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Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about creating photo galleries to share their personal travel experiences around the world with their readers. Their articles have been featured on 10Best for the past decade, as well as in national and international print and online media. Cruise passengers gather on the bow of the Viking Octantis as it transits from Lake Huron into Lake Superior via the Soo Locks on St. Marys River in Michigan. The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System is considered one of the longest deep draft navigation systems, and one of the most outstanding engineering feats of the 20th century. A new Panama and South America itinerary will take guests through the famous Panama Canal and along the western coast of South America, stopping at ports in Lima, Peru; Quito, Ecuador; and Cozumel in Mexico.
Exploring the Great Lakes with Viking Cruises - Canadian Geographic
Exploring the Great Lakes with Viking Cruises.
Posted: Mon, 08 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Viking Great Lakes Cruise Itineraries Visit Big Cities and Hidden Gems
All transfers must be in conjunction with a Viking-purchased cruise, cruisetour, land extension or extra hotel nights. Viking reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares, fees and surcharges at any time. The cruise ship fuel surcharge is additional revenue to Viking Cruises, as are any additional charges relating to currency fluctuation other than for fully paid cruise fares and full fares, which fluctuations are beyond our control. I feel a sense of awe, respect and trepidation as I stare out at the lake’s unpredictable waters. The world’s largest freshwater lake is 406 metres at its deepest, with waves that can get as high as 9 metres (30 feet).
Highlights of Great Lakes Cruises
A crane lifts John, the sub, off the floor of a giant hangar and slides it out a hatch into the water. Then, a Zodiac takes us out to the 11-tonne beast, which can submerge to 300 metres for up to 10 hours. She tells us that 50 species are at risk here, including the bald eagle, Blanding’s turtle, Massasauga rattlesnake, and many other mammals, reptiles, plants, fish, and insects. These are all at risk because of climate change, invasive species, and human development’s encroachment on the ecosystem.
Viking Great Lakes Cruises Offer Fascinating Glimpse of Regional Nature, Wildlife
Demand is so high that Viking has decided to deploy its second expedition ship, Viking Polaris, to the region in 2023. And we got up early (with more than 50 other passengers) to witness the weekly -- for now -- launching of a weather balloon off the top deck. Thanks to its partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Viking Octantis (and Viking Polaris) have joined the sanctioned list of 102 other weather balloon launch stations sanctioned by the U.S. The balloons have transmitters that collect data on wind, temperature, and pressure.
Octantis and Polaris are the only cruise vessels permitted to release helium-filled weather balloons with a radiosonde that helps with storm prediction. One morning, we have the thrill of watching the ship scientists release the balloon off deck seven. We then reconvene at Expedition Central to watch the data—temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity—being transmitted in real-time. Octantis has an impressive working science lab that collects biological, atmospheric, and oceanographic data. Up to 36 experts, including an expedition leader, photographer, naturalists, field research scientists, and various specialists, accompany each journey.
NEW! Canada & East Coast Explorer
From urban skylines to uninhabited islands, discover North America’s wilderness alongside renowned cultural attractions while cruising the striking waterways of the Great Lakes. Immerse yourself in the lakes’ compelling shipping history, experience the power of the thundering Niagara Falls and keep watch for scores of migratory birds at Point Pelee. Led by a team of experts, explore sheltered bays and woodlands to uncover complex ecosystems and hidden treasures. For starters, there's a 36-person expedition team, which includes scientists, marine specialists, naturalists and guides.
Day by Day
The submarines, in particular, require that passengers sign a waiver, acknowledge they can transfer to and from the sub from a zodiac, and agree to be weighed. If not being able to ride in the sub or use some of the other special equipment would ruin your vacation, this probably isn't the right trip for you. Viking's 15-day itineraries visit all five of the Great Lakes, giving passengers a chance to traverse the Soo Locks as well as visit Niagara Falls. The shorter, eight-day cruises use either Thunder Bay, Ontario, or Milwaukee as a homeport and visit lakes Huron, Superior and Michigan. These, too, go through the Soo Locks, dubbed the “Linchpin of the Great Lakes” by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. In Georgian Bay (Parry Sound), Ontario, some passengers opted for landscape painting with a local artist, while others learned about local efforts to revive the craft of making birch bark canoes.
Legendary waters & scenic landscapes
Expedition Central is also where we spent time studying the dozen full-size felt birds, including a bald eagle, a red headed woodpecker, and a common loon, that we were likely to see for real in the wild, during our trip. Viking commissioned felt artist Susan Beal from Vermont to make 96 super-realistic birds so that different sets can be displayed in each region Octantis (and Polaris) will visit. Many much-appreciated stateroom amenities, such as heated bathroom floors and 24-hour room service, are carried over here too. In a pre-cruise media presentation in the ship’s impressive, high-tech auditorium called the Aula, Hagen said it was partly because cruising out of Chicago just did not work out.
Highlights of the Great Lakes & Canada Cruises
(American Queen Voyages is the only Great Lakes cruise provider who currently sails from Navy Pier in Chicago). The paths along the Killarney Mountain Lodge on Georgian Bay offer pristine views of the lake and its unique flora and fauna. It's also the site of The Big Dipper, completed in 2020 by Canada's most famous canoeist, Mike Ranta. Weighing in at 22,000 pounds with a length of 110 feet, it carries the distinction of being the world's largest paddle. The quaint town of Parry Sound, Ontario, boasts the world's deepest natural freshwater port.
Discover the maze of granite islands that comprise Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve while hiking and kayaking through its tranquil beauty and admiring sweeping vistas. Experience Victorian charm on Mackinac Island and venture into the boreal forests of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park on Lake Superior’s northern shore. Explore coastal wetlands replete with birdlife, comb pristine beaches and get acquainted with native cultures of the northern Great Lakes. Sail the vast waterways of the Great Lakes, the largest freshwater system in the world.
John bobs around in the waves as I clamber, in special dive shoes, onto the floating platform, down the hatch into one of six passenger seats. We face the centre and once the hatch closes, our seats rotate 180 degrees to watch the water through 270-degree spherical windows made of acrylic. As the pilot takes us deeper and deeper, I have no sense of how far down we are, as there is no air pressure change.
The Ojibway used to run birch bark canoes up and down the Seguin River, called the Ziigwaan in Anishinaabe. In 2019, the Georgian Bay Anishinaabek Youth group built a traditional canoe from birch bark, cedar, white ash and white spruce, a practice deeply rooted in their culture, connecting people to the water, land and one another. Beautifully designed with a minimalist style and focus on Scandi hygge, the ship serves as a research vessel supporting environmental protection in the Great Lakes and incorporates visits to Indigenous communities. "It's in our backyard, and it's one of the largest ecosystem services we have in the world," Errera said of the region. "I don't think people have had a chance to explore them and see how big they really are."
No surprise that it is the resting place of more than 350 ships, the most famous memorialized in Gordon Lightfoot’s song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The two expedition ships carry 378 passengers apiece and blend nature exploration with comfort and luxury. Both ships have a wide variety of restaurants, comfortable and spacious cabins, and a highly credentialed expedition team whose aim is to help guests learn about the destinations they visit and the creatures that call the Great Lakes home.
Explore the picturesque islands of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve and admire their bucolic landscapes. Venture out to Flowerpot Island in the Fathom Five National Marine Park and marvel at the stunning pink granite isles of the Benjamins Islands. Participate in lab studies as you explore coastal wetlands and delve into the Native cultures of the Great Lakes.
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