(WXYZ) — The Great Lakes cruising season begins soon, and it's expected to be another record year for ports and ships along the Great Lakes.
Late last year, Cruise the Great Lakes, the region's cruise marketing program, said that it expects to see a 25% increase in economic impact from 2025.
That means more passengers, more port visits and more spending during the season, which runs late spring through early fall.
According to the organization, Great Lakes cruises are expected to bring in $300 million in economic impact on destinations across the lakes.
This year, there is also a new cruise line that will offer routes – American Cruise Lines – bringing the total to seven cruise lines that offer sailings on the Great Lakes. Those lines will operate 10 ships on the lakes and St. Lawrence River. They are:
- Pearl Mist (Pearl Seas)
- Canadian Empress (St. Lawrence Cruise Lines)
- Octantis (Viking)
- Polaris (Viking)
- Le Bellot (Ponant)
- Le Champlain (Ponant)
- Hanseatic Inspiration (Hapag-Lloyd)
- Victory 1 (Victory)
- Victory 2 (Victory)
- American Patriot (American)
According to Cruise the Great Lakes, ports are expected to welcome more than 23,000 passengers, a 5% increase from 2025 – with more than 800 port visits planned.
“As we look to 2026, we’re excited to see continued growth in the Great Lakes cruise sector,” Cruise the Great Lakes Tourism Director Sally Davis Berry said in a statement. “We forecast this upcoming season to be even stronger than 2025, both in terms of passenger numbers, destinations visited, and economic impact, which underscores the appeal of cruising in the Great Lakes.”
