| “Welcome
aboard the SS Minnow,” says Captain Richard Davis as he greets the small
group of passengers who have just boarded the Georgian Clipper at Kingston,
Ontario, for a six day cruise that will include travelling through the
beautiful Thousand Islands. The skipper’s reference to the Minnow (the
little boat made famous in the 1960s Gilligan’s Island TV series) was a
joking reference to the Clipper’s modest size versus the ever growing number
of gargantuan cruise vessels typically larger than apartment buildings. |
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While the Georgian Clipper is dwarfed by
today’s mega ships, its lesser size is the primary reason passengers choose
this handsome, nine-cabin boat with a maximum capacity of 18 people. “I’ve
cruised on small ships all over the world and much prefer them over large
vessels,” says Lorrine Lunde, a passenger from Northbrook, Illinois. She
and her husband Richard found the Georgian Clipper on the internet while
seeking a vacation cruise on a boat that fit with their preference for
small ships.
The Clipper’s cruise director, Ted Huber,
says Lunde’s penchant for smaller boats is historically a common thread
amongst the ship’s clientele. “People who cruise with us like the intimacy
of a small vessel; they appreciate getting to know the other passengers
and by the end of a cruise it’s almost like a family,” he says. “Small
ship enthusiasts also like our casual atmosphere which is an aspect we
stress. No tuxedos or ball gowns needed.”
Indeed, it’s a good thing that fancy wardrobes
are not a tradition on this particular vessel since space could be an issue.
Owned by Heritage Cruise Lines, the 10-year-old Georgian Clipper measures
about 80 feet long and has three decks with cabin quarters located on the
lower level. Each immaculately clean, brightly painted cabin has a large
picture window with two twin beds and a reasonable amount of closet and
storage space. Bathrooms containing sink, stool and shower are small but
manageable. While overall cabin décor could not be considered glamorous,
it’s definitely several rungs above dorm room accommodations.
| With
wrap-around windows, the middle deck contains a dining room, comfortable
lounge area and an attractive well-stocked bar that includes a good selection
of Canadian wines. The top deck is a spacious, open-air viewing and relaxing
platform fitted out with deck chairs, lounges and umbrellas. This was my
first ever cruise on a small ship and what impressed me greatly was how
smoothly everything onboard unfolded with a bare bones crew of only five:
Captain Davis, chef Michelle Stewart, cruise director Huber and two accommodating
young women, Nicole Servage and Marilyn Croteau, who did everything from
serve meals to clean cabins and help with docking procedures. |
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In less than 24 hours crew and passengers
were on a first name basis and throughout the trip service was exceptional,
as was the shipboard cuisine. In a galley kitchen no larger than a small
bedroom, chef Stewart created three marvellous meals a day often using
fresh herbs she grows in pots on the top deck. Lamb, fish, pork medallions,
tenderloin steak, seafood, escargot wrapped in pastry pockets, delicious
soups and decadent deserts were among the menu items that inspired passengers
to praise Stewart’s culinary skills. “One of our primary focuses on the
Clipper is making sure we provide our guests with extraordinary cuisine”,
says Huber.
In addition to the vessel’s size and the
promise of attentive service, what also attracted Lunde and my fellow passengers
from Ottawa, Hamilton and Detroit was the Clipper’s sail itinerary through
the Thousand Islands.
| “This
is one of the most beautiful places in the world and here among the islands
you’re cruising through real history,” says Captain Davis. The region is
steeped in United Empire Loyalist history as well as a past punctuated
by pirates, rum runners, the War of 1812, unsolved murders and colourful
Indian lore. |
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The count of 1,000 islands is an underestimate
since there are really about 1,830 ranging in size from just large enough
to support a cottage to larger islands on which grand, palatial summer
places have been built, some of them dating back to the 1800s. One of the
most lavish and certainly the most famous is a castle rather than summer
house. The cruise provides a close-up look at Heart Island’s Boldt Castle,
an enormous 120-room European-style edifice built by American millionaire
George Boldt as a monument of love to his wife Louise. Construction began
around 1900 but prior to its completion Louise suddenly died and a heartbroken
George immediately suspended work. In 1977 the Thousand Islands Bridge
Authority acquired the island and spent millions of dollars completing
and refurbishing the castle that looks like it came straight out of Disney’s
Magic Kingdom. Built in a similar style, Dark Island’s Singer Castle (some
call it Jorstadt Castle) was built in 1905 by a vice president of the Singer
Sewing Machine Company.
While the Thousand Islands are arguably
the highlight of the cruise where the Clipper shares the waterway with
pleasure craft and enormous lake freighters, the other component of the
trip are shore excursions at ports of call each offering different and
unique opportunities for sightseeing and exploring. At Picton, a protected
harbour town on the edge of pretty Prince Edward County, passengers are
taken on a wine-tasting excursion to some of the County’s more than 25
wineries. Prince Edward Country is United Empire Loyalist country and its
charming villages and pastoral countryside are imbued with UEL history
that dates back to the 1700s.
At Gananoque, the shore excursion is a
short overland trip to the 400-ft.-tall Thousand Islands Sky Deck for an
unsurpassed aerial view of the islands. The port of Brockville is the launch
point for an overland trip to the nation’s capital that includes visiting
some of Ottawa’s most famous landmarks: the Parliament Buildings, Byward
Market and Laurier House.
In every conceivable way, the Georgian
Clipper is a small cruise boat and it would not be to everybody’s liking.
There are no giant swimming pools, no glitzy atriums, no nightly floor
shows and no huge smorgasbord buffets.
| In contrast,
the Clipper offers a peaceful atmosphere, attentive one-on-one service
and terrific cuisine. It’s the kind of cruise where you can visit the captain
on the bridge at any time; it’s the kind of cruise where in mid afternoon
chef Stewart is liable to appear with a platter of freshly baked cookies.
It’s all very personal and exceedingly pleasant. |
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For more information about the Georgian
Clipper and Heritage Cruise lines call 1-888-271-BOAT (2628) or go online
at www.heritagecruises.com.
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