great lakes cruises

[welsh-girl]

Hi

 

We are a couple from the UK and we are thinking of going on a Great Lakes cruise in 2013.

Has anyone out there done this type of cruise and has any one any advice for us.

 

2013 is going to be the year of the "Holiday of a Lifetime" for us so we want to make sure that we have as much information as possible.

 

Thanks all in advance:)

[Starry Eyes]

I love cruising. I live within ten miles of one of the great lakes. Still I have never been on a great lakes cruise...I do not ever expect to go on a great lakes cruise. Sailboats, sure. fishing boats, certainly. there may be a few small ships marketing great lakes cruises, but not the type of ships or cruising I crave. I wish my type of ship...or close...would sail the great lakes in summers.

 

What type of cruise were you envisioning?

[LHT28]

There are very few cruise lines doing the Great lakes

 

Freighter travel may work but not sure what other passenger ships cruise there

[glasgow_canuck]

There are a few companies who do Great Lakes cruises - you'll get a number of hits just by googling. There are also cruises on the Kawartha Lakes where I grew up and I used to see them going past our beach in Bobcaygeon on a regular basis - ontario waterway cruises - they do 5 day cruises along the Trent-Severn Waterway and I think also do cruises on the Rideau Canal.

[kitty9]

After living on two of the Great Lakes most of my life, I've not really seen the reason for cruises on them. But I guess, to each his own. Visiting Sheboygan and Detroit on a cruise just doesn't seem like an idyllic vacation.

 

Voyages of Discovery has small boats that do the Great Lakes. They do 7 day itineraries from Detroit in the summer. I really wouldn't call them cruise ships in the real meaning of the term, but they do provide a way to travel the lakes. One word of warning. The lakes can be very, very rough and in small ships you will feel a lot of motion. Lake Michigan, one of the lakes I used to live near, is known as one of the most trecherous. Be prepared to bring motion medication.

[BruceMuzz]

Access to the Great Lakes, either through the Welland Canal in the East or the Chicago River in the South, is very limited.

Only the smallest of cruise ships can fit.

As mentioned, the lakes can get very rough.

A very small ship can be very uncomfortable if conditions go wrong.

[welsh-girl]

Thank you all.

 

The "cruise ship" that we have seen so far is called the Yorktown, it's very small, only 138 guests.

I'm so glad that I posted here. We had no idea that sailing on the lakes could be so rough.

 

Perhaps an itinary from Detroit to Quebec may be calmer..We are thinking about traveling in September 2013

 

:)

[PennyAgain]

I got a brochure on Great Lakes Cruises the other day. Yes, it was for the Yorktown. It looked interesting, but the prices were quite high. However, these trips do sell out.

 

One company we really like for all sorts of river cruises in the US is American Cruise Lines. www.americancruiselines.com

 

Generally an older crowd which suits us just fine. No casino. Some alcohol is included.

[DanJ]

A couple websites are http://www.greatlakescruising.com and http://www.stlawrencecruiselines.com

 

I'm not sure if I will ever do a cruise like this, given the high cost, and the fact they are very small ships. But if i ever do I would like to do one through the Welland Canal. While not the exotic location of Panama, its a much more impressive canal, with something like 8 locks and a couple hundred foot vertical.

[askimdog]

I am looking out at the greatest of all the Great Lake right now. Lake Superior, which looks as much like as an ocean as anything. I am bias, but the beauty of the caribbean cruises I have been on is no greater. Both have there appeal. In summer, I'd rather be on Lake Superior than the carrbbean, but come winter, I am heading back to warmer climates for a week. It's just nice to have a choice.

[LHT28]

The Yorktown looks like it has interesting itineraries

You never know when the seas will pick up but Sept in the Great Lakes would be more unpredictable

 

Most North American registered ships are pretty expensive

We did a cruise on the Canadian Empress it was a cute ship, but expensive trip for what it was

we did enjoy the people on the cruise but the cabins were TINY

 

Enjoy whatever cruise you choose

[Kartgv]

While the Great Lakes have many beautiful areas and may be attractive for some, the itinerary seems to be an odd choice for your "Holiday of a Lifetime". Just curious about what kind of a trip are you envisioning and what is it about the area that you're interested in seeing. Maybe if you tell us that, someone may have some other suggestions with more options for you.

[mzwaag]

The Great Lakes are beautiful! We have lived by Lake Michigan all our life and enjoy it very much! Lake Michigan does not get rough very often. We have a good size boat and can go out very often in the summer. The port where we keep our boat will be having cruise ship coming in this summer. We love cruising the Carribean in the winter but love the Great Lakes in the summer.:)

[LHT28]

The port where we keep our boat will be having cruise ship coming in this summer.

What ship will be stopping there??

The MV Columbus did the Great lakes in Sept 11 but not sure if she is returning this year

 

People we know did the trip from Toronto to Chicago & enjoyed the cruise, mostly German speaking passengers though

[Carolin]

I cruised the Great Lakes via private boat for 15 years. I've seen the ships at various stops. The ships are "small" without the extra amenities of the large ships. They looked nice and comfortable. Yes the lakes can get rough but I doubt the captain would take you out if there is a storm.

 

I can only guess that this would be a very relaxing cruise and if you go during June/July time frame it would be lovely on the lakes.

[kitty9]

The lakes are really beautiful, but the stops on the itinerary are not what I would call interesting. I have family in the Detroit area, and I can't see what there is to do there. Sheboygan? What is there to see and do in that small town? I lived in Wisconsin for 30 years and Sheboygan isn't an interesting city. Sailing on the Great Lakes is fantastic, but cruising them? A totally different thing.

 

The MV Columbus did sail the Great Lakes for a few years. It was marketed only to German speaking tourists. It stopped in Milwaukee because that city has a very large German population and lots of German restaurants. I don't believe she's sailing there in the next couple of years.

[welsh-girl]

Thank you all for your replies.

 

The holiday of a lifetime part-Is to celebrate 2 big birthdays and a 35 wedding anniversary-when you live in the UK then the Great Lakes sound an amazing area to visit.

I have a sight problem so want to make the most of the next couple of years and thought that the wildlife and scenery would be something else.

 

We've cruised parts of the caribbean-was Ok but we aren't worried if we don't go again :)

 

We were just looking for something that we thought was different, that appealed to us and that wasn't too long a flight away. We have cruised /toured the areas in Europe that we want to visit.

 

Land tours aren't that appealing as sitting in a "coach" for long periods and living out of a suitcase from hotel to hotel isn't our idea of fun.

 

With the info that you have give us I'm beginning to think that the itinary from Detroit to Quebec with a few days in Quebec afterwards may be our best option.

 

So thank you all once agian and keep the ideas rolling in :D

[Kartgv]

Thank you all for your replies.

 

The holiday of a lifetime part-Is to celebrate 2 big birthdays and a 35 wedding anniversary-when you live in the UK then the Great Lakes sound an amazing area to visit.

I have a sight problem so want to make the most of the next couple of years and thought that the wildlife and scenery would be something else.

 

We've cruised parts of the caribbean-was Ok but we aren't worried if we don't go again :)

 

We were just looking for something that we thought was different' date=' that appealed to us and that wasn't too long a flight away. We have cruised /toured the areas in Europe that we want to visit.

 

Land tours aren't that appealing as sitting in a "coach" for long periods and living out of a suitcase from hotel to hotel isn't our idea of fun.

 

With the info that you have give us I'm beginning to think that the itinary from Detroit to Quebec with a few days in Quebec afterwards may be our best option.

 

So thank you all once agian and keep the ideas rolling in :D[/quote']

 

Have you been to Alaska? If not, and if you want magnificent scenery and wildlife, then that's the place for it. In terms of flight time, it's no more than a couple of hours farther than it would be to get to Detroit. You might then also consider a post-cruise train trip across Canada from Vancouver to Quebec - we haven't done that part, as it's expensive, but it's definitely on our "bucket list".

[navybankerteacher]

Thank you all for your replies.

 

The holiday of a lifetime part-Is to celebrate 2 big birthdays and a 35 wedding anniversary-when you live in the UK then the Great Lakes sound an amazing area to visit.

I have a sight problem so want to make the most of the next couple of years and thought that the wildlife and scenery would be something else.

 

We've cruised parts of the caribbean-was Ok but we aren't worried if we don't go again :)

 

We were just looking for something that we thought was different' date=' that appealed to us and that wasn't too long a flight away. We have cruised /toured the areas in Europe that we want to visit.

 

Land tours aren't that appealing as sitting in a "coach" for long periods and living out of a suitcase from hotel to hotel isn't our idea of fun.

 

With the info that you have give us I'm beginning to think that the itinary from Detroit to Quebec with a few days in Quebec afterwards may be our best option.

 

So thank you all once agian and keep the ideas rolling in :D[/quote']

 

Take a look at American Cruise Line -- small ships - about 100 passengers, with various coastal itineraries fro 7 to 14 days -- say around New England coastal islande, Chesapeake Bay, from Baltimore down the coast to Florida, western rivers, etc

[jmf123]

Take a look at American Cruise Line -- small ships - about 100 passengers, with various coastal itineraries fro 7 to 14 days -- say around New England coastal islande, Chesapeake Bay, from Baltimore down the coast to Florida, western rivers, etc

 

I agree, and I like the itineraries, particularly the New England islands and the east coast Baltimore to Florida. Here is their website: http://americancruiselines.com/destination.php?crn=10 I was going to mention a Canada/New England sailing perhaps. Royal Caribbean's beautiful Jewel of the Seas offers cruises from Boston, and the Brilliance of the Seas departs from Quebec. We enjoyed our fall foliage sailing on Princess, loved Halifax and Nova Scotia, etc. :)

[DanJ]

There's also similar size vessels going from New York city, up the Hudson River, to the Erie Canal and out into Lake Ontario. Not sure the line but it might be the one mentioned right above.

[kitty9]

If you want a real taste of Americana, I suggest a real old fashioned paddle wheel riverboat cruise. There's one on the Mississippi River that will take you through some beautiful, and historical areas of the US. There may be one that ends in New Orleans, an absolutely fantastic city. You'll see modern cities and glimpses of the Old South.

[nybumpkin]

DH is a Cleveland native - his first cruise was the final voyage of the SS South American in 1967, his parents sailed the lakes often on both cruise ships and freighters, they owned a motor-sailer that they sailed on Lake Erie, and DH worked for two marine companies while in college. Looking at Yorktown's itineraries, IMHO the highlight of the "Great Lakes" itinerary would be the stop at Mackinac Island - DH's folks absolutely loved it. As much as I'd like to visit Mackinac, however, I think I'd opt for the Detroit-Quebec itinerary. You would transit two of the lakes and then sail through the Thousand Islands - they're gorgeous. DH and I took our oldest son camping (boat access only) on one of the islands when he was young. And ending the cruise with visits to Montreal and Quebec City would be fun.

[Chris62eng]

Hello

 

I live on the beautiful shores of Lake Superior in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Google our city and you will see how much of an adventure you could have coming here on a cruise ship.

Lake Superior is the largest of all the Great Lakes and I do know we have had cruise ships in our Port.

 

If you get an opportunity to see my little part of the world you will definitely enjoy it. Crisp clean water, Boreal Forest, sunshine from 5am to 10pm in the summer months. Winter is another story as you must enjoy the cold and snow.

 

Good luck on research and I hope you will get to cruise the greatest of the Great Lakes

[compozer]

We also are boaters on Lake Michigan and love cruising around the lake. We prefer to cruise the last week of June thru the 2nd week of August. Yes it can be rough. We have crossed the lake in 8 footers which wasn't my favorite crossing. You never know what the weather will bring. We have been stuck in a port for days before we felt it would be comfortable to cross the lake. The Great Lakes are nothing to play around with - we have seen our rescue boat bring in many small fishing boats that we can't believe people go out in, especially with small kids and their dogs.

 

While on the loop several years ago with friends, we came across a ship that looked like the American Independence in Florida and they said they were doing the Great lakes in summers. There are many neat ports on the Great Lakes and I hope you have a wonderful time wherever you decide to spend your Holiday of a Lifetime.