by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Wed May 3, 2023
Viking Cruises is doubling its capacity along the Great Lakes with the debut of the Viking Polaris, which arrived in Toronto on May 3.
The new ship is identical to the Viking Octantis, which debuted in the Great Lakes in 2022 as the first Viking ship to sail in the region. It offers space for 378 guests and will sail all five Great Lakes beginning in May through September 2023.
The two ships are some of the most notable sailing the Great Lakes and are expected to expand cruise tourism significantly in destinations like Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario.
The line is offering two new itineraries to choose from this year. A new 15-day itinerary, Great Lakes Collection, visits the new-to-Viking destination of Cleveland, Ohio. The other new itinerary is the Canada & Atlantic Coastline itinerary, a 16-day voyage from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale. There are currently six Great Lakes itineraries to choose from.
Viking’s epic Longitudinal World Cruises also set sail from Milwaukee and Duluth onboard the Octantis and Polaris. In September, the Viking Polaris will set sail from Duluth to Ushuaia, while the Octantis will set sail from Milwaukee to Ushuaia. In October 2024, the Polaris will sail from Milwaukee to Ushuaia on the fourth edition of the 65-day world cruise.
Both ships conduct research for the NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. Both ships are NOAA-certified weather balloon stations.
"We are proud to welcome both of our expedition ships to the Great Lakes. With historic canals that are engineering marvels, cities with thriving arts and culture and unmatched wilderness, this is a phenomenal region of North America that may be familiar to many—but few have had the opportunity to explore," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "After our first full season of Great Lakes voyages in 2022, we are grateful for the warm welcome we received from each destination and look forward to introducing even more curious travelers to the region this season and in the years to come."
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