Milwaukee’s Cruise Ship Business Will Shrink in 2025

The Viking Octantis departs while the Viking Polaris (right) waits to dock. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

The Miami of the Midwest will see fewer cruise ships in 2025.

“There are multiple lines reducing their Great Lakes offerings in 2025. Taking an off year if you will,” said Korey Garceau, Port Milwaukee trade representative to the Public Works Committee Thursday.

Last year, the city nearly eclipsed its 2022 record total of 13,611 passengers when 13,568 passengers came through the port. But in 2025 the total is expected to fall to 11,137, the lowest post-2020 total. That immediately had council members asking questions about how and why given that they just committed $5 million in new borrowing to build a $17 million cruise dock.

Viking Cruises, which operates the largest vessels on the Great Lakes with up to 378 passengers, will only operate one of its two vessels on the Great Lakes in 2025. “We’ll have two returning back in 26,” said port director Jackie Q. Carter. She had already warned the council, during the budget approval process, that visits were expected to fall in 2025. At that point, port officials were only expecting 9,500 passengers in 2025.

Port officials are budgeting for a record-shattering year in 2026, when the new terminal opens. A total of 18,486 passengers are expected.

“Victory Cruise Lines, they’re a cruise line that’s returning to the Great Lakes after a six or seven year hiatus. They’re going to be visiting three times in 2025, but in 2026 we expect them 30-plus times,” said Garceau.

“We’re already taking bookings for 2027,” he added.

The council’s Harbor Commission representative is optimistic that the new dock will be great for long-term business. “It’s coming. It’s going to be great for the city. It’s going to bring more passengers to the city,” said Alderman Peter Burgelis.

Ships pay a per-passenger tariff of $11, a dockage fee and other fees for utilized services. “They get customer service, but they’re essentially paying for it, ” said Carter.

The tariff, which has climbed from $7.50 in 2019, represents 31% of the port’s expected revenue during a turnaround visit when one trip ends and another begins — doubling the number of passengers and adding hotel stays and flights — and 77% of the revenue from a mid-trip stop. The lower rate despite more passengers in a turnaround visit is attributed to amount of services a vessel needs to refuel and restock.

Miami’s fee is $14.77 while Milwaukee’s true peers, the city’s that host Great Lakes turnarounds, charge a similar amount to Port Milwaukee. Toronto charges $10.56 and Duluth $12.

The passenger tariff, based on a part slide deck, generated $135,680 in 2024 when it was $10. The tariff would generate $122,507 in 2025 based on the port’s estimate.

The 467-acre, city-owned port routinely generates an operating profit for the city, though many of its capital expenses are embedded in the city budget and an exact return is hard to calculate. Adding to the difficulty in calculating a profit down to the penny is the fact that the Milwaukee World Festival lease for Henry Maier Festival Park, technically port property, is not attributed to the port.

Port Milwaukee has a 20-year commitment from the Pearl Seas to lease the Pier Wisconsin dock. In addition to Viking and Pearl Seas, vessels from American Queen Voyages, Ponant and Vantage Explorations have visited Milwaukee in recent years.

The cruise ship dock would be built atop a 50-acre landfill created in 1975 as part of a dredging effort. It would be located east of the Lake Express ferry terminal on a parcel addressed as 2320 S. Lincoln Memorial Dr.

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