This year, Detroit has begun construction of a new docking terminal to help handle the arrival of Great Lakes cruise ships and the influx of cruise travelers that they bring. The facility is expected to be completed by 2010. The facility will handle ships as large as 420 passengers and tourists will disembark downtown within sight of the famed Renaissance Center.

Other port cities and towns along the shores of the Great Lakes are also planning improvements to their docking terminals, or trying to find ways to lure the ships from the various Great Lakes cruise lines to stop. Most cruise lines schedule their itineraries one to two years in advance, so there is a good possibility that some of these other towns may also get a chance to host visiting cruise liners in the future.

There are many things these towns can offer to Great Lakes cruise passengers in the line of shore excursions, especially if the towns decide to target cruise passengers with their offerings. Agri-tours, golf tours, lighthouse tours, historical tours, museum tours and simply scenery tours should be available at almost every stop. The Great Lakes Basin has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and a massive amount of wildlife. In addition, there is world class fishing and golf courses that people travel across the country to reach. The farming throughout this region is state of the art and extensive and all of the metropolitan areas and even some of the smaller cities offer major museums.

Great Lakes cruises are a growing business that can offer many things to many people. New docking terminals like the one being constructed at Detroit will allow the Great Lakes basin to be better explored by tourists and local alike as these terminals will also handle smaller craft.

In the mid-1990′s, that began to change and there are now several companies plying the waters of the Great Lakes with passenger craft some of which are capable of carrying up to 300 or 400 passengers.

One of the newest of this fleet of cruise ships is the Pearl Mist. This fantastic yacht will have 108 cabins, each with it’s own private balcony. According to the cruise lines website, the cabins range in size from 320 sf to double that size. There are elevators to all six decks, a spa and internet access throughout the ship. Each suite has a large, opening picture window and sliding glass doors to the private verandas.

Of course, the Pearl Mist also has the latest in technology, safety enhancements and stabilization.

The Pearl Mist is operated by Pearl Seas Cruises which is offering several cruises on the Great Lakes in 2009. These include tours of the St Lawrence Seaway and a Toronto to Chicago run.

Another cruise ship, the Clelia II operated by Travel Dynamics International has been completely refitted. Smaller than the Pearl Mist, the Clelia II is a 50 suite, 100 passenger liner. Because the Clelia II is smaller than the Pearl Mist the cabins are somewhat smaller too,  and the cabins are each reported to be 215 square feet. Each cabin has a sitting area or separate living room and twin or queen sized beds, satellite TV with DVD/CD player, telephone, refrigerator, marble bathroom with teak floor and 24 hour room service.

The ship itself has a library, 2 lounges with audiovisual facilites, a gym/spa, beauty salon, boutique, hospital, elevator to all decks, dining room, 2 sun decks, jacuzzi and a swimming platform. The ship is also outfitted with an ice strengthened hull and a fleet of zodiacs.

The Clelia II carries 100 passengers and has a staff of 60.

These two fine cruise ships are much like floating luxury hotels, although with a staff of 6 for every 10 guests, they may have more personnel than most hotels, even some of the most luxurious.

Great Lakes cruise fans can have some peace of mind with travel insurance. The cost of basic policies is often quite low and they provide coverage for some common losses. While it’s true that homeowners’ policies may cover some losses while traveling, these policies typically have limits and may not cover everything that could go wrong. Travel insurance policies may not cover everything either, for that matter, but they will still provide extended coverage over a standard homeowner’s policy.

There are several things to consider before buying travel insurance for a Great Lakes cruise. First, passengers should look at their own homeowner’s insurance and what will it cover. Will it cover Great Lakes cruises, or any other cruises at all? In the event of a loss, will a claim result in a rise in premiums? If so, Great Lakes cruisers may want to consider a travel policy that will entirely cover their Great Lakes cruise as well as the trip to and from the ship so that they won’t have to touch their homeowner’s policies at all.

Second, examine the travel policy carefully to see exactly what is covered. In the event of job loss will the policy reimburse the cost of the Great Lakes cruise? Some policies may and some simply won’t.

Third, believe it or not, some policies may return a portion of the fare to passengers who change their minds about cruising the Great Lakes. These policies are harder to find, but it is something to think about.

Fourth, what about pre-existing medical conditions? Some policies may provide coverage and some may not. Even though Great Lakes cruise ships are usually close to a port and a major hospital, a medical emergency requiring and airlift to a hospital can run into thousands of dollars. A little insurance policy would seem cheap right about then.

As a general rule, experts have recommended avoiding the insurance offered by the cruise line as many say these policies are overpriced for what you get. Instead, doing a little homework and comparing policies by several travel insurers may help provide a better Great Lakes cruise experience.

Passengers taking only a short dinner cruise or those who only have a couple of hundred dollars invested in cruise tickets might not want to invest in travel insurance. But, those who’ve bought one of the premium weeks long Great Lakes cruise tours and have airplane tickets and hotel reservations involved may find travel insurance is something they want to consider to help make their Great Lakes cruise a happy, safe and memorable one.

The golf cruise begins with 18 holes at Niagara falls at the Grand Niagra Resort. From there the Great Lakes cruise liner moves on to make stops for courses at Windsor, Port Elgin, Little Current and Houghton.

The outing lasts for eight days and covers courses from one end of the Great Lakes to the other. These are some of the most scenic and spectacular courses the region has to offer. All of these golf courses offer challenges to the advanced golfer and yet are easy enough for the novice.

They also offer spectacular views and marvelous scenery, as does this Great Lakes cruise in general which follows along some of the most beautiful coastline in the U.S. and Canada.

A problem that many golfers have is a spouse who doesn’t golf. A Great Lakes golf cruise might be just right for such couples. At each stop of this Great Lakes cruise, the golfers are shuttled off for the courses while the non golfing passengers are offered tours of the scenic and historic sites the areas have to offer. These tours run from a powwow on Little Manitoulin Island, to museums, arts and crafts shops, and scenic tours. There is enough variety available in this Great Lakes cruise package for it to qualify as both a golf cruise and a luxury cruise.

This Great Lakes cruise also includes a stop at historic Mackinac Island, where guests will have time to tour the island. Sorry, no motorcars allowed on this island that still maintains many of its Victorian roots, so tours here will be by bicycle, foot, horseback or horse drawn carriage.

The Great Lakes cruise ship will pass by the Mackinac Bridge, which is one of the longest bridges in the world and the longest two-tower suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere, and from there will move on to the Soo locks, the busiest locks in the world.

The liner that makes this Great Lakes cruise is the Celia II and she is being newly launched in 2009 after extensive renovation. The staterooms are spacious, and on a small boat like this, that means a limited number of staterooms. In fact, there are only 50 and the ship can only handle 100 passengers. So, make reservations early for this Great Lakes cruise.