Table Of Content
River cruises dock right in the heart of your destinations which puts you in the center of the action. Choose from offered excursions, independent exploration of a seamless combination of both. Many river cruises offer a complimentary excursion in each port, FREE Wi-Fi, onboard beverages with meals – such as wine, beer and more.
Checking out the world's largest paddle
I eat dinner most nights at the buffet-style World Café, which has a sushi bar and amazing seafood, including surf and turf. At Manfredi’s (one of four restaurants on the ship), I try the excellent bistecca alla Fiorentina, porcini mushroom soup and gnocchi alla romana. Mansen’s, a casual deli named for Viking Founder and Chairman Torstein Hagen’s mother, serves traditional Norwegian food, including smorbrod (open-faced sandwiches) and heart-shaped waffles with brown goat cheese.
Are the Submarines Being Used on Viking Great Lakes Cruises?
For those who have sailed on one of Viking’s ocean ships, the Octantis expedition ship (and its twin, Viking Polaris, which will begin sailing later in 2022) will immediately feel familiar. The 665-foot-long, Polar Class 6 ship carries 378 guests and 256 crewmembers and sailed its inaugural in Antarctica before heading north. It is summering in the Great Lakes region before heading back to the Antarctic and other destinations. While there are many Viking shore excursions on Mackinac Island, we decided to hike up to Fort Mackinac State Historic Park, where we saw this lovely panorama with a view of our ship. Cross the width of Lake Superior between Duluth and the Soo Locks, exploring the lake’s North Shore Inside Passage as you sail. To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below.
Chilean Fjords & Scenic Shores
For cruise and travel enthusiasts looking for something familiar yet different and closer to home, Great Lakes River Cruises are a perfect fit. Explore parts of the U.S. and Canada on lovely, well-appointed and smaller ships wherein you can experience wonderful locales and meet like-minded new friends. Itineraries include sailings in the U.S. from Milwaukee, Mackinac Island, Duluth, Detroit and Chicago. While our canceled sub ride was disappointing, there were plenty of other activities to keep us engaged and entertained off the ship during our one sea day and our days in tiny ports. In each port there is at least one included excursion, although most days there were several additional included hikes and other activities led by members of the ship’s expedition team or local guides.
Ask your Viking Expert for more information.Pre & Post Cruise Extensions vary by itinerary and are subject to change. Discover this car-free island by carriage, bicycle or on foot; kayak along the shoreline. All offers are based on select sailings and categories and are subject to availability at time of booking. Nor do I catch a glimpse of Mishipeshu, the legendary lynx-like water spirit the Ojibwe believe dwells in the depths of the lake, a symbol of its great power. Casson painted a watercolour of this same spectacular scene, with the mouth of the Baie Fine in the near distance, the La Cloche Islands in the mid-distance, and Manitoulin Island in the skyline. He called it “Baie Fine Entrance,” and he used the power of his artistry to successfully advocate for preventing this pristine treasure from becoming a mine and declaring it a provincial park.
The Georgian Bay Biosphere has helped rescue turtle eggs from road construction, planted 500 native plants in pollinator patches throughout the Biosphere, and opened an apiary housing thousands of honey bees. While most passengers on board appear to be Americans, I do meet some Canadians keen for a grand adventure close to home. Bev Vanstone, from Toronto, spotted the ship last summer from her cottage near Killbear Provincial Park. Though not an off-the-ship excursion, a highlight of this Great Lakes itinerary is the ship’s passage through the gravity-powered Soo Locks, which were built in 1885 and connect Lake Superior to Lake Huron. Staterooms have plenty of storage space, coffeemakers, high-quality loaner binoculars, and a drying closet for bathing suits and other wet gear.
Viking cruise ship docks in Cleveland on maiden Great Lakes voyage - Axios
Viking cruise ship docks in Cleveland on maiden Great Lakes voyage.
Posted: Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Visiting Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada
And once the balloon was out of sight, passengers rushed to Expedition Central to watch the real-time data arriving on the computers. Outdoors, the sunken Finse Terrace, just outside the Aula auditorium, was our favorite spot for relaxing in an out-of-the-way retreat with heated couches, lava rock firepits, and a hedge surround. Indoors, we found plenty of comfortable seating nooks and viewing spots, along with an impressive art collection that includes historic black and white photograph reproductions from polar expeditions and of explorers such as Ernest Shackleton and Roald Amundsen. We found or sections honoring other iconic explorers such as aviator Amelia Earhart as well. The Viking Voyager app has a fact-filled audio tour on the art throughout the ship, but we were happy to just stop on each floor and in the corridors to be amazed at what these early adventurers endured.
Pre: Best of Chicago
GENERAL RESTRICTIONSCruise fares listed are cruise only in U.S. dollars, per person, based on double occupancy. Full brochure fares may not have resulted in actual sales in all stateroom categories and may not have been in effect during the last 90 days. Air promotion applies to roundtrip flights only from select Viking Cruises U.S. gateways and includes airport-to-ship or hotel transfers, air taxes and air fuel surcharges. Roundtrip airport transfers are included when air is purchased with a cruise or cruisetour package; if air is not purchased from Viking, transfers may be purchased separately.
Kayak the pristine waters of the Benjamin Islands, keeping your eyes peeled for wildlife. Kayak over the remains of a submerged silver mine or visit the steep slopes of Ouimet Canyon. Get a close-up view of the majesty of the falls, including the largest, Horseshoe Falls. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society acknowledges that its offices are located on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Peoples, who have been guardians of, and in relationship with, these lands since time immemorial. We further acknowledge and recognize that our work reaches across all First Nations territories, Métis Homelands and Inuit Nunangat, and for this we are grateful. Finally, there is a baited remote underwater video system that can measure fish population, diversity, and size underwater.
And with two new expedition ships, Viking Cruises will deliver learning and adventure in style. More days means more to discover, with extension packages you can add before or after your Viking cruise or cruisetour. Maximize the value of your overseas flight and enjoy additional days to explore your embarkation or disembarkation city, or see a new destination altogether with a choice of exciting cities.Pre & Post Cruise Extensions vary by itinerary and are subject to change. Cruise to popular cities and scenic towns experiencing the best they have to offer in arts, entertainment, food, relaxation and more.
Passengers are encouraged to upload photos and details of their wildlife sightings onto apps such as iNaturalist, eBird, and Globe Cloud Observer. The ship also has a ferry box that measures the water’s temperature, oxygen, and evidence of microplastics, building up a data set about how the water is changing. This data is shared with scientists at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, which is engaged in water research. But still, the experience is sublime and renews my respect for these beautiful bodies of water, which should never be taken for granted.
The Canadian Pacific Railroad trestle adds to the picturesque views to behold in this charming port-of-call. Made famous by the 1980 movie "Somewhere in Time," filmed on location here, Mackinac Island is a gem of the Great Lakes cruise. Steeped in the charm of simpler times, this bucolic haven in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan preserves picturesque Victorian buildings along car-free streets traversed only by horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and pedestrians. The journey includes stops in Niagara Falls, Door County in Wisconsin, and Michigan's Mackinac Island, a car-free oasis where horse-drawn carriages are a preferred method of transportation. Viking Expeditions launched a new 15-day Great Lakes itinerary for summer 2023 starting in Toronto and sailing to Duluth, Minn. — giving passengers the chance to experience each of the five Great Lakes. Often cruise lines offer special rates that cannot be displayed to the general public.
This includes lectures and even lab work, as Viking's expedition ships are working science vessels, and they engage their passengers in "citizen science." Ashore, the Great Lakes are a birders paradise, a great spot to spot bald eagles, loons, sandhill cranes and cormorants. To aid in spotting, Viking has an ornithologist on its expedition team, as well as an onboard display of full-size, realistic felt birds of the region. The birds, works of art in themselves, are part of a larger collection of birds Viking commissioned from Vermont felt artist Susan Beal. Wolves and bears are also found in the region and along the shores and may occasionally be spotted from the safety of zodiac and SOB rides.
Each ship is equipped with a wide range of expedition gear, including two yellow submarines (named Paul and George on Octantis and dubbed George and Ringo on Polaris) and two high-end Special Operations Boats, which are comically called SOBs. These military-grade vessels offer comfortable, high-speed journeys and are loaded and unloaded from inside the cruise ship. Rides on all these are free, though they require reservations and are subject to weather. Visiting the Great Lakes by expedition ship offers the opportunity to see the region in an intimate way. If you're booking this trip, be aware that the "toys" will not be used in U.S. waters and are sometimes unavailable due to weather or technical conditions.
We were pleased to see that Viking Octantis has made room for a well-equipped fitness room. We highly recommend adding a pre- or post-expedition overnight stay in Thunder Bay. The majestic Kakabeka Falls, known as the "Niagara of the North," is another highlight. Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is the home of the famous Sea Lion Arch, seen here from a Viking special operations boat. Outfitted with hydraulic seats and handrails for comfort and safety, this vessel explores the Great Lakes at an exhilarating speed. The boats are perfect for photographers as they get to different scenic points in record time.
In most ports on the Viking Great Lakes Cruises the list of included activities is much longer. Our scheduled submarine ride was canceled due to a technical issue, but those we spoke with who did get their turn in the sub enjoyed the novelty of the adventure, although most said they did not see much in the Great Lakes waters. And in the spirit of exploration (and because we asked nicely) Dr. Damon Stanwell-Smith, Viking’s Head of Science and Sustainability, was kind enough to bring out a set of the Antarctic felt birds, including penguins, for a special display. The new itinerary is among a handful Viking operates on the Great Lakes and one of a few new trips the cruise line has unveiled for 2023. It's set to take place aboard the new Viking Polaris, which can accommodate 378 guests in its 189 staterooms.
No comments:
Post a Comment