Earlier this month I was in Ontario and had the opportunity to go on a Tall Ship cruise in Toronto harbor. If you get the chance to take a cruise, either on a Tall Ship or another vessel such as the ferry over to Centre Island, jump at it. The view of the Toronto skyline from the water is a beautiful sight. While you are waiting for your cruise there is lots to see and hear at Harbour Front with lots of shops, restaurants and alfresco music.
I went on the cruise with a friend and her two teenaged daughters and we all enjoyed it. We booked on line with Groupons (coupons) but even without the reduced price, it was well worth it. The Tall Ship Kajama that is advertised on the website was not available on the Saturday we sailed as it was booked for a private party. We sailed on the smaller Challenge vessel but still had a good experience. It was a lovely day and there is plenty of room on deck to escape the sun if you’d rather be in the shade. Our trip took us out into the harbor and around to the east of Centre Island. The photos speak for themselves as to the weather and the views. The crew was very friendly and helpful, answering questions along the way and even encouraged passengers to participate when they hoisted the sails.
Sights along the way: We had a great view of the CN Tower and could see the people taking advantage of the new attraction where you can do a hands-free Edge Walk around the outside of the tower. Not for the faint of heart! We saw the stunning Toronto skyline. We saw lots of sailboats out enjoying the lovely weather including the Kajama. We saw the ferry going across to Centre Island. We saw the houses of the people lucky enough to live on Centre Island – a unique location for someone living in Toronto. We saw planes taking off and landing at the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Centre Island. We saw trees along the eastern shoreline that had been destroyed by cormorants. Apparently the birds’ excrement, while sitting in the trees, kills the trees. We saw lots of cormorants further along the shore where they are starting to kill another group of trees.
The prices are $21.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors (65+), $11.95 for children (5-15) and $2.95 for infants. Sailings last an hour and half with a half hour set aside for boarding. Boarding and sailing times vary depending on the time of year. We went on the 1:30 Saturday sailing. The boarding station is at Harbour Front, just to the west of the ferry cruise terminal and east of the CN Tower. All the information can be found at www.tallshipcruisestoronto.com.