Great Lakes Grand Discovery
« All Yorktown cruise options
- Day 1 Toronto, Ontario, Canada / Embark
- Day 2 Welland Canal / Niagara Falls
- Day 3 Cruising Lake Erie / Detroit
- Day 4 Detroit
- Day 5 Alpena, Michigan / Presque Isle
- Day 6 Mackinac Island
- Day 7 Manistique
- Day 8 Sault St Marie, Michigan / Agawa Canyon, Ontario
- Day 9 Pictured Rocks / Marquette
- Day 10 Houghton, Keweenaw Peninsula
- Day 11 Duluth, Minnesota
| Dates | Deck + Cabin Type | ||||||
| E | D | C | B | A | AA | S | |
| Jul 29 '13 Aug 8 '13 * |
$5,595 | $6,295 | $6,995 | $7,695 | $8,395 | $8,995 | $9,595 |
| Port charges & taxes: $235 per person * Itinerary operates in reverse |
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Please note: Cruise fare does not include fuel surcharges.
Deposit & Payment Day 1 Toronto, Ontario, Canada / Embark
Fly to Toronto and transfer to the pier to embark the Yorktown.
Day 2 Welland Canal / Niagara Falls
Arrive this morning at Port Weller, from where Yorktown begins the dramatic passage from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie via the Welland Canal. A series of seven locks designed as a continuous flight of “stairs” lifts Yorktown 324 feet over a distance of 27 miles. From the decks of the ship witness the mechanics of this engineering marvel, which took over 100 years to complete. Stay on board for the entire transit or disembark for an excursion to Niagara Falls, one of North America’s most spectacular natural wonders, where you’ll see both the American Falls and Horseshoe (Canadian) Falls.
Day 3 Cruising Lake Erie / Detroit
Enjoy a day at sea as Yorktown navigates through Lake Erie and into the Detroit River. Pass by the glittering city of Detroit with its beautifully renovated International Riverfront, attractive waterfront parks, and the Renaissance Center, home of General Motors world headquarters. Enter Lake St. Clair and navigate through the St. Clair River, a component of the Great Lakes Waterway, to Lake Huron.
Day 4 Detroit
In the morning, tour the Henry Ford Museum and enjoy free time in Greenfield Village, an indoor/outdoor history museum complex housing a wide array of historical buildings, machinery, exhibits, and Americana. In the afternoon, visit the Ford Rouge Factory to see how environmental innovation meets industrial production at this state-of-the-art facility.
Day 5 Alpena, Michigan / Presque Isle
Arrive in Thunder Bay to call at the lovely town of Alpena, home to an outstanding maritime museum with displays on Great Lakes maritime history. There is also the opportunity to travel north to the small peninsula of Presque Isle, an untouched place of great beauty with two historic lighthouses. Pristine forests, numerous inland lakes and 72 miles of Lake Huron shoreline on the central flyway make Presque Isle a birder’s paradise.
Day 6 Mackinac Island
Arrive in beautiful Mackinac Island, a Victorian-era haven where cars are forbidden and bicycles share the road with horse-drawn carriages. Explore this idyllic island and see the ancient limestone formations that were considered sacred by the Straits Indians; the impressive Fort Mackinac, built atop a high cliff by the British in 1780; and the landmark Victorian Grand Hotel. Also enjoy free time to stroll along streets lined with ginger-bread trimmed buildings and browse in the charming shops.
Day 7 Manistique
Sail into Lake Michigan to call at Manistique, a small town on the bucolic Garden Peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan. Explore this scenic and peaceful area, including the Big Spring, in Palms Book State Park, its crystal clear waters stretching 200 feet across; and Fayette, the center of a large smelting operation in the 19th century, now one of the country’s most evocative industrial ghost towns, protected as a state park site.
Day 8 Sault St Marie, Michigan / Agawa Canyon, Ontario
Dock at Sault Ste. Marie where you will have a choice of excursions. In Sault Ste. Marie see the Soo Locks from the viewing platform in town and visit a 1917 Great Lakes freighter, now a museum. Alternatively, take a full-day tour by train travels inland through the magnificent scenery of the Agawa Canyon. After leaving Sault St. Marie, Yorktown transits the Soo Locks, known as the busiest in the world, where some 12,000 ships pass annually.
Day 9 Pictured Rocks / Marquette
Spend the morning at sea sailing along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a 40-mile stretch of pristine natural wonders along Lake Superior’s southern coast. The colorful sandstone cliffs are of particular interest, having created beautiful arches, caves, and other formations over time. In the afternoon call in Marquette. Explore this picturesque city on Lake Superior, including a visit to the Marquette Maritime Museum and Lighthouse.
Day 10 Houghton, Keweenaw Peninsula
Today Yorktown will navigate through the Portage Waterway, the narrow channel that separates Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula from the mainland, to call at quaint Houghton, built on a bluff facing the channel. Keweenaw witnessed the country’s first mineral rush, when vast deposits of copper were discovered in 1840. By the time the rush was over early in the 20th century, copper had generated enormous wealth, estimated to be ten times more than the money generated by the California Gold Rush. The legacy of the copper rush is still evident today in the abandoned mines, deserted settlements nestled in the forest, and the opulent buildings in the region’s towns. Explore this historic region, including a visit to a copper mine.
Day 11 Duluth, Minnesota
Fly to Duluth, Minnesota and transfer to the pier to embark the Yorktown.
Itinerary Notes
PROGRAM INCLUSIONS:- 10-night cruise aboard the 138-guest Yorktown
- Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions aboard ship
- All meals aboard ship
- Complete program of tours and excursions
- Educational program of lectures and discussions by accompanying guest lecturer
- Professional tour staff
- Complete pre-departure materials
- Baggage handling and transfers abroad on the designated program arrival date
- Gratuities to porters, guides, and drivers
Deposit & Payment
Initial deposit is $950, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, and Discover. Alternatively, you can send a check to our Missoula, Montana, office or register online at: https://www.adventure-life.com/forms/fourways.php
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure.
Final payment by bank transfer, check or Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Amex. Credit Card payments subject to 3% convenience fee and maximum $15,000 charge.
Booking last minute? No problem! Please contact one of our trip planners, and we can get you on your way if booking less than 100 days prior to departure.
Click here to see a copy of our Terms and Conditions.
Cancellation Policy
| Days Prior to departure | Fee |
|---|---|
| 91 days or more | $500 |
| 90-61 days | 55% cruise cost |
| 60-0 days | 100% cruise cost |
Yorktown
- Ship Highlights
- Passengers : 138
The Yorktown is the perfect vessel for relaxed and convivial exploration of America’s great coastal waterways. Built in Florida in 1988 specifically for coastal cruising and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Yorktown flies the American flag and is staffed by friendly and experienced American officers and crew. 257 feet long, 43 feet wide, with a draft of 8 feet, the Yorktown is able to maneuver in secluded waterways and visit small ports that are inaccessible to larger vessels. And Yorktown’s American registry makes it possible to operate domestic itineraries unavailable to foreign-flag ships.
In addition to a large sun deck, the Yorktown boasts a spacious lounge for social gatherings and lectures as well as quiet space for private conversation. The ship’s cuisine, served in a dining room large enough to accommodate all guests at once, emphasizes American regional culinary traditions and specialties. Both the lounge and dining room are surrounded by large picture windows that afford unobstructed
views of the passing scenery.
Accommodating 138 guests in 69 exterior cabins, the Yorktown enjoys an atmosphere of warm and relaxed informality that endears it to repeat and new guests alike.
Measuring 257 feet long, 43 feet wide, and with a draft of just eight feet, the ship's easy maneuverability and shallow draft enable exploration of secluded waterways beyond the reach of bigger ships. A fleet of motorized landing craft can be launched in minutes for spontaneous landings on small islands and deserted beaches.
| Cabins | |
|---|---|
 | E Outside cabins with two lower beds, two portholes, private shower & toilet. Cabins M11-M17 |
| D Outside cabins with two lower beds, two windows, private shower & toilet. Cabins L43-48 | |
 | C Outside cabins with two lower beds, two windows, private shower & toilet. Cabins P49-P76 |
| B Outside cabins with two lower beds, two picture windows, private shower & toilet. Cabins M18-M26 | |
 | A Outside cabins with two lower beds, two picture windows, private shower & toilet. Cabins L29-L42 |
 | AA Outside cabins with two lower beds (converts to queen), two picture windows, private shower & toilet. Cabins L27-28, P59-60 |
 | S Superior outside cabins with walk-out balcony, queen bed, private shower & toilet. Cabins S77-S80 |
