The Town of Goderich will welcome a cruise ship to its shores in 2028.
The Goderich Port Management Corporation announced this week that it will be a port of call for Victory Cruise Lines in two years.
After years of lobbying to the Great Lakes Cruise Association, GPMC President Frank Hurkmans said they connected with the company at a conference in New England.
He shared that they hosted Shelly Hartfield, Victory's VP of Destinations on Wednesday and successfully reached a deal.
"She was in town yesterday, had a very exciting tour with the Mayor and myself in regards for what could be done for excursions and sights to be seen, and to say the least, she was blown away with the cleanliness of the community and cleanliness and organization of the port," he said. "They have committed to two ports of call for 2028, on July 4 and July 16."
The Victory II will stop in Goderich on the eighth day of a round-trip journey from Chicago through the Great Lakes.
The ship will arrive at Dock 2, which is directly across from paid parking, in close proximity to the beach. The cruise ship will stop there for about 10 hours.
Hurkmans said this gives them a chance to learn where improvements need to be made before exploring a larger deal.
"It really gives us a great opportunity to walk before we run in this sector," he said. "We want to make sure that we welcome the first vessel in the right way, because you only get one chance to make a first impression. We will really highlight what the Town of Goderich can do from a patron perspective in welcoming folks that will be aboard that vessel."
This is the first cruise ship the port will host since Hurkmans took over as president.
He noted in the past, there was a ship that came through Goderich, but excursions went mostly into Stratford. This time, he said the biggest beneficiary will be the local commerce sector.
"The overall benefit is to the merchants and the community. The port itself recognizes a nominal amount in regards to wharfage and things like that," he said. "But the real benefit is to get additional folks into the community, into the Square, and really with the hopes that seven or eight hour experience that they have in Goderich will bring them back for a week in years to come."
To learn more, visit the Goderich Port Management Corporation's new website.
