The Pearl Mist arrives in Muskegon earlier this week.
Editorial by Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
Earlier this week the Pearl Mist cruise ship was the first cruise ship to visit Muskegon in 2025. This 325-foot ship, built specifically for the Great Lakes, accommodates up to 210 passengers. It is one of three cruise lines that will visit Muskegon this summer with a total of 16 visits. The Pearl Mist will visit Muskegon three times during its four Great Lakes summer cruises.
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, Viking, St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, Ponant, Hapag-Lloyd, and Victory. Those cruise lines are visiting multiple ports, with at least four on Lake Michigan: Muskegon, Holland, Milwaukee, Wis., and Algoma, Wis. Other ports include Bay City, Buffalo-Niagara, New York, Cleveland, Ohio, Detroit, Duluth, Minn., East Tawas, Houghton, Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and Thunder Bay, Ontario.
These are not like the ocean-going vessels operated by Disney or Carnival that accommodate thousands of people. These are smaller ships built for the Great Lakes. Most are similar size to the SS Badger, which is 410 feet long.
So, the question is: Why do cruise ships not visit Ludington?
The Pearl Mist docked at Muskegon County’s Heritage Landing.
Ludington features great attractions for cruise ship passengers: The Port of Ludington Maritime Museum, Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse, downtown shopping and dining, just to name a few. All of these are located within walking distance of the port — much more convenient than many of the other ports currently being visited by cruise ships.
Several years ago a foreign cruise ship visited Ludington and docked at Waterfront Park, which can accommodate a vessel about 450 feet long. I have been told that there were a lot of logistics that needed to take place with the visit of that vessel and the passengers did not spend much time or money in Ludington. However, that was a completely different scenario compared to the recent resurgence in the Great Lakes cruise industry. What happened years ago is not the same compared to what is happening now.
While one city official I spoke with indicated that Waterfront Park would not be ideal because of security protocols and other logistics, I disagree. The Pearl Mist docked at Heritage Landing, a Muskegon County-owned park located near downtown Muskegon. The park features a peninsula that is normally a fishing pier/parking area. It’s almost an identical set-up to Waterfront Park.
Ludington’s Waterfront Park is a similar layout as Muskegon’s Heritage Landing.
An alternative, and much more practical location, would be what is No. 2 1/2 car ferry slip, which has been the home of the SS Spartan since it was docked there in 1979. Interlake Maritime Services, which owns the Spartan, Badger, and the tug/barge Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41, is in the shipping business and already operates a secured port. The Spartan has served its purpose to provide parts to the Badger but it’s time for it to go and make room for a new era of passenger service in Ludington.
The car ferry dock is already equipped with water and waste water infrastructure, and could likely serve as a port for proving stores (provisions) and fuel for the cruise ships. Additionally, IMS could utilize the slip for winter docking of one of its freighters. Of course, IMS is a private company and would need to make those decisions.
There are likely some other areas around the port of Ludington that could accommodate these ships, but the Interlake dock is the most ideal with Waterfront Park coming in a distant second.
No. 2 1/2 Slip is currently the berth of the SS Spartan, behind the Badger.
Whether you like it or not, tourism is Mason County’s top industry. The current closure of the Ludington State Park (which is expected to open again on July 1) is impacting our local economy. Some businesses are reporting a 15 percent decrease to-date in comparison to 2024. In 2023, the SS Badger’s Ludington dock failed in mid-July, shutting down the vessel for the remainder of the season, and majorly impacting the tourist market. This was a stark reminder of the old saying not to put all your eggs in one basket.
The Ludington Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with partners such as the Mason County Historical Society, have done an excellent job focusing on the group tour market. These are typically visitors who arrive in the Ludington area by bus, or are here for a specific event, or series of events in the region. This focus has shown very positive results and should be applauded.
But, now, we need to think about other diverse options because if we don’t, we are… please excuse the pun … missing the boat.
The Pearl Mist makes its way through the Muskegon Channel into Muskegon Lake.
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