CHARLEVOIX, MI - The Harbor Princess cruise boat will motor over to Charlevoix next month for a nostalgic homecoming that’s designed to offer new fall color tours from the water. The Harbor Princess normally does day cruises and sunset trips out of Petoskey, where it’s part of the Little Traverse Bay Ferry Company fleet. But from Oct.
3-13, it will be making Round Lake and Lake Charlevoix its home port while its crew offers daytime autumn color trips, kids-themed trips, and evening sunset cruises in this picturesque spot. Tickets can be purchased in advance online here. “Northern Michigan is renowned for its spectacular fall colors, as the area transforms into a vibrant tapestry of reds, oranges, and yellows that attracts visitors from across the country,” the cruise boat company said.
“This year, visitors can board the Harbor Princess for a picturesque cruise and take in the stunning fall foliage of Northern Michigan in a truly unique way.” The Harbor Princess will do color tours, sunset cruises and kid-friendly cruises in the Charlevoix area in October. Little Traverse Ferry Co.
So why is the return of the Harbor Princess to the Charlevoix area such a celebrated homecoming? It’s because that’s where this historic boat started her Great Lakes journey nearly 70 years ago. The Princess used to be known as the Emerald Isle and it was tailor-built in 1955 to run the Charlevoix to Beaver Island route, bringing islanders and vacationers back and forth between the island and the mainland port. “The Harbor Princess invokes nostalgia in many locals and visitors who remember her as the Emerald Isle, so we’re excited to bring her home and offer guests the opportunity to experience this little piece of Northern Michigan history against the backdrop of the breathtaking fall foliage our area is known for,” said Chris Chamberlain, the captain and fleet owner.
The Harbor Princess has double decks as well as covered seating areas. The trips come with some perks, too. The kids-themed cruises offer free cider and donuts.
The other color tours and sunset cruises will offer a spiked cider drink for purchase. These trips will come with a side of history. The captain will narrate parts of the cruise, even tossing in a little shipwreck lore if you ask.
If You Go: Fall Color Tour Details Date/Time: October 3-13. Check the website here to view the schedule and make a reservation. Departure Location: 103 Bridge Park Drive in Charlevoix .
Tickets: Prices range from $10-$37 depending on the passengers’ age and cruise selected. Little Traverse Bay Ferry Company's newest boat is the Harbor Princess. Cruise With History The Harbor Princess arrived in Northern Michigan to join the Little Traverse Bay Ferry fleet last summer.
People familiar with tour boats that ply the Great Lakes know that vessels can change hands and change names several times over the decades they are on the water. The same is true of the Princess. This boat has a pretty cool history that includes two well-known islands and Michigan’s biggest city.
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m. Built for the Beaver Island Boat Company, the 65-foot vessel could carry up to 125 passengers and nine vehicles between that remote island in northern Lake Michigan and Charlevoix, its mainland port. It was later bought by the Arnold Transit line to ferry people, horses and other cargo between Mackinac Island and mainland docks in the Straits of Mackinac.
Its most recent incarnation under Chamberlain and his team was as the Diamond Jack, a dinner and river cruise boat in Detroit. After heading north to St. Ignace, where it spent a stint in dry dock for a little refurbishing last year, the boat left as the Harbor Princess and joined the ferry company in Petoskey last summer for its next chapter on the water.
“The Harbor Princess carries a rich history that unfolds with every voyage,” Chamberlain said. “From her beginnings as the legendary Emerald Isle, tailored specifically for the Charlevoix to Beaver Island route, to a Mackinac Island ferry for Arnold Line, then as the beloved Diamond Jack touring the heart of Detroit. Her journey is a special testament of maritime history around the state of Michigan.
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