It is time for you to get used to big ships sitting outside of the Algoma Marina beginning this week. The arrival of the cruise ship Viking Octantis on Wednesday marks the first ten scheduled trips by cruise liners in 2024. Viking Cruises will make eight stops between May 29th and October 1st as they sail between Toronto and Duluth. The large vessels stay in Lake Michigan while smaller boats taxi visitors to shore. The cruise ship visits have brought a boom to area businesses, especially from visitors who opt not to go on an excursion to Brown or Door counties and explore the immediate area. After last year’s success, Algoma Chamber of Commerce Director Rosemary Paladini said last month that the city is already generating a reputation of being a friendly port for cruise ships.

More than just Viking Cruises are scheduled to stop in the area this year. A new cruise liner, PONANT’s Le Champlain, will stop in Algoma on September 5th and 23rd. Last year, a cruise ship from Hanseatic also made a pair of visits to the city.