Copyright cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The 2025 cruise season in Cleveland will come to a close on Sunday, after a record-breaking 53 ship calls carrying approximately 8,700 passengers. The final ship to stop in Cleveland this fall is the 190-passenger Victory I, which will dock downtown Oct. 26 en route from Chicago to Montreal on an 11-night “Ultimate Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway” itinerary. The 2026 season is expected to be even bigger, with a new cruise line debuting in the Great Lakes next spring that will include two itineraries that start from Cleveland. “These visitors bring real dollars into our city,” said David S. Gutheil, chief operating officer for the Port of Cleveland. “From restaurants to museum admissions and small business sales, Great Lakes cruising has become a meaningful part of our tourism economy.” In addition to Victory, other cruise lines in the Great Lakes this year include Viking, Pearl Seas, Hapag-Lloyd and Ponant. And new next year: American Cruise Lines, known for its U.S.-based river cruises, announced last month that it would start sailing in the Great Lakes in 2026. Unlike other Great Lakes cruises, which travel back and forth between the United States and Canada, American Cruise Lines will stop only in U.S. ports, negating any need for passengers to clear customs or carry passports. Two of American’s itineraries will launch from or conclude in Cleveland, including the 14-day American Great Lakes route, sailing between Cleveland and Milwaukee; and the nine-day Great Lakes and Thousand Island route, between Cleveland and Syracuse, New York. “This is extremely good news for Cleveland,” Gutheil said. “By becoming a starting and ending point for these voyages, Cleveland will see even more economic benefit — more hotel nights, more dining, and more visitors exploring our neighborhoods.” A recent economic impact study from the port found that cruise passengers spend an average of about $150 in Cleveland, for a total of approximately $1.3 million in direct visitor spending. When factoring in dock operations, transportation and other indirect spending, the total economic impact exceeds $2 million, according to the port. The Port of Cleveland started promoting the city as a cruise stop about a decade ago, as Great Lakes cruising started gaining in popularity. In 2017, Cleveland welcomed nine port calls. The rebirth of passenger ships in the Great Lakes comes about a century after the heyday of steamship cruising throughout the region.
