Table Of Content
- Viking Great Lakes Cruises Offer Fascinating Glimpse of Regional Nature, Wildlife
- Cruises
- Checking out the world's largest paddle
- Highlights of the Great Lakes & Canada Cruises
- What It's Like Sailing the Great Lakes With Viking: Just back from Viking Octantis
- Great Lakes & Canada Cruises
- NEW! Canada & the Northwest Passage
Join Viking for a unique voyage across the historic waterways of all five of the majestic Great Lakes. Experience culture-rich urban centers and admire the awesome power of thundering Niagara Falls. Explore the granite islands and sheltered inlets of Georgian Bay and traverse the famous Soo Locks. Study the aquatic ecosystems of the lakes as you journey and venture into the dense boreal forests that line the shores of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
Viking Great Lakes Cruises Offer Fascinating Glimpse of Regional Nature, Wildlife
Explore the picturesque islands of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve and admire their bucolic landscapes. Venture out to Flowerpot Island in the Fathom Five National Marine Park and marvel at the stunning pink granite isles of the Benjamins Islands. Participate in lab studies as you explore coastal wetlands and delve into the Native cultures of the Great Lakes.
Viking Octantis Sets Sail on First Longitudinal World Cruise - Cruise Industry News
Viking Octantis Sets Sail on First Longitudinal World Cruise.
Posted: Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Cruises
All transfers must be in conjunction with a Viking-purchased cruise, cruisetour, land extension or extra hotel nights. Viking reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares, fees and surcharges at any time. The cruise ship fuel surcharge is additional revenue to Viking Cruises, as are any additional charges relating to currency fluctuation other than for fully paid cruise fares and full fares, which fluctuations are beyond our control. I feel a sense of awe, respect and trepidation as I stare out at the lake’s unpredictable waters. The world’s largest freshwater lake is 406 metres at its deepest, with waves that can get as high as 9 metres (30 feet).
Checking out the world's largest paddle
(American Queen Voyages is the only Great Lakes cruise provider who currently sails from Navy Pier in Chicago). The paths along the Killarney Mountain Lodge on Georgian Bay offer pristine views of the lake and its unique flora and fauna. It's also the site of The Big Dipper, completed in 2020 by Canada's most famous canoeist, Mike Ranta. Weighing in at 22,000 pounds with a length of 110 feet, it carries the distinction of being the world's largest paddle. The quaint town of Parry Sound, Ontario, boasts the world's deepest natural freshwater port.
Highlights of the Great Lakes & Canada Cruises
By registering with Cruise.com you will be able to view these special rates and offers. There are no casinos, formal nights, art auctions or water slides; instead, it is an adults-only ship with classical music, lectures in the auditorium, a well-curated library and inspiring quotes and photographs of explorers throughout the ship. It turns out that an expedition to remote places on a luxury ship is quintessentially Canadian. You don’t have to endure buggy cottages to appreciate the sapphire lakes that are so clear you can see to the bottom, lush forests, and Jack Pine hills of this magnificent wilderness. Casson trail, named for the youngest member of the Group of Seven, who made the raw beauty of this wilderness so famous.
What It's Like Sailing the Great Lakes With Viking: Just back from Viking Octantis
Discover for yourself some of the many gems located in this memorable, closer to home region. Unlike many of my Toronto friends, my immigrant parents had no cottage in the Muskokas or cabin in the woods. My European father was allergic to rocky lakeshores and creaky docks, and despite my mother’s enthusiasm for cottages, we often ended up going back to the Spanish homeland for holidays as children. For example, both Octantis and Polaris are the first civilian ships to join the list of 102 official weather balloon launch stations sanctioned by the U.S.
Great Lakes & Canada Cruises
Led by Greg Stephanson, a guide who doubles as a bush pilot, I scramble 152 metres up the craggy ridge for a spectacular view, overlooking Baie Fine to the north and Frazer Bay to the south. Vanstone, her siblings and their partners (ranging in age from 70 to 83) immediately signed up for the expedition. “We’ve all been to different spots in the Great Lakes, and now we are completing the circle,” she says. The trip offered a great way to explore the nuances of some familiar sites and some completely unique ones by kayak and guided hikes. According to Reagan Errera, a research ecologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, guests will have plenty to take in on their cruises to the region. The Viking Great Lakes cruise season runs roughly from April through September, and itineraries have been popular with cruisers, many who are North American guests looking to explore a little closer to home.
I can no longer see the red and yellow beads on my necklace; instead everything looks green, then grey as we approach 46 metres (150 feet). We submerge alongside the vertical wall of a rock island covered in fine sediment patterned like a tiled floor. The refraction of the light makes it look like you could reach out and touch the wall, though it is several metres away. So, it is a revelation to sail along Georgian Bay’s grayish-pink granite shoreline into the heart of Ontario cottage country aboard Viking Octantis. This 665-foot, Polar Class 6 luxury expedition vessel was built by Viking to explore the world’s most remote regions, redefining ocean cruising.
NEW! Canada & the Northwest Passage
Expedition Central is also where we spent time studying the dozen full-size felt birds, including a bald eagle, a red headed woodpecker, and a common loon, that we were likely to see for real in the wild, during our trip. Viking commissioned felt artist Susan Beal from Vermont to make 96 super-realistic birds so that different sets can be displayed in each region Octantis (and Polaris) will visit. Many much-appreciated stateroom amenities, such as heated bathroom floors and 24-hour room service, are carried over here too. In a pre-cruise media presentation in the ship’s impressive, high-tech auditorium called the Aula, Hagen said it was partly because cruising out of Chicago just did not work out.
We spent several hours with the staff working to protect the Georgian Bay Biosphere and visited their apiary and turtle lab. In Killarney, still in Georgian Bay, we hiked to a lighthouse and stopped at the Killarney Lodge for selfies with what is said to be the world’s largest canoe paddle, which is 107 feet long and weighs in at 22,000 pounds. We attended Great Lakes-oriented lectures presented by a highly-credential expedition team on everything from discoveries made on an epic 1000-mile hike around Lake Michigan to the geologic history of the region. We toured the working science lab, while others participated in a microplastics workshop where the observations made help inform a global database.
In lieu of balconies with tables and chairs (not that useful in polar regions) there are “Nordic Balconies.” These are floor-to-ceiling windows that can be lowered half-way with the push of a button. You will have your own private, protected viewing spot with a ledge for elbows, cameras, or binoculars, but just be sure to close the window when mosquitos are around. Speaking of a "perfect shot," we were thrilled to capture this photo of an eagle posing dramatically on a tree top in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park from our special operations boat. This musical duo provided a perfect mixture of smooth jazz and classical selections as we watched the natural beauty of the Great Lakes roll by. City stops include Cleveland, home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Detroit, where you'll find the Henry Ford and Motown museums and a lively Greektown where you can indulge in your wildest Halloumi dreams.
Meena Thiruvengadam is a lifelong traveler and veteran journalist who has visited more than 50 countries across six continents. Her writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Departures, TripSavvy, and other publications. Admire views of the Sleeping Giant; learn about Thunder Bay’s history and heritage.
Investigate Lake Superior’s picturesque islands and channels near the shores of Ontario. Enjoy Cleveland’s scenic waterfront, or explore the river and trails of Cuyahoga Valley. Register with Cruise.com to get access to exclusive rates, discounts and special offers.
Demand is so high that Viking has decided to deploy its second expedition ship, Viking Polaris, to the region in 2023. And we got up early (with more than 50 other passengers) to witness the weekly -- for now -- launching of a weather balloon off the top deck. Thanks to its partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Viking Octantis (and Viking Polaris) have joined the sanctioned list of 102 other weather balloon launch stations sanctioned by the U.S. The balloons have transmitters that collect data on wind, temperature, and pressure.
Here are our impressions of the ship, the onboard science and other offerings, and tips on activities and excursions in ports visited on Viking Octantis Great Lakes sailing. Other new Viking itineraries include a 14-day Patagonian shores and Chilean fjords journey from Santiago, Chile, to Ushuaia, a town that's been lovingly nicknamed "the end of the world." Take a Zodiac ride along the waters of Lake Huron and learn about endangered local wildlife.
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