If you spent any time along the Detroit River this summer, you probably noticed an increase in the number of cruise ships. Now, we know this summer was a record-breaking cruising season along the Great Lakes.
According to Cruise the Great Lakes and the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, there were 52 cruise ships that visited Detroit in 2022, more than double the last cruising season in 2019.
The organizations said the cruise passengers had a $125 million economic impact on Detroit with nearly 150,000 passenger visits to Great Lakes ports.
As of this year, there were nine different ships that cruise the Great Lakes, and that number is expected to increase to 11 next year with the addition of the Viking Polaris and Hanseatic Inspiration.
In 2023, it's expected that the increase will continue with an expected 170,000 cruise ship passengers to regional ports with a total economic impact of $180 million.
Some of the Great Lakes cruise voyages include a Montreal to Detroit route, which goes through Lake Ontario and Lake Erie with stops in Montreal, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Cleveland and Detroit.
