Port Milwaukee welcomes American Cruise Lines for 1st time

MILWAUKEE - Port Milwaukee welcomed American Cruise Lines to the city for the first time Wednesday, an arrival that is part of what city officials have said will be a record-breaking cruise season.

American Cruise Lines

What they're saying:

American Patriot arrived at Pier Wisconsin on Wednesday morning and will depart on Thursday afternoon. Three new itineraries include Milwaukee as a turnaround point for the vessel, which has a 130-person capacity.

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2026 Milwaukee cruise season

The backstory:

Last year, Port Milwaukee said it hosted 23 cruise ship calls and 11,255 passengers. The cruise season created a $2.5 million local economic impact and is projected to exceed $3.5 million this year.

The Viking Polaris, Milwaukee's first cruise ship of the season, kicked off what city leaders anticipated will be a record-breaking cruise season in April. Sixty-three ships, more than 80 itineraries and 20,000 travelers are expected in Milwaukee.

What's next:

South Shore Cruise Dock-East – Port Milwaukee’s third designated dock – is slated for start operations in August. The city said the facility can host the largest cruise ships currently sailing the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway route. 

"It's going to really enhance our capacity and our opportunities here in the city," Port Milwaukee Director Benjamin Timm said in April.

Maria Van Hoorn, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, said cruises are projected to add $300 million in economic impact for the Great Lakes region as a whole in 2026.

"This is big for Wisconsin. This season. Cruise ships will dock at ports up and down our coast. Stops are planned in the communities of Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Algoma, Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay," he said.