Thunder Bay Opens 2026 Cruise Season as Victory II Arrives
For the first two-ship day on June 19, Victory II is due at Keefer Terminal while Viking Polaris docks at Pool Six.
Thunder Bay opened its 2026 cruise season Friday. The Victory II arrived at Pool Six at 11 a.m., the first call in a 10-visit schedule for the northern Ontario port. Tourism Thunder Bay expects calls this year from vessels operated by Viking, Pearl Seas and Victory Cruise Lines, bringing about 3,000 passengers and more than 420 crew members for an estimated $1.5 million local economic impact.
The call count is below a 13-call season cited by city officials, but the program still gives Thunder Bay a defined Great Lakes cruise schedule with both city calls and nearby Silver Islet activity. Eight Silver Islet stops are being coordinated by Embark Port Services.
Operators, ships and local impact
City tourism manager Paul Pepe said the ships scheduled for Thunder Bay this year include Victory II, Pearl Mist, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. The Victory II was scheduled to depart Friday night for Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., followed by Green Bay, Muskegon and Chicago, Capt. Vlad Ene said aboard the ship.
“It’s a very nice pier, one of the best in the Great Lakes,” Ene said of Thunder Bay’s cruise infrastructure.
Pepe said itinerary adjustments are normal for the cruise lines serving the Great Lakes market, where repeat customers often return to the same operators but look for changing routes. “Whether we have 10 visits, whether we have 15 visits, it all generates a positive economic impact in our community,” he said.
Embark Port Services is also part of the local delivery network for cruise guests in Thunder Bay and Silver Islet. Pepe credited Kerry Berlinquette and Sean Davies, co-owner and operator of Embark, for work supporting guest experiences in both locations.
Dockside services and passenger movement
Thunder Bay has added more dockside services for the 2026 season, including free Wi-Fi for passengers and crew, a basketball net for crew use and a planned cornhole setup. “We have our tourism cabin again onsite with staff to help connect guests with information and things to do on their own should they choose,” Pepe said.
The Thunder Bay Cruise Ship Terminal at 53 South Water St. has a 900-foot pier and 27-foot draft for Seaway-compliant passenger vessels, with the location adjacent to Prince Arthur’s Landing and within walking distance of the city’s entertainment district. Pepe said trail upgrades around the facility have also been well received.
Most ships are expected to offer a downtown shuttle again this year, linking guests with the waterfront district, retail businesses and restaurants. Pepe said Monday and Tuesday calls have been more challenging because fewer businesses are open on those days, so Tourism Thunder Bay notifies the business community ahead of vessel arrival dates and times.
The season’s first two-ship day is scheduled for June 19, when Victory II is due at Keefer Terminal and Viking Polaris is scheduled to dock at Pool Six.
