An Exceptional Great Lakes Cruise on Victory II

I’ve lived in Toronto all my life on the doorstep of a vast inland sea system, known as the Great Lakes, connected by locks, canals, and the St. Lawrence Seaway all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

A few years ago, I took to the waters of the Great Lakes aboard a handful of small ships. I cruised from Montreal to Detroit on Victory Cruise Lines (under previous ownership), from Milwaukee to Thunder Bay aboard Viking Octantis with Viking, from Kingston through the 1000 Islands aboard St. Lawrence Cruise Lines’ Canadian Empress and I navigated 44 locks on the Rideau Canal aboard Ontario Waterways Cruises’ Kawartha Voyageur. I even self-captained a Le Boat luxury houseboat with my family and our dog along the Rideau Canal.

But when I cruised all five Great Lakes aboard Victory Cruise Lines’ Victory II on its inaugural sailing from Chicago to Toronto in May 2025, it felt different.

I brought a friend. Sharon is a travel enthusiast who has never set foot on a cruise ship. “This is not the Caribbean,” I warned her. “It’s small, it’s quirky, it’s different.” She grinned. “I like different.” And with that, we flew from Toronto to Chicago for embarkation.

The Ship: Victory II 

We boarded at Chicago’s Navy Pier, the skyline glimmering behind Victory II.  She carries 190 passengers on four decks and is just under 300 feet in length.  

There’s no casino, no waterslide, and no megaship bustle, just a traditional wood-paneled reception desk, and a small tavern and lounge, with brass accents and old-school maritime charm.

The ship felt like a floating country club. The Tavern was all warm woods, upholstered stools, and a friendly bar team who quickly learned our names and our drink orders. The Compass Lounge, where we spent the most time, was used for lectures by the Lakelorian, afternoon tea, cocktails, and after-dinner live music.

On Deck 2, there is a spa and a small gym with a few cardio machines, free weights, and a treatment room for massages.

Victory II has a sun deck divided into two areas and furnished with tables, chairs, and loungers. One elevator serviced all decks aside from the sun deck, which is accessed by stairs.

Our Cabin

Our cozy stateroom was on Deck 3. Comfortable twin beds with two large windows, plenty of drawers, and a surprisingly generous double desk setup for writing, organizing, or just spreading out our gear.

Sharon loved how our beds were turned down for the evening and finding a locally sourced surprise each night with a little card. My favorite was the dark chocolate cherries, and Sharon’s was the fudge from Mackinac Island.

The bathroom was compact, with a small shower, and everything was spotless and thoughtfully arranged.

Our cabin had an open promenade balcony that ran the length of the deck, complete with deck chairs where we could watch the waves, listen to the birds, and wave to passing freighters.

Cuisine and Service That Rivals Top Restaurants

Victory II has two dining venues, the Coastal Dining Room on Deck 1, and the Grill on Deck 3. The Grill was a lovely space at the stern with windows all around for a panoramic view that made it feel like we were dining al fresco!

Breakfasts, served in The Grill and in the Coastal Dining Room, were leisurely affairs with daily smoothies, Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, omelets, and croissants that rivaled any Parisian bakery. At lunch, there were sandwiches and salads, as well as daily fish, meat, and soup.

Dinner in the Coastal Dining Room was a grand experience. We enjoyed the attractively displayed meal options from appetizers through to dessert, on the way into the dining room, which allowed us to “eat with our eyes” even before we ordered.  The menu included beer-battered Wisconsin cheese curd and seafood chowder, a variety of pasta dishes suitable for vegetarians, and main courses such as lobster tails, seared duck breast, Michigan Bluegill fish cakes, and filet mignon, all paired with thoughtfully selected wines. The dessert creations included chocolate fondant cake, crème brulée, and house-made ice creams.

The Grill transformed for dinner into The Tuscan Stone Grill specialty dining venue. Reservations were required, but there was no additional cost. We cooked lamb chops, steak, shrimp, and fish on an individual hot lava stone. Side dishes came out once our main courses were cooked to our satisfaction. Appetizers, like giant shrimp cocktail, and desserts could be ordered from the daily menu.

For Sharon, each meal was a treat, not just the scrumptious food itself, but the chance to dine with new friends who had already sailed the Nile, explored the Antarctic, and cruised on other waterways in the United States.

We dined several times with a 95-year-old couple, Eleanor and Clive, from California, and were charmed by their joie de vivre and positivity. They had just returned from a cruise in Antarctica and found the flights exhausting. Clive told us that they received a brochure from Victory in the mail on their return. “We loved the idea of cruising closer to home, and we’ve never yet seen the Great Lakes, so here we are”.

Life On Board: Learning, Laughing, Singing,  and Dancing

The real magic of small-ship cruising is the community it builds. You board as strangers, and, a few days into the sailing, you are greeting each other as comfortable friends. It is amazing to see the bonding of people who have found common threads or just enjoyment in each other’s company. Sharon and I often talk about the people we met on board.

Ian Ross, the Senior Lakelorian, on Victory II,  grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, and has been a lifelong resident of the Great Lakes region. With his master’s degree in American history and his experience as a historian, he delivered rich and interesting talks about Great Lakes history, shipping, the locks, and ecology, all in partnership with the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio.

By night, Ian is the musical director of the Victory II House Band, performing folk songs, rock numbers, and sea shanties. Zack on drums, James on keyboard, Ian as the lead singer and guitar player, and Michaelyn Oby, with a voice rivalling Diana Ross and Tina Turner, completely wowed us. They were better than the entertainment I’ve seen on many larger cruise ships.

Itinerary Highlights and Shore Excursions

Our 10-day itinerary touched all five Great Lakes (Ontario, Erie, Superior, Michigan, and Huron, with six ports of call, each with its own flavor. Excursions were offered by Victory on Mackinac Island, Escanaba, Cleveland, Detroit, Soo Locks, and Port Colborne (Niagara Falls).

In Escanaba, Michigan, Victory provided a complimentary tour of the town and region, including a visit to the Sand Point Lighthouse. A premium excursion to a small goat farm for a demonstration of goat milk soap production and a visit to Yooper Forestry to learn about the latest in maple syrup research was both fun and educational·  

After “horsing around” on a carriage tour of Mackinac Island on an overcast and cold day, we opted for a premium excursion for an elegant luncheon at the historic Grand Hotel with its colorful Dorothy Draper-designed interiors and the longest porch in the world. Watching massive Great Lakes freighters lift and drop through the Soo Locks, and going through the locks onboard Victory II, was like seeing a ballet in slow motion.    

In Detroit, we signed up for an immersive excursion to the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio. Our visit included a tour and breakfast in the officers’ mess aboard the Col. James M. Schoonmaker, a Great Lakes freighter built in 1911. In the maritime museum, we saw a lifeboat from the Edmund Fitzgerald and touched prisms from a lighthouse around the Great Lakes.

In the afternoon, Sharon and I bought tickets to Detroit’s Motown Museum, a small house with an outsized legacy, learning about the intersection of Motor City and music.

Heading west from Detroit towards Cleveland, we cruised under the soon-to-be-opened Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Canada and the United States. As a former member of the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority Board responsible for project oversight and governance, this was an emotional moment.

Once docked in Cleveland, we took a morning coach tour to the meticulously preserved Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, the former estate of F.A. Seiberling, the co-founder of the Goodyear Tire Company.

No visit to Cleveland, where DJ Alan Freed coined the term “rock and roll,” would be complete without going to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We needed hours to explore all six floors!

In Port Colborne, a coach whisked us away to Niagara Falls, Ontario, for a wet and wonderful adventure into the Horseshoe Falls. Returning to the ship, we watched Great Lakes freighters pass to and from the locks between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Why it works for a first-time cruiser

For Sharon, this trip was a revelation. She’d feared seasickness, boredom, or the feeling of being “stuck” on a boat. Instead, she found calm waters, engaging company, and daily variety. The small size meant she never felt lost in a crowd, and the interesting itinerary made every day feel like a discovery.

Why it works for a veteran cruiser

For me, a repeat visitor to the Great Lakes, it was all about access. Small ships go where big ones can’t, places like Escanaba and Mackinac Island. Most passengers were well-traveled and eager to learn about each lake, and the enrichment program was first-rate. And the food? It was like dining in a 5-star restaurant every day!

Sailing Home

As Victory II cruised by the CN Tower and Toronto’s waterfront, to the Port of Toronto, I felt like I’d returned from somewhere far away. That’s the paradox of Great Lakes cruising: you’re never far from home, yet every day brings a new horizon.

As we disembarked, Sharon turned to me. “So,” I asked, “still not a cruise person?”  She smiled. “No. Now I’m a small-ship cruise fan, where to next?”