What an experience! 4 hours of restful relaxation, especially on a sunny day. The amenities aren't extensive, but between movies showing in the small theatre, kids play space, reasonably priced and tasty food (and bar!) It was as fun and energetic as you wanted it to be. Or just lounging on the deck in the sun. Can't wait for the Badger to start back up in the spring. read more

SS Badger - blue sky above the sun deck - Public Transportation Near Me - Ludington, Michigan

I have sailed many times on the carferries. The SS Badger is a wonderful experience and I look forward to my next voyage.

the ONLY way to travel if you want to relax and arrive in Wisconsin without having to battle traffic. Directions will bring you and your car to a security office and K9. If you are traveling with weapons let the security office know because the dog will. The guns just need to be in a case and in locked the vehicle. You park your vehicle and they drive it onto the ship while you wait to board. If you are bringing a bag in board it will be searched. You can not bring alcohol or food. They do provide both at a cost on the ship. Your tickets are scanned by a barcode reader before you board. Having a printiut is okay as well. If there are technical difficulties they can look your name up as well so no worries. I like to sit on the First floor next to the bar, bathrooms, and play the Badger Bingo. The ship is well marked with signage of restrooms, food, a museum, movie theater, PlayStations for the children and more. Please note if you want to be on the Internet you need to purchase the wifi for $8.00. yours hot spot or Internet is blocked and will NOT work! Don't worry the wifi will be enough for everyone and enough to keep you entertained for the four hour tour. They have eight life rafts just in case an a ton of Life preservers. The ship is well kept, smells good, clean, bright and an experience worth having. read more

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This was the worse mishap ever My entire family looked at my reservations and agreed the ship sailed on Wednesday. 1:AM. No where on there did it say Tuesday. I am 74 years old, picked the sail and a state room to sail overnight and drive in the AM. I do not see well at night. My family followed me to the dock and all was locked up solid. We tried every Buber possible to find out why we were stuck in a Matrix. After all the checking. We still did not see Tuesday anywhere on the reservation. We got to the quick trip and the guy told us. So ! What a mishap Had to stay overnight in a hotel because can't see good at night. Family was Not going to drive back n forth and I could not stay till Friday night. So got to switch the next day and have it cost same with no state room and ended up docking at night. Drove an hour and had to stay again to not be a road hazzard. This was my trip from hell in my lifetime Whoever designed the web page has no clue how deevistating this can be. The Xander just has to have line through Tuesday with a Gree bottom saying AM. And Wednesday bottom a red line saying no sa. It's not that hard and would have been so much easier to understand and everyone I spoke to on the ship agreed. When I called to change the reservation the gal was not knower able about anything I said and made me feel stupid. Then I had to call back because she changed it and didn't give my senior discount. This was the worse trip ever. She talked me into not taking a state to and save the money . When The boat started rocking , Inhad to lay down somewhere so I wouldn't get sick or fall. Like I said Worse trip worse mishap ever. read more

Uncomfortable. A fellow next to us has a Team Fuck It t-shirt on. I asked twice for the staff to ask him to cover it up. They refused. Sorry to see that their ineffective staff was unwilling to deal with it. Not very family friendly. read more

We rode the Badger from Michigan to Wisconsin on a Saturday. Boat was pretty full. Highly recommend booking your reservations 2 weeks or more in advance. It is pet friendly, But they have to crated with the cars. It was four trip. Plenty of entertainment for the ride. read more

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After checking in to Snyders Shoreline Inn, I thought that I'd see what the shoreline had to offer. Water and sand. There were also a lot of nice people doing the same as I, cruising the coast and having conversations. Fog was rolling in, and the scene took on an eerie sort of feeling. As if it wasn't getting strange enough, in the distance I could hear a faint fog horn. As the fog got more dense, the horn got louder. Something was heading my way, and it was coming on fast. I strained my eyes to see what was bearing down on me. Then I saw it, a dark shadow breaking through a fog bank. It was a ship! A huge ship! As it passed, I was able to make out the name. It was the Badger. The SS Badger, car ferry extraordinaire. Making its way to its homeport from Manitowoc Wisconsin. Since I was heading to Wisconsin anyway, I figured that I'd take the short cut. So I booked passage for the Subaru and myself. $137 (shoulder season price). Dirt cheap when taking into consideration that it saved me a day of driving, meals, gas, and hotel. So in a sense it was almost free! And as I always say, "If it's free, it's for me". Ok, so I saved a few bucks. But what about the ship itself? What's there to do on board? Can anyone say BINGO? And if that doesn't float your boat, (pun intended) you can play in the trivia contest, eat, drink, and be ferried. The bummer about the trip, is that you can't tour the bowels of the ship. I'd have loved to see the engine room. I understand safety and all, but the darn ship is powered by steam!! Coal burning engines! Cool beyond cool. Book passage and make some memories. It's literally a trip. Quick Tip: It may be hot when you start the trip, but believe you me, when you get past the breakwater, it cools off fast. If you're planning on lounging on the deck, and there's no lounge chairs available when you shove off, wait 5 minutes and you'll have your pick. read more

SS Badger - Going my way? - Public Transportation Near Me - Ludington, Michigan

Many years ago, my parents moved to Michigan (I had little to say about it besides "Not the Mama" or "Gotta love me!") and all the relatives were still back in the Land of Cheese. Every summer, at least once and sometimes twice, The Old Man would pack us up into his old Buick and we would head for Ludington, for a trip across the lake on the C&O Car Ferry. It was big fun for a little kid, to watch railroad cars get loaded aboard the big ships, then strain to see if it was possible to see Michigan and Wisconsin while cruising. Our cruises were aboard one of four car ferries, the Pere Marquette 21, Pere Marquette 22, the City of Flint 32, or the City of Midland 41. I remember listening in wide-eyed wonder to my Uncle Bob, who lived in Manitowoc, as he told us about the ship we had just sailed on, how it had been built in Manitowoc. He explained how the Pere Marquette 21 and the PM 22 had been brought into Manitowoc and cut in half so enough length could be added to have it carry more railroad cars. Now, Uncle Bob was a captivating story teller, and sometimes it was tough to decide where the truth stopped and the baloney started, like when he told us there were alligators in the little lake near Grandma's (where we went fishing and swimming) so we had to be alert for them. Naturally, we didn't believe alligators in the lake or that car ferries were built in Manitowoc, and we really rolled our eyes when he told us they built submarines in Manitowoc, too. Imagine growing older and learning all of it was true! Well, not the part about the alligators but the rest was true, the car ferries and how the Pere Marquettes got cut in half, and how 28 WWII submarines were built right there in Manitowoc! Imagine my surprise when I learned the high school mascot was the Manitowoc Shipbuilders. (Nowadays, they're just the Ships.) That was the golden age of the car ferries plying Lake Michigan, and "cars" had nothing to do with automobiles but everything to do with railroad cars. Oh, yes, they took passengers and their autos, but their main purpose was railroad freight. By 1970, railroading was beginning to change and by the end of the decade, the era of the car ferry was pretty much done. My beloved Pere Marquette 21 and 22 got cut down to barges, the City of Flint 32 was sold to the Norfolk and Western Railway Company and cut down to a river ferry barge and renamed Roanoke. The City of Midland was sold to another company and last I heard, it sank in the Carribean. Two ferries survived for some reason, the SS Badger and SS Spartan. In 1953, the C&O contracted with Christy in Sturgeon Bay to build the two ferries that would become the queens of the fleet. They sailed between Milwaukee and Ludington. We were disappointed we couldn't sail aboard the Queens of Lake Michigan. At the end, the two ships were purchased by a man who envisioned returning the two ferries to the old routes for the pleasure cruisers and to carry heavy trucks, especially oversize loads, so the trucks could avoid the mess that surrounds the southern end of Lake Michigan. (You can read about him in the museum on board and he is memorialized as a cartoon caricature that appears here and there aboard the Badger.) Last week, I was able to cruise Lake Michigan aboard the Badger so the Badger and I became reacquainted. This was my third voyage on the Badger (two west and one east) since it began sailing as the Lake Michigan Ferry. It's like old times, well, sort of. The Badger is very modern compared to her old sister ships. Modern? Built in 1953? Okay, a newer antique I suppose, the last coal-fired ferry on the Great Lakes, in fact, maybe the last coal fired ship on the Great Lakes. (The coal industry was a major customer of the C&O Railroad, so what other fuel would they have used?) The Pere Marquette ships had been built in the 1920s and were loaded with Art Deco decor and fixtures. They were absolute queens, and it broke my heart to hear they were all but scrapped. The Badger has all kinds of features that scream "1950s!" but she has been modernized with flat screen televisions in the lounge areas (with satellite programming) food service, and there's a bar. The kids can do a scavenger hunt around the ship and there's even a Bingo game in one of the lounges. Me? I'd rather sleep. Easy enough to do until the kid in the row behind me begins kicking the seat. So, I went to take more photos. Well, why not? We were in that part of Lake Michigan where neither Michigan nor Wisconsin can be seen. Oh sure, you can see both shores at 35,000 feet in the airplane, but you can't have your car along. My car is about 50' below me and will be waiting for me when I get ashore. Take the Badger - relax instead of getting tensed up at the bottom end of Lake Michigan. Just do it. You'll thank me later! read more

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Such a great experience to spend time on the S.S Badger! Thank you for the fun and safe experiment! Loading was easy, the views and spaces to see and visit were plentiful on the boat. My only negative review was that both movies played weren't as kid friendly as I'd have hoped. But my kids had a great time anyway. read more

While the ship itself is an interesting historical note with reasonable amenities for something like it, the crew are on a power trip and need to remember ADA rules apply to service animals regardless of their appearance. An embarrassing and inappropriate public conversation was required and even then the person who accosted us at the base of the stairs to board the boat was rude and hostile while aggressively countering ADA rules regarding emotional and psychiatric service animals. Truly disgusting behavior. read more

The SS. Badger has always been a fantastic way for my family and me to cross Lake Michigan to head back home. It is roughly a 4-hour journey when on-time. The ship is well maintained, the selection of activities is for sure below average, and the staterooms are quite good. The quality of the ship is quite good. Due to the fact the ship is 60+ years old, there is rust showing but I am pretty sure that cannot be helped. When getting food from the cafe, from the looks of it there are no cleanliness problems there. My Rating for this Category: 5/5 Second, things to do around the vessel. Once you are on board, you are probably under the impression there will be loads of things to do especially with their slogan, "Big Ship, more FUN!". To be honest, this is not the case. In the main lounge, all you have is bingo for four hours straight, a small museum, and an arcade. For the younger kids, there is a playroom. My Rating for this Category: 3/5 Finally, the staterooms. I would almost say these are a need when taking your crossing. They are clean, offer a private restroom, and give you much-needed privacy. Two twin beds are offered with relatively comfortable sheets and pillow. Another great use for this cabin is once you are done exploring the ships and you have your fill of Bingo, you will realize you will most likely just want to sit around and try to entertain yourself. There is only an adequate amount of seating around the ship and this is where the stateroom came in handy. My Rating for this Category: 5/5 The SS. Badger serves its purpose well. It is historic and gives a smooth ride in good weather. If you are on US Highway 10 or just want a fun Lake Michigan crossing, I would recommend this ride with no issue. Just keep in mind, you might run out of things to do so be prepared for that circumstance. read more

The staff on SS Badger were really nice and friendly. The trip itself was fairly smooth with no complaints - it was really nice to not have to drive as far as we would've. However there was some noticeable scratches on the driver side door. By the time we noticed, it was 48 hours after we got home from the ship. When we reached out to be report the incident, we told them that we had a great time on the ship, but unforatuntely there was some damage we didn't notice at the dock. Their response was that the damage was "inconsistent with damage typically reported on the ship." When we escalated to a supervisor, we were told: "Since your claim was made after the vehicle left our property we have no means of determining the cause or accountability for the damage and must decline to accept responsibility for it." When you get your car from the ferry, it's extremely chaotic as everyone is racing to get their cars out from the parking lot. We felt rushed to get out of there and didn't think we'd need to check for damage. In addition, they are claiming that they know all possible damage that could have happened on the ship and that what we reported couldn't have happened because it's inconsistent with other damage. This makes little to no sense to me. We were not looking for thousands of dollars, just a few hundred to help cover the repair to the paint. The whole situation isn't the end of the world, but it's certainly frustrating and a waste of time on both our side and SS Badger. I wouldn't recommend this service moving forward as there as other ferries providing service across Lake Michigan. read more

SS Badger - Public Transportation Near Me - Ludington, Michigan

Fun. Neat to go on an older ship like this. Positives: Unique experience. Loading and unloading of vehicles was speedy. Nice outdoor deck breeze while in transit. Remarkable ship piloting during docking, given no azipods on the Badger. Negatives: Wifi was down the day of our trip. Food was mediocre at best. Credit card machine was down at the bar window, resulting in me buying two other passengers ahead of me in line drinks just to speed things along (who doesn't take at least a little cash on a trip like this??). A/C was middling in common areas and nonexistent in the staterooms. Poor instructions on how to retrieve your stateroom key prior to boarding. None of these are a big deal, and kind of come with the territory on an old ship, so only one star deducted. read more

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Where do I begin, where oooh where. First the minor things I don't like. They lead your vehicle for you. While every thing is clean and tidy some of it appears to be more worn than what I expected it to be. THIS IS AN AWESOME TRIP Really awesome trip Totally awesome trip. Extremely ridiculously awesome trip. Far as I know this is the last operational coal fired ferry in operation, let alone ferry altogether, in the US. I was confused, before I knew this, why there was black snow wafting out of the smokestack while in port. Now I know and it's awesome! Took the night time ferry with my motorhome and was pleasantly surprised at the whole package. I must say though that is not cheap, but we'll worth it to support little bit of history. As took the night cruise, some of the staff had a little bit of time to chat and it shows the passion they have for their job, and the ship. It was really neat and exciting to hear some of the behind the scenes stuff. That made the trip worth it. The ship itself is pretty large and was relatively quiet at night. Have heard much more active and lively during the day cruises. When cruising the lake there is a moment where cam see both shores but there was long time, if looked north or south, where could see only pitch black. Don't see that often at all. Highly recommend a trip. Next time have the opportunity will definitely cross again to help preserve history! read more

Hands down the best route to avoid driving through Chicago into Michigan or Wisconsin. If you're planning a road trip, I'd definitely recommend routing yourself to take this steamboat! My family took the S.S. Badger back in the late '90s/early 2000's as part of a family vacation. I remember loving it then. Just taking it recently, I still love it now as a young professional. There's plenty to do for everyone. They have a game room for kids, a movie room, and two TV rooms. They even have Bingo with prizes! And there's even a gift shop if you can't win anything. If you're going late night, you can also get state rooms to sleep, but the top deck has plenty of pool chairs to sleep or watch the stars! Great, great, great alternative to driving through Chicago! I booked online, and had no issues in boarding at all! read more

SS Badger - Lake Michigan from Ludington, Michigan, on the S.S. Badger - Public Transportation Near Me - Ludington, Michigan

Really a fantastic experience! Fun for all ages and a friendly, fun staff. It's really a piece of history which is kinda cool. I've spent a lot of time on big boats and this one is in great shape for her age. Highly recommend getting a stateroom. You'll have your own head and 2 beds (or a bed and a desk if you choose not to fold down the 2nd berth) - a place to get away if you like a little break. On one of our crossings, it was raining so EVERYONE was inside and the public areas were all packed - I appreciated a chance to step away. With nicer weather, more folks were outside and the inside spaces were more manageable. I do wish people wouldn't claim spaces with their jackets and then disappear, it was a bummer for my kids to not be able to watch the animated movie because the theater was full of seats covered with raincoats. But that isn't the Badger's fault. There are two fully stocked bars (after all, she goes between Wisconsin and Michigan!) and decent and fairly priced food options. Some staff members noted that their company treats them really well, which was nice to hear. Loading and unloading was impressively efficient. I really enjoyed everything about this and would do it again. read more

We had a great time! Traveled across during the pandemic and the staff was friendly, cleaning like crazy, and working hard. The lake was beautiful and calm both across and back. read more

SS Badger - Public Transportation Near Me - Ludington, Michigan

Pets are only allowed in Your vehicle with windows cracked or in a kennel on the car deck. You are not allowed to stay with your pet either in the car or on the deck. This is totally unacceptable. Pets should be at least allowed to stay with their owner some where. Totally not pet friendly read more

My hubby and I were visiting family in Michigan and we didn't want to drive the long hours back to Wisconsin so we just booked a ferry on the SS Badger. With the car, 2 adults, and a child it was about 200$. It is pricy, but it was worth every penny. They had a breakfast buffet, a full bar service(including a Bloody Mary bar where you can mix your own!) and activities such as bingo, a live band, a movie lounge - they showed Lego Batman and then Passengers; they also had a gaming lounge so kids could play video games, and a room for toddlers where they can doodle and play. There were lots of lounge chairs on the front of the ship where people were sunbathing and relaxing. Lots of other chairs along the rest of the ship where you can sit with your drink or snacks and enjoy the views. My hubby had 3 firearms, and all they ask is that you declare it with the lot attendant and they ask you for your make and model of each gun. There is also a K9 that goes around and sniffs for other explosives. They did not search our car, nor did he have to fill out any sort of paperwork. It was hassle free, they parked our car for us and made sure our dog was safe in the car in a cool spot with air flow so he didn't over heat. When we arrived in Manitowok, our car was ready in about 2 minutes. They really made this trip very relaxed and stress free. I highly recommend it if you want to go across Lake Michigan for travels or just r&r. read more

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The trip from Ludington to Manitowac was fine but the trip back was terrible. I got there at 12:20 for a departure of 1:00 but we were made to sit in some endless long line behind barriers for an hour in the sweltering heat, a child was crying, another child was freaking out about the wait, older people like myself were heat burdened. After a full hour we finally got to board and then it was another wait until 1:58 before we actually left when we supposed to leave at 1:00. It was nothing but delays and boredom. I'm taking the Muskegon to Milwaukee hi-speed ferry next time. The Badger's new policy on putting people beyond barriers and treating us like cattle was disgusting. It used to be such a nice trip, park your card, show your ticket and board. No it's nothing but a pain in the butt. Change you policy about handling passengers or you will lose them. --David from Michigan read more

My significant other and I did the round trip without a vehicle last Wednesday. The weather was perfect. The ferry was clean and staff was wonderful. We ate the breakfast buffet and the food was good. If you keep your cup for soft drinks, you get free refills the whole trip. Gift store and restaurants were ok price wise. We did a lot of walking checking out the ferry. We sat on lounge chairs and fell asleep for a bit. It was a wonderful day. You do need a jacket. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor seats. Worth the time and money. read more

SS Badger - Public Transportation Near Me - Ludington, Michigan

Fun trip. Weather created rough water and a lot of travelers were struggling with sea sickness, luckily no problem for us but take dramamine if you have any concerns. It has a lot of activities and was on time. Unfortunately, our car had some damage so that was disappointing. read more

Not bad to get from Wisconsin to Michigan or vice versa, as well Little bit spendy. About sixty bucks per person and sixty six for a car. The ride across the Lake takes about four hours. Max speed of less than twenty miles per hour. Beats the hell out of dealing with Chicago traffic. You could also go up and over the U.P., but the Badger probably saves you some time. We drove across the U.P. on the way back to the Twin Cities. If we decided to push it, the drive from Traverse City to the TC metro could be done in a long, long day. Bunked down in Marinette for the night, so it is probably a wash on cost unless you are a road warrior. Plenty to keep you entertained on the ship. NTN trivia, bingo, movies and a full bar. They also have sleeping cabins available if you are in need. I like to do the Badger one way and drive the other and get the best of both worlds. I think you do get a discount, though, if you book round trip on the Badger. read more

Wonderful views - Amazing experience! Even on a grey windy day it was a wonderful trip! The views were beautiful, and it was amazing to be in the center of the Lake and not see land at all - exhibiting the vastness of the Lake. Easy to book online, easy boarding. Interesting to see the ease of using a handicapped stair chairlift, due to the many stairs. So many areas to sit, even without a private stateroom. Comfy lounges in the tv rooms; many tables and chairs. Bingo in one of the lounges. I was a little nervous about the trip, since the weather the night before was not good. There were all sorts of small craft warnings - and the 2 trips before us were cancelled. I could see the wave action out the windows, but there was only gentle rocking of the ship - that actually put me to sleep! It was so relaxing! It was a little challenging for this senior to walk around during the trip, but it was possible by holding on to chairs, walls and doorways. A little chaotic while waiting for our car to come off - and not being familiar with the process - but it seemed pretty efficient. All-in-all, a fun experience that I would definitely do again! read more

Definitely the best way to travel across the lake. It is not much faster than driving, but is so much better without dealing with traffic or being cramped up in your car. Badger Bingo is definitely a fun way to pass the time, the host is always funny plus you can win some cool badger gear. read more

SS Badger - View from the lower deck - Public Transportation Near Me - Ludington, Michigan

Absolutely wonderful! We decided to take the car ferry across the the lake this year on our way to the western side of the UP. We caught the 8am cruise and boarding was very quick and efficient . We paid extra for a stateroom and boy oh boy am I ever glad we spent the extra $ it was so comfy and cozy, it was one of the very best naps with of us have ever had. They had a small breakfast buffet that was an additional price, but was very reasonable , or you could opt for the oatmeal/yogurt station which was what we did. It was pretty good. When we docked in Manitowoc the process of collecting our Jeep was amazing. The young people working at the dock unloaded all of the various vehicles with a well practiced smoothness. We most definitely will be doing this again! read more

We ferried our motorcycles across lake Michigan on the Badger. It was a fun experience. Food, Bar, and entertainment where all good. Wish their website was a little clearer for motorcycles, need to remember to bring your own tie downs. read more

Definitely saves time verses driving but overall AWFUL experience. First they advertise free limited wifi. Completely misleading and WRONG. False advertising. The free wifi only works in one lounge (it did not work in this lounge even though they said it did) and if by chance it did work it only allows you to access their site, twitter, google and facebook. When I questioned the cruise director on this, the fact that it was intentionally misleading and that even that did not work...she was completely unconcerned, unsympathetic and rude. Second, they search your bag and do not let you bring anything onto the boat to eat...including a granola bar. As a diabetic it is unfathomable that they confiscate my food. As I saw what they were doing I was sure to hide my food so that it would not be confiscated. I understand they want to sell food on the boat, fair enough, but searching your bags and no exceptions seems a bit excessive and again not customer oriented. Thirdly, you do not drive your car onto the ferry yourself. They do it for you and you are instructed to leave the window down key in the ignition. Meaning you have to leave your car unlocked. As I had some very valuable property in my car, that I could not bring with me on board I was uncomfortale with this. If this is the procedure utilized it would be ethical to disclose this up front so that I could make a conscious decision if that was acceptable to me or not. I paid over $150 for myself and my car to cross. I feel that for this price they should be much more focused on customer satisfaction and provide FULL disclosure on what to expect. read more

Great break from driving. A relaxing four hour crossing. The staff was very pleasant. Would do it again.

We took the Badger from MI to WI this past summer. My opinion is floating somewhere between "man this ferry is really old and needs a lot of work" and "man this ferry is really old but the quarks add charm". Let's be real, it is old, there are many leaks/leaky places internally, overall it smells like the engine room (everywhere), and you just wonder how many thousands of people have also touched everything. So it has a lot of antiquated charm but definitely requires a lot of maintenance. The staff are great though. That's probably the best perk of the trip second to the beautiful views. We played bingo for literally hours. Thankfully they switch it up to a lot of different variations of Bingo, and break it up with trivia, info sessions and other types of entertainment. Hopefully you get the staff member who can do a legit giraffe run across the room, it's hilarious. There are basic food/snacks available, a movie theater, a small kids room and many lounge areas so you don't always have to be around other people. The trip is deceptively long! Thanks to the staff for making it fun. read more

What a joke!! For more than 20-25 min we try to "park". The captain hit the sides, break the wood protection but it's took forever. That could be funny as YouTube "worst driver ever" but it's not funny because we are waisting our time and we were at the hands of this "not funny at all" captain. read more

I have traveled across the lake in this ship for over 12 years. They are very slowly modernizing their thinking. Need to try harder. 1.RECYCLING! Only metal. But, they package their food in plastic containers and tell you to just throw them away. Same with all of the water bottles. Not ok. 2. Internet is not free if you want it to actually work. It's $9. 3. Let's try healthier choices of food, especially now that you don't allow ANY food brought onto the ship. Now, I can understand not bringing large orders of MacDonalds onboard., but they made me throw away my APPLE!!!! Not cool. I will still take the boat, but the changes I have observed are not passenger friendly. Also, how about upgrading those bathrooms? Ugh. read more

Right here on Lake Michigan you can experience the romance of steamship travel. I gave it five stars and will defend that, although there were some issues. It is the flavor of a late night crossing of the Lake, sitting on the bow and starring deep into the Milky Way and smelling the true smell of the Lake that sold me. It was a crew that was fast and friendly, although our cruise, on the Sunday evening of Labor Day weekend, was not overbooked. And it was the disappointment in not being able to use the dining room (closed on the night cruises) and the delight in finding a reasonably priced salad for sale in the cafeteria instead that sold me. This is a four hour cruise between Manitowoc, WI and Ludington, MI. From the view of how good is this service at what it promotes it does, it left the dock on time and arrived within a few minutes of schedule. The staterooms look to be somewhat spartan. Living in Chicago, this means of avoiding my end of the Lake is not really relevant. However, I'm told that people crossing through the area and wishing to avoid the constant Chicago traffic hastles, and related tolls, should give serious consideration to this. The boat and the Lake do interact and you may be prone to sea sickness. In addition, I've never been on a ferry that wasn't cold. The wind whips through open areas at a constant high speed. There is spray and... well, look, even in high summer, prepare for a cold crossing. I found the mens room to be clean. The ladies room, I'm told, was okay but not overly clean. All that water rushing around, you will use the head during the journey. LOL All that said, I found the staff was very friendly. They kept on top of the tables in the galley, keeping them clear and clean. They move your car onto and off of the ferry. It is romantic and it is efficient. And it is an old ship. Thumbs up. read more

This is a ship rich in history! We do a trip each year on this boat! even got to see her engines on a quick tour from the Chief Engineer one trip,All I can say WOW! her engine room is spotless and the crew proud of this ship, Now to the ship; THE Last coal burrning pasanger ship on the great lakes! Foods good, staff great ! This is a great trip for kids! It may not be long before the enviromental groups and the competition try to shut this ship down! read more

It was enjoyable. It was big and Comfortable. It was easy to bring either your car or motorcycle across and the price was reasonable. They offered rooms for an extra cost but it looked like the rooms were pretty small. We didn't get one. They had lots of lawn chairs to lay on but bring a blanket. It gets cold. There was a little gift shop, food area and a movie area for the kids. read more

SS Badger - Nice day out - Public Transportation Near Me - Ludington, Michigan

It was fun. If you've been thinking about doing it, just do it! Everything went very smoothly. We went the week after Memorial Day. Plenty of room inside and out to keep your social distance. Most people chose to stay in and most people left the front deck once the boat had set sail as it got chilly and windy despite the sun was shinning. It didn't feel like four hours at all. The view was quite spectacular. The only thing I wish was better hot food options. read more

The Badger is a less fun cruise ship for the price of a full one.Good staff and places to sit but extremely over priced food that is small portions, for the price of a ticket you'd think a meal would be included. The advertised free WiFi also does not work what so ever. Over all subpar experience but it is the only option, they know that and take full advantage of it. read more

Fantastic ferry boat port. Our vehicle was unloaded quicky and the port is beautiful. It was great scenery while pulling up to land. Great experience read more

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Fan for life! I have ridden these boats from Ludington to Manitowoc, Milwaukee, and Keewanee for years. Great history here. I rode the Badger, Spartan, Ottawa I and II, Pier Marquette I and II, (maybe Milwaukee too?) and the City of Midland. My gramps worked on these boats his entire life and I got to travel on them growing up when visiting grandparents every summer. I knew many of the crew. And today what wonderful memories riding the SS Badger again. The ship is wonderful. The passenger areas remain pretty much unchanged. The ship is unchanged. I had always eaten with the crew so no restaurant review and no longer do I know any of the crew as it's new people working these days but I still quietly look on them as extended family. I will always readily take a ride on the Badger. I recommend! read more

Our families first experience on a car ferry across Lake Michigan was amazing. The crew was very friendly and helpful, even understanding when the sea legs were needed. The four hour trip went by way too fast, and we didn't really use the state room we obtained. The trip was uneventful, sunny skies, warm breeze, and amazing scenery as we sailed across Lake Michigan. Our car was loaded quickly, easy to locate and find everything on the ferry. Food on the ferry was good as well. Appreciated the first experience. read more