Saw a cruise ship today ...on lake St. Clair!!!!

Driving along the lake just up from Detroit, I was surprised to see a cruise ship on little lake St. Clair heading toward the Detroit River. After a bit of googling found out it's a German cruise ship - the MS Hamburg, which will be going some Great Lakes cruises.

Interesting news, thanks for sharing. I wonder what the itinerary is.

I think I remember a ship stopping in Owen Sound a few years ago, but it doesn't happen very often.

It seems rather late in the year for a cruise too far north, but the trees look beautiful in reds and golds. Lake Huron is calm today so I hope they have a good cruise.

http://mynorth.com/2014/10/cruise-ship-traverse-city-tours-northern-michigan-fall-colors/

Looks like it was doing a 16 night itinerary. Given the date of the article, it must have made at least two cruises up this way.

That's really cool. I was stationed on Lake St. Clair in the USCG in the mid 90s and it would have been cool to see a cruise ship sailing past the crib light. :)

Thanks for the info.

It would be great to stand on shore and see it sail by.

Here is her schedule:

September 24-October 11, 2014: 16-night Great Lakes cruise from Montreal to Toronto, the Welland Canal/Niagara, Windsor, Tobermory, Little Current, Chicago, Milwaukee, Traverse City, Mackinac Island, Kingston and return to Montreal.

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October 11-27, 2014: 16-night Great Lakes cruise from Montreal to Toronto, the Welland Canal/Niagara, Windsor, Tobermory, Little Current, Chicago, Milwaukee, Traverse City, Mackinac Island, Kingston and return to Montreal.

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October 27-November 12, 2014: 16-night Canada/New England cruise from Montreal to Gaspé, Sydney, Boston, Cape Cod Canal, New York, Martha’s Vineyard, Halifax, Cape Eternity, Quebec and back to Montreal.

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November 12-26, 2014: 14-night cruise from Montreal to Nassau via Quebec, Halifax, Boston, New York, Charleston and Savannah

The ship is scheduled back on the Great Lakes in 2015. I saw her in Boston in 2007 when she was sailing as the Columbus

Thanks for sharing this, buggins0402, looks like a great little ship! I see that the MS Hamburg is all of 15,000 gt with 420 passengers, and considered a luxury cruise ship. I like the 16 nt. itineraries provided in lannp's post. Not sure I'd want to experience a transatlantic on a ship her size, but there are two offered next year- one in summer and one in autumn. I think I'd stick to the Great Lakes!

Thanks for sharing this, buggins0402, looks like a great little ship! I see that the MS Hamburg is all of 15,000 gt with 420 passengers, and considered a luxury cruise ship. I like the 16 nt. itineraries provided in lannp's post. Not sure I'd want to experience a transatlantic on a ship her size, but there are two offered next year- one in summer and one in autumn. I think I'd stick to the Great Lakes!

She sure is a small ship compared to current standards. But it still would be a bugger portaging her past Niagara Falls!:eek:

;)

She sure is a small ship compared to current standards. But it still would be a bugger portaging her past Niagara Falls!:eek:

;)

Seeing her in lake St. Clair she looked like Allure!:D. Some of the freighters going by are long....but not that tall, so she just looked so big out there.

It probably would have been a pretty view for lunch dining....we're near full color and with the old lakefront mansions as a backdrop on this glorious fall day it would have been quite pleasant.

I thought this was the post I posted last summer....also the year before. One day, we were on the lake and thought the sighting was a mirage!! I told DH to go up to it---he thought it was one of those dinner boats...but it was the Yorktown. I wanted to wave, but everyone was at dinner. I'm not familiar with the ship you mentioned. It could be have been renamed...there was another small ship that did a similar itinerary maybe 3 years ago, the Columbia. We also saw that one while on the lake! It is very expensive to do that itinerary...this is another plus for living in this area, being able to see freighters and cruise ships! (May as well use this opportunity to mention we cancelled a cruise last month, hoping to see the Tigers go further...)

Here's link to another good article about the cruise http://www.theobserver.ca/2014/10/10/great-lakes-cruises-becoming-more-popular

Back in the 90's the MV Columbus use to do the route every year ...mainly German tourists

Then they stopped

I think it was last yr or 2012 they were sailing again in the Great Lakes

Pearl Seas is another line that does this route

We are considering that one maybe in 2016

Lyn

I see another new comer to the area in 2015

MV Saint Laurent a French line

Thank you for all the links -- lots of interesting information.

A few year ago I saw a cruise ship in Lake Ontario in the port of Rochester NY. I can't remember the name of it, but I know it was not the above one. I would love to do a Great Lake cruise.

A few year ago I saw a cruise ship in Lake Ontario in the port of Rochester NY. I can't remember the name of it, but I know it was not the above one. I would love to do a Great Lake cruise.

There were/are a few small lines that do the Great Lakes

Yorktown....not sure if they are still in Business

Blount

Pearl Seas

There was a small ship from Burlington VT that went to Montreal area they are also gone

Not really Great Lakes

St Lawrence River cruises ...they do Kingston to Montreal, Ottawa, other ports in St Lawrence

Years ago one of the Seabourn or Silversea ships used to go into Toronto

The MV Hamburg used to be the MS Columbus. She was purchased by another company and renamed. Columbus cruised the Great Lakes quite often a few years ago, as we would see her when visiting Chicago.

I read that she has an ice- strengthened hull, and is used to sailing in northern waters. The cruises sound fantastic! :)

I've got to go back and read some of those links but I was just so excited to see this topic - how cool is that? I KNEW there had to be a port near me :D

From the sound of the rest of you, sounds like they are really long cruises. I'd be so happy with Detroit to Chicago and back. Heck, they don't even need to bring me back - I'd still go!!

We actually checked out these Great Lakes Cruises.

Sound good but realized they were not for us. :o

Wow - this is cool. I didn't know that such cruises existed

They do not come cheap so most people would not even think of doing them

The Great Lakes can also be a bit nasty at times ;)

I keep hoping I will be able to do one some day

Lyn