Voyage to The Great Lakes: A Small Ship Adventure

Sailing on the water is healing for me. So, what I enjoyed most about the voyage on The Great Lakes was watching the water as the ship sailed. I found this trip very relaxing and could have spent another day on board just cruising along. On board dining was delicious and the staff affable and accommodating. I was impressed with the sites we visited: along the river in Chicago; the Clydesdale horses on Mackinac Island; the Tribal performance and especially, the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba, Michigan. I like small towns and I could visit each one of these again. It was great to revisit Niagara Falls. The Great Lakes, a great learning experience for me. Not being able to see land from the water, I now know first hand why the lakes are "great". "Voyage to The Great Lakes: A Small Ship Adventure" was quite the pleasurable and informational experience.

This was an incredible experience!

What an amazing way to bring the Industrial Story of America alive! A real lifetime memory and what a way to experience a cruise!

Our ship was 4 1/2 hours late in docking. The roadscholar staff were real heroes in helping people rebook their missed flights!!!!

Enjoyed the trip greatly - checked off many of my backlist items.

Overall: I enjoyed the trip and would do it again. My favorite thing about the cruise was seeing the beautiful sunrises and sunsets from the water. I watched the sun rise through the Mackinac Bridge, and I watched the light of dawn reflect off the mirrored skyscrapers in downtown Detroit. Unparalleled experiences! My next favorite thing was watching the mechanics of the boat (e.g., navigating the locks, tying up in port). The variety of activities was good. I enjoyed every one of our ports of call, and was pleasantly surprised by Detroit and Cleveland. Our relatively brief visits were enough to whet my appetite; I want to return to Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland, to spend more time seeing the sights. The Ship: The food on the ship, and the service provided by the ship’s crew were excellent. Our cabin was small, but well organized and comfortable, with a regular size queen bed. The bathroom shower was tight; this is where I most felt the constrained space of the ship (but how much time do you spend in a shower?). Shore Excursions: There is a good mix of big city (Detroit), and small town (Escanaba and Mackinac Island). Also, a good sampling of museums, natural attractions (Niagara Falls), and cultural attractions (Native dance performance). Lectures: There is a Road Scholar educator assigned full time to the tour who gave multiple lectures. The ship has a “Lakelorian” who gives lectures, too. Activity Level: The vacation was more sedentary than I prefer. The only exercise I got on the ship was going up and down stairs; and there is an elevator if you choose not to take the stairs. To be fair, there is a gym aboard ship which I did not use (a tiny gym about the size of a closet). The shore excursions generally involved taking a bus ride to an activity. There was walking at some of the activities (e.g., walking around inside museums), and some activities were seated (e.g., watching the Native dance performance).

Enjoyed this program so much. Director, Nolan, was wonderful. Very knowledgeable and very approachable question/directions. Thank you for having such an incredible program leader. The onboard speaker, Howard, was so informative, which made the program so much more enjoyable.

Will hopefully do another Roads Scholar program. WILL NOT do another "small ship" excursion. Not enough space to truly walk around the ship for excercise. Bathrooms especially the shower area was way to small in size. If you are on the first floor of the ship the thrusters which propel the ship greatly interferes with your sleep. Three meals provided daily, but your only option in between meals were cookies. Fresh fruit ,soft drinks including juices would have been appreciated

What a wonderful trip! Nolan and Micki took excellent care of the group, managed all the side trips and were available for us at all times on the ship. I appreciated the itinerary with a mix of locations and experiences. Of course, the time available was limited-it would have been great to have more time at the Cleveland Art museum and the Henry Ford museum. On the other hand, the trip presented lots of places that deserve a return visit. The ship was excellent-small enough to feel comfortable. Crew on the ship went above and beyond to make us comfortable and well fed. Informative talks by Howard and Ian were good-Howard was very personable but honestly, the slides need a little updating! I did enjoy talking to Howard at the sites-he is very knowledgeable. I would recommend the trip to anyone interested in the area of the Great Lakes.

Road Scholar program was great, however the accommodations on the vessel “Ocean Voyager” were extremely small. We had the Category A cabin – which was 185 square feet – next to the Owner’s suite the largest cabin type offered. It did not have a single dresser or drawer for putting anything in – we ended up leaving our suitcases on the floor and taking clothes out as we were needing them, at times actually tripping over the suitcase as the space to get from the left side of the bed out was so narrow. Also, many of the seats of the chairs in the dining room were spotted and could use a deep cleaning or replacement.

I recently returned from this trip to all five Great Lakes and it was very enjoyable and informative. The Niagara Falls stop was wonderful with the boat ride and then seeing the Falls from above in the Skylon restaurant. I was really impressed with Cleveland and the way buildings are being restored and repurposed. The Museum of Art was amazing, I only wish we had more time there. The Henry Ford Museum was overwhelming with its variety. The museums in Saul Ste. Marie were well worth seeing and going through the locks were interesting. Of course Mackinac Island was a very special experience and a real highlight of the trip. I enjoyed the little museums and lighthouse in Escanaba and the Native American dancers were impressive. The ship was very nice and the food was excellent. I can really recommend this experience.

Our group leaders, Julie and Roger, were excellent as was our Historian, Howard. The Great Lakes are an important resource with a history that was little mentioned where I grew up. This was a fascinating trip.

I really enjoyed the Great Lakes trip.

The 5 Great Lakes Program was so very interesting and lovely to sail on these lakes. I learned much about this interesting area of the USA and Canada that I had wished to see. I was not disappointed.

Highly recommend. Something for everybody. The ship is small enough, and big enough to satisfy everybody's shipboard experience.

Wonderfull crusing experience on a small vessel. Communication could have been better.

It was a very good experience. I always wanted to see the Great Lake area and this is a good way to experience it

Did you ever get off a ride at Disney or a carnival and say: "I want to go AGAIN!?" Well, that's the way I felt when we docked in Toronto. I wanted to stay aboard with my Roads Scholar leaders and new friends and take the trip back the other way. Realistically, everybody has other commitments, but I loved this trip, and will always select Road Scholar as my travel partner. The Great Lakes trip exceeded my already high expectations.

You do a good job of promoting.

This trip was a wonderful experience for me! As a first-time Road Scholar, I must have picked one of the best journeys offered! The trip was relaxing and educational with a balanced combination of activity and leisure time. I was able to really unplug and enjoy myself. The cruise ship was comfortable, my stateroom accommodations were fantastic, and my room steward was exemplary. Everyone I encountered made me feel comfortable and cared for. They really looked after us on board ship and I could sense how the ship's crew worked together as a team. Our tours left nothing to be desired. We saw and experienced all the high points of the journey. The group leaders facilitated every field trip and were informative, upbeat and supportive of anything that concerned me. Their enthusiasm was contagious and I looked forward to hearing their perspectives on our ports of call and tour specifics as we traveled. I had never been to this part of the country before, and luckily one of our group leaders was a real "Michigander" and had great insights to share. As promised, I met several others who were traveling solo, chatted with many really interesting people over dinner and made new friends. Many thanks Road Scholar. Lyla Burnor

It was very extensive and took a little longer that I think most people would take to time to do. I like to give feedback and always hope that I can share the good and the not so good part to make the experience better. This was my first RS trip, and I am happy to report am scheduled for 3 more!!! It was great!!

A wonderful trip. I learned so about a part of the world (the Great Lakes USA and Ontario, CA) that I didn't know before. Everyone was gracious and kind.

This is an excellent programme for anyone, whether or not a person has done it before, as we did, or is going on it for the first time. The accommodations aboard ship are first class, as is the quality of the meals, educational experiences, and all else involved. This was our second time taking this cruise, and we might do it again!

This tour has an array of interesting sites, tours, hiking, informational and educational delights. It has something for everyone.

I would NOT recommend. We were bussed (1 1/2hours ride) to Milwaukee for the boat's departure that was originally scheduled to leave from Chicago. We found this out last minute. This change of departure port had happed before to this RS trip--but never mentioned to us as a possible change when I booked. We paid more for an upgraded cabin and had asked for 303 or 304 --both available with twin beds when we booked. Months after booking we were told we would have #349. I was unhappy but said OK if 2 beds. We found there was only a queen bed when we ARRIVED in Chicago for the program-2 beds were not possible in that cabin. There were NO drawers, no chest, no shelves in the tiny wardrobe area. No chest anywhere!! For the whole cruise, our suitcases had to be put on the floor. We took out clothing out of the suitcases each day because there were no drawers (or shelves)for clothing. We did not get 2 beds as we had specified . Instead a queen bed. This cabin is horrible and was not what was described or what we paid for. We would have chosen another cruise line with nicer newer boats but wanted to leave from Chicago as we have family there. Days "at sea" -not fun on such a small old boat with limited common areas. Do not go on this boat. Find another cruise line. The program was fine. We had perfect weather each day. However, if you are willing to depart from Milwaukee, there are many other cruise line programs to choose from. The programs are all more or less the same. Our family would have happily driven us to Milwaukee, but we didn't want to bother them so choose RS that left (we had hoped) from Chicago. Food and service were fine. Staff was attentive. But we did not get what we contracted for. The name of the boat has been changed from Victory I to Ocean Voyager. Beware!! it's the same boat.

We've done a number of RS programs, but this was our first cruise - and a much larger group than the "small group" programs we've done before - so we were a little unsure at the beginning. But we thoroughly enjoyed it! The ship was fine, and the service and food excellent. Though some of the shore excursions might not have been quite as thrilling as the places RS has taken us in Europe and Mexico, the whole point was being on the water - and that was wonderful. Nolan and Sue, our RS group leaders, were outstanding. With a large group (abt 150 total) we weren't able to interact with everyone, but we met several others who we very much enjoyed. Based on this experience, we'll definitely look at RS cruises for future travel.

An Absolutely magnificent trip. A trip of a lifetime. Great leader, great ship, great on shore adventures. Thank you, thank you!

The other participants in my Road Scholar trip taught me how to enjoy travelling in spite of many serious medical problems. I have a bundle and was worried about a 10-day trip. Those handicapped Road Scholars are good at figuring out workarounds so they do not hold anyone else up. Ask for help and reassurance! The staff are patient, kind, and non-judgmental. You, too, may be able to go!

Outstanding adventure. Nolan, the group lead, made the trip fun and unique.

The Great Lakes small ship cruise was a great learning and fun adventure. The history of shipping on the Lakes was fascinating as well as learning about the cities that surround the lakes.

Went at the end of June and had great weather for the trip. At the time of this booking, Road Scholar participants were only about a third of the total passengers on board. You can book this trip through American Queen. Although it is primarily a cruise voyage, there is a good amount of walking that is required at every port. Road Scholar has museum visits in Detroit and Cleveland and there is walking required at Niagara Falls from approximately the top of the falls where the bus lets you out to the bottom where you get on a boat. Some people seemed surprised by the physical requirements. Also the American Queen has extremely limited internet service. While you might think it would be limited only in the middle of a lake, it is always limited. Most/some rooms got no service at all and you had to go to the common room to log on. One bar service without the ability to download. Should be noted for those requiring internet while on the trip. Interesting ports of call make this a trip worth taking.

This was a pretty relaxed trip, not very physically challenging. The pace is pretty slow. I learned a lot about the Great Lakes, as a group of lakes, and about each one individually. There is not a lot of free time off the boat, and the fall weather was not conducive to enjoying the open deck areas. I would suggest an earlier tour might have been more enjoyable.

A Home Run Road Scholar! Judy & I greatly enjoyed our 5-Great Lakes (almost) trip. As always (our 4th trip) the pre-trip planning and administration was classic Road Scholar, very well done. Pre-trip resources prepared us well. Our guide, Laurieanne Wysocki was stellar. Knowledgable, energetic and very effective at keeping our Blue Group organized without undue stress. Please make a note that we would be happy to travel with Laurieanne anyplace in the world. The other guides, Roger Dammarell, Beverley Citron, Robyn Edwards and Debra Levin on the trip sere similarly well qualified for their respective groups as well and all activities ran smoothly. Kudos to the whole team. On board speakers were especially noteworthy especially someone of the caliber of Fred Stonehouse with his extensive writings on the Great Lakes history and culture. He was an excellent presenter and greatly appreciated by program participants. Respective city guides should also be mentioned as they invariably added to our knowledge of each location visited. We came away with a much greater appreciation for the communities that surround the Great Lakes. We appreciated the professionalism of the Victory I crew and Captain for their professionalism especially when we had mechanical issues departing Detroit which required an additional day at Mackinac Island (a tough assignment) to repair. Quick action by American Steamship Lines had the necessary parts waiting dockside when we arrived. The Victory I engineering crew replaced the defective parts, got Coast Guard sign off and we departed to Chicago on time, avoiding a long 6-hour bus ride. Road Scholar has a good business partner with the Victory I and American Steamship lines. In closing, please extend our gratitude to the entire Road Scholar Team that enabled us to have a wonderful Great Lakes trip. Our paths will cross again very soon. Best Regards Jim & Judy Tischer Woodland, CA

This Great Lakes Tour, provided by Road Scholar, was a wonderful experience. The accommodations, tours, food, guest lectures and all staff involved did an outstanding job. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in the history of the Great Lakes.

If you enjoy being on the water, enjoy good food and drink AND want to learn something new in a positive, friendly manner.....this cruise is for you.

The Road Scholar experience exceeded my expectation.

If you love to travel by ship and enjoy being pampered, don't miss this once in a lifetime experience, with Road Scholar experts, on the Great Lakes. These waters are some of the most important in the world and you will have a new appreciation for the gift in our own backyard. Patricia

We just had our first Road Scholar experience and it was great. So well organized. I enjoyed the fact that my fee for the program included EVERYTHING. I've been on a few cruises and find myself irritated at frequently having yet another request/expectation/demand for more money during the cruise. I will definitely use Road Scholars again.

This is a very informative & interesting cruise with outstanding personnel guiding & lecturing. There is a great deal to see and learn.

A Fantastic Trip, Great Ship, Wonderful personnel, Wonderful leaders. Don't miss this trip!!!!! And it includes Niagara Falls!!!!!

This was a wonderful experience. In school I learned about the Five Great Lakes but to see them was a memorable experience. I finally understand how locks work! The shore excursions were great! I would highly recommend this program!

The Five Great Lakes Cruise exceeded our expectations. We enjoyed the intimate size of the ship and the limited number of participants. Our group leader, Chip, was perfectly suited for tending to his charges. He was very generous with his time and his enthusiasm for this part of the country was contagious. We would highly recommend this trip to others who want to explore new places. The tour was well paced, full of enjoyable activity, and the ship and all it had to offer was delightful.

It turned out to be the perfect way to see and enjoy our beautiful Great Lakes.

Our tour of the Great Lakes was so impressive. Niagara Falls are phenomenal and the Ojibwa Indians with their history are fascinating. This is a must do vacation.