Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning July 2006 » WINDSOR CRUISE SHIP « Previous Next »
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Bibs
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Username: Bibs

Post Number: 571
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 3:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The cruise ship MV Columbus came up the Detroit River North bound and docked in Windsor. Nice to see a cruise ship docked in Windsor.

http://www.greatlakescruising. com/columbus/
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Goat
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Username: Goat

Post Number: 8814
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 4:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Several dock at Windsor throught the spring-fall months. I always take a walk down and view them up close.
If the ships were cheaper I would love to go on a cruise on the lakes. But geez, they are pricey!
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River_rat
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Username: River_rat

Post Number: 233
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 5:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"If the ships were cheaper I would love to go on a cruise on the lakes. But geez, they are pricey!

They are pricey to keep the riff-raff off. (no offense to you, Goat) Life is good on board. No homeless dorks peeing everywhere, no druggies and beggars, no loudmouth smart ass kids (although there are kids on board). Everyone here wears clen clothes, treat others with respect; we get nice meals on board, good entertainment and service with a smile. Why? No riff-raff.

river rat telling the truth from on board
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Skipp
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Username: Skipp

Post Number: 94
Registered: 06-2005
Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 5:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Haven't heard of to many cruise ships with beggars.
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Goat
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Username: Goat

Post Number: 8817
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 5:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Nah, You could still call me riff-raff. But the cruises are bit expensive compared to other cruises offered elsewhere in the world. Too bad there are kids onboard but oh well!
Well...maybe someday.
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River_rat
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Username: River_rat

Post Number: 234
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 5:13 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Goat, not to get off thread; but I just took a 7 day cruise on Holland America for $899. No riff-raff on that one either. The MV Columbus is very comfortable and has about 50% Germans as passenger compliment. Lots of bier unt schnitzel as well.
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Jjaba
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Username: Jjaba

Post Number: 4371
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 6:41 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This is peachy and all for Windsor, but really this is a Detroit stop. They leave the ship and take the passengers directly to Dearborn, Detroit, etc. for tours. The ships should dock in Detroit but they feel they can diss us.

As Goat knows, he has never ever seen a cruise passenger walking around downtown Windsor, except maybe some who fantzy the titty bars and the Casino.

jjaba has called Smithsonian and other tour operators screaming at them about this lack of respect for our country and for Detroit. The impression the passengers and foreign tourists have is that Detroit is a great place to see by daytime, but at night, they are comfy safer in Canada.
That's bullschitt!
jjaba, Proudly Westside.
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The_rock
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Username: The_rock

Post Number: 1384
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 7:30 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sorry jjaba, but if you were from Germany, where so many of these tourists on the vessel are from, and you happened to watch Channnel 2, 4 or 7 news at either 5 or 6 PMm on any given night, you would not step on board the COLUMBUS unless you were guaranteed that you did not have to spend five minutes in Detroit after sundown.
That's not "bullschitt", old friend ---that is reality.

Sorry to bust your bubble.
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Bibs
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Username: Bibs

Post Number: 572
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 9:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If the dock on the Detroit side of the river existed then it would have the option of docking on this side of the river. It seems funding or red tap is holding up the construction of the dock.
Rock - Having spent about four months in Paris, I saw horrific images of murders on TV that make the nightly news here seem PG and I'm not exaggering. Stuff the coroner office only sees. It's same crap over there on the nightly news: shooting, rape, kidnapping, train wreck etc. etc.
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Docmo
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Username: Docmo

Post Number: 108
Registered: 10-2005
Posted on Friday, September 22, 2006 - 10:37 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Does anyone have any info on why no construction yet on the Port Authority terminal? At least there are some renderings now.

http://www.portdetroit.com/ima ges/econdev/DWCPA_Public_Dock. jpg

http://www.portdetroit.com/new sevents/recent_news/publick_do ck_render.htm
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Jjaba
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Username: Jjaba

Post Number: 4374
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Saturday, September 23, 2006 - 1:00 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Rock sells Detroit short. There are ways to secure the docks. Like the Westside of New York City is a paradise, yet the largest ships in the World load and unload there.

Miami, New Orleans, Tampa, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Portland, all have cruise business. Detroit could do it too.

Germans own Chrysler, they can come to Detroit and enjoy it. The Detroit jazz scene itself should excite the Berliners.

jjaba will drive his BMW down there if it helps..
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The_rock
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Username: The_rock

Post Number: 1385
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Saturday, September 23, 2006 - 5:23 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

No, the Rock does not sell Detroit short. The local news media sells Detroit short.
You miss my point.Making the "docks secure" is not the obstacle, much less the problem. It's image. And local news reports shootings as the top news event of the day. They insist on leading off that topic with their "breaking news",which sometimes is 6-8 hours old anyway.
No one would be happier to see the COLUMBUS tie up on our side of the river than I would. I can name at least 15 passenger boats that made Detroit their home port during my childhood.I have postcards/photos of them all. But ever since the demise of the Georgian Bay boats, any of the cruise companies that have run charters into the Great Lakes arranged to have their vessels tie up in Windsor.
The role and affectiveness of our previous Port Authorities in promotion, securing space and arranging for dockage here would probably be the subject of another separate thread.
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Harsensis
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Username: Harsensis

Post Number: 78
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Saturday, September 23, 2006 - 9:10 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I went on the cColumbus a few years ago. Some of the lower inside cabins were only around a hundred dollars a day, so not every cabin is expensive. The food was great and the views from around the Great Lakes from the water are nice. I would recomend it, and you don't have many kids since the cruises take place during the September when the kids are in school.
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Douglasm
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Username: Douglasm

Post Number: 672
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Saturday, September 23, 2006 - 11:30 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ah, yes. Just what I needed. Rekindled memories of my high school senior trip on the SS South America......
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Sailor_rick
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Username: Sailor_rick

Post Number: 138
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Saturday, September 23, 2006 - 2:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

A few years back when I was still sailing, I was in Duluth where a middle age German couple, (which I presumed to be off the Columbus, since it was docked there) were in a nutty curio shop.

Located on Superior Ave, (Duluth’s main Street) the store was jammed with new & old stuffed critters, vintage wildlife dioramas, arcane outdoor gear & militaria (think Adams Family décor).

The couple spoke to each other in hushed tones as they stared up at the dusty moose heads and dangling bear traps.

Their eyes widened as they passed the cabinet full of WW 2 medals & pins. “National Socialist” I heard them whisper.

I was tempted to lumber over and slap ‘em on the shoulder, “Well Fritz, welcome to America. What do have to say for yourself? Ya’ know, I remember my great aunt who had these numbers tattooed (true) on her arm…”

But I figured they’d already thought “Der Nord” was populated with enough crazed gold miners, trappers and drunken Indians and sailors (many who stumbled out of the nearby casino) so I left my “funnen” for another time & place.

Interesting, the Columbus docks in Windsor then the passengers bussed to Detroit.
Seems like quite an inconvenience with customs & Immigration.

I’d guess they could tie up at Hart Plaza.

I was on the M.V. American Republic when she docked there for the Olympic torch back in ’96 (I wanted to grill a kielbasa over the Olympic flame secured to # 4 cargo hatch on her way to Cleveland but a few burly FBI types squashed that idea.)

I doubt the Columbus draws anymore than the Republic. I imagine security issues, liability, access, etc. keeps the passenger ships away.
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River_rat
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Username: River_rat

Post Number: 236
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Saturday, September 23, 2006 - 5:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Riff-raff keeps the passengers away. They want to be bussed to the specific sites of the city area (Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, anything else that is left)and be sparred the uriniferous streets, the panhandlers, hold-ups, etc.
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Billybbrew
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Username: Billybbrew

Post Number: 219
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Saturday, September 23, 2006 - 11:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It is my understanding that ships do not call in Detroit because there is not deep enough water for them to tie up at. If I recall correctly, the Mackinaw would tie up in Windsor for the same reason.
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Harsensis
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Username: Harsensis

Post Number: 79
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Sunday, September 24, 2006 - 9:39 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have seen the Mackinaw tie up in Detroit, it was during the tall ship festival in 2001. They pulled in right next to Cobo.
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River_rat
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Username: River_rat

Post Number: 237
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Sunday, September 24, 2006 - 10:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Billybbrew,

There is a shallow area called chicken bone reef on the Detroit side of the river that is listed at 21 feet on some charts. The Columbus only draws 16 feet, so they could dock in Detroit (if there was a dock).
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Billybbrew
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Username: Billybbrew

Post Number: 221
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Sunday, September 24, 2006 - 11:37 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

River...

I've been a tugboat captain on the Detroit River for almost 20 years now. I'm quite familiar with chicken bone reef. However, I was not aware of the draft on the Cruise ship. All I know is that I was told at some point it was an issue of draft. Seemed kind of hokey to me, but it was only what I was told. And yes, Harsens, you are correct. I don't get it myself. I've always thought it was plenty deep along the Detroit side. Like I said, I was just passing along what I've heard.

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