Cruise ships to return to Great Lakes for record-breaking 2023 season
The 2023 Great Lakes cruise ship season is poised to be record-breaking. Officials expect nearly 170,000 passenger visits – an increase of 15% over 2022 – and a total economic impact of $180 million.
The passenger increase will be due in part to more ships traversing the freshwater seas: 11 compared to nine in 2022. The new ships are the Viking Polaris – twin to the huge and luxurious Viking Octantis that debuted in 2022 – and the Hapag-Lloyd Hanseatic Inspiration.