ST. LOUIS -- Clipper Cruise Line restructured its Great Lakes
small-ship cruising program this year by cutting the duration of
the cruise by nearly half.
The cruises have run as 15-day itineraries since Clipper entered
the Great Lakes in the mid-1990s, and, according to a Clipper
spokeswoman, the departures always filled up. This year the company
increased its capacity by cutting the programs to eight to 10 days
and adding more departures.
The result is four new itineraries for July and August, using
the 100-passenger Nantucket Clipper. The itineraries break the
lakes into sections, creating the opportunity to book back-to-back
cruises, for which Clipper gives a 10% discount.
According to spokeswoman, the Great Lakes program offers
sightseeing experiences that can be called "exotic," despite its
North America location. Passengers are accompanied by a historian
and a naturalist.
"You see a lot of out-of-the-way places you wouldn't necessarily
go to otherwise," said the spokeswoman. "There are so many great
things to experience so close to home."
The programs are as follows:
• St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands: A nine-day
program that includes Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City, Canada,
and Buffalo, N.Y. Priced from $2,400 (all prices are per person,
double); departs July 26, Aug. 3 and Aug. 25.
• Cruising Lake Erie and Lake Huron: A 10-day cruise that
departs from Buffalo and calls in Windsor and Goderich, Ontario,
and Mackinaw City and Port Huron, Mich. Priced from $2,700; departs
July 17.
• Exploring Lake Huron: An eight-day roundtrip cruise from Port
Huron that visits small villages along Lake Huron. Priced from
$2,140; departs July 10.
• Route of the Traders and Explorers: An eight-day cruise from
Buffalo to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., with optional extensions on the
Agawa Canyon Train or to Niagara Falls and Toronto. Priced from
$2,100; departs Aug. 11 and 18.
For more information, see www.clippercruise.com or call (800)
325-0010.
To contact reporter David Cogswell, send e-mail to [email protected].