Canadian Empress

The 1981-built MV Canadian Empress cruise ship is a family-owned riverboat operating itineraries along the Ottawa River and the St Lawrence Seaway, reaching as far as the Great Lakes.

The vessel, launched on September 6, 1981, is currently Canada-flagged (MMSI 316002588) and registered in Kingston, Ontario</a). The ship is fully Canadian-crewed, including officers, service staff, and technical crew. It was built at the Algan Shipyard in Gananoque, Ontario (owned at the time by Rene Longtin), which was part of GBL's boat-building division (Golding Brothers Marine LLC). Longtin acquired the yard in 1978 and completed the last five GBL boats.

From 1985 to 2011, the vessel's Master was Captain Terry Thomas. The current Master is Captain Ratch Wallace.

The family-owned St Lawrence Cruise Lines Inc, founded in 1979 by Bob Clark and his wife Myrna, is now led by their son Jason Clark (President). The brand primarily caters to well-traveled Canadians and Americans, including many senior tourists.

With her traditional Victorian-era steamboat design, heritage-style interiors, professional and friendly crew, and attentive service, Canadian Empress remains a popular choice in the region. Her cozy, intimate décor features brass railings, ornate tin ceilings, hand-crafted wooden furniture, and leather seating.

The ship's shallow draft and compact size allow her to easily navigate locks and canals throughout the Great Lakes Waterway and St. Lawrence Seaway.

Onboard facilities include the Grand Saloon (which functions as a Show Lounge, Dining Room, Bar Lounge, Pub, Library, and Game Room), the Corner Store/Purser's Office (gift shop selling souvenirs, essentials, toiletries, and logo-branded merchandise), and the Galley (kitchen and storage).

The Sundeck features the Wheelhouse (Navigation Bridge with adjacent officers’ quarters), a deck games area (Shuffleboard Court and Giant Chess Board), and a wraparound Sun Deck Lounge (promenade with outdoor seating, deckchairs, and padded loungers). Group activities such as fun competitions, shuffleboard tournaments, morning exercises, and scavenger hunts are also held here.

The Grand Saloon (78-seat capacity) also hosts daily enrichment programs including port talks, itinerary-related lectures, trivia, jigsaw puzzles, and classes, along with nightly entertainment like classical and folk music performances, dancing, sing-alongs, and stand-up comedy.

Dining in the Grand Saloon is open-seating and waiter-served. Breakfast (7–9 am) includes hot dishes (e.g., eggs, pancakes, bouillon), cereals, and muffins. Lunch (served at 12:30 pm) features a hot entrée, salad, dessert, and fruit. Dinner (6:30 pm) includes a starter, main course (meat or fish), and dessert. When the ship is at full capacity, two dinner sittings are held—at 5:30 pm and 7:15 pm. All meals are freshly prepared using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.

Two outdoor relaxation areas/observation decks (Forward and Aft) with wicker seating are accessible from the Grand Saloon.

The St Lawrence Deck (lower deck) houses the Lobby and both ship entrances (starboard and portside). The vessel has no wellness facilities (spa, gym, salon), casino, elevator, or room service.

Canadian Empress staterooms (32 total, max capacity 66) include 2 Premier (bow-facing), 2 Sterling (stern-facing), and 28 Standard cabins (Ottawa and St Lawrence categories). All cabins are above the waterline with opening windows. Standard amenities include two lower twin beds (or one Queen-size bed), underbed drawers, bedside cabinets with reading lamps, radio, en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, washbasin, mirror, hairdryer), and thermostat-controlled air-conditioning.

The vessel has 3 passenger decks, with accommodations on two.

The minimum age for cruising is 12 years. Pets are not allowed, except certified service dogs. The onboard currency is CAD, but USD is accepted, as are VISA and MasterCard. Smoking is only permitted on the Sundeck.

Canadian Empress/St Lawrence Cruise Lines itineraries and shore excursions

Canadian Empress itineraries focus on the Ottawa and St Lawrence Rivers, as well as Great Lakes cruises. Departures are available from Kingston ON, Ottawa ON, and Quebec City QC. Voyages range from 2 to 6 nights/7 days and operate from May through October.

The 5-day roundtrip from Kingston covers approximately 220 mi / 350 km of inland waterway cruising, passing through the Thousand Islands (Canada) and beneath two international bridges connecting Ontario with New York: the Thousand Islands International Bridge (Ivy Lea ON to Wellesley Island NY) and the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge (Prescott ON to Ogdensburg NY).

Cruise fares include onboard accommodation, all meals and snacks, beverages (coffee/tea, water, soft drinks, domestic beer and house wine with lunch and dinner), nightly entertainment, daily housekeeping, all shore excursions and land tours (with local guides and roundtrip transport), and tour gratuities. Not included are shipboard gratuities, onboard shopping/bar purchases, port fees, and government taxes. Tipping is optional (envelopes provided in cabins), with a suggested amount of US$10–15 per person per day.

Shore excursions offered by St Lawrence Cruise Lines include Morrisburg ON (Upper Canada Village), Parc Omega (Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours QC), Cumberland ON (Heritage Village Museum), Ogdensburg NY (Frederick Remington Art Museum), Montreal (guided city tour, Lachine National Historic Site), Quebec City (guided tour), Kingston ON (guided tour, Fort Henry), Gananoque ON (Arthur Child Heritage Museum), Lansdowne (1000 Islands Tower), Brockville ON (Fulford Place), Prescott ON (Fort Wellington), Trois-Rivières QC (Basilica of Notre-Dame-du-Cap), Ottawa (Canada Aviation and Space Museum), Iroquois ON (Smyth's Apple Orchard), Montmorency Falls (Montmorency River), Carillon Canal (Lock and Hydroelectric Power Station), and the Moses-Saunders Power Dam (Cornwall ON to Massena NY).

The company also offers "cruise + hotel" packages with accommodations in Quebec City (Hotel Manoir Victoria, Chateau Frontenac), Ottawa (Lord Elgin Hotel), and Kingston ON (Holiday Inn Waterfront, Ambassador Hotel).

In 2021, St Lawrence Cruise Lines celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a 4-night/5-day "Anniversary Cruise" in Ontario (between Kingston and Morrisburg), featuring special events including afternoon tea in Brockville, a celebratory dinner at Harvest Barn in Upper Canada Village, and a visit to the 1000 Islands Boat Museum in Gananoque.