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ESCANABA -- In just 11 days, the first American Queen Voyages cruise ship will dock at Escanaba's North Shore Marine Terminal with approximately 200 passengers. When the cruise ship passengers disembark the ship, many will board a bus to head off to shop Escanaba businesses. The Chamber of Commerce is looking for tour guides to help acquaint our visitors with the community.
Tour guides will ride in the front of a chartered bus, and utilizing a "script," will talk on a microphone to the guests about the Delta County areas they are visiting. If you are interested in riding in the front of the bus and describing the points of interest and a bit of Delta County history to the cruise ship guests on the mornings of the cruise ship dates, stop in at the Chamber (1001 N. Lincoln Rd.), contact the Chamber at (906) 786-2192, or register online at deltami.org. Training will be provided prior to the arrival of the first ship and guides will be compensated for their time.
Chamber Executive Director Vickie Micheau encourages area business owners to consider opening their businesses by 8:30 a.m. on the days that the cruise ships dock in Escanaba - starting on Sunday, May 14.
"I'm confident that business owners in our waterfront community will plan ahead for visiting customers and be ready to serve our cruise guests this spring and summer," she said. "We hope this will be the first of what will hopefully be many stops for cruise ships in the years to come."
Cruise ship passengers will be able to take a 'Hop On Hop Off' bus route once they step off the ship at 8:30 a.m. at the dock on 1st Avenue North. The buses will be moving passengers along Ludington Street to the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds. Cruise guests will have the choice to hop on and hop off the bus at various locations on the route.
In the afternoon, the bus will take guests to the Potawatomi Heritage Center in Hannahville with a cultural experience provided by the Woodland Sky Native American Dance Company. This will also provide an opportunity for guests to stop at the Island Resort and Casino in Harris.
An optional premium experience for guests will be an afternoon craft beer and wine bus tour from 12:30 to 4 p.m. with stops at Leigh’s Garden Winery, Hereford and Hops, Upper Hand Brewery, and Northern Sun Winery.
Another optional premium experience for cruise ship guests will be a U.P. Timber Life excursion with a tour of the MSU Upper Peninsula Forestry Innovation Center (approximately 7.5 miles from Escanaba), where cruise ship guests will learn about the production of maple syrup, tour the maple sugarhouse, and sample maple syrup and candy. The U.P. Timber Life excursion will end at the Steam and Gas Engine with the Great Lakes Timber Show.
After the May 14 visit, the next date that AQV cruise ships will be docked in Escanaba is Thursday, May 18. The ships will visit on various days running through Oct. 2. Each ship will hold up to 202 passengers per trip; the cruise line's 28 visits will have a projected economic impact of $1.25 million to the Escanaba area.
Micheau added that she knows the local businesses will welcome our visitors this summer and serve them with kindness and professionalism. She reiterated her pride and thankfulness to the community for their continual support and dedication to the Delta County area.
"Our members are continually showing their ongoing commitment to our local area," she said. "Their support and dedication will undoubtedly make our waterfront community shine this summer when we welcome our cruise ship guests."
For more information on American Queen Voyages, visit their website: HYPERLINK “http://www.AQVoyages.com” www.AQVoyages.com, or call the Chamber at (906) 786-2192 or the Escanaba DDA at (906) 789-8696.