American Patriot. Photo by American Cruise Lines.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — A cruise ship will visit Ludington twice this summer, pending City Council approval of the use of a city docking slip.
American Cruise Lines’ new ship, the American Patriot, is tentatively scheduled to visit the Port of Ludington on Aug. 7 and Aug. 14.
On Tuesday, March 24, the City Council’s Cemetery, Parks and Recreation Committee approved placing the matter on the agenda for the next City Council meeting. The Ludington Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is requesting permission, on behalf of American Cruise Lines, to dock the ship on the outer west seawall of Waterfront Park. The matter will be on the agenda of the next city council meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, April 13 at the municipal building, 400 S. Harrison St.
A recent inspection of the seawall showed it is structurally sound. The LACVB split the $4,200 inspection cost with the city.
Brandy Miller, executive director of the LACVB, told the committee the American Patriot is a U.S.-flagged vessel, which requires fewer security measures and regulations than foreign-flagged cruise ships that operate on the Great Lakes.
“This is a low-barrier introduction of cruise ships for Ludington,” Miller said, adding that the LACVB’s goal is to attract additional cruise ships in the future. She said the Waterfront Park location is not intended to be a permanent docking facility.
Miller said discussions also have been underway with Interlake Maritime Services regarding docking at its Ludington property, which operates as Interlake Port Services Inc. Interlake also owns Lake Michigan Carferry, operator of the SS Badger, and Interlake Logistics Solutions, which operates 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, and at this time the Waterfront Park seawall is the best short-term option. That seawall has been used for other ships in the past.”
Miller said docking a cruise ship at the seawall is a concern for SS Badger management, which is why the arrangement would be temporary.
“ACL is willing to adjust its ship’s arrival and departure times so it doesn’t interfere with the docking of the Badger,” Miller said.
The 243-foot American Patriot will arrive in Ludington at 9:30 a.m. and depart at 6:30 p.m. A typical port visit would last longer.
“Ideally, we want cruise ship passengers to be able to see the Badger, which is part of the entire Ludington experience,” Miller said. “However, for this first step, we need to work with the space we have.”
“There has been a lot of interest in cruise ships from our downtown businesses, nonprofit attractions and others,” Miller said. “The impact of cruise ships visiting Mason County would be a significant boost to the local economy. We have already been in conversations with several entities about local excursions.”
The Pearl Mist docked at Heritage Landing in Muskegon.
Possible excursions include visits to the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum and Historic White Pine Village, as well as trips to downtown Ludington, area lighthouses, Ludington State Park and Stearns Park.
Two motorcoaches operated by ACL travel along the shoreline following the ship, transporting passengers on prearranged excursions.
Miller said cruise ship visits are one of several strategies the LACVB is exploring to attract new visitors to Mason County. The bureau also works with motorcoach tours and specialty travel groups.
Cruise ships can have a significant economic impact on host communities. According to Cruise the Great Lakes, the 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: Pearl Seas Cruises (American Cruise Lines), Viking, St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, Ponant, Hapag-Lloyd and Victory.
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 and Visitors Bureau, in a June 2025 interview. “It’s a great experience for passengers and our residents as well. We hear a lot of very positive feedback.”
Great Lakes cruises differ from large ocean cruises. Instead of megaships 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.
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 capable of hosting the 672-foot vessels operated by Viking.
The American Patriot 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 without a supplement, along with lounges, a top-deck walking track, a main restaurant with panoramic views, a casual café, chart room, fitness center, laundry facilities and elevators to all decks.
American Cruise Lines also operates Pearl Seas Cruises and its foreign-flagged vessel, the 324-foot Pearl Mist, which also sails on the Great Lakes.
ACL’s 2026 itineraries include a nine-day cruise to 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.”
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