Detroit sees record cruise ship activity in 2022. Here's what the season looked like

Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
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Cruise ships docked in Detroit more than 50 times during the 2022 season, a record and more than double the amount of dockings in Detroit in 2019, the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority and a coalition of Midwest states, cruise lines and others said Friday.

The announcement coincided with the final weekend of cruise ships docking in Detroit. Le Bellot, a cruise ship operated by the French cruise operator Ponant, was docked in Detroit on Friday.

Ponant cruises in the Great Lakes go to locations such as Toronto, Mackinac Island and Milwaukee and start at about $5,800 for an eight-day cruise. That price includes accommodations, meals and drinks.

"Each of these visitors has had a great time in Detroit in the Motor City," Mark Schrupp, executive director of the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, said. "They're spreading the word about what a great time they had and what we have to offer."

There were nearly 10,000 passenger visits to Detroit this year, which generated $1.2 million in economic impact for Detroit, Schrupp said.

At least 11 different cruise ships are docking in Detroit next year, he said.

Across the Great Lakes ports in 2022, there were nearly 150,000 passenger visits, increasing more than 25% from 2019 and generating an economic impact of more than $125 million.

Nearly 170,000 cruise passenger visits to regional ports are expected next year, up 15% from 2022 with the addition of a second Viking ship Polaris and the Hanseatic Inspiration.

"We're looking forward to the cruise line business growing over time, welcoming people from all over the world (who are) getting to see the real story about places like Detroit," Dave Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan and chair of Cruise the Great Lakes marketing program, said.

More:Travel the Great Lakes on a floating mansion with new Viking cruise ships

More:Port Days event in Detroit celebrates both past and future of Great Lakes cruising

Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit sees record amount of cruise ship dockings in 2022