For a long time, Karelin and I wanted to navigate on the Great Lakes. There was a company that offered some cruises, but it did not cover all five of the lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario, plus little Lake St. Clair between Lakes Erie and Huran.

Then Viking Cruises offered a quite comprehensive itinerary of the lakes, and even though it was quite expensive, we decided to do it with the Viking Polaris. I did not take note that this was an expedition cruise, I guess. It was going to be from June 10 to 24, 2023.

The description of an expedition cruise was “a unique travel experience focused on exploring remote destinations with a blend of comfort and adventure. These cruises typically include enriching activities, regional cuisine, and a casual dress code, catering to mature, well-traveled passengers.” They were specially designed for exploring remote destinations such as Antartica.

Viking was founded in 1997 by Torstein Hagen, from Norway, as a River cruise line. Today he and his daughter Karine Hagen still own most of the company. It has grown into a major cruise line offering river, ocean, and expedition cruises worldwide.

The cruise was started in Toronto, Canada, provided a tour to Niagara Falls, navigated the locks of the Welland Canal (located between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie), and continued to Cleveland OH; Detroit MI; Alpena, MI; Algoma WI; Mackinac Island MI; Georgian Bay Ontario CAN; Soo Locks; Silver Islet Ontario CAN; Thunder Bay Ontario CAN; and end in Duluth Minnesota, US.

We flew from Dallas to Toronto on American Airlines and embarked in a most amazing ship, the Viking Polaris. To start with, this ship is 665 feet long and 77 feet wide. It was built in 2022; it accommodates 378 passengers and 260 crew members. Its design is Scandinavian style. Minimalistic and simplistic. Wood panelling, black slate and juniper wood. Natural light, clean lines, neutral colors, very spacious no curves.

After we settled in our cabin, we were introduced to the ship by some crew members.

It has seven decks. We started from the bottom or Deck 0, a Hangar-Marina that is the storage for expedition equipment, it contains inflatable zodiac boats, Special Ops fast boats, all kinds of diver equipment, a large number of kayaks, and a small submarine designed for underwater exploration, that holds up to six guests. The sub has a nearly 270° spherical windows for unobstructed views during dives in locations like Antarctica and the Great Lakes. The back of the ship opens and allows the boats to be deployed.

Most of the crew members were from Argentina.

Deck 1 contains the lobby, the main restaurant, Manfredi’s, a specialty restaurant, and ‘The Hide’ for special meetings, and the Hangar. On this deck we also visited a 380-square-foot wet and dry lab developed in partnership with the University of Cambridge and other scientific institutions. This lab allows onboard scientists to conduct research and engage with guests.

Deck 2 has staterooms, a beauty salon, a spa with treatment rooms and hydrotherapy pool (which I enjoyed very much); the Atrium, and the Expedition Central for reviewing current and past expeditions. It also has a terrace and the Aula which is a two-deck theater.

Deck 3 has staterooms, a Shelter room, and the upper level of the Aula.

Dec 4 is staterooms and an Explorer’s Lounge that provides great views.

Deck 5 has the Mamsens (Mother’s), an eatery for light breakfast or lunch; The Worlds Café, buffet style restaurant; The Aquavit Terrace, indoor and outdoor terrace featuring pool and bar area; the Explorer Lounge that spans deck 4 and deck 5 in the forward part of the ship and offering outstanding views; a Library, located on the starboard forward side; and a living room, bar and lounge area.

Deck 6 has the Owner’s suite that even has a garden and 4 more high priced cabins.

Our cabin was quite adequate except for the closet that remained ajar showing light all night. The steward said that was the way they were designed. I had to find a way to fix it myself. That night we heard a couple from Ukraine playing piano and guitar, and we met our Cruise Director from the Philippines. He had a gorgeous voice and sang at the drop of a hat.

Our first excursion was to Niagara Falls. I have been there several times, but I will always go back. The Niagara Falls are North America’s largest and most powerful cataract. The falls toss 42 million gallons of water down 20 stories height every minute. It is a mile wide covering the Canadian and US borders. It is split by islands into three smaller cascades: Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls.

All these first days were rainy days, so we had the opportunity to take good pictures with special light. We usually had breakfast at Mamsens because the regular hours at other restaurants were too early for us.

Next stop was Cleveland on Lake Erie. We did an Excursion called Cleveland Discovery that included colorful neighborhoods and The Rock ’n’ Roll Museum. At the first park we stopped at, one of the tour buses caught fire and there was much excitement relocating those passengers in the other buses.

We traveled along Euclid Avenue, also known as “Millionaire’s Row” because of its high concentration of 19th-century mansions. We also saw the neighborhoods of Tremont, one of the city’s oldest sections, and Ohio City, with it’s the West Side Market. We paid a long visit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We enjoyed the huge hot dog hanging from the ceiling and also the cars. History, interactive exhibits and memorabilia. We learned about its early blues and country influences, watched videos on the biggest stars. That night we listened to some music from more Ukrainian guitarists.

In Detroit at Lake St. Clair, we took the excursion to see the Ford Rouge Factory. We toured the modern factory built along the banks of the Rouge River in Dearborn. The River Rouge Complex opened in 1928 and was the largest integrated factory in the world at the time. Vehicles like Mustang were produced there. When we visited we saw the production of the F-150 pickups in detail. Our docent led us on a two-hour tour. The factory is huge. One of the ladies in the tour told us that her husband had worked there and she told us fun anecdotes about his experiences.

Next port was Alpena in Lake Huron. We took a tender to start our excursion at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center. On a replica of a 19th-century schooner, we experienced the sensation of being caught in heavy weather in the middle of a Great Lakes storm. We learned about the history of Great Lakes shipping and the many tragic shipwrecks that reside on the bottom of Lake Huron, as well as stories of miraculous survivals. Afterward, we embarked on a ship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take an informative cruise into Thunder Bay. We had an expert archaeologist on board this purpose-built, glass-bottom boat. We gained insight into the wrecks beneath the lake’s surface, the methods used to map their locations and the research being conducted in this sanctuary.

In Algoma, Lake Michigan, we went for stroll in the delightful quaint port and took an Algoma Wine, Beer & Cheese tour. We enjoyed the little stores, a cat sleeping in a window, flowers. We were told that the Door Peninsula’s Vineyards, Brewers and Dairy Makers benefit from the soil and weather conditions that exist along the western edge of the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Michigan. We went to the Ahnapee Brewery and had a delightful tasting of beer and then to the Von Stiehl Winery.

That night all the single passengers were invited by the Cruise Director to a special dinner. We were also accompanied by the leader of the expedition team.

Next day we had already signed for a Hight Tea at the Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island just between Lake Huron and Michigan. We boarded our horse-drawn carriage for a short transfer to the famed Victorian-era hotel. Mackinac Island has banned motor vehicles since 1898, primarily due to concerns that cars frightened horses. The Grand Hotel was built in 1887 and is a Queen Anne-style building, registered National Historic Landmark. We were greeted by the hotel’s resident historian, who gave us a guided tour to admire the art, antiques and interior design of this elegant property as he told us all kind of stories of personalities and movie actors that have stayed there. After the tour, we were taken to the tea room and delighted ourselves with an afternoon high tea, with petite sandwiches, scones and pastries, as well as a glass of champagne. We had the opportunity of sneaking a few snapshots of a bride and groom whose wedding was taking place that day at the hotel. That night we had a piano concert on the ship.

Next day we took a zodiac boat to explore the Parry Sound of Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Canada. Our guide explained the region’s wildlife as we navigated some of the 30,000 islets in the area. We admired the scenery, the bay’s rocky shores and rustic beauty. We saw some local wildlife such as Canadian geese, sea gulls and dogs swimming in the lake. We heard about the ecosystems and conservation efforts of the Great Lakes.

This was not the only zodiac ride we took during the cruise. In fact, every time the ship was around an area with beautiful views, we were offered rides whenever we were ready.

Next day we had a treat at Killarney, still in Georgian Bay. We signed for a Fish Fry Lunch at the Killarney Mountain Lodge. Here, our chefs prepared our “fish-fry” traditional lunch. We also had Lobster sandwiches.

The next treat at Fraser Bay also in Georgian Bay, was a very speedy drive on Scenic Sailing by Special Operations Boat. We boarded the vessel with a small group from the Expedition ship’s Hangar. We were secured with big seatbelts at our seats and held tight as we raced across the water. The boat was highly maneuverable and allowed it to reach less accessible locations and navigate the many islets. Along the way, we paused to admire the scenery around pines and granite and quartzite bluffs. A knowledgeable specialist was on hand to explain the natural world that surrounded us. We dared the pilot to go faster! We did more zodiac rides that day too.

The next exciting experience was to navigate the Soo Locks at Sault St Marie. These are a series of locks that allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes by bypassing the rapids of the St. Marys River. They were first opened in 1855. They are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

On June 22nd we arrived at Silver Islet, Ontario, Canada, in Lake Superior. We boarded our Viking Zodiac and set off to the waters around the inlet. This is a small community which has only six permanent residents. It is an island located at the southern tip of the Sibley Peninsula of Lake Superior. It was the site of one of the world’s most profitable silver mines in the late 19th century. Silver was discovered in 1868 by the Montreal Mining Company, leading to the establishment of the Silver Islet Mining Company in 1870. The mine operated until 1884. The mine shafts reached depths of 384 meters (about 1,200 feet) below Lake Superior. The mine was flooded due to a failure in the pumping system, which was crucial for keeping the shafts dry. The community is off-grid, relying on solar power and generators, with no indoor plumbing facilities.

At Thunder Bay were were greeted by Scottish pipes. Before European contact, the area was inhabited by Indigenous peoples, including the Ojibwe and Oji-Cree nations. European explorers began to arrive in the 17th century. The French were the first to explore the area, and by the late 1600s, the fur trade became a significant economic activity. The North West Company established a trading post at Fort William in 1803, which became a central hub for fur trading in the region.

Since the city historically relied on industries such as forestry, shipping, and manufacturing. The downturns of these industries due to globalization and technological changes, job losses had provoked a gradual population decrease, particularly among younger residents. Aging infrastructure has become a significant concern. Many buildings and public facilities require maintenance and upgrades, leading to a perception of neglect. When we were there, they told us that the port relies now mainly on tourism.

We arrived in Duluth, Minesotta and transferred to the small airport. Our return flight was supposed to be on Delta on June 24, from Duluth to Minneapolis and then Dallas. However, we found out that the flight was overbooked. The crew was offering compensation, given in credit cards, to passengers would wait for the flight the next day. They also offered a night at a the hotel for free that night. We talked it over and decided to take the offer but only when it too good to pass up. Only three other passengers decided to take the offer. We had dinner together that night at the Hotel.

On June 25th we took the flights with Delta to Minneapolis and then Dallas.

Our experience with the Viking Expedition ship was advertised as “catering to mature, well-traveled passengers” that we were. However, the level of physical activities included on the cruise such as hiking, kayaking and bicycling, was much more demanding for us than to other “younger mature” passengers which were not too many. A lesson to learn. I’m glad that for this trip my Scripture was Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (“Bible Gateway: Philippians 4:13 – New King James Version” 2015)