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The Pearl Mist entering Muskegon channel in 2025.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — The Ludington City Council recently approved an underwater inspection of the seawall at Waterfront Park as the city prepares to potentially accommodate cruise ships this summer.
The inspection will cost $4,200, which will be split between the City of Ludington and the Ludington Area Visitors and Convention Bureau.
“The purpose of the inspection is to assess the condition of the seawall, identify any structural deficiencies and recommend any necessary repairs to ensure safe docking operations,” City Manager Kaitlyn Aldrich wrote in a March 5 memorandum to the council.
“Understanding the condition of the seawall is beneficial regardless of cruise ship activity,” Aldrich wrote. “In the past, large vessels — including a U.S. Coast Guard ship — have needed to dock along the seawall during emergency weather situations. Information gathered during this inspection will provide valuable insight into the seawall’s current condition and future maintenance needs.”
Brandy Miller, executive director of the Ludington Area Visitors and Convention Bureau, said the organization has been working with American Cruise Lines of Guilford, Connecticut, to arrange two August visits to the Port of Ludington by the company’s newly built ship, MV American Patriot.
Miller said the visitors bureau hopes the visits will lead to additional cruise ship stops in Ludington.
“We have been in conversations with American Cruise Lines for several months,” Miller said. “We are really excited about the opportunities this could bring for our local economy.”
Miller said discussions have also been underway with Interlake Maritime Services about docking at its Ludington property, which operates as Interlake Port Services Inc. Interlake also owns Lake Michigan Carferry (the SS Badger) and Interlake Logistical Solutions (the articulated tug and barge Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41).
The long-term goal, Miller said, is for cruise ships to dock at Interlake’s property.
“It makes sense since Interlake is an established maritime company,” Miller said. “However, there are several factors being worked out there and, at this time, the Waterfront Park seawall is the best choice for the short term. That seawall has been used for other ships in the past.”
Miller said docking a cruise ship at the seawall is a concern for the management of the SS Badger, which is why the arrangement would be temporary.
“ACL is willing to adjust its ship’s arrival and departure time so it doesn’t interfere with the docking of the Badger,” Miller said. “Ideally, we want cruise ship passengers to be able to see the Badger, which is part of the entire Ludington experience. However, for this first step, we need to work with the space we have.”
The American Patriot is 243 feet long and 56 feet wide and accommodates 130 passengers. The ship was built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland, at a cost of about $40 million. It features private balcony staterooms, suites and single rooms available without a supplement, as well as lounges, a top-deck lounge and walking track, a main restaurant with views from every seat, a casual café, chart room, fitness center, laundry room and elevators to all decks.
The Victory II docked at Heritage Landing in Muskegon in 2025.
Currently, Muskegon is the only port on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan that regularly hosts cruise ships. Holland has hosted cruise ships in the past, but visits have been less frequent in recent years. Ludington, however, is the only port that could host the 672-foot-long vessels operated by Viking Cruise Lines.
Cruise ships can have a significant economic impact on host communities. According to Cruise the Great Lakes, the cruise ship industry was expected to generate about $230 million in economic impact at Great Lakes ports in 2025, a projected 15% increase from 2024. Six cruise lines operated on the Great Lakes in 2025.
There were six cruise lines operating on the Great Lakes in 2025: Pearl Seas (American Cruise Lines), Viking, St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, Ponant, Hapag-Lloyd, and Victory.
“The impact of cruise ships visiting Mason County would be a large boost to the local economy,” Miller said. “We have already been in conversations with several entities about local excursions.”
Possible excursions could include visits to the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum and Historic White Pine Village, as well as trips to downtown Ludington, area lighthouses, hiking at Ludington State Park and beach time at Stearns Park.
Muskegon has hosted cruise ships since 2016.
“Having cruise ships visit Muskegon has definitely been a positive experience,” said Bob Lukens, director of the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau, in a June 2025 interview. “It’s a great experience for the passengers on the ships and our residents as well. We hear a lot of very positive feedback.”
The Pearl Mist docked at Heritage Landing in Muskegon.
Great Lakes cruises differ from large ocean cruise ships. Instead of mega-ships carrying more than 4,000 passengers, Great Lakes vessels are smaller and typically carry fewer than 200 passengers. Most cruises are adult-focused and geared toward older travelers.
Tickets typically range from about $9,480 to $9,990 per person depending on the season and can reach $14,970 to $15,780 depending on accommodations. Excursions are included at each port of call.
American Cruise Lines also operates Pearl Seas Cruises and its Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, the 324-foot Pearl Mist, which also sails on the Great Lakes.
ACL’s 2026 itineraries include a nine-day cruise visiting the Thousand Islands and Niagara Falls, another nine-day cruise featuring Lake Michigan, Green Bay and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and a 14-day “American Great Lakes” cruise covering about 800 miles through Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan.
“American Cruise Lines has been great to work with,” Miller said. “It’s fairly standard that once a port accommodates one cruise line, others will soon inquire as well.”
Le Champlain, foreground in Muskegon Lake. Pearl Mist docked at Heritage Landing in Muskegon, 2025.
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