Closer-to-home cruising is trending hot this year for many North American travelers, particularly for those 50-plus years of age. That’s my perspective after chatting informally with fellow guests sailing aboard Victory Cruise Lines’ Victory II in May. Among the prime “takeaways” are these:
- Many have certainly loved traveling to Europe, Asia or beyond on past trips, but now desire to “dive deeper” into travel experiences in their own backyards.
- They desire to avoid lengthy transcontinental flights and 2025’s potential for overseas travel hassles.
- Besides their Victory II cruise in mid-May, some have already booked a second, third, fourth or even a higher number of North American ocean, river or lakes voyages for this year and next; it’s not just one cruise a year.
- They absolutely love small-ship voyages for the intimate cruise experience, the onboard ambience and a selection of included shore excursions.
All that is positive trending for Victory, which just relaunched with two 190-passenger sister ships, Victory I and Victory II. Now, the small-ship line is sailing on the Great Lakes between Chicago, IL, and either Toronto or Montreal, Canada (or that routing in reverse), or, alternatively, round-trip from Chicago.
Straddling the border between the U.S. and Canada, the Great Lakes are similar in size to the territory of the United Kingdom. Did you know that the five lakes—Erie, Ontario, Huron, Michigan and Superior—represent 21 percent of all the world’s fresh water? It’s true. And this summer, Victory’s two vessels are operating 35 voyages, 33 of which visit all five lakes.
Factoids aside, though, here’s a snapshot look at my impressions of my 10-night cruise itinerary between Chicago and Toronto last month.
Pre-Cruise Tidbits
Heading to Chicago, Victory’s guests will spend one “included” night at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk. Overall, I felt that this hotel offered efficient, friendly front-desk, bell and restaurant services. Dining for both room service and within the restaurant was tasty. And my spacious accommodations offered a huge bathroom with separate shower and large tub, as well as good downtown Chicago views.
Victory provides guests with a breakfast voucher. In addition, they can head to the line’s hospitality desk at the hotel to ask questions, discuss Chicago tour options and secure luggage tags.
On embarkation day, the luggage handling between the hotel and ship was a smooth process. I simply left my bag inside my hotel room by 7 a.m. on embarkation morning. The luggage was then automatically picked up by the bell staff while I was out for breakfast. A short time later, prior to boarding the transfer motorcoach, I was asked to identify my bag located nearby. I liked knowing that my luggage was “with me” for the transfer to the pier. Presto, the next time I saw my bag was on board Victory II.
One big plus for Victory in Chicago? The line-provided motorcoach ride to the city’s downtown Navy Pier is short and sweet. Within minutes, we reached the ship. Did you know that Victory is the only overnight cruise line authorized to use that pier? It’s true.
Checking In and Sailing Away
Once on board Victory II, guests navigate to the Compass Lounge for check-in. For me, it was a quick, smooth process. Tell clients that Victory does collect and hold onto guest passports for the entire cruise. That’s necessary, given the cross-border journey with port calls in both the U.S. and Canada. Passports are returned to guests on the day prior to debarkation. After the onboard christening ceremony for Victory II at Navy Pier, I couldn’t wait to set sail on the vessel’s robust Great Lakes itinerary.
Ports of call in Michigan included Escanaba, Detroit, Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinac Island. Definitely check out my separate “Somewhere in Time” story about my optional Victory shore excursion with lunch at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Other itinerary highlights included port calls at Cleveland, OH, and Port Colborne (for Niagara Falls) in Ontario, plus two days of scenic sailing on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
Victory’s Brand Look and Feel
I find that it’s often helpful to describe what any cruise brand isn’t, just as much as what it is. So, here goes a bit of both about Victory. From my perspective, the line’s two intimate, five-deck oceangoing ships aren’t about razzle-dazzle. In addition, they don’t have a sleek, modern “feel” and look, similar to what guests might find aboard a nearly new Viking or Ponant ship, for instance.
But from the moment I walked aboard this ship’s gangway until I completed my voyage a week or so later, I truly felt “at home.” Perhaps that’s the highest compliment one can give. Put another way, I’d describe sailing on Victory II as being cocooned within a small, boutique lakefront inn or a floating bed-and-breakfast.
Built in the early 2000s, both Victory ships have been revitalized over the years by multiple owners. Among the recent updates are new soft goods, including some interior furnishings, curtains, carpeting and wallpaper. I personally thought Victory II’s interior seemed fresh, clean and well-kept. Guests will also find lovely new dishes, glasses and stemware in the ship’s dining spaces. Also, on the technical side, Victory II‘s engine was rebuilt to help ensure operational integrity.
Heart of the Ship: Compass Lounge
(Photo by Susan J. Young)
The heart of Victory II is its spacious Compass Lounge, outfitted with elegant chandeliers and large windows. It’s the ship’s prime public gathering spot; guests here can sit on comfortable couches and chairs or at tables with chairs. At set times throughout the day, friendly servers circulate to take drink orders. Service is typically quick as the wait staff just go a few steps away to the adjacent Tavern to pick up sodas, wine, beer, spirits and cocktails. One big perk? Servers also offer trays of yummy hors d’oeuvres, brought to the guests’ tables or seats in late afternoon or early evening.
Good to know? Victory Cruise Lines has a complimentary beverage policy. Guests are not charged during meals, cocktail time or any other time for select beverages. Those include selections of wine, beer, cocktails or spirits. Charges do apply if one orders from the premium beverage menu, perhaps for a high-end bottle of wine or a special cocktail.
To discover each day’s schedule for service hours and what guest activities are planned, check the Victory app. In the Compass Lounge, I observed such activities as crafts (mosaic making on one day), big-screen movies, enrichment talks by the ship’s “LakeLorian” expert, trivia contests, the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party and more.
Personally, I gravitated to the lounge to read a book, socialize with fellow guests or work remotely on the laptop. One tip for remote workers? Before scanning the walls for places to “plug in,” check the base of the end-table lamps. Sitting near one of those, I found a three-prong outlet. Several lamps around the room had similar plugs. That said, I didn’t see any USB ports, though, so bring an adapter for that.
(Photo by Susan J. Young)
Many guests—this writer included—loved admiring several tic-tac-toe game boards with hefty metal pieces. One was appropriately themed for cruising with metal “boat anchor” pieces. The Compass Lounge’s cupboards also had a good selection of puzzles and board games, including Pictionary, Scrabble and Yahtzee, among others.
Perhaps the most popular spot in the Compass Lounge, though, is its 24-hour coffee/tea counter. Guests simply press a button. Presto, the snazzy coffee machine concocts the guest’s choice of Americano, cappuccino, espresso or other hot drink. It also can provide hot water for tea; a good selection of teabags, some organic, nestled in an adjacent basket.
One big plus is the counter’s small, glass mini-refrigerator. I liked that Victory filled it with such “grab and go” treats as fresh fruit, mini ham-and-cheese sandwiches, yogurt and more. Tip: Tell guests to check the coffee/tea counter for freshly baked, yummy cookies (plain, chocolate chip, macadamia nut and other kinds). While they weren’t there all the time, when they were, well, let’s just say, “I was bad.”
Entertainment Central
Nestled along the forward wall of Compass Lounge is a large stage and dance floor. Night after night, the lounge’s live entertainment was simply top-notch. A talented trio of musicians performed; they sang and played multiple instruments—guitar, piano, trumpet, drums and others—sometimes more than one instrument per entertainer during just one song! They played everything from classical tunes to Beatles’ instrumentals to 1980s hits.
(Photo by Susan J. Young)
Several nights, they also accompanied an excellent sultry solo singer. After our day ashore in Cleveland, OH, when many guests had headed out on an included shore excursion to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the band led a fun and frenetic “Down at the Drive In: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Dance Party.” Many guests hit the dance floor to show their best moves.
Tavern Bar
Another popular public venue on our cruise was the attractive, rustic Tavern. Three sides of the space’s actual bar are lined with bar stools. I loved this space’s cozy “woody look,” very different from the lounge. Guests can also sit at tables and chairs, and a baby grand piano is positioned in one corner.
Particularly during the day, the Tavern is a pleasant, quiet spot for reading or working remotely (as several folks on our trip did throughout the cruise). I noticed that was particularly the case when organized activities or a big-screen movie was in progress in the adjacent Compass Lounge. A plus at night was that the live music from that lounge could easily be heard in the Tavern.
Other relaxing spots around the ship? I noticed that one seldom-used space is outside on Deck 4, located just beneath the ship’s forward bridge. While this space has no overhead awning or covering, guests can sit on two comfortable all-weather couches as well as chairs at two tables.
Hint to the line? Personally, I think that this remote spot could—at times—be turned into another public activity space beyond the Compass Lounge or Tavern. It could work for certain activities not expected to draw all guests. And that also would add more diversity to the onboard activity spaces.
On Deck 5, there’s also a Sun Deck. Aft on that deck, the Observation Lounge is outfitted with comfortable, cushioned outdoor sofas under a pergola. It’s a good spot for events, cocktail parties or stargazing. However, it’s only accessible via stairs.
Other Inside Public Spaces
(Photo by Susan J. Young)
It’s great to know that guests sailing on a small ship will often find familiar cruise ship spaces. They’re usually akin to what’s on a larger vessel but just more compact. That’s the case on Victory II. On several occasions, we headed to the “walk up” Purser’s Desk on Deck 2 and were warmly greeted by a purser’s desk crew member. Nearby are two chairs and a table, helpful if guests need to step aside briefly, say to review their onboard statement of charges as I did on one occasion.
This area is also home to Victory II‘s Fitness Center. Peering inside a small, one-room space, I saw free weights, a few fitness machines and other exercise equipment. Also nearby is the one-room Latitude Salon and Spa. Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the ship offered a robust menu of facials, massages, manicures, nail care, salon services and signature packages.
Entering the small salon/spa, guests will see that Victory packs one spa massage table, a hairstyling chair, sink for hair washing and a manicure table with two seats into one small space. One afternoon, I showed up for my appointment, a “Ladies Cut, Blow Dry and Style,” which costs $69 to $89, depending on the guest’s hair length. Let’s just say that my friendly, skilled hair stylist created a great “look,” and I was very happy with the results.
Yet, it was a tight squeeze at times for the stylist to move around the space, amid all the equipment. She did mention that there have been discussions about possibly moving this salon/spa to a slightly larger room. So, after returning home, I asked Victory about that. The line said to stay tuned. This and any other potential changes or enhancements will be evaluated after this year’s Great Lakes season is over.
From my perspective, I was pleasantly surprised to find that a doctor sails with Victory on every voyage. So, if a guest isn’t feeling up to snuff, that might help them avoid time wasted ashore to visit an urgent care facility. During my second day aboard, oops, I’d realized that I was somehow missing a few days of thyroid medication. So, I thought I’d give it a go to visit the Deck 2 doctor’s office. The physician himself opened the door to the room. I sat down, he listened well, and within 20 minutes, he had checked the office’s supply of common medications and found a comparable one. He provided me with a few days’ pills (at a cost of $5 apiece) to tide me over until I returned home. It avoided me having to venture ashore to an urgent care center and then having to find a pharmacy to fill the prescription, a real time saver.
Coastal Dining Room
What cruise isn’t about food? Well, Victory is no exception. Most guests I met aboard thought the food was either very good or exceptional. Best of all, all dining venues are complimentary.
(Photo by Susan J. Young)
Dining-wise, the main Coastal Dining Room is a lovely space for breakfast, lunch and dinner with windows on both sides and open seating. One helpful service for guests is that each evening, just before they enter the dining room, they’ll discover displays of dishes—such as a special culinary offering, entree or dessert. It’s a great way for guests to take a peek and decide if they might want to order a dish (or not).
Servers escort guests to tables, clearly with particular spots in mind to help spread people out. I particularly liked their flexibility, though, as they listened to and tried to accommodate guests’ requests to sit elsewhere. Routinely, the restaurant team also assisted both solo travelers and couples desiring to dine with others they didn’t know. It’s all about meeting fellow guests and possibly making new friends.
I dined repeatedly at Coastal Dining Room. One fun dinner menu feature is the “Great Lakes Fact of the Day” at the top of the nightly menu. For instance, did you know that Lake Erie has the Great Lakes’ largest commercial fishery? Yellow perch and walleye are the most prolific species within the fish harvest. Who knew? Reading these on the menus helped me soak up a bit of regional culture, heritage, lifestyle and eco-system knowledge.
While the Coastal Dining Room is quite elegant and a few guests did dress up—perhaps a fancy dress or a suit on certain nights—there were no formal nights. Most travelers on our cruise wore fairly relaxed casual or business casual attire.
Another option is Deck 4’s Grill, which also became popular on our cruise for its soft-serve ice cream machine. This casual eatery is open for breakfast and lunch, and at night transforms into the Tuscan Stone Grill.
Tuscan Stone Grill
With the line’s relaunch, it unveiled a new Hot Rocks option in that Tuscan Stone Grill. It’s available at least twice on every voyage. It works like this: The server will bring each guest their own small, sizzling hot stone surface. Then the guest’s choice of meat or seafood—in my case, beef tenderloin—is placed atop that super-hot surface to cook. The guest simply removes the food when it’s done to their liking.
Tell clients to make reservations as soon as possible upon embarkation for Tuscan Stone Grill. Guests are typically limited to reservations for one night at a time, so they can’t call up and make reservations for two or three nights all at once. This gives all guests a chance to experience this venue. On our voyage, guests were told to dine first, then ask for a second reservation later in the voyage. Many did return on a second night.
Overall, I felt the food in the Tuscan Stone Grill was very savory, the portions ample and the service attentive. Could be improved? The restaurant has several entrances, including two that open to the open deck. One evening when we dined there, it was quite cold outside. When people came into the restaurant through multiple doors, cold air blew in and guests were noticeably cold—which included, and that’s saying something. I love my ice-cold air conditioning in Florida. So, I’m thinking that on cold weather days, the line might limit access to Tuscan Stone Grill from just one entrance door (clearly all could be used for exiting in an emergency, of course). Adding some type of additional door or screening might also help to contain cold air flow from outside.
My “Digs”—Category B Stateroom, No. 308
(Photo by Susan J. Young)
In total, Victory II has 95 staterooms. My “home away from home” was No. 308, a B category stateroom with windows. While compact, it was neat and well-designed for the space available. Entry to the stateroom was from an interior corridor with easy access to the stairs or an elevator. Overall, I liked the positioning.
It’s good for advisors to know, though, that guests in certain other accommodations on Deck 4 enter their stateroom from an open deck. One plus for those accommodations is that they have chairs and small tables just outside on deck. It’s truly convenient if people love popping quickly outside to relax, socialize with fellow guests or soak in the scenic views. That said, if it’s cool or rainy, guests staying in those Deck 4 staterooms also must walk outside before reaching the entry door to an inside corridor and the elevator. So, be sure to chat with clients about their preference prior to booking.
As for staying in No. 308, I slept well on my cabin’s comfortable queen bed, which alternatively could be configured as two twins. On both sides were small end tables. One nice perk? Upon returning from dinner or evening entertainment, I’d find the bed turned down with some better-than-the-normal local treats. Those included Joann’s Fudge from Mackinac Island and tasty chocolate-covered cherries from Michigan, as well.
My stateroom also offered a small desk area with a large wall mirror and desk chair; a personal safe, and several storage spaces/closets around the room. A flat-screen TV was mounted high on the wall opposite the bed. Guests can either watch the TV while sitting in bed or move the one desk chair out a bit to view the TV. The stateroom is definitely compact, but I found it worked fine for me.
A word about the bathroom? Guests must take one step up (four to five inches or so), to get into the small bathroom. The bathroom sported a sink, counter, toilet and compact shower (with a step up of about three or so inches) with a half-circle curtain. I particularly liked the fragrant Aveda Rosemary Mint toiletries provided for guest use.
Since I have some knee issues, I asked for a shower stool, and it was delivered immediately. In addition, the hotel director Luisa was fabulous throughout this cruise to me and others. She actually sought me out and offered to move me to a fully handicapped accessible inside stateroom on the same level, or for me to go there just to shower. While I opted to stay where I was, I so appreciated her proactive approach to guest service. Many other guests also mentioned her sincerity in helping folks and making them feel valued.
Onboard Enrichment
Enrichment onboard is a big part of any small-ship cruise. Guests simply wish to immerse themselves more in the destinations and their culture, heritage, lifestyle and eco-adventure. So, earlier this year, Victory and the National Museum of the Great Lakes launched a new “LakeLorian” program on both Victory ships. Museum-trained LakeLorians are now guiding guests through the history, science, culture and significance of the Great Lakes.
Guests can attend onboard discussions, enrichment talks, and one-on-one sessions. During our cruise, the LakeLorian was highly qualified with both an appropriate college degree and a personal work history that fit well with his role. Coincidentally, he also doubled as one of the ship’s talented entertainers.
Also, part of the partnership is that every Victory sailing this year will also offer a new optional excursion ($109 per person) from either Toledo or Detroit to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.
Detroit and Other Ports
I liked the diversity of Victory’s Great Lakes itinerary. Certainly, a few of the ports of call are urban centers with top attractions and cultural sites. Taking one of Victory’s “included” shore excursions from Detroit, I headed to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, MI.
Tip? If clients say, “Oh, I’m not a fan of antique cars,” make sure they understand that this museum offers a lot more than automobiles, although obviously that’s a big part. But in the 1920s, Ford also became heavily involved in aviation. Displayed impressively at the entrance to the museum’s aviation area is a historic Douglas DC-3 in Northwest Airlines livery, plus the galleries have such antique aircraft including a historic Arctic expedition aircraft.
(Photo by Susan J. Young)
In addition, museum-goers can peruse the bus in which Rosa Parks was riding when she refused to give up her seat during the Civil Rights era. They’ll also see the chair on which President Abraham Lincoln was seated during that fateful night when he was shot at Washington, D.C.’s Ford’s Theater.
When Victory II docked at Cleveland, OH, along the shore of Lake Erie, I also headed out on the line’s “included” shore excursion to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum, not far from the ship along the waterfront. Architectural buffs, even if they’re not music fans, might want to simply peruse the exterior of this glass-paneled pyramid and tower structure designed by the famous I.M. Pei.
Inside, I and many fellow guests enjoyed the exhibits and I was amazed at the level of detail and scope of the coverage. Beyond the Rolling Stones, Kiss, the Beatles, Taylor Swift and Elvis, to name just a few of the notables featured, I was surprised to find such items as the sheet music of “Good Night Irene,” sung by the Weavers. I never expected that. I fondly recall that song from my childhood as Irene was my grandma’s name and we’d sing it to her.
One day is hardly enough for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but we did get a good taste of what’s offered there. The gift shop at the museum was doing a brisk business. Original vinyl records and rock-focused clothing and gifts proved very popular. Most people left the shop with multiple bags of purchases.
(Photo by Susan J. Young)
Not all ports of call were urban centers, though. Low key was Escanaba, MI, with a population of about 13,000. Many guests returned to the ship and described their visit there as “ho-hum.” While we got the sense from Victory staff that another port, perhaps Milwaukee, WI, might be substituted by the line in 2026, the line’s corporate folks tell us that any evaluation won’t come until after the end of the season.
Another quieter port call, but interesting to some guests, was Sault Locks (or Soo Locks), where cruise guests could learn how these locks allow ships to transit from Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes. For those who haven’t been to locks repeatedly in Europe or elsewhere on a river or ocean cruise, it was a good stop.
Most popular port of call? That may have been Port Colborne, Ottawa, primarily as guests headed out to gaze at the majesty of Niagara Falls. For many guests, it proved the absolute highlight of their trip.
Parting Thoughts
(Victory Cruise Lines)
As Victory readied to set sail once again a few months ago, I was both curious and optimistic. Mostly, that was because of one familiar face—John Waggoner, an enthusiastic, small-ship maritime leader. He’s actually owned and operated both vessels in the past.
On the organizational side, Waggoner hired back many names familiar to travel advisors. David Kelly has returned as Victory’s chief operating officer. Cruise industry veteran Kari Tarnowski is also back as the line’s vice president of marketing. Bob Salmon is now Victory’s vice president of sales and Eric Long is heading up reservations. Bill Annand has returned to Waggoner’s team as vice president of marine operations, too.
If asked, I’d tell potential travelers thinking of sailing on Victory to expect a comfortable, “down home” product. Or, much as I said earlier, akin to a lakefront boutique inn or a floating bed-and-breakfast. From my end, one standout of this cruise is the onboard cuisine. Another is the high quality and training of the crew—from the deck team processing guests at the gangway to restaurant servers, bar staffers, housekeepers, spa and front desk personnel and entertainers. They were as professional, friendly, helpful and proactive as what I’ve seen on any ship, large or small, ocean or river, at any time in my cruise career. From the service side, it was an incredible cruise.
So, increasingly, as more North Americans seek to travel closer to home, it’s another small-ship option to consider on the Great Lakes. For more information, visit www.victorycruiselines.com.
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