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The Victory II docked at Heritage Landing.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
MUSKEGON — Cruise ships have been visiting Muskegon, just 60 miles south of Ludington, on a regular basis for the past nine years, thanks to the foresight of the Muskegon County government. The main dock for the three cruise ship lines that visit Muskegon is Heritage Landing, which is owned by the county.
“Thanks to the foresight of the county commission back in the 1990s, we now have Heritage Landing,” said Bob Lukens, director of the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The property, located on Shoreline Drive near downtown Muskegon, was a brownfield site, a dumping grounds along Muskegon Lake.
“The county commission encapsulated that area and made a park out of it,” Lukens said. “But, they also had the vision of developing a site that could accommodate commercial ships. The county owns the waste water treatment plant and installed the infrastructure there that included waste water and potable water.”
The cruise ship slip is alongside a peninsula that sticks out from the main part of the park. Normally, it is a parking area and a fishing wharf. But, it can also accommodate ships up to 425 feet long. In addition to being equipped with water and waste water plumbing, it also features a wide turn-around that allows fuel trucks and other supply vehicles to easily access the ship.
The Victory II at Heritage Landing in Muskegon.
The development of Heritage Landing allowed the county to host tall ships in 2000 and 2002, which was a large attraction. But, Muskegon’s entry into the cruise ship market began in 2016, kind of by accident.
The 325-foot-long Pearl Mist had been scheduled to visit Holland but got diverted to Muskegon instead.
“We took really good care of the passengers and crew and they were really happy with that visit,” Lukens said.
The visit proved a small glitch, the Heritage Landing dock was not set up for a ship like the Pearl Mist, where passengers disembark from the center of the ship. Muskegon County Commission decided to invest $130,000 to solve the problem by adding an additional pad to the slip. The Pearl Mist has visited Muskegon every year since (with the exception of 2020, due to the pandemic).
Pearl Mist is operated by Pearl Seas Cruises of Guilford, Conn. Other cruise lines visiting Muskegon this year include Victory Cruise Lines of New Albany, Ind., which operates the 300-foot-long sister ships Victory I and Victory II, and Compagnie Du Ponant S.A. of Marseilles, France, which operates the 431-foot-long LeChamplain.
The Port of Muskegon will be visited 16 times by the cruise ships this summer, consistent with the last few years. In 2021, there were 22 calls, 17 in 2022, 16 in 2023 and 15 in 2024.
The Pearl Mist arrives in Muskegon recently.
“Having cruise ships visit Muskegon has definitely been a positive experience,” Lukens said. “It’s a great experience for the passengers on the ships and our residents as well. We hear a lot of very positive feedback.”
Hosting cruise ships is not simple, however.
“There are certainly some logistical challenges,” Lukens said. “It’s a lot of work.”
Hosting a ship means developing a port security plan with the U.S. Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. It requires security while the ship is in port and a dock supervisor and other personnel. There is also constant communication with the cruise ships and also with making onshore arrangements, such as transportation.
The addition of cruise ships is just part of an overall economic development plan initiated by Muskegon County, along with the City of Muskegon and other municipalities in the county. The city has spent the last several decades redeveloping its downtown.
“I have seen Muskegon totally change, for the better, in the past 12 years,” Lukens said. “It’s been great to have cruise ships as part of that change.”
Pearl Mist docked at Heritage Landing in Muskegon.
It is not uncommon for the ship’s passengers to go on shore excursions outside of Muskegon. Lukens said buses will often take passengers to Grand Rapids, Holland, and Silver Lake. However, about half the passengers stay in Muskegon. He said regardless of them leaving town for the day, there is often time for them to visit Muskegon attractions as well.
Lukens said Ludington would be a great addition to the cruise ship circuit and its inclusion would complement Muskegon and see more growth along Lake Michigan’s east shore.
According to Cruise the Great Lakes, the cruise ship industry is expected to have a $230 million impact on the ports the ships visit in 2025, a projected 15 percent increase from 2024. There are six cruise lines operating on the Great Lakes this season: Pearl Seas Cruises, Viking Cruise Linees, St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, Ponant Luxury Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, and Victory Cruise Lines.
Waterfront Park’s boat slip sits on the property’s west side. In the background is the Badger at LMC No. 2 Slip and the Spartan at No. 2 1/2 Slip.
Ludington has two logical locations along its waterfront, near downtown. One is the city’s Waterfront Park, which includes a slip that can accommodate a vessel about 450 feet long. However, that location does not include infrastructure for water and sewer and does not have road access immediately near slip. While that’s not a deal-breaker, it reduces potential for additional revenue and also likely means a ship may spend less time in port since it can’t restock there.
The more ideal location would be docking on the property owned by Interlake Maritime Services, which owns Lake Michigan Carferry (the SS Badger and the SS Spartan) and Interlake Logistical Solutions (Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41 tug/barge). For the past 46 years, the Spartan has sat idle at No. 2 1/2 slip, its parts being used to keep its sister ship, the Badger, operating. Most familiar with the operation will admit that the Spartan has served its purpose and is beyond saving. The car ferry docks are already equipped with industrial waste water and fresh water infrastructure. Access to a ship for refueling and restocking would be easy and the property already has a port security plan in place with personnel licensed for such functions.
The next steps would be for an organization or a private business to take the lead in attracting cruise ships to Ludington.
Read more about the Victory II and Pearl Mist cruise ships at our companion site, www.greatlakesboatblog.com.
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