How a small firm is winning Great Lakes cruises from Chicago
Victory Cruise Lines is capitalizing on Chicago's underused role in the great lakes cruise boom by docking smaller ships at Navy Pier while rivals anchor offshore or skip the city. With voyages up nearly 5% this year and Milwaukee outpacing Chicago, the local operator is one of the few ways to board a Great Lakes cruise in town.
Great Lakes tourism is surging again after pandemic-era shutdowns halted cross-border sailings between Canada and the United States. Yet Chicago, the largest U.S. city on the lakes, still punches below its weight as a cruise hub.
Key Takeaways
- Only Victory Cruise Lines docked at Navy Pier this year among Great Lakes operators serving Chicago.
- Navy Pier Marina cannot accommodate ships longer than 183 feet, pushing most lines to other ports or offshore tendering.
- Victory offers more than 20 voyages between Chicago and Toronto starting at $5,300, hitting all five lakes in 10 days.
- Milwaukee logged 64 cruise calls in 2025, nearly triple the prior year, after investing tens of millions in passenger infrastructure.
- Juvenile invasive carp were found closer to Lake Michigan than ever as federal work on a key barrier project was halted.
Why does Chicago lag behind other Great Lakes cruise ports?
Despite its size, Chicago sees far less cruise traffic than Milwaukee, Cleveland, or Toronto. Of the seven cruise lines sailing the Great Lakes this year, only Viking Cruises and Victory Cruise Lines included Chicago on their itineraries, and only Victory actually docked at Navy Pier.
Most vessels exceed Navy Pier Marina's capacity. The facility can only host ships shorter than 183 feet. Viking's larger ships anchored offshore this summer and tendered passengers to the pier for the first time, a workaround other lines may copy.
Milwaukee has spent tens of millions building docks for the largest ships allowed through the St. Lawrence Seaway, recording 64 cruise calls this year, nearly triple last year's total.
Who is Victory Cruise Lines and why can it dock at Navy Pier?
Launched in 2016 by John Wagoneer, Victory Cruise Lines operates two five-deck vessels, each carrying up to 190 guests. That compact footprint lets the company tie up directly at Navy Pier, a logistical edge no other operator currently matches in Chicago.
Stephen Burnett, former executive director of the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition, called the lakes the "last uncruised region of the world" in 2019. Starting at $5,300, Victory runs more than 20 voyages between Chicago and Toronto that visit all five Great Lakes within 10 days, with stops at Niagara Falls and Mackinac Island. For more regional travel coverage, see our Celebrity Breaking News hub.
What is putting pressure on the Great Lakes beyond tourism?
As cruise interest grows, the lakes face parallel environmental strain. The Trump administration halted construction on the $1.15 billion Brandon Road Interbasin Project in late July, a barrier at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois, designed to keep invasive bighead and silver carp out of Lake Michigan.
On August 14, Illinois officials announced crews had removed several hundred juvenile silver carp from the Illinois River, about 80 miles from Lake Michigan, the smallest invasive carp found that far upstream since monitoring began in 2010. Advocates warn the project protects a fishery valued at more than $5.1 billion, as the Detroit Free Press reported.
Where is Great Lakes cruising from Chicago headed next?
Navy Pier has evolved since 1916, but expanding cruise infrastructure remains a low priority. Viking plans routes through Chicago in 2027, and if demand keeps climbing, more lines may adopt anchor-and-tender service to reach the city without docking.
For now, Victory Cruise Lines dominates departures from Chicago, with late-summer and early-fall sailings still available. Travelers seeking a Great Lakes cruise that actually starts in the Windy City have limited options, and that is exactly the gap Victory was built to fill.