i see via this peedee paywalled article cruise shipping in cle is way up for this summer --
and that is nice to finally see happening ---
Viking Cruises coming to Cleveland next month, as busiest ever Great Lakes cruising season gets under way
By Susan Glaser, cleveland.com
Updated: May. 09, 2023
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland is set to welcome a record number of cruise passengers this summer, as Great Lakes cruising continues to grow in popularity and Northeast Ohio is included as a stop on more itineraries.
According to the Port of Cleveland, 53 cruises will dock downtown this summer, carrying as many as 10,000 passengers. That’s nearly twice as many cruise stops as 2019, the year before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the cruise industry in the Great Lakes and across the world.
One day this season -- on Saturday, September 23 -- there will be three ships docked in Cleveland at the same time.
Three new cruise lines will make their first stops in Cleveland this year, including Viking, the Switzerland-based company best known for its high-end European river cruises.
Other newcomers include Ponant, a luxury French cruise line, and Pearl Seas, based in Connecticut.
“We are always looking to add new ports and experiences,” said Alexa Paolella, public relations manager for Pearl Seas, which will bring the sleek, all-balcony Pearl Mist to Cleveland starting in late May. “The Great Lakes are enormously popular,”
Indeed, both Great Lakes cruising generally, and stops in Cleveland, have grown dramatically in recent years.
This year, Cruise the Great Lakes, an industry trade group, is anticipating as many as 170,000 passenger visits to Great Lakes ports – up 15% over 2022 – for a total economic impact of $180 million.
A recent report estimated that each cruise passenger in Cleveland spends approximately $150 -- or $1.5 million for 10,000 travelers -- a fraction of the total economic impact, which also includes the salaries of dock workers, tour operators and others, according to Dave Gutheil, chief commercial officer for the port.
The 2023 Cleveland cruise season kicks off this week, with the arrival Wednesday of the Ocean Navigator, a 202-passenger ship that’s part of American Queen Voyages, a company that has made numerous sailings through the Great Lakes in recent years.
A century ago, cruising in the Great Lakes was big business, with dozens of ships plying the waters, before the growth of the interstate highway system and the discovery of more exotic vacation destinations.
About a decade or so ago, tourism and economic development officials started promoting the Great Lakes again.
“It really wasn’t on their radar,” recalled Gutheil, who has worked for years to attract cruise companies to Cleveland and the Great Lakes. “The worldwide cruise industry is fairly mature. There aren’t a lot of new places to go.”
It took a while, but companies finally saw the appeal of the Great Lakes region, which encompass two countries, nine states and provinces, industrial cities, quaint islands, unspoiled wildlife and 20% of the world’s fresh water.
The region has become even more popular in the wake of the pandemic, said Paolella. “Having somewhere you could go close to home, but also a different experience, was very appealing,” she said.
These cruises are not for the frugal, with prices starting at $12,000 per person on Viking’s new 378-passenger Polaris ship, which is sailing a new 15-day itinerary through the Great Lakes this summer.
Viking launched in the Great Lakes in 2022, with an eight-day cruise from Toronto to Milwaukee that did not stop in Cleveland.
This summer, the company is adding a second ship and a second itinerary, the Great Lakes Collection, which sails between Toronto and Duluth, Minnesota (or vice versa), and includes a full day in Cleveland. The first Viking stop in Cleveland is scheduled for June 13.
Shore excursions planned for Cleveland differ based on the ship, but typically include options to stop at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, University Circle or the West Side Market. Many also include a tour of Northeast Ohio’s Amish communities.
Passengers aboard the new Viking Polaris can choose among a Cleveland Highlights tour, which includes a downtown driving tour followed by a stop at the Rock Hall; a Taste of Cleveland tour, focused on the West Side Market; an Arts and Parks tour, with a stop at the Cleveland Museum of Art and a drive through the Cultural Gardens; and hike or bike tours of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Part of what makes Cleveland such a popular stop, according to Gutheil, is the central location of its port, just west of Cleveland Browns stadium, in the heart of downtown.
“A lot of people like the fact that we’re so close to everything,” said Guitheil. “It takes them 5 minutes to get to the Rock Hall. And you can pack two excursions into the day.”
In addition, the port recently invested in a new customs facility on the waterfront, which simplifies and speeds up the customs process, as most Great Lakes cruises travel back and forth between Canada and the United States.
Even with the recent growth, Gutheil says there is room for more ships and more stops.
Indeed, Paolella, with Pearl Seas, said Cleveland will likely see more stops next year. “We’re making six stops in Cleveland this summer and I expect that will increase next year,” she said. “The guests love it.”
Cruise ships coming to Cleveland this year
Cleveland will welcome as many as 10,000 passengers aboard five different cruise lines this year. Here’s what you’ll see docking at the Port of Cleveland in 2023:
Viking Polaris, a new expedition-style ship with room for 378 guests and 256 crew.
Pearl Mist, an all-balcony small ship that accommodates a maximum of 210 passengers
Ponant’s luxurious Le Dumont-d’Urville, with an underwater lounge and room for 184 passengers. Le Dumont’s itineraries that include Cleveland are part of a Tauck tour.
MS Hamburg, operated by German-based Plantours, was built in 1997 and is the oldest and largest ship in the Great Lakes, with room for 420 passengers.
American Queen Voyages, with two ships, the Ocean Voyager and the Ocean Navigator, sailing throughout the Great Lakes. Previously known as the Victory ships, these two have been sailing in the region for nearly a decade.
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