Enjoy a complimentary stay at the pre-cruise hotel. The evening allows time to become acquainted with the city. For your convenience, our Hospitality Desk will be located in the hotel, and our friendly staff can assist with everything from general questions about the upcoming voyage to reservations of premium experiences. Representatives will be available to provide suggestions for dining, entertainment, and sightseeing options to maximize your time here. 

Best known for its famous breweries, Milwaukee is also rich in history which is abundant in the revitalized architecture of downtown. The diversity of the city comes alive at the many outdoor festivals happening year-round, especially during summer. Year-round attractions include the Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum, and the Milwaukee County Zoo, home to more than 2,000 animals. The 20-acre Harley-Davidson Museum is also fascinating. In addition to interactive exhibits, motorcycle displays, and an engine room, visitors can take a behind-the-scenes tour to learn more about the history and heritage of the iconic brand. 

Located where a river meets the beautiful Lake Michigan, Muskegon has been known as the Lumber Queen of the world, the Port City, and the Riviera of the Midwest. Despite its various nicknames, the city has always been linked to the fresh waters that inspired its growth and have maintained its quality of life. Fur pelts, pine logs, and piston rings have traveled these waters to market. The Hudson Bay Company found riches in the furs from local forests. Chicago rebuilt itself with Muskegon timber after the great fire of 1871. During the lumbering era, Muskegon boasted more millionaires than any other town in America. 

The riverboat docks at Sturgeon Bay, located midway along the 90-mile Door Peninsula in Door County, Wisconsin. Named for the long, fish-shaped bay it borders, Sturgeon Bay was settled in 1850 when the first house was built along the waterfront. The town developed quickly after that and, later in the 19th century became a center of stone quarrying, with five quarries shipping limestone to ports throughout the region. In the 1880s, a new canal safely linked Sturgeon Bay to Lake Michigan, attracting thousands of ships and making Sturgeon Bay a center of maritime traffic and shipbuilding.  

Today Sturgeon Bay is a fisherman’s mecca, with some of the best bass fishing in the world. In addition to fishing, outdoor pursuits include kayaking, canoeing, biking around town or off-road on trails in Potawatomi State Park, or strolling the sand dunes at Whitefish Dunes State Park. 

 

Green Bay, Wisconsin’s oldest settlement, is a port city situated on the Bay of Green Bay. The very first residents were successful entrepreneurs. The area was visited in 1634 by Jean Nicolet, a French explorer who named it La Baye Verte or “The Green Bay” because of the greenish color of the water. By 1655 a fur-trading post had been established as had paper product manufacturing, and a thriving shipping industry. Green Bay became the gateway to a trade route that connected the Fox, Wisconsin, and Mississippi rivers. From pelts for European milliners to the invention of splinter-free toilet paper in the early 1900s, Green Bay area settlers strategically used the waterways to increase growth and prosperity. With a wealth of natural resources, Green Bay became a major shipping center. The city’s legacy employers remain in the paper and shipping industries. 

Scheduling one of the available Mackinac Island Michigan cruises is an excellent way to explore the area. These cruises take you to beautiful Mackinac Island, where you can spend time among nature or stroll the downtown area. As most of the island is covered by a state park (about 80%), you'll find stunning views wherever you turn. Multiple opportunities abound for taking a step back into Mackinac Island's rich history with immersive experiences featuring living history interpreters. 

Guided by a comfortable vessel, visiting Mackinac Island is an excellent option for a getaway. This island is a unique destination famous for its car-free streets and fudge. It features many family-friendly activities and attractions that appeal to various interests, including a butterfly house.   

Sault Ste. Marie or “the Sault” is located in Michigan and Ontario. There are two separate cities side by side in different countries; bridged together by name and commerce. Culture beats through street veins that connect these harbors to the distinctly different North American countryside beyond each border. Sault Ste. Marie is the oldest city in Michigan and among the oldest cities in the United States. Some 2,000 years ago, Native Americans settled here for the fish and fur found along the rushing waters of the turbulent river that linked the Great Lakes of Huron and Superior. In the 1600s, French fur traders began calling this burgeoning settlement Sault du Gastogne. In 1668, the Jesuit explorer Fr. Jacques Marquette renamed it Sault Ste. Marie in honor of the Virgin Mary. Throughout its history, the St. Mary’s River has continued to dominate the life and events of Sault Ste. Marie – as it continues to do so today. 

The port of Little Current is quite literally the gateway to the world’s largest freshwater island – Manitoulin – considered sacred by the native Anishinaabe people. Considering the only land access to the island is the iconic swing bridge on the east end of town, it’s an apt tagline. Recognized as one of the best freshwater boating regions in the world, an evening stroll along the boardwalk will reveal boats from all over the Great Lakes Basin and the east coast of Canada, as well as the U.S.

These waters are home to a vast variety of wildlife – trout, salmon, walleye, smallmouth bass, crawfish, freshwater sponges, and sea lamprey, to name a few. That buffet attracts raptors such as hawks and bald eagles and waterfowl such as ducks, swans, and geese. Relax and enjoy the view on your own time on this peaceful lake cruising day. Sip a midmorning consommé, breathe in the fresh lake air on the upper deck, share convivial conversation with other guests, or delve into a captivating book as you look forward to yet another astounding sunset on the water. 

Detroit, commonly known as the “Motor City,” is vibrant, progressive, and busting at the seams with charm. The West Canfield Historic District, located on Canfield Avenue between Second and Third streets, is the only block in Detroit lined on both sides with well-preserved Victorian homes and broad sidewalks. Corktown, the city’s oldest neighborhood, has charming little shops and great places to eat. If architecture and history are appealing, visit the Guardian Building. Built-in the 1920s, this building known as the Cathedral of Finance, is one of the foremost Art Deco-style skyscrapers in the world. 

Step off the ship onto what some call America’s “North Coast” and discover why Clevelanders are so fiercely proud of their home. The reinvented city reverberates with vitality and a cool new atmosphere. Expand your mind at the world-class Cleveland Museum of Art, with over 45,000 works to explore. You can also feel the backbeat at the museum devoted to one of America’s finest gifts to the world – the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. An optional premium experience to Geauga County offers a glimpse into a simpler way of life with a visit to an Amish home for a traditional wedding feast. 

 

You dock at Port Colborne, located on Lake Erie. Originally called Gravelly Bay, after the shallow, bedrock-floored bay upon which it sits, the city traces its roots to the United Empire Loyalist settlements established in the area following the American Revolution. The original village was renamed after Sir John Colborne, the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada at the time the Welland Canal’s new southern terminus opened in 1833. In the year 1888, American tourists from southern states began building vacation homes on the lakeshore of the western edge of the town. By 1890, these southern transplants had created an entire gated community called The Humberstone Club. Over 30 grand summer homes, along with a variety of clubhouses and service buildings, were built along the lake in the following years, many of which still stand today on historic Tennessee Avenue. Described by the city as “Niagara’s South Coast,” tourism is important to Port Colborne’s local economy.

A Frenchman named Etienne Brule was sent into the “Canadian” wilderness by the famous explorer Samuel de Champlain in the early 1600s. Brule found the river and portage routes from the St. Lawrence Seaway to Lake Huron, possibly Lakes Superior, and Michigan, and eventually Lake Ontario. The native Huron peoples had long called this area between the Humber and Don rivers “Toronto,” believed to mean “meeting place.” A bustling village evolved into a French trading post. After the British won the Seven Years’ War, the settlement was renamed York in 1793. More than 40 years later, the city officially became Toronto on March 6, 1834. 

The port of Gananoque is located at the confluence of St Lawrence and Gananoque rivers, in the heart of The Thousand Islands – a North American archipelago comprised of 1,864 islands that straddle the Canada-U.S. border in the St Lawrence River as it emerges from Lake Ontario. They stretch for about 50 miles (80 km) downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario and the U.S. islands are in the state of New York. Recognized as one of Eastern Ontario’s most stunning waterfront communities Gananoque can mean “Water Rising over Rocks” or “Garden of the Great Spirit,” depending on who you ask. And equally colorful is the life of Joel Stone, who was granted the land by the British in 1793. He started with 700 acres and a flour mill and then saw the potential to develop lumbering, mining, and milling. Indeed, by the early 19th century, the Gananoque River was lined on both banks by numerous mills, a tannery, a tool manufacturing plant, and a harness and carriage factory. The influence of the river to the town continues today, for the people that call this place home, those that summer on the islands, and visitors. 

As the journey concludes, there are other opportunities for you to take in the town. Enjoy the city at your leisure, or consider a post-cruise premium experience with airport transfer.