MUSKEGON, Mich. — Cruise ships are a big tourist attraction for West Michigan. Ships often make a stop on Lake Michigan's shoreline.
"To see them just come in the dock, they are just fascinating," Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Larsen said.
These ships are more than fascinating. They're becoming a driver of the West Michigan economy.
"We saw more people this year than we did the year before," Unruly Kitchen Owner Paul Jachim said.
The brewery and restaurant owner has noticed a difference in the number of customers ever since these cruise lines started sailing into Muskegon.
"Summers are so busy down here. Muskegon is slowly becoming a tourist attraction, a lot like Grand Haven in Holland," Larsen said.
Those tourists are making an impact. Larsen says she estimates around $700,000 comes into West Michigan.
"This really opened up a whole new audience for us, and they are national and international," she added.
Ships like the Pearl Mist and the Ocean Navigator stop inside the port here in Muskegon - often carrying a little over 200 people on board.
The chamber shares that regionally, nearly 25,000 passengers made 800 visits to Great Lakes ports in 2023, an increase of more than 20% from last year. A season typically starts in May and goes until September.
"We've gotten people from, from Europe in here. There was a couple from Japan here who were on the cruise ship. And it was so cute. They were sitting there. They were probably 67 years old. And one of our favorite favorite sandwiches here is the adult girl cheese. And she's taken a picture biting it, making a peace sign, and their husbands taking selfies with them. And it was it's the cutest thing ever to see," Jachim said.
Larsen explains she hopes more people are ready to see what West Michigan offers.
