THUNDER BAY — Two cruise ships are currently visible in Lake Superior.
The Viking Octantis is docked at Pool 6, and the Viking Polaris is parked outside the breakwater walls.
According to the city's tourism manager, Paul Pepe, it is a first for Thunder Bay that two cruise ships have layovers at the same time.
Pepe said the Viking Polaris is using shuttle boats to bring guests to shore at Pier 3.
"They're using their tenders on the vessel, which are the big orange boats that you see hanging off the side . . . to bring their guests ashore. We're using Pier 3 for that, and that's working incredibly well."
Pepe said the marina easily accommodates both ships.
"In the past, we've also used Keefer Terminal as a backup dock for cruise ships when we've had multiple ships on one day as well."
Pepe noted there are over 750 passengers between these two ships, plus at least 250 staff members.
"[Guests] want to learn about the area that they are visiting," Pepe said.
"They love the fresh air — they love the clean water that they experience here and the friendliness of the community. That is something that we really pride ourselves on here in Thunder Bay."
Some passengers noted they were disappointed to see the downtown area under construction but loved experiencing Thunder Bay nonetheless.
Last year, the multiple cruise ships that passed through Thunder Bay had an estimated $4.3 million impact on the local economy.
Pepe said an analysis will be conducted at the end of the season, and they'll consider ways to continually improve the experiences of guests and ship crews.
