St. Lawrence Cruise Lines 2025 Schedule & Offers

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St. Lawrence Cruise Lines 2025

St. Lawrence Cruise Lines (SLCL) is glad to report its 2024 season is underway (after an unfortunate delay due to the closure of the LaSalle Causeway in Kingston by the Canadian federal government due to damage to the lifting mechanism of the bridge).

Embarking on its 44th season, the 64-passenger Canadian Empress, is once again sailing the scenic waters of eastern Canada’s 1000 Islands and the St. Lawrence River.

One of the most impressive engineering accomplishments of the last century, the nearly 4,000-kilometer-long St Lawrence Seaway-Great Lakes Waterway features a system of locks, canals and channels link the Great Lakes region with the Atlantic Ocean.

To see all this waterway has to offer, a smaller ship like the Canadian Empress allows passengers to enjoy up-close views of the fascinating waterway and the beautiful landscape surrounding it, accessing places and ports bigger ships can’t access.

St. Lawrence Cruise Lines offer an enticing menu of 4- to 7-night cruises departing from Kingston, Ottawa, and Quebec City, including a couple of education-focused itineraries called Discovery Cruises designed to delve deeper into the river’s storied past. The next one is October 15-19, 2024.

The scenic St Lawrence Seaway. * Photo: SLCL

New Fall Cruise Date Added for 2024

Because their fall cruises are so popular — all September and October 2024 cruises are fully booked! — St. Lawrence Cruise Lines has just added one more sailing of its Upper River Expedition cruise that celebrates the region’s spectacular fall foliage. The four-night cruise is Oct 23-27, 2024.

Here’s the link to this itinerary.

Discovery Cruise Series itinerary of St Lawrence Cruise Lines 2025 repteroire

The Discovery Cruise Series itinerary. * Photo: SLCL

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Now let’s look to 2025.

St. Lawrence Cruise Lines 2025 News & Cruise Schedule

SLCL’s 2025 cruise schedule is out and bookings are open.

Following are three highlights of St. Lawrence Cruise Lines 2025 cruise season.

1. More Discovery Cruises for 2025

Since the introduction of SLCL’s Discovery Cruise series has been so well received, two more cruises of this nature are being offered in 2025:

May 15-19, 2025
Oct 22-26, 2025

2. Confederation Cruise Package Featured Again in 2025

In 2024, SLCL offered an enhanced Confederation Cruise Package that will again be offered for 2025.

This package includes two cruises back-to-back as well as a complimentary hotel stay in either Ottawa at the start of the package or Quebec City at the end of the combo cruise.

The Confederation Cruise Package also includes a 5% discount and a complimentary shore tour in Kingston on July 3.

Here’s a breakdown of the full itinerary:

Canada’s Capital South

Ottawa to Kingston
June 28 – July 3, 2025

Canadian Connection East

Kingston to Quebec City
July 3 – July 9, 2025

Click here for more details about this 11-night combo package in 2024 (with specific details on the 2025 package launching on the SLCL website later this summer).

3. More Spring Savings Blooming for 2025

St. Lawrence Cruise Lines 2025 offerings will once again feature their popular Spring Savings rates for 2025, plus all cruises from May 11 to June 22 will be 10% cheaper.

Additionally, SLCL’s Celebration of Spring cruise May 31-June 7, 2025, will be seven nights long at a 6-night rate.

It will sail round-trip from Kingston, visiting these ports:

1000 Islands Anchorage
Upper Canada Village
Coteau Landing
Old Port of Montreal
Cornwall
Morrisburg
Brockville

Enjoy this 7-night cruise at a 6-night rate.

St. Lawrence Cruise Lines 2025 Celebration of Spring itinerary

Celebration of Spring itinerary. * Map: SLCL

St Lawrence Cruise Lines is All Inclusive

Fares cover just about everything:

Onboard accommodations
All meals and snacks
The ship’s reserve wine and domestic beer with meals
Cruise commentary highlighting the geography and history of the river
Shore tours and transportation
Evening entertainment
Daily housekeeping service

Why Choose St. Lawrence Cruise Lines?

Founded in Kingston, Ontario by local business owner Robert Clark in 1981, St. Lawrence Cruise Lines continues to be family-owned and operated, offering travelers their expertise in overnight calm water river cruising on Canada’s St. Lawrence River and adjacent inland waterways.

“The river is our home. We have known it and loved it for more than 40 years and we want to share it,” says President Jason Clark.

Canadian Empress is a Wonderful Way to Travel

With the comfortable and cozy 64-passenger Canadian Empress as your home base, soak up the beauty of the region as you cruise through the passages and channels of the Thousand Islands. Glide along the majestic St. Lawrence Seaway into the heart of Montreal and Quebec City, passing through seven seaway locks.

Built in Gananoque, Ontario, the exterior lines and design of the Canadian Empress bring to mind a classic Victorian-era steamboat, while its more contemporary interior provides comfort, safety and charm to guests while sailing in some of North America’s most scenic and calm waters.

St. Lawrence Cruise Lines 2025 includes the same great value including all meals and drinks

The attractive windowed dining room on Canadian Empress. * Photo: SLCL

SLCL’s selection of 4- to 7-night cruises depart from Kingston, Ottawa, and Quebec City, and travel exclusively in domestic Canadian waters, stopping at ports such as Brockville, Prescott, Morrisburg in Ontario, and Montebello, Montréal and Trois Riviéres in Quebec. While cruising between ports, relax on deck to soak up the natural and urban landscape along the way, while observing the fascinating life on the water, from pleasure boats to freighters.

The atmosphere aboard the classic riverboat is warm and friendly and the crew is well-trained to deliver top notch hospitality and service while keeping passengers comfortable and safe.

All Canadian Empress staterooms have access to fresh air, climate controls, and an intimate view of the river. And note, that all bathrooms in the Premier, Sterling, and Ottawa Deck staterooms have been updated and renovated for 2025.