Cruising the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are an ideal destination for exploring North America’s rich maritime history, passion for invention, and sublime natural wonders. This program cruises all five of the Great Lakes—Ontario, Erie, Superior, Huron, and Michigan. Journey with alumni and friends from Milwaukee to cosmopolitan Toronto from September 25 – October 2, 2023, when the region’s foliage begins to put on its breathtaking, vibrant show.

Cruise for seven nights and call at smaller ports to experience some of North America’s most alluring towns, visionary cities, and magnificent coastal scenery. Enjoy a nostalgic horse-drawn carriage ride along the picturesque streets of quaint Mackinac Island— unchanged for over 100 years—to the iconic Grand Hotel. Cruise the protected waters near Tobermory, Ontario, Canada, part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Transit the historic Soo Locks at Sault Sainte Marie and the Welland Canal near Niagara Falls, two of the world’s most celebrated 19th-century engineering feats and major catalysts for industrial growth and innovation.

An archetype for 20th-century urban growth and the birthplace of Motown, Detroit is undergoing a renaissance. Experience the Motor City’s fascinating cultural legacy at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Mansion, and the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. This journey through the Great Lakes’ history and natural splendor culminates with a visit to awe-inspiring Niagara Falls, where a thunderous cascade of crashing water summons one of life’s most mesmerizing spectacles.

This refined itinerary aboard the five-star Le Bellot, with all meals and excursions included, triumphs the vitality, dynamism, and natural beauty of North America’s five Great Lakes. Request your reservation online today while space and early booking savings are available. Please contact the Georgetown Travel Society at GeorgetownTravelSociety@Georgetown.edu or 866-525-8664 for more details.

Dates and Rates:

Trip Dates: September 25 – October 2, 2023
Rates: $4,995 – $16,095 per person based on double occupancy. Taxes are an additional $450 per person.

Traveling solo? Any available cabin may be reserved by single travelers at 160% of the per person double price (per person rate x 1.6),  or please contact us to inquire about any possible roommate options

Request your reservation online today while space and early booking savings are available. Please contact the Georgetown Travel Society at GeorgetownTravelSociety@Georgetown.edu or 866-525-8664 for more details.

Itinerary:

September 25 – Depart home city/ Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S./Embark Le Bellot 

Arrive in Milwaukee and embark Le Bellot. Enjoy the Captain’s Welcome Reception this evening.

September 26 – Mackinac Island/Lake Huron
Transfer to the National Historic Landmark, Grand Hotel Mackinac, and enjoy lunch in the hotel’s elegant Main Dining Room overlooking the world’s longest porch displaying the hotel’s many American flags, as well as the glistening Straits of Mackinac. This afternoon, set off on a nostalgic horse‑drawn carriage ride around the island with a photo stop at the famed Arch Rock. Continue to Fort Mackinac for a guided visit. Cruise Lake Huron this evening.

September 27 – Soo Locks/Lake Superior/Sault Ste. Marie
This morning, transit the Soo Locks from Lake Superior to Lake Huron and back. Arrive in Sault Ste. Marie and explore the SS Valley Camp, a retired lake freighter that is now a museum featuring
exhibits of faithfully restored living quarters and the tragic loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Continue to the Soo Locks Interpretation Center and watch colossal freighters lower 21 feet from Lake Superior to enter Lake Huron. This evening, cruise Lake Huron.

September 28 – Tobermory, Canada/Lake Huron
In Tobermory, embark on a glass‑bottom boat cruise from Little Tub Harbor to Big Tub Harbor. See the remains of the schooner Sweepstakes, Big Tub Lighthouse, and the Flowerpot Island. Enjoy time at leisure. Prepare for more stunning views this evening as you cruise across Lake Huron.

September 29 – Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Visit the acclaimed Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, which spotlights the creative genius of American inventor and innovators that represent defining moments in U.S. history. See Kennedy’s presidential limo, the chair where Lincoln was assassinated in Ford’s Theater, and the bus where Rosa Parks refused to vacate her seat.

September 30 – Detroit/Lake Erie
Visit the Detroit Institute of Arts, one of the most significant collections of art in the nation, housed in a magnificent Beaux Arts building. See Diego Rivera’s monumental Detroit Industry mural, which captures the city’s blue-collar history, as well as master works by Auguste Rodin; Michelangelo; Vincent van Gogh; Edgar Degas; and Paul Cézanne. Continue to Grosse Point to visit the Edsel and Eleanor Ford Mansion. This evening, cruise Lake Erie.

October 1 – Niagara Falls/Welland Canal/Lake Ontario
Drive to Niagara Falls and ride the Hornblower Cruise Funicular down the 19-story rock walls of the Great Gorge and back up. Cruise toward the base of Horseshoe Falls and experience the sheer force of this geological wonder. After a specially-arranged lunch, see the 410 million‑year‑old layers of the Niagara Gorge and the Whirlpool Rapids, among the world’s most extreme.Discover the Sir Adam Beck Power Station, the world’s first large‑scale hydroelectric generation project, and Niagara’s famous Floral Clock, intricately filled with 20,000 plants and flowers.
Reembark and continue through eight locks of the Welland Canal, one of North America’s most important economic lifelines. Constructed in the early 19th century, the canal links Lake Ontario to Lake Erie and was instrumental in opening the Great Lakes to commerce and prosperity; the canal carries nearly 40 million tons of cargo per year. Cruise Lake Ontario and attend the Captain’s Farewell Reception this evening.

October 2 – Toronto, Canada/Return to home city
Disembark continue onto the Toronto Post-Program Option or transfer to the airport for your return flight home

Inclusions:

• Transfers and luggage handling abroad for participants whose arrival(s)/departure(s) coincide with the scheduled group transfer(s).
• Experienced, English-speaking local guides for included excursions.
• Gratuities to local guides and drivers on included excursions and transfers.
• Complimentary bottled water in your Suite or Stateroom and on excursions.
• Hospitality desk aboard ship.
• Experienced team of Professional Travel Directors at your service.
• Complimentary use of an audio headset during guided excursions.

Highlights:

• Cruise in each of the five Great Lakes from Milwaukee to Toronto, visiting fascinating islands and quaint towns rich in maritime history and natural splendor.
• An excursion included in each port and specially arranged lectures on board.
• Full-day excursion to Niagara Falls, with a specially arranged cruise to Horseshoe Falls and a visit to the Floral Clock with an exclusive lunch overlooking the falls.
• Private, glass-bottom boat cruise through Big and Little Tub Harbors and around Flowerpot Island in Tobermory, Ontario.
• Horse-drawn carriage tour of Victorian Mackinac Island and clifftop Fort Mackinac, with a specially arranged lunch at the elegant, 19th century Grand Hotel.
• Transit Sault Sainte Marie’s mighty Soo Locks, an engineering marvel, between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
• Discover the cultural treasures of vibrant Detroit.
• Transit the Welland Canal, possible only by small ship.
• Enjoy onboard lectures from special guest speakers Ric Mixter (September 18 and September 25 departures) and Wes Oleszewski (October 10 departure).
• Milwaukee Pre-Program and Toronto Post-Program Options.

Not included:
 Airfare; Taxes; passport fees; visas and fees for obtaining visas; personal expenses such as laundry and telephone calls; accident/sickness, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance; gratuities to ship and hotel personnel; optional sightseeing excursions; excess baggage charges on aircraft; local departure air taxes; airfare and associated local taxes*, airport facility taxes and federal inspection fees not listed int he “included features” section of the program brochure; transfers and baggage handling to/from airport/hotel on day(s) of arrival and/or departure if you are arriving earlier or later and/or departing earlier or later that scheduled group transfer(s); meals and and alcoholic beverages not listed as Included ; and all other services not specifically mentioned in the complete program terms and condition at https://www.gohagantravel.com/terms