The 2026 Great Lakes cruise season is expected to be a 'strong year' for all the ports on the lakes, including Windsor-Essex, according to several industry groups.
Stephen Burnett, executive director of the Great Lakes Cruise Association based in Kingston, says everything they're seeing points to a strong year.
Burnett says a lot of the passengers signing up for a Great Lakes cruise are coming from the U.S., but they also see people from France, Germany, and Austria.
He says Windsor-Essex has great assets as a port of call.
"Historical assets with the War of 1812 fort nearby, you have a great War of 1812 story, of course," he says. "Then you have the winery component; you have the fabulous birding component. When you wrap all of that together, those are strong reasons for the owners of cruise ships to say, 'Yes, we'll dock at Windsor.'"
CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island Gordon Orr says they're also hearing that it's going to be a strong year with more ships visiting the region.
"We're going to see an increase of around 21 per cent. We're going from 14 last year to 17 this year, and that's a significant increase. The increase is primarily in the Leamington area, with the three extra cruise ships coming in this year going to be out there in the county, exploring Point Pelee National Park, outdoor adventure, scenery, and wineries," he says.
Orr says any growth is significant because most ships have a few hundred passengers.
"When you look at the niche market, which the cruising industry is, seeing any growth in that is significant indeed. That's why we're excited this year to see some growth because the last few years we've seen a little bit of a decline," he says.
Cruise the Great Lakes, based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is projecting an economic impact of over $300 million (US), an expected increase of nearly 25 per cent from 2025.
Seven cruise lines will operate 10 cruise ships on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawerance River this year.
Cruise the Great Lakes says more than 800 port visits are planned, which is nearly 15 per cent higher than last year, and that total cruise passenger traffic at ports on the Great Lakes will total over 175,000, up 15 per cent from 2025.