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By Veronica Maciag
On Tuesday, June 13th, Viking Cruise’s Polaris docked in Cleveland. Setting sail from Toronto, the Viking Cruise “Great Lakes Collection” has welcomed Cleveland as its representative of Lake Erie. Overall, this voyage will follow a 15-day itinerary that also features the Great Lakes areas of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ontario. Through this collection, eight of ten Viking ships are going to find their place in Cleveland this year. Polaris marks the first.
Cleveland’s involvement here, though, is even more exciting than it seems. For one, Viking is best known for its luxury intra-European tours. North America is just now truly finding a place on the Viking itinerary, making Cleveland one of the rare few stops. Further, Cleveland had not been one of the original stops listed during the 2020 announcement of this tour. Rather, in February of 2022 Viking elected to add Cleveland due to its rich culture and history.
Along with these cruise stops come added at-port activities for the passengers, such as a tour through downtown, an “Arts and Parks” feature, and a “Taste of Cleveland” exposition. The city’s economy will reap benefits as visitors indulge in Cleveland culture. With visits to the Cultural Gardens, Museum of Rock and Roll, and diverse vendors at West Side Market, Viking’s 400 passengers will provide much business as they work their way through everything Cleveland has to offer.