PONANT EXPLORATIONS

A Voyage Along the Great Lakes – with Smithsonian Journeys

8-night the Arctic expedition · 2 departures · from $11,340 per guest

  • 8 nightsDuration
  • Le BellotShip
  • Toronto, Ontario to Milwaukee, WisconsinRoute
  • Aug 13, 2027Next sailing
A Voyage Along the Great Lakes – with Smithsonian Journeys
In alliance with Smithsonian Journeys. This cruise is part of a collection of PONANT voyages that are specially-tailored for English-speaking travelers who want to engage with the world. In addition to the usual elements of the PONANT experience, the listed price for these voyages includes transfers to and from the ship, talks and discussions aboard ship by world class experts, and a shore excursion or activity in each port of call that encourages guests to embrace the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of the local environment and culture.

Set sail with PONANT aboard Le Bellot for a 9-day cruise to discover the Great Lakes. You will leave from cosmopolitan and dynamic Toronto, Ontario, on the shore of Lake Ontario.  Canada’s largest city will charm you with its museums, parks, and gardens.

Le Bellot will then transit the Welland Canal connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. From your call in Port Colborne, you will be able to see the impressive Niagara Falls. These three powerful waterfalls, renowned the world over, are an exquisite natural spectacle.

Leaving Port Colborne, sail across Lake Erie to reach Detroit, the “Motor City”. Here you visit the Henry Ford Museum, an eccentric collection of objects reflecting Ford’s fascination with Americana, and Greenfield Village, a gathering of historic structures from around the country.   Your next lake, Lake Huron, boasts myriad islands in its northern sector, with white rocks capped with conifers plunging into the sapphire waters of the lake.

Here you will discover the  quaint town of Little Current, gateway to Manitoulin Island, the world’s largest freshwater island. From Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, you will have the opportunity to transit the engineering marvel of the Soo Locks for a foray into Lake Superior, before continuing to Mackinac Island for an exploration of the island’s Victorian past by horse and buggy.

End your voyage by sailing the length of Lake Michigan, a veritable inland sea, following in the footsteps of the region’s indigenous Americans, first settlers, and trappers. Make your way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the United States’ “brew city,” for disembarkation

Upcoming departures

SailsShipNightsFrom (per guest)
Aug 13, 2027Le Bellot8$11,340Cabins & fares
Aug 21, 2027Le Bellot8$11,960Cabins & fares

Day by day

As planned for the Aug 13, 2027 departure; other departures may differ.

  1. Day 1Toronto, Ontario

  2. Day 2Going through the Welland Canal locks

  3. Day 3Port Colborne, Ontario

  4. Day 3Sailing Lake Erie

  5. Day 4Detroit, Michigan

  6. Day 4Sailing St. Clair River

  7. Day 5Sailing Lake Huron

  8. Day 6Little Current, Ontario

  9. Day 7Sault-Sainte-Marie, Ontario

  10. Day 8Mackinac Island, Michigan

  11. Day 9Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Gallery

Questions about this trip?

Our polar specialists can compare these departures, cabins and current offers with you.

Email explore@polaradventure.com or call toll-free 1-888-611-7688.

Contact us