Cruise ships to return to Escanaba next summer | News, Sports, Jobs

ESCANABA – Cruise ships will once again dock in Escanaba next spring and summer — and they’ll look familiar. Victory I and Victory II will visit Escanaba a combined 34 times in 2025 as part of Victory Cruise Line’s inaugural season on the Great Lakes.

The Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator cruise ships, which visited Escanaba in summer 2023 and were previously owned by American Queen Voyages, were recently purchased by cruise industry visionary John W. Waggoner and renamed as a new company, Victory Cruise Lines.

The itineraries were recently announced: Escanaba is a stop on most Great Lakes cruises, which include destinations such as Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Detroit, Niagara Falls, Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinac Island.

Delta County Chamber of Commerce and Escanaba representatives met recently at the Commerce Center with Victory Cruise Lines CEO John W. Waggoner and Vice President of Marine Operations Bill Annand to discuss Victory Cruise Lines’ plans to add Escanaba to its Great Lakes cruises.

“Our guests are looking for a cozy, homely and unique experience in a small town” Waggoner told attendees that Escanaba has a reputation for exceeding guests’ expectations.

At the meeting, Waggoner also touched on the fact that American Queen Voyages has closed its doors by filing for bankruptcy in February 2024. He assured attendees that his decades of experience in the cruise industry have prepared him to successfully restore the ships — with a focus on Great Lakes cruises — which are currently in high demand.

One of the meeting’s attendees, Vickie Micheau, executive director of the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, is looking forward to a busy and fun summer of cruises. “The hospitality of our community is what brought Victory Cruise Lines back to Escanaba” she said. “We can’t wait to welcome these cruise ships and their guests back to our waterfront community. I just know that the wonderful business owners and residents will be ready to welcome our cruise ship guests next spring and summer.”

Another meeting with the Victory Cruise Lines cruise team is planned for the near future to discuss the company’s plans for the destinations guests will most want to visit.

In the past, guests on American Queen Voyages cruise ships have visited a variety of locations including two Chamber of Commerce museums—Webster Marble’s Inventing the Outdoors Museum and the UP Military Museum—both located in the Commerce Center building, the Bonifas Arts Center, Sand Point Lighthouse/Ludington Park, Sayklly’s Confectionery & Gifts, and the Potawatomi Heritage Center in Hannahville, as well as attending a cultural event hosted by the Woodland Sky Native American Dance Company.

Some of the 2023 cruise ship visits also included: log turning demonstrations and a UP Timber Life presentation at the Steam and Gas Village at the UP State Fairgrounds; a tour of the MSU Upper Peninsula Forestry Innovation Center; and a craft beer and wine bus tour with stops at Leigh’s Garden Winery, Hereford & Hops Restaurant and Brewpub, Upper Hand Brewery and Northern Sun Winery. These were offered based on interest from cruise ship passengers.

Victory Cruise Line representatives will use their research and knowledge of passenger expectations to decide which excursions to offer guests during the 2025 cruise ship season.

Micheau emphasized her pride and gratitude to the community for its continued support and dedication to Delta County: “Our members continually demonstrate their commitment to our local community” she said. “Their support and commitment will undoubtedly brighten up the landscape of our coastal community this summer as we welcome guests to our cruise ship.”

For more information about Victory Cruise Lines, visit their website at http://www.AQVoyages.com or call the Chamber at (906) 786-2192 or the Escanaba DDA at (906) 789-8696.

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