Great Lakes USA-Canada
45
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
American Cruise Lines (36 Cruises)
American Patriot
36 Cruises
Aurora Expeditions (1 Cruises)
Lindblad Expeditions (2 Cruises)
Ponant (6 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
A voyage across five inland seas holding roughly a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, between Canada and the United States. It alternates major cities, wild archipelagos and dramatic locks.
Because the locks connecting the basins set the limits. No large cruise liner fits: itineraries are operated by modest-sized ships, often under 400 passengers, which completely changes the atmosphere on board.
May to October. Autumn colours arrive from mid-September and make one of the finest windows of the year; outside that season the lakes freeze and navigation stops.
Routes generally link Toronto or Milwaukee with Chicago, Detroit or Duluth, crossing several lakes in one or two weeks. Each itinerary combines city calls with island calls.
Yes. Itineraries cross the Canada-US border several times, with formalities at each crossing. A valid passport is essential, including for Canadians.
The signature call of most itineraries, where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet. Cars are banned: you move on foot, by bicycle or by horse-drawn carriage, which gives the island an out-of-time atmosphere.
Both: the Canadian dollar on the Canadian side, the US dollar on the American side. Credit cards settle the question in the vast majority of calls.
Yes, and it is striking for a Quebec traveller. Sault Sainte Marie, Detroit, Duluth: the place names still carry the trace of the French explorers and missionaries who opened these water routes.
Rarely, but it is not impossible. These are lakes without tides or ocean swell, yet their size lets the wind raise a short, unpleasant chop during autumn blows.
Better suited to families with teenagers. The ships are small, without kids' club facilities, and the programme rests on touring, nature and history rather than entertainment.
