For instance, luxury cruise liners often have a lot of things that you can do. The very largest liners may have casinos, shuffleboard courts, a number of restaurants, salons, libraries and other activities that most adults would find pleasant. But, what about people traveling with kids? Consider checking with your cruise line before booking your cruise to see what activities may be available for children. On a short trip lasting a couple of hours most children will be relatively entertained simply by the novelty of the trip. On longer trips, kids will grow bored if there is nothing specifically for them to do. So consider checking with your cruise line to see what activities may be available on board for children. Some of the very largest liners may offer playgrounds and babysitting services, these same services may not be available on very many small ship cruises, so it is definitely worth finding out in advance.

A day cruise may be a good idea for anyone who hasn’t been on a cruise before because this gives you an opportunity to decide if you like cruising while committing no more than a couple of hours of your time and perhaps $40 or $50 of your money. For this small sum you will often wind up with an exciting tour or a very nice meal. If you take your kids along on such a short trip you will have an opportunity to discover how they take to cruising. Do they get sea sick? Do they get bored? These are both questions that you can answer for just a few dollars rather than the many dollars that you might have to commit for a longer cruise.

First-time cruisers and even some veterans sometimes talk about a certain level of disorientation that they experience when they first get onboard ship. The environment is different than you are used to living in, it may be much more congested than you are used to, and it is nearly certain that most of us are not used to walking around on something that is moving under our feet. A day cruise can give you an opportunity to test yourself and see how you enjoy that type of an environment. Even if you have cruise many of times before, it is a good idea to get a map of the cruise ship when you board, and use this to help you navigate around the ship for the first few days. It can make moving through hallways that all look relatively the same much easier.

A Great Lakes cruise can provide the experience of a lifetime. To get the most of it you only need a few slight precautions.

The Columbus is a 400+ passenger state-of-the-art luxury cruise ship, built in 1997. At 473 feet long, the ship has a 71 foot beam, and gross tons of 15,000. This makes the Columbus one of the larger cruise ships that will be working the Great Lakes next summer. There are a number of domestic cruise lines offering luxury cruises, but only a few operate ships that are quite so large or as luxurious. For residents of the US and Canada, the Columbus offers an added attraction because it is operated by a foreign crew, giving passengers a feeling that they’re farther away from home than they may actually be.

The month of September can sometimes be a stormy one on the Great Lakes, but can also be one of the more pleasant months of the year. Spring months are often filled with storms and late fall beginning in October and bring many cold rains. This leaves June, July, August, and September as the prime cruise months. September is the end of the main cruise season, a time when the leaves on the trees begin to take on brilliant hues of orange, red and yellow, which can make this a beautiful time for touring the Great Lakes. The evenings are frequently cool, and the days are generally still warm to enjoy without a jacket, although those on the water will want to consider bringing warm clothing.

As always, there are a number of other options available for anyone wanting to take a color tour cruise. These range from small boats to large ships, and from cruises that last only a few hours to those that last several days or a couple of weeks; all of the Great Lakes have at least some options available for color tour cruises.

Generally Great Lakes cruises are all small ship cruises, because the size of the ships that sail the Great Lakes is dictated in large part by the size of the channels the ships have to pass through to enter the Great Lakes and by the depth of the harbors, which tend to be shallower than those found on the oceans. The Columbus just fits within the small ship category as it carries less than five hundred passengers and that makes it able to enter the Great Lakes with ease, carrying passengers in both directions.

The great advantage to sailing on small ships is that they provide a much more intimate cruise experience than you would find on the larger cruise ships which are basically small cities at sea. You get a chance to know me to and no some of your fellow passengers, and you may even get a chance to learn a little bit about the crew and a few crew members.

If you’re planning a Great Lakes cruise in 2011, you might want to remember that the Columbus is returning to the Lakes once again, and consider booking your cruise on what is perhaps one of the most interesting luxury cruise ships working the Lakes.

Ocean going cruise liners are often capable of carrying well over 500 passengers and some can reach close to 1000. The ships that provide Great Lakes cruises are much smaller and the largest will just barely top out at 500 passengers. The majority are smaller even that this and may carry only 30 to 100 passengers. Some of the tall ships may carry even fewer when everyone has a cabin.

The reason for this size limitation is partly based on the Lakes themselves and the way that lakes like Superior are connected to the rest of the chain and the way that the entire chain is connected to the sea. For any ships to enter the Great Lakes, they need to be small enough to navigate the waterways that connect the Lakes to the sea. Most larger, ocean going cruise liners are too large to do so.

For ships to access Lake Superior from the rest of the chain, they must pass through the Soo Locks, which limits the size of vessels that are able to move from lake to lake since all vessels passing this way must meet maximum size requirements. Since there is no other way for a cruise ship to enter Lake Superior, unless it is built there, only smaller cruise liners can make the passage.

Another reason for Great Lakes cruise ships being smaller is the relatively shallower waterways that vessels must be able to pass through. Harbors on the Lakes are also shallower and so require a shallower draft vessel to navigate.

Small ship cruises are desirable to many for the feeling of intimacy they bring. The ships are small and it is easy to meet people. Often the crew can make time to talk with the passengers and explain some of the working of the ship.

Please do not equate small with a lack of luxury. While ships like the Clelia II and the Pearl Mist may not be large, and may not have every amenity of their larger ocean going cousins, they are still luxurious and loaded with luxury features, and the services are top notch.

Anyone seeking a small ship cruise should seriously consider a Great Lakes cruise. The trips often can provide an exotic-feeling escape from the normal cruise fare and the ships themselves run the gamut from adventurous tall ships to quiet luxury liners and even small ferries that provide intimate dinner cruises.

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.

First, consider seasickness. Individuals who are prone to motion sickness might want to consider cabins as close to the center of the ship as possible. The farther the cabin is from the center of ship, the more it will be affected as the ship rolls or pitches. Modern Great Lakes cruise liners are designed to minimize this movement and provide smooth sailing experiences, and the Lakes generally have much smaller waves than those found on the ocean, but many people still experience at least some motion sickness.

Light sleepers and late risers might want to consider the location of their cabins based on a diagram of the ship they intend to travel on. Locate the main hallways, stairwells, elevators, galley and anything else that might be noisy, and try to book a cabin away from these irritations. High traffic areas and areas where the crew concentrate and work may be busy early in the morning and late into the night. When finding the locations of these places, try to think in 3D. Is there something above or below your cabin that might make a difference?

Those who are a little claustrophobic might want a veranda cabin. There are now cruise liners on the Great Lakes that offer private verandas for all or most of their cabins. A veranda gives you a chance to step out of your room quickly if it begins to feel a bit tight, and it also gives the feeling that the cabin is much larger that it actually is.

This brings up the matter of cabin size. As a rule of thumb, Great Lakes tall ships tend to have smaller cabins than Great Lakes cruise liners, but when you read in a brochure that a cabin is 120 or 300 square feet it is difficult to picture in your mind exactly how big that is. How can you decide which size is best? Try matching something of known size against the size noted in the brochure. Almost anything of the right size can be used to help visualize the size of a cabin. A 1 car garage may be about 300 square feet. Many backyard decks are about 120 square feet. Look around and find something to help visualize the size of the room, it will help keep expectations in line and that will make a significant impact on cruise vacation fun.

2. Layers of clothing. The weather on the Lakes can change quickly from hot and balmy to chilly. Bring a couple of extra layers of clothes so you can add or subtract a layer to warm up or cool down. Pack your clothes in soft sided luggage (on many cruise lines, this is a requirement.) You will want jeans, shorts, maybe a dinner dress or jacket and tie.

3. Bring a couple pairs of shoes, one pair for on board the ship and another pair of walking shoes for on shore. Great Lakes cruise ships stop at a number of beautiful and interesting places. You will want to walk around.

4. A good book. What better way to spend your vacation than sitting in a lounge chair reading a good book and enjoying the sunshine and the gentle sounds of shipboard life?

5. Anything like medications, contact lens fluid, sun block or tanning fluid.

6. A power strip to add extra outlets in you cabin (if the cruise line allows it), an air freshener for your cabin, your own bottled water or soft drinks.

7. Your companion, spouse or significant other. Cruises are much more fun when shared.

The port at Manistee began in the 1840s when Europeans first arrived and began logging operations. Michigan in general supplied a large amount of lumber to neighboring states and a lot of Michigan lumber wound up in Ohio after the great fire. Manistee had a hand in producing and shipping that lumber and the port at Manistee was a major employment center.

Today, there are 57 buildings in Manistee that are considered historically valuable and are part of the tour.

Manistee also is the home of the Lake Bluff Audubon Center. The center is located on 76 acres that fronts on Lake Michigan and is set up as an arboreum with specimens of many different trees and also boasts two State Champions, a Sycamore Maple and a Giant Sequoia.

There are a number of restaurants available in Manistee and the downtown port area has a large number of shops available.

This would be a good place to have a comfortable pair of walking shoes as there is a great number of things worth seeing in this Lake Michigan port city. Several Great Lakes Cruise lines make calls at Manistee, but this is not just another port for Great Lakes cruises. Manistee is a city worth visiting anytime you are in Michigan.

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.

Those who suffer from nausea and motions sickness know how fast it can ruin any trip. While Great Lakes cruises are generally smoother than their ocean cousins, some passengers still report suffering varying levels of nausea until they adjust to shipboard life. There are a number of remedies for seasickness both conventional ones like Dramamine and unconventional ones like ginger ale and bitters. One intriguing possible cure is called a “Sea Band.”

Sea Bands are available by mail order and at many pharmacies. They nothing more than wrists bands that are sold over the counter in packages of two and are designed to press on the acupressure points to relive nausea. Proponents say Sea Bands will relieve many kinds of nausea from morning sickness to the nausea associated with chemotherapy, anesthesia and other drug therapies.

Whether the bands work for the broad array of ailments that some of the providers would claim, there is enough anecdotal evidence from users to indicate that the bands do, in fact, have some beneficial effect for seasickness. Some users have claimed that the bands have no effect at all, but many others have claimed that the bands have completely cured their motion sickness.

One thing that users often report is the necessity of donning the bands before the cruise. It is best to board the ship wearing them and have them on before the advent of any motion sickness. Apparently, the bands will not cure you if you are already having problems, they will only prevent sickness in the first place.

Sea Bands come in two basic flavors. Regular ones and magnetic ones. The difference is that the latter has magnets in place of the plastic pads that are supposed to press on the inside of your wrist. Some passengers claim that the magnetic ones help them more.

A different, but similar product is an electric ReliefBand. This looks like a good old fashioned wristwatch, but is worn on the inside of the wrist. There are two small electrodes on the backside of the unit which contact the skin and through these a tiny electric charge is passed. Many passengers claim these bands have completely eliminated their seasickness and others have reported that they were able to start using the electric bands even after the advent of illness. The electric charge can also be adjusted up and down to accommodate changing weather and sea conditions. These electric ReliefBands aren’t as common as Sea Bands and as expected, are much more pricey. But, if you are a gadget freak they may be something you will want in your arsenal before you take any Great Lakes cruise.

Like everything else about Great Lakes cruise vacations, the amount a passenger gets out of these sea sickness cures varies based upon the passenger. The best advice is to start with one remedy and have a backup plan.

While any cruise or other trip offers some risk, Great Lakes cruises provide protection from risks that you might run into on an ocean cruise. If you watched the movie Titanic and it left you with a nagging fear that your cruise ship might strike an iceberg, you can relax. There are no real icebergs in the Great Lakes and while this lakes do freeze over in the winter, cruise ships only run in months when the waters are open.

Another common fear for cruise passengers are hurricanes and this again is something that doesn’t happen in the Great Lakes. While there are storms and they can occasionally be violent, they are nothing compared to a hurricane at sea. Great Lakes Cruise ships are also often in sight of shore, which tends to give you a great feeling of security.

We all know that sooner or later, there will be a successful pirate attack on a cruise ship. They have tried before and they will try again. When you plan your cruise, you need to consider the safety that the Great Lakes provide. There are no pirates on the Great Lakes.

Finally, many people ask “what if I get sick?” Again, Great Lakes Cruise ships are usually close to shore and there are many fine medical facilities in both the U.S. and Canada with state-of-the-art equipment and well trained staff that are accessible. Also, major cities like Toronto, Duluth, Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee are never far away.

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.

There are many companies, both U.S. and Canadian, that offer Great Lakes Cruises. You can find everything from small boats that go out for an afternoon’s trip, to large liners that may cover 6500 miles or more and take you from Niagara Falls to the far Western Corner of Lake Superior. In fact, it is shorter to cross the Atlantic than to go down the length of the Great Lakes.

Prices for Great Lakes cruises may be higher than they would be for a driving tour, but with a cruise, you take your hotel room with you, and the meals are always ready. The boats that cruise the Great Lakes are generally much smaller than those that provide ocean cruises, so you probably won’t have a bunch of shops, a pool or a casino on board. You will have ample staterooms, great food, beautiful sunsets and sunrises, the gorgeous coastline and the quiet relaxation of a lakes voyage. The pace is often modest on a Lakes cruise, with time for the passengers to get to know the crew.

As a general rule, the cost of a cruise will be much lower on a smaller boat that only goes out for short tours. These smaller boats are sometimes ferries that run from the mainland to the various islands. Even these low cost runs can be relaxing and entertaining. They sometimes include walking tours of the islands, and a few even include dinner either on board the boat or on shore.

The Lake islands are often only lightly inhabited and almost untouched. They are usually heavily covered with hardwoods and brightly colored in the fall. A very few have lodging, restaurants and other facilities.

The good news is that Great Lakes cruises are usually stable and reasonably smooth when compared with ocean cruises. The reason is that the Great Lakes are smaller than the ocean and generally have smaller waves, and therefore less chance to rock-the-boat so to speak. Still, some people do become seasick even on Great Lakes cruises and there are some things that you can do to help yourself avoid illness or to overcome it in the event you can’t totally escape it.

First, consider eating some ginger. People have been taking ginger as a supplement for many years and experts agree that this simple homeopathic cure can have a positive effect on seasickness for many people. Ginger can be found in a number of forms from pills to candy, gum, candied ginger pieces and cookies.

Second, starting out with stomach distress won’t make it any easier to adjust to being aboard ship. So, avoid foods that may be hard on your stomach for several hours before you board. This includes anything acidic like coffee or spicy food. You may also want to avoid greasy foods or anything that you know gives you the slightest bit of stomach trouble.

Third, mention to your Great Lakes cruise line that you have a problem with motion sickness. Sometimes they can help by arranging to give you a cabin in a part of the ship that has less movement.

Fourth, some people claim that walking around the ship helps them to adjust to the movement. This may be correct since the sickness seems to be related to the brain trying to adjust to an unaccustomed movement. Walking around on deck while you learn the layout of the ship may give your brain a chance to adjust to the new movement while keeping your mind occupied elsewhere, thereby helping to ease your symptoms.

Fifth, there are now several over the counter medications available such as Dramamine that can help alleviate your symptoms. If you think you might need them, the time to buy these tablets is before you board ship, as the price may be much higher from the ship’s store.

Sixth, there are a number of wrist bands (some are even eletric) now available that many people claim gives them great relief from seasickness, but the catch is you much start wearing the bands before you board the ship and you cannot remove them until after the trip is over.

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 cruises gradually lost favor as bigger and glitzier cruise liners made faster and faster transits to tropical islands and faraway ports. By the 1960s, cruising on the Great Lakes had dwindled to little more than private charters and small day-sailers.

In the mid 1990s, a German firm changed all of that by bringing in a liner full of European tourists to cruise the Great Lakes. That single event is credited with reviving interest in Great Lakes cruising.

Today, there are a number of small and mid-sized liners that ply the Great Lakes, offering a number of choices from day cruises to weeks long excursions. None of these Great Lakes cruise ships are as large as the ocean liners that shuttle people to the Bahamas, Hawaii and other exotic destinations and the odds are good you will never find a cruise ship that large on the lakes. The reason is simple, the Great Lakes can only be reached by a canal that is too small to allow the larger liners to pass. So, the liners on the Great Lakes are smaller, carrying 100 to 300 passengers rather than the much larger capacity of the big ships.

The Great Lakes basin has much to see. The Great Lakes themselves were formed after the last ice age, quite probably when the water from melting glaciers scoured the soil from the bedrock leaving great hollows that soon filled with water to become the lakes.

Over many centuries of human habitation, the Great Lakes have always held a certain fascination for man. Here is 1/5th of the world’s fresh water contained in one spot. The Native Americans created legends about the lakes and about many of the small islands that follow the shores of the surrounding States and Canada. In legend, North and South Manitou Island are baby bears and for centuries the natives considered Mackinaw Island a holy place and held their most important ceremonies there.

Along this waterway, Great Lakes cruise ships glide past everything from sandy beaches to rocky caves. A huge variety of wildlife makes this area home and it is not uncommon to see many different animals and birds on any given day. Many of the small towns along the shore are little changed from fifty years ago and still offer small town amenities.

Great Lakes cruises offer great scenery and enough luxury to satisfy almost anyone, and there are a variety of different cruising options from small ship day sails to full blown luxury cruises.

Beginning on June 1, 2009, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents will begin enforcing new passport requirements for all persons attempting to enter or re-enter the United States from Canada, Mexico or the Carribean. (These rules don’t apply to those people moving between the United States and it’s territories like Guam and Puerto Rico.)

Europeans who have come to the U.S. to take Great Lakes cruises will already have passports and so will not be affected. U.S. citizens who are on a cruise that will stop at a Canadian port, will want to pay close attention to the new rules if they want to be allowed back on their ships.

After June 1, all persons entering the United States will need to present a valid passport; passport card; trusted traveler program card; Merchant Mariner Document (when traveling on official maritime business) or a U.S. Military identification card (when traveling on official orders).

If you don’t have the proper documents, and you try to re-enter the United States, you may be detained at Customs while they verify your identity. A delay could prevent you being able to return to your ship and that could end your Great Lakes cruise early and unpleasantly.

For most of us, “proper documents” means a passport, but there are a couple of exceptions.

An alternative to a passport is an “Enhanced Driver’s License. ” Several states are now offering these new driver’s licenses as an option to the regular licenses. They can be used for entry at any land or sea port.

Another alternative is a passport card, which is a passport shaped like a credit card or driver’s license. It is a limited use card that is acceptable for U.S. citizens to enter the country through land and sea ports from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

If you are a U.S. citizen and you are planning a Great Lakes cruise this year or next and you don’t have a passport, start now to get one. First, check your State’s website to see if it is one of the States offering enhanced driver’s licenses. There are several States that are already advertising and offering the licenses and more are expected to get on the bandwagon. If your State doesn’t yet offer the new license, then you might want to apply for a passport. You need to start well in advance of the time you are planning to take your Great Lakes cruise so that getting the passport documents won’t cause any delays.

Canadian citizens may want to check with their own licensing agencies because the U.S. has been working with Canada to develop a similar type of identification card for Canadians who will otherwise need a valid passport to enter a U.S. port.

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.

2.  Be sure to make reservations early, both the initial reservations for the cruise, and any reservations that might have to be made once onboard for things like dinners, tours, etc. Check the tour brochure to see if alcoholic beverages or any special dietary items need to be ordered in advance and if so do so well before the cruise begins.

3.  Once onboard find a spot to spend some personal time. That might be the ship’s library, a deck chair, cabin or a ship’s lounge. Vacations are about relaxation and passengers will want to spend at least a part of their Great Lakes cruise relaxing and enjoying quiet time.

4.  Learn where to go, how to get there and what to bring. Where does the cruise begin? How do you get to the dock? What do you do with luggage? This goes for shore time as well. If you are with a companion, make arrangements for what to do if you get separated. The plan can be as simple as where to meet and when. Cell phones are handy for keeping in touch and if you don’t have a cell phone that will work in the US, you can buy a disposable one at most stores for just a few dollars.

5.  Ask questions. The crews are usually happy to answer ordinary questions. They are proud of their vessels and of the jobs they do and they enjoy sharing that with others. Don’t be a pest, but don’t be afraid to ask legitimate questions either.

6.  Try new things and activities that you would normally not experience. Part of the thrill of any vacation is seeing new things and doing new things that you can’t ordinarily experience, and Great Lakes cruises provide many opportunities for adventure.

7.  Study your ports of call in advance and if you decide to disembark at one, note the time the ship leaves port. Return to the ship early (some authorities say at least 30 minutes) early and know the name and phone number of who to contact to notify your ship of an emergency.

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.

The answer is as varied as the passengers. The most common answer is to check out the cabin and then get something to eat. If the ship is leaving shortly, it might be fun to stand on deck and watch the port fade away, perhaps with a camera in hand the whole time.

Others like to wait in their cabins until the luggage arrives and meet the cabin steward. This is a perfect time to get to know the staff that will be handling room service and if you are so inclined, offer a small advance on the tip. Sometimes a couple of dollars offered early can help ensure top-rated service.

Many passengers say the first thing they do is check out the ship, including finding their staterooms. One tip that rose recently was to carry a piece of colored yarn, a door hanger or some cheap beads to hand on the cabin door knob. It can make finding the cabin much easier among a whole hall filled with similar looking doors.

Still other recommend dropping the carry-on luggage at the stateroom and then immediately checking on the seating for dinner. It might also be advisable to locate the main stairways, elevators and entry/exit points from the various onboard rooms.

The best recommendation is simply to have fun. Relax and enjoy the experience. Great Lakes cruises are about the fun of the experience and the relaxation of being away from day-to-day problems. So, get something to eat, check out the cabin or just stand on deck and watch the port fall behind, all options are good.

2.  Layers of clothing. The weather on the Great Lakes can change quickly from hot and balmy to chilly. Bring a couple of extra layers of clothes so you can add or subtract a layer to warm up or cool down. Pack your clothes in soft sided luggage (on many cruise lines, this is a requirement.) You will want jeans, shorts, maybe a dinner dress or jacket and tie.

3. Bring a couple pairs of shoes, one pair for onboard the ship and another pair of walking shoes for on shore. Cruise ships stop at a number of beautiful and interesting places. You will want to walk around.

4.  A good book. What better way to spend your vacation than sitting in a lounge chair reading a good book and enjoying the sunshine and the gentle sounds of shipboard life?

5.  Medications, contact lens fluid, sun block or tanning fluid, toothpaste, hair spray and other items in the personal and health care area.

6.  A power strip to add extra outlets in you cabin (if the cruise line allows it), an air freshener for your cabin, your own bottled water or soft drinks.

7. Your companion, spouse or significant other. Cruises are much more fun when shared.

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.

Well,  Lakes cruises offer a whole different way to look at the Great Lakes. Imagine arriving in a different port everyday. A different place to shop, a different place to golf. And you never have worries about getting a hotel room, you bring it right with you along with your very own restaurant.

Cruises offer the budget conscious an opportunity to save. With a cruise, you know in advance what your cost will be. There are no unexpected car repairs to pay for on the road, no worries about finding parking or getting lost on the way through a strange place. Best of all, there are no traffic jams, none of those “orange cone zone” areas that north country road crews are famous for. Just the combined delays from waiting in queue for traffic to move at several of these stops can eat up a major portion of your trip. With a cruise, you leave all that behind when you board ship. No worries about reservations, meals or itinerary. It is all handled for you.

Why cruise the Great Lakes? First, the ships that ply the Great Lakes are smaller than their seagoing cousins and usually carry less than 100 passengers. So, you often have the chance to get to know the crew by name. Some, like the cruise ship Clelia II are like living in a luxury hotel that magically moves from town to town and carries you to the best attractions the area has to offer. Others, like the tall ship Manitou provide a link to the past. Second, lakes cruises are often less pricey than their ocean going kin. This is generally due to the shorter cruise times.

All told, there are dozens of companies offering some form of Lakes cruise. These range from simple dinner cruises around one of the bays to major, week long excursions. Don’t think that a lakes cruise will always be a simple little trip on a simple little boat, either. Some of these trips cover as much distance as a trip across the Atlantic and ships like the Clelia II are state of the art.

When you consider a luxury cruise for your vacation, consider one on the Great Lakes. The offerings are wide and the trips fantastic, whether you are looking for an outright luxury cruise or a simple day cruise around the harbor.

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 first question to ask yourself is how much you are willing to spend. Some Great Lakes day cruises can be had for less than $100. Anyone intent on cruising the Great Lakes for several days on a luxury cruise ship, the cost may run several hundred or more, and the big luxury cruise packages that last 10 or more days are in the range of several thousand. So, before deciding which cruise to book, Great Lakes cruisers first need to decide how much money is in their budgets.

The second question to ask is how much time is available for cruising the Great Lakes. An entire vacation? Only one day? Or, maybe ½ of the vacation cruising the Great Lakes and ½ at a resort or on a road trip. The amount of time and the amount of money available to spend will dictate which trip to select.

The third question potential cruisers should ask is what they truly desire in a Great Lakes cruise. All the luxury of a mini-yacht? Or, are they willing to rough-it a little bit and take a Tall Ship? Are dancing, wine tasting, ice cream socials, extravagant dinner,  or seeing the sights pass slowly by the ship or enjoying the beautiful ports of the Great Lakes more important? All of these activities are available on different Great Lakes cruises, but every passenger has to decide which Great Lakes cruise provides what they are seeking.

Once all of these questions are answered, potential cruisers can begin to pick the ship they might like to cruise on. Great Lakes cruise ships come in a variety of sizes, from small charter boats, to 100 foot tri-masted schooners. Steam powered paddle boats, to mini-cruise liners that are more like mini-yachts.

When the price, the duration, the type of ship and the personal cruise goals are decided, it will be much easier for potential cruisers to decide which Great Lakes cruise is best.

Centuries ago Mackinac Island was recognized by the natives as a holy place, a place to meet and bury their most important and honored chiefs. The first Europeans visited the island in the 1600s. These were explorers, missionaries and fur traders, the famed “Voyageurs” of that era.

Today, Great Lakes cruise ships regularly stop and let passengers visit and tour the island fort along with the host of local shops and businesses that line the main street. There is also ferry service available from the mainland for those who want to visit but have no interest in cruising the Great Lakes. There are several ferry services available and both luxury cruise ships and local ferries regularly stop here.

Mackinac Island is non-motorized, meaning that motorized vehicles are restricted to emergency uses only. So Great Lakes cruisers should plan to walk or rent bicycles, horses, or catch a buggy ride, all of which are readily available on the island.

Great Lakes cruise passengers will find that besides touring the fort or shopping, there is always a trip to sample the world famous Mackinac Island Fudge which is made fresh daily in an island shop. The historic areas of town also host regular demonstrations of early American crafts, and Great Lakes cruisers might find the tour of the island’s reputedly haunted locations interesting.

If passengers haven’t had enough of cruising the Great Lakes, there are higher observation points where one can look down on the harbor area and watch the flow of Great Lakes cruise ships and local ferries as they bring passengers on and off the island.

Then there is the butterfly house. Many people don’t know that the 3rd oldest live butterfly exhibit in the country is located on Mackinac Island. This is an 1800 square foot tropical garden filled with hundreds of different butterflies. A butterfly house is odd thing to find in a Northern climate, and Mackinaw Island is perhaps an even odder location to find it, but this is an exhibit that is well worth the visit. It’s this type of unique flavor that makes Great Lakes Cruises different from any others.

Great Lakes cruisers will find there are four very small malls on the island and a number of other shops. None of these are large stores, and most of them are only open seasonally. The thing to remember about this place is that it closes for the winter and the only way to reach the mainland after the lakes freeze over is by snowmobile.  As with all other ports on the Great Lakes, Summer belongs to cruising the Great Lakes and winter belongs to the more exotic luxury 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 waterways are still an important part of the U.S. and Canada. So, is it any wonder that a lot of people still enjoy their vacations on the decks of Great Lakes cruise ships?

Whether it is a Great Lakes cruise, some chartered fishing time, scuba diving, or a dinner cruise, Great Lakes ports provide it all. Several companies offer luxury cruises on the Great Lakes as well as ocean luxury cruises and dozens more offer charters and dive excursions. Great Lakes cruises are available in all of the lakes, although a bit of shopping might be necessary to find one Great Lakes cruise that goes to every lake.

A favorite course seems to be from the Northwestern tip of Lake Superior through Lakes Huron and Erie and to Niagra Falls, and this Great Lakes cruise touches a greater number of the Great Lakes that most other Great Lakes cruises known available.

Another fun thing to do is charter a boat for fishing or scuba diving. Great Lakes charter boats are usually smaller that the luxury cruise ships and are often run by individuals who either specialize in providing charter services or provide the services part time. Which is better? It depends on what you want to accomplish. For a Great Lakes dive excursion, a competent dive master is a must. But, many of these individuals don’t earn their living exclusively from operating a boat. Many may run dive shops, provide equipment repair or lessons, and are still more than competent to handle the occasional charter.

Fishing charters are often the same way. The charter captain may have fished the Great Lakes for twenty years and operated a boat all of that time and still only be a part-time captain. Sometimes, even full time captains can provide poor service.

Great Lakes cruise ships and charter boats are required to be inspected for safety by the U.S. Coast Guard. This is a thorough inspection that helps ensure the passengers will have a safe and happy trip. Passengers who are nervous about the condition of a ship can always question the crew about the results of this inspection. With only a small bit of caution and effort, most people are able to have a safe, happy holiday on their Great Lakes cruise.

Remember, that Great Lakes Charters, like Great Lakes Cruises are best enjoyed in the warmer months between June and early September, and if you prefer the air to be a bit less nippy, you might want to consider late July and early August.

2. On a Great Lakes Cruise, you are always a short distance from the US or Canadian mainland and generally aren’t very far from a city with state-of-the-art health care facilities. This is important to seniors and is growing in importance to boomers.

3. The great lakes offer some of the most fantastic scenery in the world, from Niagara falls to the Pictured Rocks, there is always something new to see.

4. Some of the world’s largest cities line the shores of the Great Lakes, or are within a couple of hours drive. Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Duluth, Montreal and Milwaukee all are on the coast.

5. Even the smaller ports that the cruise ships put in at offer fine restaurants, beautiful golf courses, unique shopping, exhibits of local arts, festivals and other events.

6. Cruises are often cheaper than ocean going cruises, because the ships are smaller and cheaper to operate and maintain and because you can often get shorter cruises.

7. You are usually in sight of the mainland of either the United States or Canada, offering a heightened sense of security.

8. Great Lakes Cruises offer the chance to retrace history. Many of the small towns and villages along the shores of the great lakes have changed little in the last 50 years, and some haven’t changed much in the last 100. When you cruise the Great Lakes, you cruise the history of the United States and Canada, following the trade routes of the Potawatomi and the early Voyageurs.

9.  Lakes cruises are scalable, from short cruises that last only hours to days and weeks long excursions that cover thousands of miles.

10. A great variety of craft are available for cruising from small charter boats to luxury yachts to Tall Ships and steam powered paddle-wheelers.

With so many choices of ship, destination and duration, there is a cruise available for almost everyone.