Duluth Embarks on New Era in Great Lakes Passenger Cruising

The July 4th arrival of the Clelia II ushered in a new era of luxury passenger cruise service for Duluth and the Great Lakes. This, her maiden voyage on our inland waterway, was the first of 12 seven-day, one-way trips between Toronto and Duluth this year. Based on the success of this venture, Travel Dynamics International (TDI) is already booking Great Lakes expedition cruises aboard the Clelia II for 2010.

Cruise vessels have periodically called on the Twin Ports, but it has been decades since Duluth has enjoyed regular service or served as an origin/destination hub. Maritime and tourism industry leaders worked collaboratively with government officials for nearly two years to make this a reality (including Great Lakes Cruising Coalition, Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Visit Duluth, Great Lakes Aquarium, the DECC, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Coast Guard, City of Duluth, Monaco Air Duluth, Daniel’s Shipping Services, General Security Services Corp., UWS Transportation and Logistics Department, offices of Congressman Jim Oberstar and former Senator Norm Coleman). An interim CBP Federal Inspection Station was created at the Great Lakes Aquarium where officers cleared disembarking passengers.

In addition to Duluth and Toronto, passengers aboard the Clelia II visited many points of interest on their voyage through the Great Lakes, including:

• Port Weller/Welland Canal/Niagara Falls

• Little Current, Manitoulin Island, Ontario

• Mackinac Island, Michigan/Soo Locks

• Houghton/Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan

• Thunder Bay, Ontario/Old Fort William