Viking Cruise Ship Arrives In The Duluth Harbor

DULUTH, Minn. – Early Monday morning the Duluth Harbor welcomed its first cruise ship in 10 years.

Viking Cruise’s first expedition vessel, the 700-foot Viking Octantis, traveled under the Lift Bridge shortly after 6 a.m.

Tender boats later transported the 400 guests and 200 crew members off the boat to the Customs Facility in the DECC.   This unloading process is only temporary until the seawall is reconstructed behind the DECC in the next couple of years to be able to accommodate larger cruise ships.

It’s the quick construction of that Customs Facility that gave the 7 to 9 cruise ships the green light to begin stopping in the Twin Ports for day trips every Monday.

“They’re only going to stop here for a day, so the diversity of experiences that you could have if you’re getting off a ship in Duluth you can head to Glensheen, you can get on the train, you can go out to Spirit Mountain and do some hiking,” said Duluth City Council President Arik Forsman Sunday.

“I think it will be great for those retail shops down in Canal Park and downtown that they’ll be able to hopefully be having lots of customers come through their doors tomorrow,” he said.

Officials expect cruise ships to have an estimated $600,000-$700,000 annual economic impact at first, before Duluth becomes a port of call, where passengers can board cruise ships as well.