Trip at a Glance –
Great Lakes Reunion Cruise

• Dates: 14-25 May, 2027
• Duration: 10 nights, which includes a 1-night pre-cruise hotel stay in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• This cruise is meant to celebrate the friendships we forged together during our years as students—and to reconnect with the people who shared that chapter of our lives, no matter when we graduated or which paths we followed after.
• Group size: Limited to 12 cabins / 24 guests (based on double occupancy in each cabin)
• Varsity Voyages will donate 150.00 USD per person, in your name, to the alumni group for each guest who books and sails on this reunion cruise through Varsity Voyages.
• If the alumni group is a qualifying 501(c)(3), your employer may be able to match this gift—potentially doubling the impact of your participation.
• Bonus giving opportunity: When you book independent travel through Varsity Voyages—whether it’s a vacation, pilgrimage, family trip, or business travel — I will make a donation on your behalf to your alumni group, turning your personal travel plans into added support for your alumni group.

About the Great Lakes Reunion Cruise 

This 10‑night alumni Great Lakes cruise transforms your reunion into a floating community, where classmates, family members, and friends come together in a relaxed, small‑ship setting—no ballroom schedules or name tags required. Sailing from Toronto to Chicago, the journey offers unhurried time for conversation, reflection, and lake views that seem to stretch as far as the memories you will share.

More than just a getaway, this experience turns every cabin into a meaningful contribution, with a built‑in per‑person donation that supports your alumni organization or chosen school initiative. Each booking helps fuel scholarships, programs, and future events that keep your community thriving. It is a chance to celebrate the friendships, traditions, and shared history that shaped you, while helping create those same opportunities for the next generation of students who will one day call themselves alumni too.

Great Lakes Reunion Cruise Itinerary 

• Day 1 – Friday, 14 May 2027: Toronto pre‑cruise stay.
  
Arrive in Toronto, settle into your hotel, and ease into the trip with fellow alumni over an informal evening near the Harbourfront or Distillery District, where the first laughs and “remember when…” stories start to flow. It is a gentle beginning to several days of reconnection, gratitude, and shared memories rooted in the time you all spent together at your alma mater—only now, the backdrop is a vibrant waterfront city and the schedule is all about slowing down, catching up, and enjoying how far you have all come.
  
• Day 2 – Saturday, 15 May 2027: Toronto – embarkation.
  
Enjoy a relaxed morning in the city, maybe taking in views from the CN Tower or wandering the exhibits at the Art Gallery of Ontario, before making your way to the pier to board your Great Lakes cruise together. As you sail out of Toronto, you can feel the shift from everyday routine to shared adventure, with the days ahead dedicated to stories, friendship, and appreciation for the paths your years at your alma mater helped set in motion.
  
• Day 3 – Sunday, 16 May 2027: Niagara Falls & Port Colborne, Ontario.
  
Feel the thundering power of Niagara Falls as mist rises around you, revealing one of North America’s most iconic natural wonders. A short distance away in Port Colborne, you can slow the pace with a quieter escape, wandering its charming marina and quaint downtown, walking along the Welland Canal, and browsing local art galleries and boutique shops that echo the town’s easygoing vibe. Standing together at the Falls or strolling through Port Colborne, it is natural to reflect on how far you have all come since those early days walking your school’s halls—and how those shared beginnings led you to this moment, side by side on a journey you will be talking about for years.
  
• Day 4 – Monday, 17 May 2027: Cleveland, Ohio
  
Cleveland greets you with a blend of industrial grit and creative energy, a fitting backdrop for classmates who have moved through many seasons of life since graduation. Spend time at the Cleveland Museum of Art or wandering the historic streets of the Tremont District, then feel the buzz of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, where the soundtrack of your younger years sets the stage for stories, laughter, and plenty of “do‑you‑remember‑when” moments.
  
• Day 5 – Tuesday, 18 May 2027: Detroit, Michigan
  
Detroit’s magnetic energy pulls you in, blending revitalized waterfront spaces with rich musical and cultural history. Tour beautiful Belle Isle Park, visit the Motown Museum, or follow the Detroit Riverwalk for sweeping water views, then take in the city’s Art Deco architecture and vibrant culinary scene—a place rooted in history yet confidently looking ahead, much like your own class as you reconnect and share where life has taken you. More than a reunion trip, it becomes a chance for your group to show up together for your alma mater, turning shared memories into meaningful support for the school that helped shape your lives.
  
• Day 6 – Wednesday, 19 May 2027: Lake Huron Scenic cruising
  Spend an unhurried day on Lake Huron simply being together again, with nowhere to rush and years of stories finally getting the time they deserve. Let the ship’s gentle pace, quiet lounges, and open decks set the scene as you catch up with classmates, linger over coffee, and laugh about memories from your school days that somehow feel both distant and instantly familiar. Between conversations, step outside to take in the wide‑open lake views, letting this reunion feel as expansive and full of possibility as the horizon itself.
  
• Day 7 – Thursday, 20 May 2027: Lake Superior Scenic Cruising and the Sault Ste. Marie Soo Locks
  Drift across the vast calm of Lake Superior with classmates who shared your teenage years, letting the gentle motion and wide‑open horizon turn old memories into new conversations. As you pass through the Soo Locks—the gateway between Lake Superior and Lake Huron—watch this engineering marvel in action with your friends and notice how far you have all traveled since those high‑school days, each of you bringing a different life story back to the same shared starting point. From the elevated views and historic exhibits to the simple joy of being together again, this stretch of the cruise becomes a quiet, thoughtful pause in a journey you have taken side by side—and a reminder of the lasting legacy your class can create for the students who will one day follow in your footsteps.
  
• Day 8 – Friday, 21 May 2027: Mackinac Island. Michigan
  
Mackinac Island sets a storybook backdrop for your reunion, where you and your classmates trade car horns for carriage rides and quiet lakeshore paths. Stroll together past the Grand Hotel, pause at scenic overlooks, or rent bikes and circle the island as conversations pick up right where they left off years ago. With no motor vehicles and time moving a little more slowly, the island’s peaceful charm gives your group room to reconnect, reminisce, and simply enjoy being together again, grateful for friendships that have endured and grown over time.
  
• Day 9 – Saturday, 22 May 2027: Escanaba, Michigan
  
Rediscover Escanaba together as a class and wander out to the Sand Point Lighthouse, sharing stories and snapping photos with the bay as your backdrop. Stroll or gently hike through Ludington Park in small groups, catching up on decades of life while you look out over the water and let the conversation meander as easily as the shoreline. Step into the Delta County Historical Society to add another layer of nostalgia, exploring local history alongside the people who shared your own and remembering the teachers, mentors, and community that helped shape who you all are today.
  
• Day 10 – Sunday, 23 May 2027: Milwaukee Wisconsin and Sailing on Lake Michigan
  Milwaukee gives your reunion a lively city backdrop, where you and your classmates tour historic mansions, wander revitalized neighborhoods, and enjoy an evening show before returning to the ship for the night. The next day, Lake Michigan becomes a tranquil “living room” for your group, as you breathe in the crisp air, watch the shoreline drift by, and move easily between shipboard activities and long, unhurried conversations about family, shared values, and the many paths your lives have taken since your school days.
  
• Day 11 – Monday, 24 May 2027 : Welcome to Navy Pier, Chicago – Disembarkation

  As Chicago’s skyline comes into view, it feels like a fitting grand finale to your alumni journey—a last chapter you get to write together before everyone returns home. Spend your final hours visiting favorite city sights, lingering over a meal, or taking one more stroll along the lakefront with classmates who now feel like family again. As you say goodbye and head home, let Chicago frame the closing photos, final hugs, and renewed promises not to let so much time pass before you meet again—and to keep supporting the community that first brought you together at your alma mater.

Inclusions

Request Full Details & Availability