VCL Chairman

How are we different from the competition? Well for one thing, Victory Cruise Lines is the ONLY coastal cruising product on the Great Lakes that docks and embarks at Navy Pier in Chicago - the heart of downtown Chicago. Victory Cruise Lines also offers 39 voyages on the Great Lakes in a single season - lots of dates to choose from. Victory Cruise Lines has the MOST “bucket list” coastal cruises in a single season that hit all five Great Lakes in ONE cruise, 33 voyages. Victory Cruise Lines spends 11-13 hours in EVERY port on The Great Lakes. Victory Cruise Lines is the ONLY coastal cruising product that includes 1-Night Pre-Cruise Hotel at a premium hotel property (4-star and above) plus ground transfers to the ships for ALL voyages. Are you ready to sail with us now?

Thanks for the warm welcome. Our team of industry veterans is passionate about the Great Lakes and so excited to connect iconic cities like Chicago, Toronto, Detroit and Cleveland with quaint lakeside communities like Mackinac Island and Sault Ste Marie. We are planning an incredible shore excursions program that will tap into the history, culture and sheer natural beauty of the region. Our shore excursions team just returned from visiting the ports and I look forward to sharing all the activities. Onboard, guests will enjoy Victory Cruise Lines exclusive LakeLorian® lecture program including engaging, destination-oriented historians and naturalists who share their vast knowledge and expertise of the history, ecology, and culture of each port of call. Victory I and Victory II feature a home-away-from-home atmosphere with gathering spots including the Compass Lounge, home to a grand piano and a favorite locale for old fashioned sing-alongs. The English-style Tavern is another favorite onboard venue to share stories and laughter with friends and fellow travelers. Guests may lounge on the aft deck on the Observation and Sun Deck with cushioned outdoor sofas, the perfect place to celebrate a successful excursion, gather for afternoon cocktails, amber sunsets, or late-night stargazing. I get excited just thinking about it and can’t wait to welcome you onboard.

On Victory I and Victory II, smoking is permitted on the Sun Deck at the very top of the ship, in a designated smoking area.

I am so thrilled to be here, chatting with the Cruise Critic Forum. Each Victory Cruise Lines voyage includes 1-night pre-cruise hotel stay with complimentary ground transfers between the hotel and vessel; all ocean/LAKEview accommodations, some with veranda; an included shore excursion in every port from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland to the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit; acclaimed cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner served in multiple venues plus culinary events throughout each cruise; gourmet selections including freshly prepared lobster and regionally-inspired dishes; unlimited beverages including an extensive wine list, choice spirits, local craft beers and specialty coffees; open bars and lounges throughout the vessel; unlimited Wi-Fi; live, daily onboard entertainment and enrichment with our own LakeLorians®; hiking sticks. How does that sound?

Thanks for your enthusiasm. My wife Claudette and I didn’t grow up on the Great Lakes but we sure love them. Victory I and Victory II will be a wonderful way to experience these natural treasures. The best way to describe the onboard experience is cruising with a group of like minded travelers that are or will become lifelong friends. These ships have wonderful gathering areas like the Tavern for a cocktail/small bites or the Compass Lounge, to listen to our LakeLorian share tales about Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and every place in between. We’ll have live music including singers and musicians for lively good times and plenty of fun games. You may feel like you are at a friend’s lake house or a floating bed and breakfast sailing from port to port!