores and stunning vistas await. Delve into the rich history and vibrant culture of the region with our Lake Erie cruises, offering captivating insights into this storied waterway. Journey through beautiful landscapes on our Lake Superior cruises, renowned for its rugged beauty and preserved wilderness. 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.
Viking Ocean Cruises
That signals a continued interest among U.S. travelers in domestic travel, which is now expanding deeper into cruises across the United States. He also sees an emergence in drive-to cruises in the Great Lakes region, noting plenty of interest from travelers in Michigan as well. In 2022, Ponant will offer a handful of fall Great Lakes cruises between Toronto and Miwaukee on its expedition ship Le Bellot. The new focus on Great Lakes cruises opens up a variety of ports that have rarely seen ships, with a season that runs early May through late September. While a few small cruise ships sailed the Great Lakes before the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn't necessarily a route that attracted much attention, particularly from American cruisers. There are a number of cruise lines to choose from, including Great Lakes Cruise Lines, Viking, American Queen Voyages, Pearl Seas Cruises, St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, Ponant, Hagap-Loyd, Plantours Cruises, Tauck, and Windstar.
Viking River Cruises
What follows is a trip that comprises eight days and seven nights of splendor aboard the sleek, modern Viking Octantis. Your cross-two-countries trip will include visits to Point Pelee, Ontario, Detroit, Michigan, the Thunder Bay National Maritime Sanctuary, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where you’ll disembark. 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").
American Queen Voyages to end Great Lakes cruise, sell ships - Bring Me The News
American Queen Voyages to end Great Lakes cruise, sell ships.
Posted: Fri, 30 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
With a capacity of 378 passengers, Viking Octantis (and now its sister ship) holds the distinction of being the largest modern cruise ship to sail the lakes. Everyone cruising in Canada must also undergo precruise testing (something that the majority of cruise lines also still require) even though prearrival COVID testing has been dropped for international air arrivals into Canada. Make sure to check with your cruise line and the latest government restrictions as requirements can and do change. According to the marketing association Cruise the Great Lakes, nine ships are on the lakes this year, which marks a return after no cruises at all in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Longer cruises on the Great Lakes trace a similar route from Chicago, adding stops at Cleveland, Ohio and Buffalo, NY, both on Lake Erie. A stop is made at the Lake Ontario port of Rochester, NY, before entering the Erie Canal, passing through New York Harbor and ending in Warren, RI. Pearl Sea Cruises operates the 210-passenger Pearl Mist on seven- or 11-night cruises between Milwaukee and Toronto or Midland.
Great Lakes & Georgian Bay Cruise
A few days ago, American Queens Voyages announced that it has decided to end its Great Lake itineraries after the 2023 season and sell its twin ships, the Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager. 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). Discover the cultural treasures of Toronto, the capital city of Ontario, and venture to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland to view Elvis’ motorcycle and Michael Jackson’s white sequined glove.
If adding all five lakes to your bucket list is your goal, be sure your Great Lakes cruise ship actually enters Lake Superior, if only briefly. Viking Great Lake cruise itineraries include two eight-day trips from Milwaukee to either Toronto or Thunder Bay, and a 15-day route from Toronto to Duluth. The longer route is always aboard Viking Octantis, while Thunder Bay is always visited aboard the Polaris. Both ships, however, are the same in terms of size, layout and design.
While Great Lakes ships have traditionally been smaller, more modest coastal vessels, Viking is shaking things up by bringing a polar-class expedition ship to the region. French cruise line Ponant is also sailing the Great Lakes this fall and next with luxury expedition ships complete with underwater lounges. We provide guests an extraordinary cruising experience while exploring the most magnificent regions of the world.
Rather, you’ll be cruising the Great Lakes in a smaller vessel with just a couple hundred other travelers. This is partly due to the size of the locks that connect the lakes, as only the smaller ships can pass through them. Bierdz says that AQV's Great Lakes cruises are drawing passengers from California, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida.
Great Lakes cruise weather can be chilly at the start of the season, with low temperatures in the 40s in May in some areas and highs in the 60s. It warms up considerably by July and August, with high temperatures in the 70s and 80s. The cruise season in the Great Lakes is also limited in its length by the opening and closing of the St. Lawrence Seaway — the system of locks, canals and channels that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
Duluth port drew thousands of Great Lakes cruise passengers this year - Star Tribune
Duluth port drew thousands of Great Lakes cruise passengers this year.
Posted: Sun, 26 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
That's something that you'll be hard-pressed to accomplish any other way. 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. Included tours are part of what you're paying for when you pay the high prices noted above. So you can go off on your own in any of the places these ships visit.
Enjoy luxurious accommodations, exceptional cuisine, and personalized service every day on board our modern cruise ships. With COVID-19 variants and continued fears over testing and quarantine, travelers are searching for cruises that are easy, Bierdz said. And Great Lakes itineraries include homeports such as Chicago, Toronto and Montreal that are high on tourists' must-visit lists in their own right. Even better, AQV will be docking its overnight ships at Navy Pier in Chicago -- an advantage no one else has.
Some of the ships also offer sailings that combine travel on one or more of the Great Lakes with a passage through the St. Lawrence Seaway. In some cases, these latter trips include travel all the way to Montreal. You're given a plastic poncho to help keep you dry as the boat (not your Great Lakes cruise ship) motors up to Horseshoe Falls, the largest and most impressive of Niagara's cascades. It's said that the equivalent of one million bathtubs of water tumbles over the falls each minute. Seven-night round trip cruises from Chicago sail primarily on Lake Michigan, entering Lake Huron to visit Mackinac Island.
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