uktog

We did indeed finish up in Chicago and have arrived home after an overnight flight. We really loved Chicago and would love to have had longer there We stayed at the Intercontinental which was in a great location, short walk to the start of our Pizza walking tour (through Bobbies Bikes but no bikes involved!) the river boats and our Mobs and Gangster tour. We packed a lot in during our time over the Memorial Weekend and had a lovely time. We even managed the fireworks albeit from our hotel window as our exhausted feet had given up. It’s been a great adventure so glad we did it and preserved through some of the glitches that AQ added

No they have no more “pull” than the guest who calls to make a booking. They like you to think they work miracles (think bigger tips) and can embellish their potential “powers” accordingly

I asked and the request was refused saying it was for new bookings only

And the reason we didn’t book a CC in November so lost revenue- it was a stupid decision

Yes I got interviewed because my husband and I were the only guests not from US or Canada. I really got the sense of pride of the Yoopers and their welcome was so genuine

We had a wonderful day there on the Canadian side. We came through the canal at night which was a little disappointing. We got so wet but it was worth it

Oh we have their fierce toothed Scottish cousins too 😂😂

We are coming to the end of a 10 night cruise on the Great Lakes if folks are interested Our room is tiny though ironically the bathroom and shower is bigger than on Azamara The pace is gentler, the entertainment simple and the food may not have the sophistication of Azamara presentation but it tastes good and is served at the right temperature so in that respect so much better than our previous cruise on Onward

Except work on your tactics to enjoy things despite them! We are heading back to Chicago at 4 knots 😱 but found a perfect spot with our books

Escanaba- first thing to be aware if you booked a premium excursion here they were all cancelled- no reason given except head office sent them a memo. I know that disappointed some - my suspicion logistically it was impossible they are only running two buses and they had to do hoho (morning only, again an issue for some) and out to the Native Dance performance in the afternoon Here is the route. As it was Voyagers first time in Escanaba the captain had to be given the keys of the city and we had the band and media following us everywhere The welcome was so genuine and they kept showering us with goodies - cup cakes on the pier (they were excellent) A yooper bar at Stop 1 where we also bought chocolate gifts And lovely people serving coffee and cookies at stop 2 which was such an interesting place. The Military museum was one of the best small museums we’ve seen, focusing on the service of those from the area and the displays about Webster Marble were so professional- this isn’t a hokey small town set up. I particularly liked Websters words of wisdom We skipped the art gallery and chose to see the beautiful lighthouse instead as time was getting short (with only two buses the gaps between were nearer 30 minutes than the advertised 20 and we left late because again some in the big group think the buses run to their schedule not the advertised one!!) We returned to the port to find more goodies for us - delicious iced cinnamon buns. This place may appear to have little going for it (it is like a ghost town many places closed) but the residents really want to welcome passengers The afternoon included tour was a 30 minute drive out to the reservation for the most beautifully narrated and delivered programme of Native American dancing and an explanation of culture- I will let the photos do the talking for many particularly those who have done Niagara previously this was the high spot of the cruise Back on the ship we had the captain farewell toast (very very brief he doesn’t really engage with guests that’s ok) but they brought some crew to the stage Dinner was good though we could see some waiters struggled to serve the numbers. The wait staff are good, try hard but are not as polished as those on ocean ships It was a pleasant dinner (if a touch cold) at the end of a busy day.

No they did not but there’s a huge hire facility on the pier

And try not to get the front row in the carriage- one of the horses on our three carriage George got a load off his mind and elsewhere on an uphill part of the trip. Glad we were in row 3 😂

That was an experience I reported many pages ago - in my case it’s servicing an existing booking I want to upgrade. The agent got a price that was not correct and to date I do not think they’ve tried to reconnect. I believe this reflects the organisation policy. I’m out of the country until next week and I will try and force resolution on my return.

Your experience does not reflect standard credit card practice. The previous advice given to the poster was valid. If there is a delay in receiving a refund raise a claim via your credit card company

Not true

Today was such a gem - Mackinac Island, car free and lovely sightseeing on a sunny but cool day to the sound of the horses gently walking along pulling carriages. The simplicity of the island summed up by this photo- the cutest Amazon delivery ever. The logistics for the day are of necessity a little complicated exacerbated yet again by shorex giving out wrong or misleading information which has been the one negative of the trip (it’s happened again for tomorrow with an illogically ordered presentation covering the afternoon first because the presenter doesn’t know how to fix PowerPoint and am and pm confused in timings - all basic but unhelpful and the constant excuse of not being aware of what the tourist people do is not helpful). So here’s what happens in Mackinac. Everyone has to join a trip at 0830 that’s the only option. You walk to the end of the pier and are loaded onto two horse carriages for 20 people (and you are expected to split up if need be they insist each carriage leaves full) You have a lovely guided tour through town and up to Surrey Hills where you change to a 30 person three horse carriage. There is time for a little shopping and restrooms during the changeover. The three horse carriage does about an hours drive with narration through beautiful woods and includes a short stop at the stunning viewpoint at Arch rock. You then head down to the fascinating fort where you have c45 minutes (restroom available) and there are cannon firing or musket firing demos depending on when you are there. You then change to a horse taxi (2 horse 20 passengers) for a ride to the Grand Hotel. Here is where the information is wrong. Although the ship pays entry to the hotel and gives you a taxi ticket back to town it only became clear on the day and was not correctly covered in the presentation the previous evening if you want to go into the hotel for a look there is no time unless you stay up there until 1330. This is because 1200-1330 is when they rest the horses (fair enough). Those on the tour doing the grand luncheon premium package have that between 1200 -1330 so it works for them. What did we do? Well realising the ships lunch closed at 1330 (another little negative there’s no joined up thinking between catering and excursions in relation to breakfast or lunch timing) we decided not to let these stupid things spoil the day. (Walking the 20 minutes back was an option we dismissed). So we sat on the beautiful porch, ordered expensive cocktails and two sharing plates and drank in the beautiful view. We really enjoyed that and were glad not to have been stuck in the very crowded buffet which we heard very mixed reports about (and spent $100 less!) Another ride to town we walked along through the very sweet smell of fudge and stopped to sample and watch some being made. Back to the ship to sit out and enjoy the view - er no - there were clouds and swarms of flies everywhere - a spring hazard we hear so we retreated indoors. We did see yet again the movie being shown really did tie into the destination which was lovely Another good dinner and the Swing Music night ended a lovely day. The communication of the logistics could have been far better but we created a very memorable day regardless.

Yes they make special arrangements in each port

You get excellent tours from the local taxi drivers at the port. Same people as do the ships tours which are so over priced in Gibraltar. If you pick up your own tour the driver will do deviations for you. This is one place the ship tour gives you no advantage

Today we went through the Soo Locks at 0700 returning at 1000 so we can say we cruised on Lake Superior. Saulte Ste Marie had many stops on offer We took the bus almost fully round the route before hoping off. The Lake Science Centre was very interesting and what was lovely was it was staffed by first-year students at Lake Superior University, who were so passionate about the conservation of the lake and engaged so well with all the guests. The large sturgeon are evidently not fully grown yet but are 4 metres already In all the other stops it was people at the other end of the generation scale who were so passionate about what we went from the lady in the waterfront houses to the staff, both at the river museum (lovely theatre opposite being restored and the historical Society. It was hard to stop watching all the level of detail in the replica of the town that the rail road construction represented. It was obviously a labour of love. Adjacent to the church (oldest in Michigan and depending on how you date them the site has had worship there making it third oldest in USA) is the tower of history which you would have to pay to go up $8 those who went up it said the view was good but as part of it is an open viewing platform my fear of heights meant we did not we can investment there. Back onboard, a pleasant dinner, and then the show I wasn’t so keen on - the rock guitar, which I don’t think very well with most just the pure enthusiasts for that genre, but it’s good that they offer such a mixture. We had misgivings about this cruise and weren’t sure at the start but we are glad we did it and are enjoying it.

Any gin made in the area will be a good buy. UK craft gin is a big artisan development in recent years. Both Orkney and Shetland have amazing offerings- and Edinburgh Gin which is a widely found brand has a fabulous rhubarb gin (trust me)

Give them a break it’s been a hard days night to put that day tripper in a yellow submarine to please please me 😀🎶

Our first sea day. Weather was chilly so even us hardy souls could only manage 30 minutes reading outside. There was in our view more than enough activity to keep people busy And in addition bridge tours were offered. The lakelorian talks continue to fascinate us and tonight the band set - Beatles music played as instrumentals all to arrangements they wrote was very good. A shame so few came not sure why as other nights have been quite busy. A nice afternoon tea set was offered at 1600 in Maharaja style - next sea day it will be Viennese Dinner was again very nice although one starter was a little odd! One thing that did impress we had a mid cruise survey and we highlighted something that disappointed us a little (it related to getting us dining seating with the big groups onboard having so much allocated and so few two tops). On arrival at the restaurant we were met by the f and b manager who had sorted it very well for the rest of the trip. So they do bother onboard!!!

Detroit - Motortown getting ready to host the Grand Prix which will race through the city next month so lots of preparation going on which was interesting. Here AQ don’t offer a hop on hop off more a traditional tour. It was a good one, this time we were on the bus with a good guide. Not scheduled she fitted in a stop to the Motown studio so that we could get photos outside and as the tour had started at 08 30 there was nobody around so photos were easy to get. We then went to see Fisher building which being a Sunday morning none of the shops in it were open but actually again that gave the opportunity to really be able to appreciate magnificence of the building and get fantastic photos. There are 7000 tons of pure brass in the building as well as some of the finest examples of marble from Italy that are in one building. Along the route the guide explained about the murals we went by and was very honest about Detroits challenges but also how they are addressing them. Hard to believe this is all done by spray cans. Final stop was the Ford Piquette factory where Henry Ford built the original model T Ford. The docents were absolutely full of information and the 90 minutes we were in the plant went by in a flash. In the afternoon they have premium excursions out to Greenfield and to a tile painting workshop, which I believe went well, we had tried to book on the excursions on boarding only to discover they were sold out. However, we instead walked along the river front adjacent to the ship, and it was such a pleasant experience lots of seats and being a Sunday lots of families out with little ones cycling and playing in the sand pits that have been built along the way. It was a very pleasant walk in lovely weather. There was a movie linked to a Motown story for those who did not want to venture out and late afternoon the Lakelorian did a good talk about cars and the Ford legacy - it was good to hear the other side of the story. In the morning Ford was an “unblemished hero” but Ian highlighted the negatives as well. I like his balanced talks. Dinner tonight was very good, as was the Motown said that the group played in the lounge afterwards.

Buses run every 30 minutes and all the designated stops are admission paid. Three of the four were free stops anyway. The Rock and Roll Hall was paid for

Cleveland was a city that surprised. Some guests onboard said they wouldn’t be getting off it was a dreadful place. We are glad we ignored them. The ship is using AQ hop on off buses that travel along with us so we will get to know the drivers. Today the drivers are getting to know the routes as it’s their first time. So there were glitches. First everyone had to come off the ship to the immigration building and officially enter the US. (little green roof building at the end of the pier) It was a painless process with very pleasant officers- although too many guests did not seem to understand simple instructions so it took longer to clear the ship than planned (yes you may be a US citizen you still have to go!!) The HoHo did four stops 1. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What can we say except wow, three hours gone in a blink could have stayed longer 2. The International Women’s Air and Space Museum - em well this is a very small collection of artefacts in a foyer of a private airport- not worth the stop made worse by the fact the bus forgot to pull in to pick us up 3. The Rockerfeller Greenhouses- pretty gardens though the ones we drove by themed by country were more interesting 4. Downtown- it was Saturday nothing was happening! We did, however, enjoy our time. If we were back again in Cleveland we would just do the ride around to see the city on the bus, then head back to the rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame where you have all day in and out entry via a wristband. We would also buy admission to the Lakeside science centre next to it which a lot of people said really was exceptionally good. One glitch we found is that we returned the vessel just before two and found by the time we had got onboard there was absolutely no lunch facilities open. Unfortunately the only cookies out both contained nuts so my dear husband did have a very long wait until dinner. I do think this is something American Queen that should look at - on the Mississippi there was always something available, but it doesn’t appear to be the case here. We heard those who went on the Amish adventure had a wonderful time. As far as we can tell the ship is pretty full. The only time the grill has been closed was the second night where they were doing the welcome dinner onboard. The entertainment continues to be very good and appropriate to the age of the audience