The price for admission is very reasonable. A “passport” system has been created that will allow each visitor admission to the festival for all 4 days, plus 1 tour of each of the participating vessels (it does not appear that the Appledore cruises will be included as part of this admission price). The cost of the passport is advertised at $12 if purchased early and $15 if purchased after July 1. This works out to under $5 a day if you stay for all 4 days, which is much less than the cost of a movie ticket and even if you stay for only 1 day the cost is less than the cost of admission to an amusement park.

For those who want to visit the festivities, but don’t want to tour the ships a 1 day ticket can be purchased for $6.

What kind of festivities are there? Well, in addition to tours and rides, Tall Ship festivals usually include demonstrations, contests and theater presentations. Bay City is no different, and has contracted with the Ring of Steel Pirate School to offer stage performances, discuss sea-based crafts and demonstrate pirate games.

The International Maritime Music Festival will also be held during the Tall Ships Celebration, giving attendees the opportunity to listen to the music that was popular aboard these ships when they were still the world’s dominant form of international transportation.

The ships expected to arrive in the fleet, include the Amistad, a 129 foot Topsail Schooner based in New Haven, Connecticut; the Denis Sullivan, a 137 foot 3-Masted Schooner based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the HMS bounty, a 180 foot Full-Rigged ship sailing from Greenport, Long Island, New York; the Madeline, a 92 foot Gaff Topsail Schooner that calls Traverse City, Michigan its home; the Pathfinder, a 72 foot Bragantine from Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the Playfair, another Bragantine from Toronto with a length of 72 feet; the Pride of Baltimore II a 170 foot long Square Topsail Schooner from Baltimore, Maryland; the Roald Amundsen, a 165 foot Brig that will come all the way from Eckernforde, Germany; the Roseway, a 137 foot schooner from St, Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands; and the Appledore IV and Appledore V which are based in Bay City and will meet the fleet when it arrives.

The HMS Bounty and the Pride of Baltimore II each carry over 10,000 square feet of sail and the Roald Amundsen carries over 9,000 square feet. These are not the little sailboats you see on inland lakes, these are the real thing, ocean going ships now cruising the Great Lakes.

Lovers of Tall Ships and Great Lakes cruises will all find something of interest at the Bay City Tall Ship Celebration. Music, theater, history, art and a whole lot more are waiting for the cost of a $15 admission. This is only the 4th time in 10 years that Bay City has hosted such a festival, so it is not something to be missed.

Owned and operated by BaySail, the ships Appledore IV and Appledore V are steel hulled, gaff rigged schooners that are very similar to the ships that worked the Great Lakes a hundred years ago. Built within just a few years either side of 1990, the ships employ modern techniques to provide an old world experience.

There are several different Great Lakes cruise packages offered to the public on these ships, everything from stargazing and midnight dinner cruises to history cruises and ecology sails. The history cruises typically start at 10:00 or 11:00 in the morning and end about 2:00pm, and include a guided tour down the Saginaw River and into Saginaw Bay. Local historians narrate along the way, explaining the important features. A lunch is also included in the price of this cruise.

Dinner cruises start about 7:00 in the evening and end by 11:00pm. They include a fine meal that is catered by Fusion 1 Café. A similar meal is provided on the fireworks cruises. Fireworks cruises start about 6:00pm and end by 9:00pm. The actual fireworks generally begin about 10:00 pm, which is about an hour after the cruise ends and guests are invited to stay aboard the Appledore and watch from the deck.
Stargazer cruises begin at 8pm and end at midnight. Cruise ships offer one of the best viewing platforms for stargazing because the ships can easily travel away from lights that might otherwise interfere with viewing. These cruises include a presentation by astronomers from Delta College’s planetarium that introduces poetry, legends, and lessons on celestial navigation. For anyone who has ever wondered how early explorers found their way around the Lakes, this cruise may be perfect. Again, a 3 course meal catered by Fusion 1 Café is included in the price.

For those who take late year vacations, BaySail offers two cruises that are tough to beat anywhere. These are a Windjamming cruise and a series of fall color tour cruises. The Great Lakes basin is famous for fall colors and the Appledores are perfectly equipped to take passengers up the Saginaw River where the fall colors are spectacular. Great Lakes color tour cruises include hot cider, chili, and corn bread lunches.

Autumn in Northern Michigan is a time of increasing wind and the Appledores take full advantage of it with windjamming cruises that are only offered in mid-September. If you’ve ever wanted to be a crew member on a sailing ship, consider these cruises where passengers are encouraged to lend a hand and help operate the ship.

Prices for BaySail’s cruises are competitive with most other cruise lines of this type. A 3 hour dinner cruise is priced at about $70 for adults, and that includes the catered meal. This is comparable with prices for dinner cruises on non-sail powered ships operating out of ports as far away as Chicago.

The most expensive price listed for 2009 was for the fireworks cruise and that was only $88.00 and it also included a 3 course meal.
Another consideration when comparing pricing is in the time spent onboard. The Appledore cruises generally last for 3 hours, and this is longer than some other cruise companies which may be priced a bit lower, but only offer 2 hours cruises.

All in all, the Appledores promise a wonderful Great Lakes cruise experience that can be enjoyed by the whole family. If you find yourself in Eastern Lower Michigan with a few hours to kill, these short Great Lakes cruises are an incredible opportunity to learn about the history of the region and sailing on the Great Lakes in general. BaySail’s offices are located on 5th Street in Bay City, Michigan.