New Cruise Line Sets Sail In 2014 With Small, Luxury Ships

New cruise lines are about as rare as new hotel chains; there is just not a lot of action on that topic. Like hotel chains, airlines and other travel-related companies, most cruise lines have been around for a long time too. Still, there are those who see a need in the marketplace that existing companies just can’t fill. Such is the feel of new Pearl Sea Cruises, which will set sail in 2014 cruising the Canadian Maritimes, New England and the Caribbean.

Starting out by building just one new ship, the 210-passenger Pearl Mist, Pearl Seas Cruises will operate various seven-, 10- and 11-night Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, Canadian Maritimes and New England cruises during their 2014 inaugural season.Currently undergoing final outfitting by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Maryland, the Pearl Mist will be a Marshall Islands-flagged ship, first departing June 28, 2014, on an 11-night inaugural sailing from Baltimore to Halifax, Nova Scotia. On a total of 17 cruises planned for the 2014 season that runs through November, itineraries include:

  • Atlantic Coast– 11-night cruise from Baltimore to Halifax & reverse that showcases scenic areas long the U.S. East coast.
  • The Canadian Maritimes – 10-night cruise from Halifax to Québec focusing on Eastern Canada’s scenery, history and beauty.
  • St. Lawrence Seaway and Thousand Islands –seven-night cruise from Québec to Toronto & reverse taps international and old world charm via history, culture and scenic beauty.
  • Great Lakes and Georgian Bay – 10 and 11-night cruises from Toronto to Chicago & reverse features the largest freshwater ecosystem on Earth, sailing through four of the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay.
  • Southeast United States – 11-night cruise from Baltimore to Nassau, Bahamas – this trip down the East Coast stops in the various iconic cities of the south and ends in the Caribbean.

Bringing the current destination focus of small-ship cruising to North America on a new luxury ship, Pearl Seas Cruises brings the latest in comfort, safety, technology and communication. Not that cruising the waters of North America is something new; river cruise lines have been doing that for quite some time. Pearl Seas will sail the coast on new ships, in luxury.

Unique to Pearl Seas are oversized staterooms, all with a private balcony and most with sliding glass doors, a spacious dining room, and a variety of lounges. Combined with on-board enrichment and entertainment programs as well as exclusive shore excursions, Pearl Seas Cruises looks like a new cruise line that should do well here.



[Photo credit – Pearl Seas Cruises]

Take a Lake Superior leaf tour this Fall


When it comes to fall foliage, New England seems to get all the credit. But Midwestern fans of fall color need not be jealous. Just a few hours north of Chicago, on majestic Lake Superior, road-trippers can experience one of the country’s most spectacular autumn displays along the shores of the Great Lakes.

Starting from the bustling Midwestern port city of Duluth and driving Northeast towards the Canadian town of Thunder Bay, visitors will experience an ever-changing landscape of wild natural beauty and scenic autumn views. It’s a virtual art show put on by mother nature: vistas of inky-green pine trees punctuated by fiery oranges and glistening yellows, set against towering cliffs and the steely-gray surface of Lake Superior beyond.

Begin your trip in Duluth, one of the largest port cities on the Great Lakes. The city is connected by the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean more than 2,000 miles to the East. Along the canal leading to Duluth’s harbor, you can watch the massive cargo ships ferrying iron-ore as they maneuver they way in and out of port. From Duluth make your way towards Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, home to a historic lighthouse set above the massive rock formations of the lake.

As you make your way closer to Canada, make sure to stop off at Grand Marais and the Lutsen Mountains, where you’ll be spoiled by a wealth of great hiking opportunities. Soon you’ll arrive at the final stop in Ontario’s Thunder Bay. Perhaps the most famous attraction in the area is the Ouimet Canyon, often referred to as the “Grand Canyon” of Ontario and home to two knee-shaking suspension bridges.