Sailing the Great Lakes: exploring the world's largest freshwater basin aboard Hapag-Lloyd's Columbus

Cruise Travel, May-June, 2005 by Theodore W. Scull

The Great Lakes form a vast inland freshwater basin that covers an area almost as large as the state of Wyoming--Lake Superior alone is larger than Maine. All five lakes--Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, Superior--are interconnected by rivers, straits, and canals providing a continuous 2,200-mile deep-water navigation artery from the Atlantic Ocean to the shores of northeast Minnesota.

At the dawn of steam navigation, the lakes became major trade mutes for carrying grain, produce, iron ore, coal, and lumber from the interior of North America to manufacturing cities along the lake fronts and, via the St. Lawrence River, to the rest of the world, Resorts developed on the Georgian Bay islands and in northern Michigan, and lane paddle steamers plied from Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee, carrying urban folks to the Canadian and American summer retreats for a span of one hundred years.

When the pleasure steamers, many built before World War I, wore out, they weren't replaced as most vacationers had 'taken to their cars. By the nlM-1960s, Great Lakes cruising had largely disappeared.

About a decade ago. a few shallow-draft coastal cruisers began to venture out onto the lakes, ships belonging to American Canadian Caribbean Line and Clipper Cruise Line, plus small vessels chartered by Travel Dynamics. Then in the late 1990s, the venerable German firm Hapag-Lloyd built the Columbus, a 420-passenger shill designed to fit the exacting requirements of the Welland Canal locks, the tightest squeeze on the Great Lakes route. For short periods late in the summer and early fall, she has offered cruises that includes stops on from three to five lakes, depending on file itinerary.

Thus far, most of her passengers have been German-speaking. while a small but growing number come from Callada and the United States. Last September, to satisfy a tong-time wish, I joined the Columbus for a five-lake cruise embarking in Toronto and ending l0 nights later in Chicago. At 14,903 gross register tons, the ship may be a small fry in the larger world of cruising, but in these waters she is the giant among passenger vessels.

Our cabin, of moderate size, had a huge picture-window, good closet and drawer space, a decent-size bathroom with shower, and expected amenities such as TV, telephone, safe, bathrobes, hair-dryer, and mini-bar. Our Filipino stewardess had worked on the ship since she was new, and we soon found many long-serving staff, a good sign of loyalty and happy working conditions. Half the hotel staff conies from the Philippines and the other half from Germany and Austria. All spoke good English.

The passenger list included about 40 North Americans and 250 from Austria, Germany. and a few other European countries, while the next cruise would count 80 from the U.S. and Canada. Having sailed on 10 ships with German-speaking passengers in the majority. I found this group to be the most interested in meeting us and to share the experience of a little-known part of the cruise world.

At meals, we sat in an English-speaking section of the single-seating dining room, occupying the same table throughout the cruise. The menu was international but a German entree appeared every night, so I enjoyed wild pheasant, wild boar, venison, and duck, plus some excellent fresh fish and a selection of six German beers in bottles and on draft. The preparation and presentation were all excellent, and I looked forward to every meal, including breakfast and lunch buffets in the lido.

Eight separate island stations diffused any queuing for the buffet. Occasionally I went native and sampled the pate and herring for breakfast and the various wursts, sauerkraut, and red cabbage for lunch. On one fine day on Lake Superior, we had an outdoor Oktoberfest-style picnic with live music and steins of beer, which proved extremely popular. Most then took to deck chairs for an afternoon recovery snooze.

The main lounge seated everyone for the nightly bilingual cabaret entertainment that included an excellent female vocalist, dancers, and six-piece Ukrainian band. During the day, a Scottish woman now living in Southern California gave slide talks on Great Lakes history, trade, indigenous peoples, and natural attractions. She and her German counterpart also offered commentary from the bridge when we approached ports, passed through canals, and traversed narrow straits.

Furnished with comfortable cushioned wicker chairs, the forward observation lounge was convenient for sightseeing while having lunch, and two partitioned side gallery lounges provided ideal reading spots and views of the lakes. A cozy wine bar, card room, library, shop, gymnasium, sauna, outdoor pool, and ample deck space on several levels rounded out the facilities.

Sailing from Toronto in the middle of the night positioned the ship for an all-day transit of the Welland Canal, which boasts all impressive 324-foot upward lift from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie that is nearly four times that of the Panama Canal. As we awaited our turn, giant ore and grain carriers filled the multiple chambers rising high above us. We climbed through eight locks and passed under several lift bridges while exchanging greetings with visitors watching from observation platforms ashore. Beyond the canal towns, Niagara Peninsula farms and vineyards abutted the busy waterway.