Great Lakes Cruise Ships
Efforts to revive the cruise industry on the Great Lakes have stalled, due to low water levels and a short sailing season. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, a German company, has pulled its popular ship, the MS Columbus, from the Great Lakes for next year and possibly beyond.
The Columbus, a luxury ship with room for 423, has been a mainstay in the region since the late 1990s. Built to cruise the Great Lakes, the ship is narrow and shallow enough to maneuver through the region's locks and tight waterways. The waterways have gotten too tight in recent years. The water levels in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are down 3 to 4 feet since the late 1990s. The 100-passenger Grande Mariner will remain sailing in the region in 2008.
Meanwhile, the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition, a group of cities and other organizations lobbying to bring additional ships to the area, will continue to try to boost the fledgling industry. A hundred years ago, the lakes were teeming with passenger ships, a luxurious way to travel that fell out of favor by mid-century with the growth of the interstate highway system and the discovery of more exotic vacation destinations.
August 27, 2007 6:51 AM | Category: Boats, Great Lakes