Cruise the Great Lakes said the projected economic impact for 2026 represents a nearly 25% increase from 2025. The organization attributes the growth to higher passenger volumes, additional port calls, increased shoreside spending and rising prices for Great Lakes cruise itineraries.

A Positive Outlook 

More than 23,000 individual passengers are expected to cruise the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River in 2026, up 5% from 2025. Cruise operators are planning more than 800 port visits across the region, an increase of nearly 15%, according to the organization. 

Total passenger visits at ports are projected to reach nearly 175,000 in 2026, also up about 15% year over year. Passenger visits are calculated by multiplying passenger counts by the number of port stops during itineraries. 

Seven cruise lines are scheduled to operate in the region during the 2026 season, including Pearl Seas, Ponant, St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, Victory Cruise Lines, Viking, Hapag-Lloyd and American Cruise Lines.

American Cruise Lines is new to the Great Lakes market this year, with the American Patriot operating domestic itineraries in U.S. ports. Victory Cruise Lines will also sail from Chicago’s Navy Pier this season.

In total, 10 ships are scheduled to operate on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River during the season. Cruise the Great Lakes said the lines are planning 148 itineraries. 

Ships scheduled for the 2026 season include Pearl Mist, Canadian Empress, Octantis, Polaris, Le Bellot, Le Champlain, Hanseatic Inspiration, Victory 1, Victory 2 and American Patriot. 

In 2027, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is expanding its Great Lakes cruise program with two new itineraries aboard the expedition ship HANSEATIC inspiration. The new voyages, scheduled for late August and September 2027, replace three shorter cruises that had previously been planned for the region. The additions will complement existing Great Lakes departures in August and October, creating a program of four cruises ranging from 19 to 21 days.

Port Cities Welcome Cruise Tourism 

Port Milwaukee kicked off the 2026 passenger cruising season on April 23 with the arrival of the Viking Polaris. The port expects a record-breaking 64 cruise vessel calls this season, with more than 80 itineraries in Milwaukee through October. This includes 32 turnaround visits and 11 Milwaukee round trip itineraries. There will be six companies and eight vessels. Port Milwaukee officials are estimating 20,000 global passenger visits this season. Last year, Port Milwaukee hosted 23 cruise ship calls and 11,255 passengers. The 2025 cruise season created a $2.5 million local economic impact and is projected to exceed $3.5 million this year.  

Port Milwaukee’s third designated cruise dock, South Shore Cruise Dock-East, is slated for operations this cruising season. The facility is designed to accommodate the largest cruise ships operating on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system.  

The Port of Cleveland welcomed the Victory I on April 28, officially kicking off what is expected to be a record-breaking year for the city’s cruise industry. The port saw 53 cruise ship calls, bringing approximately 8,700 passengers to Cleveland in 2025. Passenger cruising generated an estimated $1.3 million in direct visitor spending last year, and more than $2 million in total economic impact for the region. 

The Port of Montreal also welcomed the Victory I as the first cruise ship of the 2026 season on April 24.  The city will welcome nearly 50,000 passengers across 39 operations until the season comes to a close on October 31.  

The port is scheduled to receive nine port calls and 30 embarkation and disembarkation operations. Cruise itineraries will connect Montreal with destinations including the Great Lakes, Florida, New England, Germany and Iceland. 

The Port of Toronto also expects another strong cruising season, with 45 cruise ship calls scheduled to bring 19,000 passengers to the city. 

Feature photo: Victory Cruise Lines docking at Navy Pier