ST. LAWRENCE & OTTAWA RIVERS CRUISE

THE 1000 ISLANDS: With each nautical mile, nature's northern masterpiece unfolds. Within one 80-kilometre stretch of the mighty St. Lawrence River, there are no less than 1,870 islands. In these "1000 Islands", birthplace of the famous 1000 Islands Dressing, we explore intricate river channels, sumptuous greenery, mysterious coves, and nooks and crannies veiled in folklore. We sail past summer cottages, opulent mansions and even two castles, Boldt and Singer. These islands have been the summer homes of the rich and famous: the Astors, the Pullmans, the McNallys, Helena Rubenstein, Irving Berlin, Mary Pickford, and a host of others. We cruise under several bridges including the multiple spans of the Thousand Islands Bridge. The New York Times wrote, “When the time comes for sleep, sleep comes easily on a ship surrounded by a thousand islands and a million stars.”

CANADIAN EMPRESS: The M/V Canadian Empress was the result of some fanciful thinking on the part of Bob Clark in 1979. Having lived on the St. Lawrence River for years and being familiar with its many attractions and scenic beauty, Bob could not understand why there wasn't an overnight cruise ship providing excursions up and down the river. He was active in the architecture, real estate, and housing industries, so Bob's entrepreneurial spirit wouldn't allow him to drop this idea and soon the keel for the ship was being laid. The Canadian Empress was launched in 1981. The year 1908 was chosen as a design and decor theme because Bob wanted a vessel that would integrate well with the history of the St. Lawrence River. The ship is not a replica of any specific vessel, but is a composite of many vessels that were common in the St. Lawrence region during the last century. The Canadian Empress is 33 metres long with a 9-metre beam and a draft of just 1.5 metres. She carries only 62 passengers in 31 cabins. There are three decks. St. Lawrence Deck is the lowest and has most of the cabins and the gift shop. Ottawa Deck has 8 cabins, the Grand Saloon Lounge and Dining Room, and forward and aft outdoor sitting areas. The Sun Deck has lots of outdoor seating. All cabins have two single beds (2 cabins in Premier category have a double bed), toilet, shower, sink, and window(s). Cabins are very compact compared to an ocean cruise ship, typically about 8 square metres. There is daily housekeeping service. You will likely spend most daylight time away from your cabin in the Grand Saloon or on deck enjoying the scenery. Nightly entertainment is provided, usually by a local group or person and can include music, singing or magic. The ship docks most nights in a town along the St. Lawrence or Ottawa Rivers, so you can go ashore at your leisure and explore the area. Although the ship enters the USA several times, it does not dock there, so no passport is needed for the whole trip. Three meals a day plus afternoon tea and in-between treats are served in the Grand Saloon. There are usually two entrees offered with dinner. The menus utilize fresh in-season locally produced fruits and vegetables, and bread may come from the pioneer ovens at Upper Canada Village. Wine and beer is complimentary at lunch and dinner, and other choices are available from the well-stocked bar. Coffee and tea are available 24 hours a day. Wells Gray Tours has offered six cruises on the Canadian Empress since 2016 with excellent reviews. Come and experience a different kind of river cruising on an intimate ship.

THE ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY: The St. Lawrence Seaway was one of the most ambitious engineering feats of the last century. The objectives were to increase the size of the St. Lawrence River shipping channel and generate hydro-electric power for Ontario, Quebec, and New York State. Entire villages were relocated to higher ground, utilizing the largest moving and construction equipment in the world. As the temporary coffer dams were blown on July 1st, 1958, people watched with mixed emotions. Slowly rising water covered familiar land forever. It was sad for some to know they could never go home again. Others were excited to think of the new conveniences and services, modern schools, and ocean ships being able to access the Great Lakes. A highlight of our cruise on the Canadian Empress is the opportunity to pass through seven locks between Kingston and Montreal, experiencing an overall change in water level of 75 metres. All locks on the Seaway are similar in size — 233 metres long, 24½ metres wide, and 9 metres deep over the sill. A lock fills with about 91 million litres of water in just 7 to 10 minutes. The ship takes about 45 minutes to go through a lock.

Please book early: Canadian Empress has confirmed a block of cabins for this tour in all 4 categories. These are normally held until 90 days before sailing. However, any unsold cabins can be taken away from us at any time if the ship fills. This tour is limited to 40 people. There will be some travellers on the ship other than Wells Gray customers.

All shore excursions included: On many cruises, shore excursions are a significant additional expense. On this cruise, all shore excursions are included. Usually a bus picks you up beside the ship and takes you to a local attraction. Sometimes a museum is right beside the dock.

Singles: Four ship cabins are designated for singles with a lower single supplement. Book early for these!

Doubles (one bed): There are only 2 cabins on the ship with a double bed and both are in the Premier category. These cabins also have a small settee. Book early for these! All other cabins have 2 single beds.

Flight seating: We are unable to take requests for window or aisle seating on the planes. The airline will not accept them, as group seating is assigned as a block. If this is important to you, we suggest you take the “No Flight” option with a fare reduction of $675 and book your own flight which allows seat selection.

Flight upgrades: Please enquire about current prices for upgrades on the flights to Toronto and return from Ottawa. Premium economy and business class may be available.

Flight delays or cancellations: In the event flights are delayed or cancelled by airlines due to weather or other reasons, there may be additional costs to you. Wells Gray Tours will not pay for hotel rooms and meals during the delay. Most travel insurance policies cover expenses incurred for flight delays.

Payments: A deposit of $600 per person is requested at the time of booking and balance is due June 3, 2026. By paying the deposit, you agree to the Terms & Conditions, Activity Level and Cancellation Policy outlined. Payments can be made by online banking or cheque (3% discount on tour fare), or by Visa or Mastercard.

Cancellation Policy: Up to May 4, 2026, the cancellation charge is $100 per person. From May 5 to June 3, the cancellation charge is $300 per person. From June 4 to July 3, the cancellation charge is 50% of the tour fare. From July 4 to July 30, the cancellation charge is 80% of the tour fare. After July 30, there is no refund.

Itinerary and Fare Changes: Our many suppliers may notify us about changes to the itinerary prior to departure and sometimes during the tour. We do our best to substitute a similar service if something cancels, but occasionally the only alternative is to provide a refund for the missed activity. Please note that if we are forced to cancel a tour component due to an issue beyond our control, the current penalties still apply if you choose to cancel the entire tour. Fuel surcharges and changes to taxes or other tour costs can occur at any time, therefore Wells Gray Tours reserves the right to increase fares due to such changes up to departure.

Show cancellation: It rarely happens, but actors occasionally get sick, or some mishap causes the cancellation of a show (Oh Canada Eh?). This can occur even shortly before the performance begins. We know that this would be disappointing for our customers, but the only refund we would be able to obtain for you would be the actual ticket price of the show. The hotel, motorcoach, cruise, and other tour services are all prepaid and are non-refundable at short notice.

Food Allergies: You must notify us no later than at final payment if you have a food allergy. The ship may not be able to satisfy all food allergies. An allergy causes medical distress, a preference does not. For some allergies, please consider bringing your own snacks or food items so you are not dependent on what restaurants are able to serve.

Travel Insurance: A Comprehensive Insurance policy is available through Wells Gray Tours and coverage is provided by Travel Guard. Policies purchased at deposit include a waiver of the pre-existing condition clause for medical and cancellation claims, otherwise policies can be purchased no later than at final payment. This tour stays in Canada, but medical costs can vary wildly from one province to another. While your BC Services Card may partly cover you for a medical issue that arises during the tour, you will probably benefit from trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage in case of illness or a mishap before or during the tour. Many other benefits such as luggage insurance are included. Medical questionnaire is not needed. Please contact us for details. If you have your own travel insurance, please read the policy carefully to be sure that you are adequately covered for medical, cancellation, interruption, and luggage.

Photo Credits: St. Lawrence Cruise Lines.

Experience Points or E-points: This tour earns 135 e-points. Each time you travel on a Wells Gray tour, you earn e-points that are added to your account after the tour returns. One e-point equals $1. Redeem your earned points on select tours or accumulate enough points to earn a free tour! Redemptions offered until June 3, 2026.

Consumer Protection BC Licences: Kamloops 178, Vernon 655, Kelowna 588, Penticton 924, Victoria 65842