Viking Cruise Ship on Superior in 2022

[Ingo]

Well this is interesting. Just hope the facilities on I.R. are inadequate enough that it's never a question of whether it stops or not...
https://www.vikingcruises.com/expeditio ... 6%20Canada

[thesneakymonkey]

Oh I hope cruises don’t ever stop by the island. Talk about ruining the solitude.

[hooky]

Could you imagine RH on a port call? No thanks.

[Midwest Ed]

I think everyone can stop worrying. These particular ships are 665 feet long with a 77 foot beam. That is 4 times as long and twice as wide as the Ranger III. It would probably need tug assistance to just get close to Snug Harbor and there still would be no place large enough to dock (and I think no room to construct something). The Lake Superior does leg looks interesting particularly because of it's exploration of Georgian Bay but not at those prices. A good deal of the high price is due to federal law requiring these ships to follow U.S. labor regulations, ownership and employment. Here on the Mississippi River where Viking is also "moving in", the various cities are scrambling to build additional infrastructure. Reportedly, Viking pays each port city $1 per passenger. These new Great Lakes tours should be a financial boon for Houghton and Duluth, etc.

[bobcat]

My guess is that the cruises will do a “drive-by” look at the island featuring Passage Island and the northwestern view of things, since that is the main shipping route into Thunder Bay. I was surprised this past summer when I stayed at Merritt Lane campsite at how close the big freighters were to that end. The route goes inside Passage Island.

Would not be surprised at an optional add-on excursion through the cruise lines for a day visit, though. I wonder if an excursion boat charter from Thunder Bay to Rock Harbor might be added.

[johnhens]

Given the reefs surrounding IR (plus I would guess they would have to get some kind of commercial permit from the NPS), don't see this happening.