Milwaukee, Wisconsin Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee offers a blend of stunning natural beauty, big city arts, exciting entertainment, and Midwestern charm. The city’s downtown area is home to many of the best restaurants, bars, event venues, hotels and recreational activities throughout the entire Great Lakes region. Immediately accessible from the downtown Pier Wisconsin cruise dock, a riverwalk connects the city’s East Side neighbourhood with the historic Third Ward district, featuring the lively Milwaukee Public Market. Milwaukee is home to the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum and the Milwaukee Art Museum with its iconic wings, designed by internationally renowned architect and sculptor Santiago Calatrava. Milwaukee currently hosts six cruise lines, including Viking Cruises, Pearl Seas Cruises, American Queen Voyages, Ponant, Vantage Travel and Plantours. Thanks to these operators, Milwaukee estimates that over 12,000 passengers will have travelled throughout the city via a Great Lakes cruise ship in 2022. Pearl Seas Cruises has entered into a 10-year agreement with the port at Pier Wisconsin, while the City Heavy Lift Dock is the current berth of Viking Octantis. Port Milwaukee is working to build a new cruise ship dock to accommodate vessels at a conveniently accessible location in the city’s outer harbour. Under the leadership of Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Port Milwaukee has received $4 million in grant funds from the State of Wisconsin to construct new infrastructure at South Shore Cruise Dock that will welcome international tourists for decades to come. Once construction at South Shore Cruise Dock is complete, vessels like Viking Octantis will have another dockside infrastructure option for cruise ship itineraries travelling to Milwaukee. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is located a short eight-mile drive from downtown, making it an easy trip no matter where cruise guests are travelling from. The city also boasts ample access to the interstate, passenger rail to regional hotspots, a cross-lake ferry service, and local roadway connections. COVER STORY Photo: Jonathan Elliott 2 4
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