La Belle des Océans (above) to cruise the Great Lakes in 2020
After many years of Great Lakes cruises being offered by just a handful of operators, the 2020 season will see no fewer than nine lines offering cruises on eleven small ships, with a total berth capacity of 2,082. CroisiEurope, with its 120-berth La Belle des Océans, will be the ninth operator.
With the announcement of CroisiEurope’s itineraries for its newly-acquired ship, it was revealed that the 2020 summer season, from May to October, will consist entirely of cruises to the Great Lakes.
La Belle has operated until recently as Silversea’s Silver Discoverer. Built in 1989 and extensively refurbished in 2014, the ship had first operated as Oceanic Grace, then as Oceanic Odyssey and Clipper Odyssey.
Although her ultimate 2020 destination will be Quebec, La Belle des Océans will sail first between Singapore and Phuket, taking 11 days. From October 17 to December 28, 2019, she will call at Port Kelang, Penang and Langkawi (Malaysia) as well as Ko Muk, Ko Lanta and Phang Nga Bay (Thailand).
Positioning to the Mediterranean, from January 2020, La Belle des Océans will sail two 11-day cruises from India and Abu Dhabi before transiting the Suez Canal to launch a variety of itineraries from Cyprus, Athens, Naples, Nice, Ajaccio and Lisbon.
These will be followed by a May Transatlantic crossing from Lisbon to Quebec via the French islands of Saint Pierre et Miquelon to start a summer season of 11-day cruises lasting until October and visiting Montreal, Quebec, the Thousand Islands, Toronto and Niagara-on-the-Lake, with a special visit to Niagara Falls.
Great Lakes carriers now include Victory Cruise Lines, with two 200-berth ships, Pearl Seas Cruises, with the 210-berth Pearl Mist, Blount Small Ship Adventures, with two 88-berth ships, two local players, the 64-berth Canadian Empress and 68-berth Jacques Cartier and Plantours & Partners, with one or two cruises each autumn by the 400-berth Hamburg. New ships now arriving from Fincantieri’s VARD shipyard in Norway include Ponant’s 184-berth Le Champlain (above) this year and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ 230-berth Hanseatic Inspiration in 2020. Due to refit problems the Jacques Cartier never entered service but Ritz-Carlton Yacht Club reports that it may send one of the sister ships of its 298-berth Azora into the Great Lakes.
CroisiEurope had originally intended to book passengers onto the 68-berth Jacques Cartier but more recently has been advertising cruises on Victory Cruise Lines’ 200-berth Victory II, which was added to the Great Lakes trade in 2018.
For further details on Great Lakes cruises Please call Culture Cruises in London on 020 7660 1450 or email info@culture-cruises.com
CULTURE CRUISES LIMITED 