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Princess passing Big Point Sable Lighthouse
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
MANISTEE — Manistee Harbor Tours will wrap up its 2026 sailing season with special fall color cruises aboard the Princess of Manistee this weekend and next weekend, offering passengers an opportunity to view the autumn scenery along Lake Michigan and the Manistee River.
The two-hour cruises are scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24-25, and again Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. These will be the final scheduled cruises of the year for the 65-foot passenger vessel.
Capt. Albert “Wally” Laaksonen, owner of Manistee Harbor Tours, said the cruises will depart from the Manistee City Marina, 426 River St., along the Riverwalk in downtown Manistee.
Each excursion will begin with a trip down the Manistee River to the Manistee Harbor Lighthouse, where the captain will evaluate conditions on Lake Michigan before determining the route.
Depending on wind and wave conditions, the Princess will travel either north or south along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
A southern route will take passengers toward Big Sable Point, while a northern excursion will head toward Onekama and the entrance to Portage Lake. Both routes will provide views of the shoreline and surrounding fall foliage.
“Our first priority is your safety and comfort,” Laaksonen said.
If conditions on Lake Michigan are unfavorable, the Princess will remain on inland waters, traveling up the Manistee River, passing under two drawbridges and entering Manistee Lake.
There, passengers will have an opportunity to view the historic carferry City of Milwaukee and a large U.S. Coast Guard rescue vessel. The cruise may continue farther up the Manistee River as time permits.
“Regardless of our route, fall colors will be on full display,” Laaksonen said.
The fall cruises follow a monthlong absence from Manistee for the Princess, which was temporarily loaned to Traverse City Discovery Tours from Sept. 20 through Oct. 20.
Laaksonen said the Traverse City tour company had a vessel out of operation, and Manistee Harbor Tours agreed to assist by providing the Princess.
The Princess of Manistee was built in 1973 by DeFoe Shipbuilding Co. of Bay City. Originally named Island Princess, the vessel operated as a passenger ferry for Arnold Transit Co., transporting passengers between Mackinaw City, St. Ignace and Mackinac Island.
The vessel later operated at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore before Laaksonen and his late father, Capt. Al Laaksonen, purchased it in 2019.
The Princess began offering sightseeing cruises out of Ludington in 2020 before moving operations to Manistee in 2021. The vessel accommodates up to 148 passengers and features an open upper deck, enclosed lower deck and galley serving snacks and beverages.
Throughout the summer, Manistee Harbor Tours offers narrated sightseeing excursions, sunset cruises and private charters along the Lake Michigan shoreline and Manistee waterfront.
The upcoming fall color excursions will conclude the company’s sixth season operating from Manistee.
Reservations and additional information are available at manisteeharbortours.com.
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