News
from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Source: Becky Ludwig, Lande Communications

Archived press release

ABOVE: The C. Columbus in Sydney, Australia.

Hapag-Lloyd brings European cruising to the Great Lakes of North America

Hamburg, GERMANY – In 1492, C. Columbus sailed the ocean blue, and this year, Hapag-Lloyd’s namesake cruise ship, C.Columbus, will take more than 1,200 passengers on three special bilingual cruises along the world’s largest body of fresh water– the Great Lakes. Touching on four states as well as two Canadian provinces, a cruise on the Great Lakes offers a diverse itinerary including a trip through the St. Lawrence Waterway system, an engineering wonder that ranks with the Panama and Suez Canals.

Built to navigate narrow areas like the Great Lakes, C.Columbus is one of the few sizeable cruise ships – and the only large ship sailing the Great Lakes – that can steer through the locks, thanks to its “wings” that fold inwards. Spectators on land frequently cheer the 472-foot vessel as it glides through the locks, while passengers watch from the decks and the glass observation area. Though a German ship, C.Columbus is fully bilingual on the Great Lakes stretch of its around the world journey. Everything on the ship is presented in English, including its lectures, sports activities, menus, announcements, and entertainment, and Americans and Germans constitute most of the ship’s population.

The only ocean liner in the Great Lakes

C.Columbus is the largest of eight ships now sailing the Great Lakes in 2004, and is ISPS certified. Its 205 cabins range from 130 to 320 square feet in size; the largest ones are suites. Providing excellent value for the price, it is the only ship on the Lakes that provides great value plus the exhilarating experience of the ocean liner, which includes international cuisine, lounges, sports, swimming pool, and more. The ship even has its own e-mail center.

Great Lakes itinerary:

Hapag-Lloyd, a German-based shipping company for more than 150 years, has increased its bilingual (English/German) sailings in 2004. Three Great Lakes trips on the C.Columbus take place from September 1-11; September 11-20; and September 20-29, 2004. (See itinerary details below.)

The Great Lakes itinerary reveals an enchanted, often unknown world close to home that’s one of the most spectacular sights in the U.S. Along the five lakes, which have more than 20% of the world’s fresh water, the large and small cities and towns that C.Columbus visits provide a wide range of possible experiences. Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and Cleveland are popular with C.Columbus cruisers for their historical sights, restaurants, and shopping. Passengers like the Henry Ford Museum, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This year, Milwaukee’s brand new high-speed ferry will be a popular draw. In Ontario, visitors come as close to Paris as they can on this side of the Atlantic, with the region’s fine French food and French-speaking people. Near Buffalo, they have the opportunity to see Niagara Falls.

Americans will be delighted with what the smaller towns along the Lakes have in store for them – the largest bridge between Canada and the U.S is at Port Huron and underneath the bridge is a riverside casino. The ship also stops at America’s first oil town, which had its first well and gusher (Sarnia), recreated Indian villages, and refreshingly clean cities.

Following these trips, C.Columbus will remain on the Great Lakes for two German-language cruises, and then will travel around the East Coast of the U.S., with stops at Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, Baltimore, Charleston, South Carolina, and Port Canaveral, Florida.

For Great Lakes cruise fares and ticket information, contact: www.greatlakescruising.com. For general information on Hapag-Lloyd cruising, visit www.eurolloyd.com (U.S. and Canada) or the German-language Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten site at www.hlkf.de, which will open in a new browser window.

Itinerary details:

ITINERARY for COL 0418
September 1-11

Day 1 – Toronto
Day 2 – Welland Canal
Day 3 – Windsor, Ontario
Day 4 – at sea
Day 5 – Midland, Ontario
Day 6 – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Day 7 – Thunder Bay, Ontario
Day 8 – Duluth, MN
Day 9 – at sea
Day 10 – Mackinac Island, MI
Day 11 – Chicago, IL

ITINERARY for COL 0419
September 11-20

Day 1 – Chicago, IL
Day 2 – Ludington, MI
Day 3 – Mackinac Island, MI
Day 4 – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Day 5 – Thunder Bay, Ontario
Day 6 – Duluth, MN
Day 7 – At sea
Day 8 – Little Current, Ontario
Day 9 – Midland, Ontario
Day 10 – Sarnia, Ontario

ITINERARY for COL 0420
September 20-29

Day 1 – Sarnia, Ontario
Day 2 – Parry Sound, Ontario
Day 3 – at sea
Day 4 – Thunder Bay, Ontario
Day 5 – Duluth, MN
Day 6 – Bayfield, WI
Day 7 – Whitefish Pont, MI
Day 8 – Mackinac Island, MI
Day 9 – Grand Haven, MI
Day 10 – Milwaukee, WI

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