Great Lakes Cruises: Victory Cruise Lines Relaunching With Us, Canada Sailings This Month

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Find the cruise that works for your budget with these tips.

• Victory Cruise Lines, a small-ship cruise operator, is relaunching with two refurbished ships, Victory I and Victory II.
• Itineraries range from nine to 14 nights and include shore excursions, onboard lectures, and multiple dining options.
• Prices start at $4,999 per person, covering pre-cruise accommodations, transfers, meals, drinks, and various onboard amenities.

A small-ship cruise operator is about to make a comeback in the U.S.

Victory Cruise Lines is relaunching this month with Great Lakes and Canada cruises. American Queen Voyages’ founder John Waggoner is reviving the brand with two 190-passenger ships, Victory I and Victory II.

The vessels, which were purpose-built to sail the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and French-Canadian Maritimes, were previously owned by American Queen Voyages before it shut down last year (Waggonner was no longer involved with the company at the time). American Queen Voyages acquired Victory Cruise Lines in 2019.

Both ships have been refurbished, and will sail popular and lesser-visited ports within North America. Many of Victory’s customers want to “wrap (themselves) in the American or Canadian flag,” according to founder and chairman Waggoner.

“I think what we find is that a lot of our guests have traveled all over the world, and now they are looking for something that's at home,” he told USA TODAY.

Waggoner and his wife Claudette, who co-owns the company, will host Victory’s first cruise of the year. The 10-night cruise aboard Victory I will sail from Portland, Maine to Toronto, Canada on April 16 ahead of the ship’s christening.

Victory II will be christened in Chicago on May 12.

Victory will sail itineraries ranging from nine to 14 nights in 2025. Those include All 5 Great Lakes cruises, which visit Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Superior, sailing from either Chicago or Milwaukee to Toronto (or departing from Toronto).

The 5 Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway itinerary will sail between Chicago and Montreal, while the Great Lakes & Thunder Bay cruise round-trip from Chicago includes two great lakes – Michigan and Superior – and an overnight stay in Michigan’s Mackinac Island, among other sailings.

Stops will include Detroit and Marquette in Michigan; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Port Colborne, Ontario – giving guests access to Niagara Falls – and more. Victory will also be the only cruise line to dock at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

The company offers a variety of excursions along the way, from a visit to the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and the Museum Ship Valley Camp, where guests can learn about the area’s history, to a behind-the-scenes tour of Lambeau Field where the Green Bay Packers play.

“And then you hit Cleveland, where you dock right (near) the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Waggoner added. “And then Detroit, where you get to go to the Henry Ford Museum of (American) Innovation.”

The ships will also host a LakeLorian program in partnership with the National Museum of the Great Lakes, offering lectures from historians and naturalists. Other onboard features include three dining concepts, a sun deck and a salon and spa.

Available cruises currently start at $4,999 per person, according to Victory’s website. The fares include a pre-night hotel stay, transfers from the hotel to the ship, food and drinks onboard, a tour in each port, Wi-Fi and more.

“What I hope (guests) take away is the grandeur and the beauty of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway,” Waggoner said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.