The Ocean Voyager, a 286-foot cruise ship operated by American Queen Voyages, arrives on July 14, 2022, at sunrise at Navy Pier.
However, 2022 may be setting records, with nine cruise ships setting sail this season, four of them new ships making their inaugural trips through the locks and into the lakes. Each ship will make numerous calls at the ports that surround the lakes. Port Milwaukee, for example, is expecting 33 port calls this year compared with the 10 stops made in 2019, the year before cruises were halted due to COVID-19. And the port is planning a multimillion-dollar renovation to match.
Meanwhile, other cities and ports scattered along the lakes are taking the lead, investing millions in this developing source of tourism, whether that means increasing the docking capacity of ports or building new customs facilities to accommodate passengers as they traverse back and forth across the Canadian border.
With COVID-19 and an aging baby boomer population — a large portion of cruise customers — domestic cruises became even more appealing. “So they looked for places close to home, maybe places they hadn’t been. It made sense that cruising would evolve on the Great Lakes,” she said. Other Great Lakes cities like Cleveland and Duluth, Minnesota, are also investing in the cruise industry and hoping to grab a slice of tourist dollars. Both opened new customs facilities this year.Passengers on Great Lakes cruises pay a hefty premium for the experience. But the revenue to the ports themselves is minimal, said Port of Cleveland CCO Dave Gutheil. The real value is to the extended Cleveland area and tourism industry.
“In 2019, we saw a lot of growth,” said Jessica Pellerin, spokesperson for the Port of Toronto. “I think that made the pandemic even more disappointing for the cruise industry, given the incredible decline that we saw in those two years. But back to 2022, this year an even higher number of ships are expected.”
Constructed in 2001, Ocean Voyager can hold up to roughly 200 travelers. Inside are several dining rooms offering food around the clock and a wooden bar with an area for live performances. “I will say these inland cruises, whether it’s this one, the Mississippi, or the Columbia River on the West Coast, tend to the older community,” Simon said. “There are no rowdy parties or casinos.”
“I comb our sister agencies to make sure that all those boxes are being checked off before that cruise ship comes into the Great Lakes,” Yackley said. “If we don’t get it right, they’re not going to come back.” “A lot of damage has been done, unfortunately,” said Brammeier. “The job now is to make sure that we prevent any more new species from getting in.”
Wait there’s a cruise for the Great Lakes? How come no one ever told me? I’d buy a ticket for a few days traveling by lake waters