Great Lakes cruises: Victory Cruise Lines relaunching with US, Canada sailings this month
Show Caption
Hide Caption
How to find the best price, perks when booking a cruise
Find the cruise that works for your budget with these tips.
Problem Solved
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.
When will Victory Cruise Lines relaunch?
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.
What can guests expect?
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.
How much does Victory Cruise Lines cost?
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
3 minutes ago
- The Hill
GOP congressman suggests he'd ‘lose money and go broke' if advisers stop stock trades
Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) dismissed the idea of directing his financial advisers to halt any stock trades amid his difficulties in establishing a blind trust that meets his standards, suggesting he would 'lose money and go broke.' Bresnahan, who has come under heat for continuing stock trades carried out by his advisers despite writing in support of banning congressional stock trades while campaigning for his seat, made the comment in an interview with local public news organization WVIA that was published Thursday. While Bresnahan said he has not been involved with the stock trades directed by his financial advisers, the outlet noted that he could order his advisers to stop trading stocks. 'And then do what with it?' Bresnahan told WVIA. 'Just leave it all in the accounts and just leave it there and lose money and go broke?' Bresnahan, a businessman whose net worth is estimated to be in the multi-millions, has said he would like to form a blind trust that would block him from having any control or knowledge of trades made on his behalf. But Bresnahan said he wants to use his existing financial advisers and wants to instruct the trustee to avoid investments that benefit foreign adversaries and avoid shorting American companies — running into problems with the House Ethics Committee. 'So, you would have to then find someone else that would even consider taking you to manage through a trustee account,' Bresnahan told WVIA. 'So, it became a disaster.' Last week, Bresnahan's lawyer sent a letter to the House Ethics committee saying that the Pennsylvania congressman prohibited his advisers from those types of investments or trades, the Washington Examiner reported. The letter also said Bresnahan is not consulted about any trade and is informed of trades only after they are complete. Bresnahan has also introduced a bill to ban stock trading for members of Congress and their spouses, and is open to working with other members on the issue. Still, Bresnahan has caught heat for being an active trader in Congress. The New York Times in April brought attention to Bresnahan continuing to trade despite writing a letter to the editor in The Citizens' Voice local newspaper in 2024 calling to ban congressional stock trading. The contrast between Bresnahan's statement during the campaign and his continued stock trades has made the freshman swing-district congressman a top target of Democrats hoping to win back the seat in 2026. 'Multi-millionaire Rob Bresnahan is full of shit,' Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Spokesperson Eli Cousin said in a statement in response to the WVIA interview. 'He campaigned on a promise to ban congressional stock trading, but is now saying that he must continue his prolific trading in order to prevent himself from going broke. He doesn't care about his constituents – he only cares about his bottom line.' Bresnahan's spokesperson Hannah Pope fired back by pointing to trades reported in former Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) financial disclosures. 'Rep. Bresnahan was a small business owner before becoming a Member of Congress, and unlike the DCCC's long-time benefactor, prolific stock trader Nancy Pelosi, he does not plan on being a Member of Congress for the rest of his career. He does not trade his own stocks and is unaware of what is traded or when,' Pope said in a statement. The trades reported by Pelosi that have garnered scrutiny were made by her husband Paul Pelosi, according to the disclosures, and Pelosi has thrown her support behind an effort to ban stock trading by members of Congress. Bresnahan's spokesperson continued: 'He believes Members of Congress should not be allowed to profit off the information they are entrusted with, which is why he introduced legislation to ban Congressional stock trading, restoring the integrity Americans expect and deserve from their government. As a Member of Congress, his number one focus will always be the people of Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District.' Bresnahan's comments come as legislative action on stock trading bans heat up. A Senate committee this week advanced a bill to ban congressional stock trading, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has pledged to file a discharge petition to try to force a vote on a bill to ban stock trading in the House.
New York Post
3 minutes ago
- New York Post
US job market cools as pressure grows on Jerome Powell to cut rates
The US job market cooled down in July as government and foreign workers suffered a significant hit — will likely putting renewed pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut rates in September. Nonfarm payrolls swelled by a lower-than-expected 73,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department reported Friday, falling short of the 100,000 jobs forecast by economists polled by the Wall Street Journal. Private sector employment increased by 85,000, while government jobs declined by 12,000, according to the data. 3 US employers added just 73,000 jobs in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. AP Trump's Department of Government Efficiency has chopped 84,000 jobs since January. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate in July ticked up slightly to 4.2%, according to a separate report by the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The employment level of foreign-born workers – which does not distinguish between illegal and legal immigrants – has dropped by about 1 million since President Trump returned to the White House in January, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The number of US-born workers jumped by about 2.5 million over the same period, according to the data. Hiring in July continued to increase in health care and social assistance, adding 55,000 and 18,000 jobs respectively, according to BLS. Average hourly earnings for nonfarm payroll employees rose by 12 cents, or 0.3%, to $36.44 in July. Earnings have increased 3.9% over the past 12 months, continuing to outpace inflation, which currently runs at 2.4%. 'Inflation has cooled, wages have increased, unemployment is stable, and the private sector is growing,' White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told The Post. 'President Trump's America First agenda has ensured new jobs go to American citizens, instead of illegals or foreign-born workers.' 3 Employment in May and June added 258,000 fewer jobs than previously reported. AP The latest job figures come on the heels of data released earlier this week that showed the US economy grew at a faster pace than expected. 'Following expectation-defying 3% GDP growth in the second quarter, today's jobs report provides further evidence that the American people are seeing real progress as we recover from the failed economic policies of the previous administration,' US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said Friday. But the July jobs report drastically revised down the gains made in the two previous months. Payrolls for June were slashed to 14,000 from the 147,000 originally reported, the fewest in nearly five years, while the May total was cut by 125,000 to a gain of 19,000 jobs. The BLS described the revisions to May and June payrolls data as 'larger than normal.' In July, the number of long-term unemployed people – those jobless for 27 weeks or more – jumped by 179,000 to 1.8 million. 'While the labor market is not in crisis, hiring momentum continues to soften, and pressures are beginning to build,' Ger Doyle, North America president at Manpower Group, said in a note Friday. 3 The labor force participation rate changed little at 62.2%. Christopher Sadowski 'Employers continue to remain cautious, but with positive signals from consumer confidence and GDP growth, we may be nearing a turning point.' The labor market is weakening at a time when tariffs are starting to boost inflation, leading Wall Street experts to increase the likelihood for the Fed to cut rates after policymakers kept them unchanged Wednesday. 'The door to a Fed rate cut in September just got opened a crack wider,' said Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at FWDBONDS. 'The labor market is not rolling over, but it is badly wounded and may yet bring about a reversal in the US economy's fortunes. Trump on Friday called on the Federal Reserve Board to 'assume control' if Fed Chair Jerome Powell does not slash rates soon. 'Jerome 'Too Late' Powell, a stubborn MORON, must substantially lower interest rates, NOW. IF HE CONTINUES TO REFUSE, THE BOARD SHOULD ASSUME CONTROL, AND DO WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS HAS TO BE DONE!' Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social Friday morning. Fed Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman had voted against Powell's 'wait and see' approach — marking the first time in three decades when more than one governor on the 12-member board has dissented on an interest-rate vote. Both officials on Friday warned of risks to the economy as they called for an immediate quarter-percentage-point reduction, arguing that Trump's tariffs will likely only have a brief impact on inflation. 'I see the risk that a delay in taking action could result in a deterioration in the labor market and a further slowing in economic growth,' said Bowman, who serves as the Fed's vice chair for bank supervision.
NBC News
4 minutes ago
- NBC News
CPB, funder of NPR and PBS, says it will shut down after Congress cuts money
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced on Friday that it will begin shutting down its operations weeks after Congress canceling previously approved funding for the nation's steward of public media access. The CPB said in a statement that it will begin an "orderly wind-down" of its operations after being in service for nearly 60 years with the support of the federal government. It said that the majority of its staff positions will conclude with the close of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025. A small team of employees will remain on through January 2026, it added. It did not specify how many people in total were being laid off. "Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations," CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said in a statement. "CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care." The announcement comes less than a month after Congress passed a package of spending cuts requested by President Donald Trump, which included stripping $1.1 billion in funding for the CPB. Currently, the CPB helps support more than 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations. Despite objections from some Republican lawmakers, whose districts include rural areas of the country that rely on the local outlets, the Trump administration has maintained that the organization should be stripped of funding. The administration has repeatedly accused the NPR and PBS of liberal bias, which the organizations have repeatedly denied. "Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country," Harrison said. "We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people." Despite the cuts to the CPB, some of the most revered national PBS and NPR programs are expected to remain on the air through other sources of funding. Shortly after Congress passed the cuts, PBS News posted a statement on X, saying the program "is not going anywhere." "We will continue our work without fear or favor, as we have for nearly five decades on the air," it said. "We are profoundly grateful to Viewers Like You for your loyalty and unwavering support."
