Two Cruise Ships Dock in Milwaukee Friday

Port Identifies Cruise Business as an Opportunity for Growth

For release: August 30, 2018
For Port Milwaukee information: Jeff Fleming, Port Milwaukee, 414-286-8580
For Visit Milwaukee information: Kristin Settle, Visit Milwaukee, 414-287-6230

Two passenger cruise vessels will dock in Milwaukee on Friday, bringing tourists to the city. This is the first time in recent history that two cruise ships will be in port simultaneously.

It also coincides with a renewed effort to attract the passenger cruise business to Milwaukee and the Great Lakes.

The Pearl Mist is scheduled to tie-up at the dock east of the Lake Express ferry terminal around 8:00am. Representatives of Port Milwaukee and Visit Milwaukee are set to greet passengers as they disembark around 8:30am. The Pearl Mist anticipates using Port Milwaukee as a Great Lakes embarkation point for its future cruise itineraries.

The Grande Mariner is set to dock at the cruise ship dock adjacent to Discovery World in downtown Milwaukee at 10:30pm on Friday.

Together, the two cruise ships have the capacity to carry more than 300 visitors.

The Port expects an additional vessel, the Hamburg, to stop in Milwaukee on two dates later this year.

Both Port Milwaukee and Visit Milwaukee are participants in an international effort to attract cruise ships to the Great Lakes. Formally announced on Thursday, “Cruise the Great Lakes” is the newest project of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers and aims to attract more passengers to regional destinations. Next year, Port Milwaukee expects more than ten cruise vessel visits from at least five different ships.