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      • Victory 11 Day - Canadian Crown Jewels
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St. Lawrence Seaway Cruises

Cruising the St. Lawrence Seaway

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The following cruise itineraries will take you through  the St. Lawrence Seaway: 

Victory Cruise Lines
  • Grand Discovery - 13/Day
  • Canadian Crown Jewels - 11/Day Cruise 
Pearl Seas Cruise​
  • Canadian Maritime & St. Lawrence - 16/Day
Ponant Explorer Cruises 
  • Discover the St. Lawrence River - 11/Day

Quick Facts - Canals & Locks

  • Quick Facts
  • Canals and Locks
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  • The St. Lawrence Seaway was created in 1959, a joint venture between the US and Canada
  • The Seaway is jointly operated by the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and the US Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. 
  • It connects the inland ocean of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic ocean, via a system of canals, locks and deep-draft channels on the St. Lawrence River
  • It takes approximately 8.5 days to sail the 2,038 nautical miles of the St. Lawrence Seaway, from Duluth, Minnesota on Lake Superior to the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the Atlantic.
  • The St. Lawrence Seaway operates a total of 5 canals and 15 locks, in addition to the 5 Soo locks at Sault St Marie. 
  • Ships cross the US-Canadian border 27 times during their passage through the St. Lawrence Seaway
  • Vessels are lifted or lowered a total of 571 feet (174 m) between Lake Superior and the Atlantic ocean.
  • All of the St. Lawrence Seaway's locks have the same dimensions:
    766' L x 80' W x 30' D (233.5m L x 24.4m W x 9.1m D) 
  • Each lock holds 21 million gallons of water (that's 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools!) and use simple gravity to fill and empty.
  • The St. Lawrence Seaway has designated upbound and downbound lanes as well as twinned locks (#4-5-6) in the Welland Canal to maintain two-way traffic
  • "Superlaker" ships of over 1000 feet (304m) cannot pass through the eastern locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway and sail only the western Great Lakes.
  • 90% of St. Lawrence Seaway cargo is bulk cargo such as wheat, iron ore, oil, etc.
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  • The seaway contains 5 canals, each with their own system of locks to accommodate the changing elevation. 
    • South Shore Canal 
      • 2 Canadian Locks (St. Lambert and Ste. Catherine)
      • 14 nautical miles long
      • Connects the Port of Montreal with Lake St. Louis
    • Beauharnois Canal 
      • 2 Canadian Locks
      • 11.3 nautical miles long
      • Connects Lake St. Louis with Lake St. Francis
    • Wiley-Dondero Canal 
      • 2 US Locks (Snell and Eisenhower)
      • 8 nautical miles long
      • Connects the St. Lawrence River with Lake St. Lawrence
    • Iroquois Canal
      • 1 Canadian Lock
      • 0.3 nautical miles long
      • also includes a water level control facility
    • Welland Canal 
      • 8 Canadian Locks
      • 23.5 nautical miles long
      • Connects Lake Ontario with Lake Erie

Plan your visit to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Visitors' Center at the US Eisenhower Lock at the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation website. 

Gateway to North America

Put simply, the St. Lawrence Seaway is the world's longest deep draft commercial waterway, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Its creation was, however, no simple task. The opening of the Seaway required construction of 5 separate canals, 15 locks, and dredged channels to permit deep-draft freighters to safely and efficiently traverse the St. Lawrence River's many rapids, lakes, and changes in elevation.  

Opened in 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway is the result of a close partnership between Canada and the United States, serving two Canadian provinces (Ontario and Quebec) and eight American states (Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York and Pennsylvania). Ships passing though the Seaway cross the US-Canadian border 27 times during transit, making bi-national coordination critical to its operation.

​The Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and the US Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation work together to coordinate day-to-day operations, rules and regulations, annual operating calendar, safety and navigation technologies, as well as bilateral environmental and trade programs.  

A Great Lakes Economy

The economic impact of the St. Lawrence Seaway is significant for the region and the world. Cargo shipments, such as iron ore, coal, grains, and even blades for wind farms traverse the seaway each year, connecting the agricultural and industrial heartland with global markets.

Since its opening more than 50 years ago, over 2.5 billion tons of cargo have moved between Lake Superior and the Atlantic ocean. Over 25% of the ships passing through the St. Lawrence Seaway are "salties," ocean-going vessels connecting the region to foreign ports.

​As a region, the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway System is the world's fourth largest economy with nearly US $5 trillion in annual economic output. 

Guarding the Great Lakes Environment

The St. Lawrence Seaway serves as an environmental gatekeeper for the Great Lakes region. Shipping via the seaway reduces congestion and fuel consumption through marine transport. Each ship with 30,000 tons of cargo replaces 300 rail cars or 963 semi trucks.

However, with increased traffic from global ports, invasive species have also crept into the waters of Great Lakes. Great Lakes fisheries are home to 177 species of fish, support more than 75,000 jobs, and are valued at over US $7 billion annually. Because of its potential impact on fisheries of the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway has put into place sustainable management practices for ballast water to limit the importation of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), such as zebra mussels and sea lampreys, into the Great Lakes region. 

Great Lakes waterways also provide drinking water, resources  and recreation to one quarter of the population of North America, so water quality is also a serious concern for governments and communities in the region
Want to learn more? Watch Walter Cronkite as he explains the St. Lawrence Seaway in this bit of Classic TV: 
Updated Original 1/21/21-lls

Explore Destinations on the Canadian
​St. Lawrence Seaway

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DESTINATIONS / PORTS OF CALL


Toronto, Ontario Canada Cruises
​Montreal, Quebec Canada Cruises
Quebec City, Canada Cruises
Gaspe, Quebec Canada Cruises
Iles De La Madeleine, Quebec CanadaCruises
Perce, Quebec Canada Cruises
Baie-Comeau, Quebec Canada Cruises
Cap-aux-Meules, Quebec Canada Cruises
​Trois-Rivieres, Quebec Canada Cruises 
Tadoussac, Quebec Canada Cruises
​Saguenay, Quebec Canada Cruises
Sept-iles, Quebec Canada Cruises 
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Canada Cruises 
Lunenberg, Novia Scotia Canada Cruises
Pictou, Nova Scotia Canada Cruises
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Cruises
Kingston, New York & Canada Cruises
Clayton, New York & Canada Cruises

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  • Cruise the Great Lakes
    • Lake Superior Cruises
    • Lake Michigan Cruises
    • Lake Huron Cruises
    • Lake Erie Cruises
    • Lake Ontario Cruises
    • St. Lawrence Seaway Cruises
    • Great Lakes Attractions
  • Great Lakes Cruise Lines
    • Victory Cruise Lines
    • Pearl Seas Cruises
    • Viking Expedition Cruises
    • Windstar Cruises
    • Ponant Explorer Cruises
    • Hapag Lloyd Cruises
    • Blount Small Ship Adventures
  • Cruise Itineraries
    • Canada/St. Lawrence Cruise Itineraries >
      • Victory 11 Day - Canadian Crown Jewels
      • Victory 13 Day - Canada's Southern Coast Itinerary
      • Pearl Seas 16 Day - Canadian Maritime & St Lawrence Seaway
      • Pearl Seas 11 Day - Canada & New England Fall Foliage
      • Viking 13 Day - Canadian Discovery Cruise (2022)
    • Great Lakes Cruise Itineraries >
      • Victory 16 Day - Great Lakes Lakeside Treasures
      • Blount 16 Day - Great American Waterways
      • Blount 14 Day - Locks, Legends & Canals
      • Victory 13 Day - Great Lakes Grand Discovery
      • Pearl Seas 12 Day - Great Lakes & Georgian Bay
      • Victory 11 Day - Splendor of the Great Lakes
      • Ponant 11 Day - Discover the St. Lawrence River Cruise
      • Victory 9 Day - Great Lakes Masterpiece
      • Pearl Seas 8 Day - Great Lakes Cruise
      • Ponant 8 Day - Great Lakes of North America
      • Viking 8 Day - Niagara & the Great Lakes Cruise (2022)
      • Viking 8 Day - Undiscovered Great Lakes Cruise (2022)
      • Viking 8 Day - Great Lakes Explorer Cruise (2022)
  • Destinations
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  • Request a Quote
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