Pearl Seas Plans Four Great Lakes Itineraries for 2026

Pearl Seas Cruises will open its 2026 cruise season on May 7 with Pearl Mist sailing a 15-night Canadian Maritimes & St. Lawrence Seaway itinerary from Portland, Maine, to Toronto. The ship then begins the company's Great Lakes schedule on May 22 with an 11-night Great Lakes & Georgian Bay voyage from Toronto to Milwaukee.

The schedule extends Pearl Seas' 12th season in the Great Lakes as regional cruise activity is forecast to grow in passengers, port visits and economic impact in 2026.

Great Lakes program follows St. Lawrence opener

"Our crew is the most seasoned team in the region," said Carter Robertson, president of Pearl Seas Cruises. Robertson added that those years on the Lakes improve the company's itineraries for guests.

Pearl Seas has four Great Lakes itineraries scheduled for 2026. They include the 14-night Great Lakes Explorer voyage from Toronto to Duluth, Minnesota, which sails all five Great Lakes in one itinerary.

Pearl Mist is the Guilford, Connecticut-based company's sole ship. The 2014-built vessel carries 210 passengers in 108 staterooms, all with private balconies.

The May 22 Great Lakes & Georgian Bay sailing includes Michigan calls at Sault Ste. Marie, Mackinac Island and Muskegon/Holland. Pearl Mist is also advertised for Detroit, Alpena, Escanaba, Houghton and Marquette during the season.

Regional traffic forecast to rise

Cruise the Great Lakes forecasts a $300 million economic impact for the region this year, up 25% from 2025. The organization also projects 23,000 passengers, a 5% increase, and more than 800 port visits, up 15% year over year.

Pearl Mist joins a Great Lakes season already underway. Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris began sailing in April, followed by Victory I, Victory II and Hanseatic Inspiration. Ponant's Le Bellot and Le Champlain, along with American Cruise Lines' American Patriot, are also expected at Michigan ports later this summer.

Bookings extend into future seasons

Pearl Seas said its 2026 summer Great Lakes cruises and its spring and fall Canadian Maritimes and New England itineraries are essentially sold out. The company also said 2027 and 2028 departures are filling quickly.

The line has added a new eight-night Prince Edward Island & Maine Coast cruise from Charlottetown, PEI, to Portland, Maine, with operations scheduled to begin in 2028.