From Freep.com (2015) see link below for other cruises
Never mind sailing the seven seas — here’s your chance to cruise the five Great Lakes.
Ann Arbor-based Great Lakes Cruise Co. has added three cruises between Chicago and Montreal that hit Windsor-Detroit, Mackinac Island and Sault Ste. Marie, among other stops. The first is set for July 5-14, with the 10-day, nine-night cruise leaving from Quebec.
The 105-stateroom, 286-foot M.S. St. Laurent is considerably smaller than the mega cruise ships that ply the Caribbean, but looks no less extravagant. The vessel is billed as a four-star experience, featuring many of the amenities you’d find on the larger, oceangoers, with a boutique, full-service salon, nightly entertainment, a library and lounges and bars.
“A lot of people might say, ‘I’ve been all over the Great Lakes, what’s the appeal?'” said Chris Conlin, president of the cruise line. “You’ll go to ports of call you and I never went to as kids, or even as adults.
“The highlight, for me, is the Georgian Bay; you can almost call it the sixth Great Lake. … It’s full of thousands of islands, rocky shoreline and just beautiful scenery.”
Excursions include a trip through the Soo Locks, visiting Niagara Falls, exploring Mackinac Island and a trip to the Henry Ford Museum. Unlike many cruises, the cost of excursions are built into the price, which ranges from $4,199-$7,999 per person.
“Being a smaller ship, it’s more about exploring the lakes, learning the history of the lakes,” Conlin said. “It’s more of an enrichment experience, an educational experience. It just happens that it’s a very nice boat you’re on.”
Other trips along the route are set for July 14-23 and Aug. 28-Sept. 6, both leaving from Chicago.
The Montreal-Chicago route is one of several runs the cruise line offers on the Great Lakes, with other options including a tour of Lake Michigan, the Georgian Bay and a 15-night voyage between Chicago and Warren, R.I., that takes you through the Erie Canal, 30 locks and more. The cruise line has been offering voyages on the Great Lakes since 1997.
For more on the cruises, go to the Great Lakes Cruise Co. website.
