Expect to see more cruise ship traffic coming our way starting in two years time.
City tourism manager Paul Pepe has announced the Viking Octantis will be making 14 visits to Thunder Bay in 2022 and again in 2023 as part of a Great Lakes tour.
He says Thunder Bay will be one of two home ports for the vessel, the other being Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It means guests will be flying in to Thunder Bay, boarding the ship here, then head to Milwaukee. The Viking Octantis will then take on new passengers in Milwaukee and return to Thunder Bay.
Pepe notes instead of staying here for a few hours and leaving, like previous cruises ships have, the Viking Octantis will be docking here for up to 36 hours.
The city tourism manager estimates there will be about 5,200 guests stopping here over the course of the year with the economic impact being in the range of about $1.6 million to $2.3 million annually.
Pepe tells us if there is enough interest in the cruises, the visits could extend beyond 2023.
Earlier this year the city announced the cruise ship Hanseatic Inspiration, will be making two stops here in June.
