THE expansion of cruising in North America’s Great Lakes region has prompted a revision of US Customs and Border Protection arrangements, with the aim of enabling more seamless cross-border travel between Canada and the US. The change, which coincides with the debut of Viking Cruises’ new Viking Octantis on the...
THE expansion of cruising in North America’s Great Lakes region has prompted a revision of US Customs and Border Protection arrangements, with the aim of enabling more seamless cross-border travel between Canada and the US.
The change, which coincides with the debut of Viking Cruises’ new Viking Octantis on the Great Lakes as well as several other additional vessels from other operators, has seen the establishment of new clearance facilities in Duluth, Minnesota as well as Cleveland, Ohio, on top of existing facilities in Detroi and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
The changes are the result of work by Great Lakes St Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, the American Great Lakes Ports Association and regional leaders, with the aim of providing more certainty for cruise ship operators and faster clearance times.
“Our region is a unique two-nation destination for cruise passengers,” said David Lorenz, Chair of Cruise the Great Lakes and VP of Travel Michigan.
“This is one of our greatest assets and now US Customs clearance facilities are well-placed to support excellent itineraries and market growth,” he said, saying that with almost 150,000 pax visiting Great Lakes Ports this year the region is “taking its place among the top cruising destinations in the world”.
