There are many options available for charter boats large enough to seat several hundred guests for dinner and dancing, and some of these even offer cocktails and live entertainment. Often there is room enough for a dance floor and an area for a wedding ceremony.

The Chicago area has a couple of options large enough to handle this type of event and there are shifts available from Toronto to Minneapolis that are large enough to be able to handle a wedding at sea. These charter boats can be hired by the hour or the day and some will allow you to rent only part of the ship, so if your wedding party is a small one you may want to only hire one deck of a multi-deck ship.

But, this supposes you would be interested in a conventional charter. Remember that the Great Lakes has a number of schooners available for charter and many of these offer meals on board. What could be more romantic or exciting than wedding on a schooner under full sail? Yet another option to consider is one of the paddlewheel boats that still work some of the rivers connecting into the Great Lakes. These boats are often large enough to accommodate over 100 people and some still offer dinner on board.

If you are thinking about planning a wedding at sea, you’ll want to begin scouting charter companies early. Give yourself at least six months of time to find and select a company that you would like to do business with. Sometimes these boats are chartered months in advance, and so you need to leave yourself plenty of time.

Remember that you’ll need to find out if the charter boat has a galley or kitchen, and you’ll need to know if the charter company can provide catering or if you will need to have food brought in from outside. Other questions are: Will the charter company allow you to place decorations on the ship? Will you need your own ushers or will the company provide them? What arrangements can be made for late arrivals? Will the ship be at sea before the wedding or will that take place at the pier?

All of these are things you need to think about when planning a wedding on a charter boat. Getting answers to these questions will take some time to negotiate between yourself and the charter company, and you may need to search further away from home than your own port or city in order to find a charter company that you feel comfortable with.

Try to meet with the staff of the charter company well in advance of your event in order to help ensure that they understand your requirements and can meet them. A little extra time taken a few months in advance can save a lot of the hair pulling people go through as they try to figure out problems at the last minute.

A Great Lakes cruise can make a wonderful honeymoon vacation. It can also make a beautiful and romantic setting for your wedding. The wedding should be enjoyable and memorable. What could be more memorable than taking all of your guests on the charter cruise?

The Great Lakes ships Spirit of Chicago and Odyssey are parts of this fleet and so is the ship Mystic Blue. The name Mystic Blue is pretty catchy, and the cruise line bills this as a “hip and cool cruising experience”. In other words, cruises on Mystic Blue are centered around energy, youth, and fun.

Like the other ships operated by this cruise line, Mystic Blue offers lunch and dinner cruises. Entertainment is provided by a live DJ and there is plenty of room on the dance floor. The Blue After-Dark cruises cost only $34.90 per person (plus tax and fees), making this a inexpensive night out. The After-Dark cruises board at 12:15 am and cruises last until 2:30 am. Dancing and DJ’s entertain the entire time and there are cocktails and hors d’oeuvres available.

Dinner cruises are also available and appear to range between $55 and $60 per person. They include live entertainment and DJ’s. These dinner cruises board at 6:00 pm and cruise between 6:30 and 8:30.

Like the other ships operating from Chicago, Mystic Blue operates all year long, providing Great Lakes cruises even at New Years. This year, Mystic Blue will be celebrating New Year’s Eve with a Fireworks Dinner Cruise. This trip will offer a premium bar package, champagne toast at midnight, and free boarding photo. As always there will be food, fun and music. The trip ends with a half-hour party dockside. The cruise boards at 8:30 and cruises from 9:30 to 12:30 with the dockside party lasting until 1:00. Weather permitting there will also be fireworks marking the evening. The price for this cruise is higher than the other Mystic Blue cruises and runs $149.90 per person. This is actually a decent price when you consider the bar package, the dinner buffet, and the additional time both on the water and at the dockside party.

Like the other ships from this cruise line, Mystic Blue is offering a Sweetest Day cruise with views of the Sweetest Day fireworks, treats, champagne and DJ entertainment.

Mystic Blue itself is described as being redecorated with a blue and silver interior and a lounge-like atmosphere. The ship was built in 2003 at a reported cost of $4.5 million dollars and is 160 feet long. With a reported passenger capacity of 500, Mystic Blue still falls under the heading of small ship cruises.

Like the other ships operated by Entertainment Cruises, Inc, the Mystic Blue is tailored for a specific group of passengers. Young, hip people who enjoy good music, good fun, and a unique atmosphere should really enjoy the Great Lakes cruises on this luxury yacht.

The menu for this dinner cruise is also better than you would find on the Spirit of Chicago. The 2009 dinner menu calls for main courses of Syrah Braised Center Cut of Beef, Seafood Ravioli Gratinee, Boneless Pork Chops, North Atlantic Salmon or a Mediterranean Vegetable Purse. The first courses and desserts are equally sumptuous and equal or exceed those found in many of the better land based restaurants. The Odyssey II experience includes the opportunity to order any of these fine meals that are prepared fresh on board every day.

Like the Spirit of Chicago, the Odyssey II offers several decks and each one has live music and a dance floor. The live music varies from jazz to contemporary and is performed by individual artists and groups. Odyssey II promises that the music won’t end until the ship returns to port.

The operators bill the Odyssey II as the “largest fine-dining cruise ship on the Great Lakes,” This may be true. At 200 feet long and 55 feet high above the water line, the Odyssey II is one of the larger Great Lakes ships offering dinner cruises. While there are other ships that are slightly larger, they won’t serve as many diners and those ships that will serve a similar number of diners appear to be slightly smaller in size and certainly not as luxurious. The Odyssey II has 3 climate controlled decks and promises skyline views from every table.

The cruise route runs south from Navy pier to the Shedd Aquarium, then back to the north to Evanston or thereabouts and then returns to Navy pier. This affords an excellent view of the Chicago skyline, and for the Midnight cruises the skyline provides an amazingly lit backdrop for this luxury cruise. The cruises last two or three hours–the exact time and route is determined by weather and the particular cruise offering.

Unlike some of her northern counterparts, Odyssey II offers cruises year around, although in the winter the are fewer days when cruises are offered and passengers may need to schedule their vacation or celebration times more around the ship’s schedule. Individuals, couple and groups are all welcome. Reservations are required, and there is a dress code so be sure to call ahead and plan to dress nicely. Lunch cruises start at $44.90 + tax and fees and dinner cruises start at $79.90 +. That is a very competitive price considering the menu and compared to the offerings of other Great Lakes cruise providers. As small ship cruises go, this one is a winner!

If you want a truly unique dinner cruise experience, the Spirit of Chicago offers a Thanksgiving Dinner cruise featuring Walnut crusted turkey breast, orange glazed ham and slow braised center cut sirloin. There are also two after Thanksgiving Champagne brunch and dinner cruises available on November 27th. There are few other small ship cruise lines that offer this level of dining, or trips as late into the fall as the Spirit of Chicago offers.

For those who like the night, the Spirit of Chicago offers a midnight moonlight cruise. This Lakes cruise includes a professional DJ, cash bar and light hors d’oeuvres. Sorry, this cruise is adults only (over 21) and you must be able to show a valid photo ID before boarding.

Another cruise offering is the Sweetest Day Dinner cruise which is offered October 17th. Offering live music, champagne and memorable views of the Sweetest Day fireworks, this cruise promises to be a winner. Fireworks cruises are always popular among dinner and evening cruisers and small cruise ships offer an outstanding platform for viewing fireworks unobstructed by either buildings or milling crowds. The Spirit of Chicago offers an upper level observation deck as well as several open patios on the other decks and should allow excellent viewing.

Fireworks cruises are available on the Spirit of Chicago on the fourth of July, Sweetest Day and News Years Eve. Since many Great Lakes cruise ships are closed for business during the winter season, this makes the Spirit of Chicago exceptional as it offers cruises most of the year.

The spirit of Chicago offers three dining decks and an observation deck and has a reported capacity of 572 passengers. They will take single passengers, small groups or even large group charters that occupy one or more decks. The decks are open and spacious and appear well lighted. The ship departs from Navy pier and the cruise provider reports that ample parking is available at the Navy Pier parking lot. There is also a continuous running (and free to ride) trolley that carries passengers from the parking a lot along Navy pier.

There is a dress code of sorts for the dinner cruises, so be certain to check with the cruise providers for exact recommendations. These cruises are generally not shirt and tie affairs, but the cruise line prefers passengers on the dinner cruises be a little more dressy. There are also enhancements you can add to your cruise to make to more memorable. These include private tables, balloons, roses, appetizer plates, open bar, champagne, wine, souvenir glasses, photographs, guaranteed window seats and other perks that add to the experience of a Great Lakes cruise on this small ship.

Cleveland, Ohio is the home of the Goodtime III, which the owners bill as the “largest quadruple-deck 1,000 passenger luxury ship on the Great Lakes.” At 1,000 passengers it is very possible that the Goodtime III is in fact the largest passenger ship on the Lakes. Lakes liners are normally smaller and only carry 300 to 400 passengers on the largest ships. If the Goodtime III is not physically the largest liner on the lakes it certainly ranks among the elite few in the number of passengers it can carry.

The Goodtime III offers regular sightseeing, entertainment and dinner/dance cruises as well as custom charters. Most of the offerings appear to fall into the “day cruise” category with 2 hours cruises being advertised. The ship is heated and air conditioned and has a canvas enclosed upper deck.

The cruises and tours are on the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie and include a commentary on the sights provided by an experienced guide. The Goodtime III is large enough to have an onboard pub and both sandwiches, soft drinks and spirits are available.

The Gootime III’s homeport is the East 9th Street Pier in Cleveland and they advertise that this location is next to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Great Lakes Science Center. This is a convenient location for families looking for a vacation stop with a number of different attractions all at one place. Another plus is that the Goodtime III sails rain or shine since there are enclosed and semi-enclosed decks. This is an important consideration when choosing a Great Lakes cruise vacation. Weather can sometimes pose a hazard for day cruisers. The Goodtime III has taken pains to prevent the weather from damping its passenger’s vacations.

The daily cruises and tours are each about 1 ½ hours long. These are lunch and dinner cruises and include a tour around the harbor and a running commentary on the sights given by an experienced guide.

There are a number of other specialty tours that are also offered by the Vista Fleet, these include Mother’s Day Brunch, Father’s Day Beer n’ Brats, Armed Forces Weekend, Blues Cruises, Harvest Festival and Fall Colors Cruises, Halloween Cruises and 4th of July Fireworks Cruises.

Children are welcome on most of the cruises and the prices are reasonable at anywhere from $20 to $60 in 2009 pricing. Of course the prices vary based upon the cruise, with the most expensive being the Fireworks Cruise. There are two locations for the Fireworks cruise; Duluth, Minnesota; and Superior, Wisconsin. The Duluth trip is aboard the Vista Star, the largest of the fleet and includes a prime rib dinner. The Superior trip is aboard the Vista Queen, the smallest of the fleet and includes hors d’oeuvres and a limited Open Bar. Yet a third 4th of July option is added when the Vista King sails from Duluth. This trip is only $30 per person but includes only light snacks and a cash bar.

If you want to try a Great Lakes cruise but you’re afraid you might not like it, or your budget is very small, one of these short “day trips” might be just perfect for you. You can easily test your sea legs without breaking your bank account.

You will find that companies like the Vista Fleet operate in many ports, so if you live anywhere in the area of the Great Lakes, there is probably a cruise company located somewhere near you. The ships these companies operate may have cabins for lodging, or like those of the Vista Fleet, they may be completely converted to passenger seating and dining areas. Either way, these short trips offer a great opportunity to learn about the local harbors and to get on the water and have some fun. At the relatively low price charged for one of these short Great Lakes cruises they also make fun Mother’s or Father’s day, birthday, graduation and wedding presents.

Many couples have chosen to take a cruise for their first alone time after the wedding. Great Lakes cruises make a very viable option for such a cruise vacation. Great Lakes cruises come in a large number of flexible formats that can run from a few hours to more than a week. These can be intimate dinner cruises or luxury vacations.

Because the Great Lakes are surrounded by Canada and the United States, most people perceive them to be much safer than cruises that go overseas. You are always close to shore and generally in the ports of call you stop at everyone will speak English and accept U.S. or Canadian currency.

On a Great Lakes cruise, the honeymoon couple can be away from all of the stresses of life and yet still close to home. Far enough away that friends and family can’t reach them, yet no so far that they are completely out of reach in an emergency.

How about a tall ship cruise for a honeymoon? There are several options available on the Great Lakes, from short dinner or wine tasting trips that last a couple of hours to longer trips that may last a couple of days.

Or, maybe the choice is a luxury cruise on one of the luxury mini-yachts that cruise the Great Lakes carrying passengers on days and sometimes weeks long trips.

Without a doubt, anyone planning a honeymoon cruise should consider a Great Lakes cruise. While the ports of call aren’t as exotic as some in the Carribean or Hawaii, there also isn’t a long ocean transit to arrive at those ports. And, the Great Lakes provide some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. From rocky caves, to sandy beaches, to massive locks designed to pass ships, to the star touching skylines of cities like Toronto, Detroit and Chicago. A Great Lakes cruise can provide a honeymoon to dream over.

If bad table mates are ruining your Great Lakes cruise vacation, what should you do? If you have open seating, meaning that you can pick your table and thereby choose your table mates, the situation is as easy to correct as picking a different table next time. But what if your cruise plan has fixed seating, and you are stuck with your table and your mealtime? Should you just try to make the best of it?

The problem really becomes a matter of degree at this point. If the individual is only a minor annoyance it might be more difficult to get relief than if the other diner is a major obnoxious jerk. In either case, you should speak with the dining room manager. It may take some work but you can probably get your seating changed if you explain the situation and are willing to be flexible in the reassignment. Great Lakes cruise lines are in the business of hospitality and they want your cruise vacation to be the best it can be.

There is some really good news when it comes to table mates at dinner on both Great Lakes cruises and other cruise vacations. Through hundreds of accounts, cruisers are all saying basically the same thing–bad table mates are a rarity. The vast majority of repeat cruisers have never had an issue, some after 20 or more cruises. Others have reported that in several dozen cruises, they’ve had 1 instance where they’ve needed to take some action to change tables, straighten out another diner or request someone else be moved.

While a bad table assignment can affect cruising fun, there is no use letting it ruin the Great Lakes cruise vacation of a lifetime.

In fact, I found out cruise lines all have regulations about what can and cannot be carried aboard. Since the regulations are at least partly determined by the cruise line itself, the list of restricted items varies somewhat from company to company as does the disposition of the contraband. Most companies will simply confiscate the item and hold it until the cruise is over, then return it to the owners. In some instances, the goods may be destroyed or thrown away.

Perhaps the most common item to be confiscated is alcohol. Most Great Lakes cruise lines have a policy of some kind about bringing alcohol on board. Some allow it, and some do not. Along with alcohol is any kind of drugs other than prescription medicine. Remember, all prescription medicine should be brought in the original pharmacy bottles. In the eyes of someone searching a bag the difference between prescription medicine and illegal drugs is often only the label on the bottle–so, always bring the original bottle with the original label intact.

Other things to avoid bringing are anything that makes a flame other than a cigarette lighter and anything that produces heat. So, leave at home the candles, incense and hot plates. Some Great Lakes luxury cruises may also curtail the use of small appliances like irons and blow driers so be sure to check with the cruise provider before bringing these items.

Of course pets are usually not allowed on board Great Lakes cruises except for service dogs and even they require advanced permission to bring. Some people have been known to argue that the animals they want to bring are not pets and therefore fall outside the ban. Therefore, most cruise lines simply state “animals” and this is implied to include fish, birds, bug collections, etc. Likewise, plants, seeds, shrubs and other similar items are often banned. These last two categories are important especially to travelers who may go off on a shore excursion and want to bring something back on board with them. Check with the cruise line first.

Also banned on Great Lakes cruise liners and most other cruises are explosives, firearms, ammunition, fireworks, knives, axes, bottled gasses (except oxygen for breathing and again only with advanced permission), and anything else that might be considered a weapon in general.

Skateboards, roller skates, roller blades, pogosticks, bicycles, tricycles, unicycles and motorized carts or scooters (wheel chairs and scooters will again require advanced permission).

To round out the list, certain foods might not be allowed, fruits, vegetables, etc. This again can be a problem when visiting different ports.

The best advice is: When in doubt, leave it out.

Great Lakes cruises can be had for under $100 a person if you are willing to cruise for under 1 day. Longer trips can be had for under $1000 and still longer trips might reach the $5000 mark. A lot depends on length of the trip and what you expect out of it.

A nice thing about Great Lakes cruises is the number and variety of small cruise operators running one to three boats and providing sightseeing tours of the shoreline. These tours are often centered around a scrumptious dinner, but there are also shipwreck tours, color tours, ice cream social tours, wine tasting tours, paddle wheeler tours, fireworks tours, waterfall tours, river tours and a host of others. Almost every port on the Great Lakes has at least one operator offering these short tours and some of the larger cities such as Chicago have many.

It is important to remember that even though these ships are smaller, they are still required to meet stringent US Coast Guard requirements for passenger vessels, which means they are inspected for safety on a regular basis.

Even longer Great Lakes cruises may be cheaper in direct comparison to ocean cruises because the ships are smaller and less costly to operate. And, while the ships are smaller, they are still luxurious mini-yachts.

Great Lakes cruise ships are different. They are smaller versions of their ocean going cousins, smaller so they can navigate the shallower waters of inlets and bays, but still large enough to be comfortable. The larger lakes liners typically run about 1/10th the size of their ocean going counterparts. With passenger lists under 200, it is often possible for passengers to come to know the crew on a first name basis. The smaller lakes liners may carry only a couple of dozen passengers as in the case of the schooner Manitou, which only has cabins for 24 passengers. With a group of passengers that small, most will come to know each other on a first name basis. The crews of these ships are highly trained and able seamen, and with such small passenger lists, they are usually able to take the time to answer questions.

Of course, much depends on which cruise line you choose, and which ship. The largest ship on the Great Lakes is usually about 400 passengers, and the smallest may be just a handful. The larger ship will offer more amenities–perhaps a ship’s store, a wider choice of meals, a licensed bar, a dance floor. On the other hand, the smaller ship may offer to take you beach combing in places that the larger ship wouldn’t dare enter, or it might have a wine tasting tour serving wine from local vineyards. Smaller ships have many niche markets they serve, and you are likely to find one that fits your needs and your pocketbook.

On a smaller ship you may be able to take a shorter tour, one that only lasts a couple of hours. Small tour operators are more likely to offer a couple of short, theme tours everyday. So, you might go wine tasting, or ice cream eating, or star gazing and be home the same day you left. That is less likely with the larger ships that need to make longer tours in order to pay the bills.

Great Lakes cruise ships may be smaller, but sometimes smaller is better.  It all depends what you are looking for in your cruise experience. Just don’t write the smaller craft off. Many people are reporting they like the little ships as well or better than the large ones.

Their ship is the Manitou, a 114-foot, 24-passenger schooner built in the 1980s. It is a replica of 1800s craft and was specifically built to carry passengers on Great Lakes cruises. The Manitou carries over 3000 square feet of sail and displaces 100 tons of water. Traverse Tall ship company offers two cruises aboard the Manitou per day–an afternoon cruise and an evening cruise. And what cruises they are!

Wednesday evenings are “entertainment nights” with music performed by the group “Song of the Lakes.”

If you like ice cream, you’ll love Monday and Friday afternoons when the tall ship Manitou hosts and ice cream tour of Grand Traverse Bay featuring “Moomer’s” ice cream. Moomer’s ice cream is handmade right in Traverse City by Moomer’s ice cream and dairy, and is reputedly some of the best in the country.

Wine Tasting Cruises. Two nights a week, you can sample various local wines while touring the bay.

If you yearn for a longer experience, the Manitou makes several 4 day cruises every year. For trips of this length, the ship will only carry the 24 passengers its staterooms will hold, so passengers should try to book passage early. The cost is advertised to be $685 per person, double accommodations. These are themed cruises and themes are: astronomy; wine tasting; chocolate and storytelling; and Music. Traverse Tall Ship Company requests that you board the ship for these 4 day excursions between 4-6pm the night before sailing. Minimum passenger age for these cruises is 12.

The Kajama is a 164-foot, 3 masted Schooner. Great Lakes Schooner Company claims that the Kajama cruise can only be duplicated in the Caribbean, and that may very well be true. While there is another tall ship cruise located in Traverse City, Michigan, USA, it is reported to lack a fully licensed bar. On that ship you are allowed to bring drinks on board and to pre-order, but a complete bar is unavailable.

Another interesting thing about the Kajama is that a Fireworks Tour is available. You can watch the fireworks in Toronto Harbor from the deck.

The Great Lakes Schooner Company also operates a steam powered paddle wheeler known as the Trillium, which is large enough to handle up to 500 guests. According to Great Lakes Schooner, the Trillium is the last steam operated paddle wheeler offering Great Lakes cruises. There is also a 97-foot schooner available for cruising the Great Lakes, and a 190 passenger conventional cruise ship that boasts an upper-level dance floor with a retractable roof.

Great Lakes Schooner Company typically offers two boarding times, one just after 12pm and an evening run that starts between six and seven. The company claims they are flexible with the times since their Great Lakes cruises are private.

If you are interested in having them host your Great Lakes cruise or other charter event, whether it is a wedding, company meeting or something else, you will want to contact them early and schedule your time. These are unique ships and you might have to hunt long and hard to duplicate these enjoyable and unique cruises.

Only during the last decade have Great Lakes Cruises again been growing in popularity. Several reasons for this renewed enthusiasm for Great Lakes cruising seem obvious.

With the news of ocean luxury cruise ships being attacked by pirates and the growing threats our modern world seems filled with, many people are finding it safer to take Great Lakes cruises where they are completely surrounded by the United States and Canada.

Another reason is that budgets are somewhat tighter than they were even a couple of years ago and Great Lakes cruising fits right in with those more stringent requirements. Great Lakes cruises can be only a few hours long or they can last a couple of weeks. You can keep your trip to a simple dinner cruise around one of the many bays or you can choose to sail the entire length of the lakes from Niagara Falls to Duluth, Minnesota.

Some people cruising the Great Lakes are simply finding they enjoy the opportunity to see one of the natural wonders of the earth, the largest single body of fresh water in the world. Along the way, they enjoy the ports of call that often offer a trip back in time.

If you’re worried about Great Lakes Cruises being less luxurious than ocean luxury cruises, you can relax. The larger liners carry a hundred or so passengers in ample staterooms. They offer satellite TV/DVD/VCR, private balconies, multiple lounges, fine dining and have doctors and small hospitals on board. These are really in the class of large luxury yachts and as such, have all of the luxuries and amenities you would expect.

One main difference between a Great Lakes Cruise and an ocean luxury cruise is in the timing. The Great Lakes are only open for cruising during the summer months since these northern lakes tend to freeze over in the winter. So, when you plan your luxury cruise, expect that you will be required to take it sometime between May and September. The rest of the year belongs to the Caribbean, the summer belongs to Great Lakes cruising.

The smaller of the luxury cruise liners that Great Lakes cruise companies use are generally less than 200 feet long. These small liners will have several decks with staterooms, a large dining room, a small ship’s store, shuffle board courts, sun decks, etc. The larger cruise ships are generally only a little larger, but that is still enough to offer private balconies for the staterooms, flat screen satellite TV, multiple lounges, elevators, spas, a library and multiple observation areas.

Great Lakes luxury cruise ships always have a fine salon for dining. The exact type of cuisine will vary between cruise lines. Some Great Lakes cruises offer “home-cooked” meals complete with local fruit and vegetables that are picked up along the way. Other luxury cruises offer five-star cuisine.

Most cruise lines will try to accommodate dietary restrictions. So, when making reservations be sure to discuss any special food needs with the reservations clerk. The time to mention a low-sodium or peanut free diet is before buying the tickets. It makes it much more difficult for the staff to provide for special dietary requirements if they don’t have a chance to plan in advance. On a Great Lakes cruise ship, the chef can’t just send out at the last minute for something he doesn’t have on hand.

If time and money is limited, a day-cruise on a local ferry or small yacht may make more sense than a longer luxury cruise. These boats are smaller than even the smallest Great Lakes cruise ship and generally aren’t equipped with staterooms, lounges, or dining rooms. Most will have a cabin that passengers can ride in to stay out of the wind or to take shelter from rain. Ferries often run short routes from the main land to the islands, or around scenic bays in inlets. Often, the ferries can offer better views of the scenery that the bigger Great Lakes cruise ships because they can maneuver closer to the shore.

There are also dinner cruises available. Unlike the luxury cruises, these short Great Lakes cruises are usually only a couple of hours long and very reasonably priced. They include a high quality dinner, wine tasting, or ice-cream social event for the passengers to enjoy. Often, the Great Lakes cruise ships offering these types of trips are of a special design, meaning they may be tall ships or even steam powered paddle wheelers.

Whether booking a dream luxury cruise, a short day trip to see Mackinaw Island, or an 11-day color tour, there is a Great Lakes cruise ship waiting to show you the Great Lakes.