Cruising The Continent

New ships and itineraries fuel interest around North America.

- Katherine Rodeghier

CRUISE PASSENGERS WILL FIND more choices in ports and itineraries in North America in 2020, from paddle wheelers plying the Mississippi River to ocean liners skirting the East and West coasts of the United States and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Alaska continues as a hot spot, with steady growth in passengers on vessels big and small. Cruising the Great Lakes, once a niche market, is going mainstream to address travelers’ increasing curiosity about these five inland seas.

“Cruise ships have plied our waters for years,” said David Lorenz, chair, Cruise the Great Lakes, a collaboration of cruise lines and tourism bureaus formed in 2018 to promote cruising in the region. “The market has grown organically in recent years despite the lack of a consistent regional brand or marketing program.” Citing traffic of nearly 100,000 passenger port visits last year, he said the Cruise the Great Lakes initiative will “position the region for sustained cruising growth for years to come.”

From spring to fall, Great Lakes cruises venture across these vast inland waterways for “sea days” with no land in sight. Ships dock near the heart of cities, making it easy for passengers to explore on their own or take an excursion often included in the fare. Chicago and Toronto are frequent embarkation and disembarkation points, with port calls at Detroit and Mackinac Island, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; and Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Vessels are small enough to enter locks, including the busy Soo Locks between lakes Superior and Huron, and the eight locks of the Welland Canal bypassing Niagara Falls.