Cruising the Great Lakes

Travel with alumni and friends from September 22 to 29, 2024 on a seven-night program cruising all five of the Great Lakes — Ontario, Erie, Superior, Huron and Michigan.

As one of the largest surface fresh water ecosystems on Earth, and the gateway between the Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest, the Great Lakes are ideal for exploring North America’s rich maritime history, passion for invention and sublime natural wonders.

You’re invited to unpack once and cruise aboard the five‑star Le Bellot, featuring only 92 suites and staterooms, each with a private balcony. Navigate a course through Great Lakes’ history and pristine beauty beginning at the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls, where a thunderous cascade of crashing water summons one of life’s most mesmerizing spectacles. Continue on to discover Detroit, Michigan, home to world-class museums and Motown. Indulge in visits to beloved Tobermory and charming Mackinac Island, and enjoy an enthralling transit of the Soo Locks.

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 22 – 29, 2024
Rates: $5,895 – $19,660 per person based on double occupancy. Taxes are an additional $450 per person.

Traveling solo? Select categories 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:

Day 1 – Depart Home City / Toronto, Canada / Embark the ship / Lake Ontario / Welland Canal

Arrive in Toronto and cruise 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. Enjoy a Captain’s Welcome Reception this evening.

Day 2 – Niagara Falls / Lake Erie

Drive to Niagara Falls and ride the Hornblower Cruise Funicular up the 19-story rock walls of the Great Gorge and back down. 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. This evening, cruise Lake Erie.

Day 3 – Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

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.

Day 4 – Detroit / Lake Huron

Visit the acclaimed Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. See Henry Ford’s birthplace, two of Thomas Edison’s workshops, and Orville and Wilbur Wright’s bicycle shop. This evening, cruise Lake Huron.

Day 5 – 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.

Day 6 – Soo Locks / Lake Superior / Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, U.S.

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.

Day 7 – Mackinac Island / Lake Michigan

On Mackinac Island, enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride to dramatic Arch Rock. Continue on a guided tour of Fort Mackinac. Stop at the Grand Hotel for lunch and return to the ship by carriage. Cruise Lake Michigan and attend the Captain’s Farewell Reception this evening.

Day 8 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin / Return to home city

Disembark continue onto the Milwaukee Post-Program Option or transfer to the airport for your return flight home.

 

Inclusions:

• Included Transfers and luggage handling if your arrival(s)/departure(s) coincide with the scheduled group transfer(s) and your air is booked by Gohagan
• 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
• Toronto Pre-Program and Milwaukee 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