Great Lakes Cruising History – 100 Luxurious Years of Travel

In the mid to late 1800s steamships traveling on the Great Lakes were the only way to get to most cities.

Cruising via paddlewheel steamer gave rise to our northern Michigan tourism industry and the start of the term “Going Up North” Prior to the railroads and automobiles.

by Michael Hardy

Viking expects to have two of their newest ships set sail on the Great Lakes — the Viking Octantis and Polaris starting during the 2023 summer season. The ships are 665 feet long with beam of 77 feet wide and a guest capacity of 378.