Cruise in Lake Michigan?

Hi everyone. This is my first post here. I want some useful information about the best cruise lines in America. I want to take my kids out for a good cruise, so that they can enjoy without much trouble. Since this is the first cruise experience for everyone of us, we want to enjoy to the limit. I recently heard about a small ship cruise through Lake Michigan via Blount Small Ship Adventures. The itinerary and the budget looks perfect for us. Have anyone had a cruise through Michigan?:)

Hi everyone. This is my first post here. I want some useful information about the best cruise lines in America. I want to take my kids out for a good cruise, so that they can enjoy without much trouble. Since this is the first cruise experience for everyone of us, we want to enjoy to the limit. I recently heard about a small ship cruise through Lake Michigan via Blount Small Ship Adventures. The itinerary and the budget looks perfect for us. Have anyone had a cruise through Michigan?:)

Haven't yet done it. We've seen ships from Great Lakes Cruise Company in various Michigan and Huron ports. Very tempting!

As someone who lived in Wisconsin for more than 25 years, and spent a lot of time on and near the lake, I just can't recommend taking a small boat on Lake Michigan for a pleasure cruise. It's known that Lake Michigan can be the roughest of the Great Lakes, and I've personally have been on that lake in very scary seas. A big cruise ship would be a different story, but looking at those tiny boats, I just can't see them on the Great Lakes.

Hi everyone. This is my first post here. I want some useful information about the best cruise lines in America. I want to take my kids out for a good cruise, so that they can enjoy without much trouble. Since this is the first cruise experience for everyone of us, we want to enjoy to the limit. I recently heard about a small ship cruise through Lake Michigan via Blount Small Ship Adventures. The itinerary and the budget looks perfect for us. Have anyone had a cruise through Michigan?:)

As someone who grew up around Lake Michigan, and who has spent 40 years at sea, unlike the previous poster, I would not have any qualms over going on these boats.

While the boats and itineraries are unique, you will not get an accurate picture of mainstream cruising from this kind of cruise. It will tell you if you enjoy being on boats and ships, but it will be more of a mode of transportation than an entertainment experience that most larger cruise ships are.

While I am a huge proponent of US flag shipping, the US crew on these boats will not have the same level of service that the larger cruise ships give, though some of this will be due to a smaller crew/passenger ratio on the lake boats.

If you are looking for a great vacation locally, these would be excellent. If you are looking for an introduction to cruising, I would suggest a 3-4 night cruise on one of the mainstream cruise lines.

Just please don't take the Edmund Fitzgerald!

Just please don't take the Edmund Fitzgerald!

That was November, and Lake Superior. :D

The Lake Michigan cruises appear to be priced at something above $200 per person per day, while many Caribbean cruises run just under $100. Thinking of OP's reference to budget an cruise experience, I'd suggest that the difference of $700 per person for a one week cruise would more than cover transportation and hotel costs to get the family to a Florida port for a much more significant cruise experience.

Blount Small ships would be a poor choice for children .

The ones that I'm familiar with are pretty bare bones .

Do your kids a big favor and move on to the mass market cruise lines which all are perfect for families .

Check out the Blount Small Ship web site which clearly states the following :

What about cruising with children?

We've carefully built our cruises for experienced travelers. The kind of people who are ready to take a break from the hustle, bustle, and chaos of the big ships. With that in mind, we welcome older children, ages 14 and older into our family of explorers.

These boats do not ride well in anything other than calm water

we did a run from NYC to Martha Vineyard

It was so bad we rocked & rolled all night long

The boat is like camping on the water the only good thing about the cruise was the port stops & the food

They had a very good cook onboard

I would not take these boats in Lake Michigan

JMO

If money is no object a US flagged ship will work, that's why there are also very few US flagged passenger ships!

I just checked out the Blount web site, and 7 day cruises START at $1995 per person, and, of course, that's just the start of the costs! If you have money to burn, are not fussy about the ship or service standards, it's a good way spend your kid's inheritance.

There is a reason why the SS United States is rusting away in Philadelphia.

There are only 2 ways a cruise ship can enter the great lakes; the Welland Canal at Niagara Falls or the Chicago River.

Both entrances are so narrow that most cruise lines do not have ships small enough to pass through.

Actually the Welland Canal runs between Port Colborne on Lake Erie and St. Catharines on Lake Ontario.

Smaller ships that would do a Lake cruise generally don't have many facilities on board and the entertainment and activities is geared towards adults.

A few years ago, the MV Columbus, a real cruise ship, did the Great Lakes cruising experience with a mostly German crew and passengers. It carried 420 passengers, so it's nowhere near to the "boat" the OP is asking about as the Columbus was listed at 15,000 tons. I remember going down to the dock area to see the passengers disembarking the ship for a day in Milwaukee. If I remember correctly, they only did this cruise for two summers. So, a larger ship did cruise the Great Lakes.

Pearl Seas was suppose to do this route but not sure if they are or not

St Laurant was suppose to as well but hit the lock wall outside of Montreal a few weeks ago so now laid up

OP might consider to the American Queen in the Mississippi River, Ohio river

kids would like that one with the paddle wheel ;)

Pearl Seas was suppose to do this route but not sure if they are or not

St Laurant was suppose to as well but hit the lock wall outside of Montreal a few weeks ago so now laid up

 

OP might consider to the American Queen in the Mississippi River, Ohio river

kids would like that one with the paddle wheel ;)

Not sure how serious the plans are to increase the lock sizes over the next few years, supposedly to allow 1000' ships to transit the Seaway, but the air drafts under the bridges would still be a limiting factor on cruise ships.

Not sure how serious the plans are to increase the lock sizes over the next few years, supposedly to allow 1000' ships to transit the Seaway, but the air drafts under the bridges would still be a limiting factor on cruise ships.

The Pearl Mist is

Length (ft/m): 335 ft

Beam (ft/m): 56 ft

Draft (ft/m): 12 ft

Number of Decks: 6

Passenger Capacity: 210

Number of Staterooms: 108

could not find the GRT

Saint Laurent

Tonnage 5,954 tons

Registry Bahamas

Length 286 feet

Beam 50 feet

Passenger Capacity 210

Crew Size 90

not large cruise ships by any means

The Lake Michigan cruises appear to be priced at something above $200 per person per day, while many Caribbean cruises run just under $100. Thinking of OP's reference to budget an cruise experience, I'd suggest that the difference of $700 per person for a one week cruise would more than cover transportation and hotel costs to get the family to a Florida port for a much more significant cruise experience.

It is a small boat. All small boat cruises are more expensive than the 1000+ passenger behemoths.

DON

The Pearl Mist is

Length (ft/m): 335 ft

Beam (ft/m): 56 ft

Draft (ft/m): 12 ft

 

Number of Decks: 6

Passenger Capacity: 210

Number of Staterooms: 108

could not find the GRT

 

Saint Laurent

Tonnage 5,954 tons

Registry Bahamas

Length 286 feet

Beam 50 feet

Passenger Capacity 210

Crew Size 90

 

not large cruise ships by any means

Agreed that the ships that have previously or currently cruise the lakes are not large, but the current locks allow ships up to 225m long, 23m beam, and 8m draft. The proposed locks would allow near Panamax ships to transit (about 50' shorter and 3-5' narrower than Panamax).

Agreed that the ships that have previously or currently cruise the lakes are not large, but the current locks allow ships up to 225m long, 23m beam, and 8m draft. The proposed locks would allow near Panamax ships to transit (about 50' shorter and 3-5' narrower than Panamax).

I really cannot see it being worthwhile like the Panama Canal is

but who know :D

From Ludington MI to Manitowoc WI or vice versa you can cross Lake Michigan on this: http://www.ssbadger.com/ which takes cars as well as passengers.

It's a four hour trip one-way and you could have a great trip by flying into Chicago, driving north through WI into Door County. From there drive along MI's Upper Pensinsula, stop at the Soo Locks, visit Mackinac Island, and then drive down the western shore of Lake Michigan to Ludington, sail to Manitowoc and then drive back down to Chicago.

From Ludington MI to Manitowoc WI or vice versa you can cross Lake Michigan on this: http://www.ssbadger.com/ which takes cars as well as passengers.

 

It's a four hour trip one-way and you could have a great trip by flying into Chicago, driving north through WI into Door County. From there drive along MI's Upper Pensinsula, stop at the Soo Locks, visit Mackinac Island, and then drive down the western shore of Lake Michigan to Ludington, sail to Manitowoc and then drive back down to Chicago.

I endorse the above - good suggestion! But one other thing, if you have any interest in golf, bring your clubs! Northern Lower Michigan is heavily populated with top-notch public courses.

From Ludington MI to Manitowoc WI or vice versa you can cross Lake Michigan on this: http://www.ssbadger.com/ which takes cars as well as passengers.

 

It's a four hour trip one-way and you could have a great trip by flying into Chicago, driving north through WI into Door County. From there drive along MI's Upper Pensinsula, stop at the Soo Locks, visit Mackinac Island, and then drive down the western shore of Lake Michigan to Ludington, sail to Manitowoc and then drive back down to Chicago.

Sounds more like a land trip with a ferry crossing than a cruise :D

Sounds more like a land trip with a ferry crossing than a cruise :D

Thirty years ago this summer my wife and I did our honeymoon cruise on the Badger, en route from Missouri via Wisconsin to Michigan for a couple of weeks. Not as long as you might expect for a "cruise", but sometimes you gotta take what you can get.

Sounds more like a land trip with a ferry crossing than a cruise :D

Interesting evolution: a thread concerning a family cruise on Lake Michigan winding up discussing a four hour crossing on a car ferry. If OP drove to New York the Staten Island ferry crosses in about 20 minutes - has no bothersome dress code and is about as cheap as anything afloat.

Interesting evolution: a thread concerning a family cruise on Lake Michigan winding up discussing a four hour crossing on a car ferry. If OP drove to New York the Staten Island ferry crosses in about 20 minutes - has no bothersome dress code and is about as cheap as anything afloat.

lots of options if you drive most of the trip & take a short ferry ride but somehow I do not think that is what the OP had in mind :D

Maybe they will come back