The 2025 cruise ship season in Milwaukee ended with the city welcoming 11,096 passengers on 22 port calls from six vessels stopping at Port Milwaukee this year.
That’s a lower level of cruise ship activity at the port than a year ago. The number of cruise passengers coming to Milwaukee this year was down 18.2% from 13,568 in 2024, and the number of cruise vessel calls at the port was down 18.5% from 27 in 2024.
Port Milwaukee kicked off its cruise season on April 28, with the arrival of the Viking Octantis. Hanseatic Inspiration concluded the 2025 Great Lakes cruising season in Milwaukee on Oct. 9.
Despite the dip in traffic this year, city officials called the 2025 cruise ship season in Milwaukee a success and said a big increase in cruise traffic to the city is expected next year.
“It’s been another tremendous cruising season for the city of Milwaukee,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
Next year, the city expects 19,000 cruise ship passengers to visit Milwaukee, with 62 cruise ship visits already scheduled for Port Milwaukee.
That would smash cruise ship activity records at Port Milwaukee. The city’s busiest year for cruise ship activity was in 2022 with 13,611 passengers coming on 33 vessel port calls.
The 2026 cruise ship season in Milwaukee is expected to have a $3.5 million economic impact, up from $2.5 million this year according to Port Milwaukee.
“The economic impact of this growth reaches well beyond our city limits, and I look forward to building on this momentum into the 2026 season,” Johnson said.
The increase in cruise ship activity is coming as the city is building a new South Shore Cruise Dock to handle the largest vessels on the Great Lakes. The $17 million project is expected to be completed by the middle of the 2026 cruise season.
A big reason for the expected cruise ship activity increase next year is the addition of American Cruise Lines, which will launch two new cruise options from Milwaukee in 2026. They are the company’s first Great Lakes venues and will be operated by the American Patriot, a vessel with a 130-passenger capacity. Six calls, all turnaround visits, have been scheduled for the ship at Port Milwaukee in 2026.
American Cruise Lines’ American Patriot vessel
“The news of more cruise ship visits in 2026 plus the opening of the new cruise dock mark an exciting next chapter for Milwaukee’s growing cruise industry,” said Board of Harbor Commissioners president Tim Hoelter. “This reflects Port Milwaukee’s commitment to providing first-class-experiences to visitors and partners. I am thrilled to see new travelers discover all that our city has to offer and thank the port staff for their drive to make it all happen.”
More articles about cruise ships in Milwaukee:
