Great news for the Great Lakes – Cleveland is now a destination stop for Victory Cruise Lines.
On June 20th, The Port of Cleveland welcomed the Victory 1 cruise ship to its docks – marking the addition of Cleveland to Victory Cruise Lines Great Lakes Grand Discovery tour of the Great Lakes.
The 10-day tour on the 105-room, 200-passenger liner highlights attractions along the Great Lakes in both the U.S. and Canada, starting in Toronto and concluding in Chicago, with stops at major destinations such as Niagara Falls, the Georgian Bay and Mackinac Island along the way.
Victory Cruise Lines is an international cruise line with a diverse menu of itineraries focusing on Colonial America, Canada, and even Cuba. Bruce Nierenberg, president and CEO of Victory Cruise Lines, added Cleveland as a stop this season because he sees it as a city on the rise.
“I asked our people, ‘Why don’t we stop there?'” said Nierenberg. “Cleveland is an up-and-coming city, they’ve got the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And there are a lot of other things to do in Cleveland, so I thought it would be a really good stop.” The company’s website also highlights the Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Orchestra, West Side Market, and Steamship William G. Mather as attractions in the Cleveland for those who join the cruise.
If you go, drop me a note and I’ll give you another dozen ideas worth visiting.
“Following a banner year in 2016, Cleveland’s continued rise as a travel destination is receiving another boost with the addition of our city to a major Great Lakes cruise line itinerary,” said David Gilbert, president and CEO, Destination Cleveland. “We are eager to continue our partnership with civic and business leaders to drive a diverse array of tourists to the Northeast Ohio region via all modes of transportation – including cruise ships.”
City of Cleveland officials are also excited about the addition of the cruise line. “We have so much to offer with our culture, history, entertainment, and our people. It’s encouraging that more and more travelers are seeing Cleveland as a must-see city of choice,” said Robert Kennedy, Director of City of Cleveland’s Port Control. “We thank Victory Cruise Lines for helping to add to our rise as a tourist destination.”
If you’re interested in a premium cruise, check them out now. Three of their cruises are already booked to capacity as of this writing.
Disclaimer – We’ve not sailed on the Victory 1 yet, so all the information above is from a press release we received from the Port of Cleveland and from the Victory website.