Victory Cruise Lines taps into rich port content to craft Great Lakes tours

'There is so much to see in every one of the ports we go to. We'll have lots of things for people to do,' he said.

Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Chicago for architecture buffs. Lighthouses and national parks. Horse-drawn carriage rides on Mackinac Island, the historic Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Detroit, Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Montréal's French flair, the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, glass-bottom boat tours over the wrecks off Thunder Bay, Milwaukee's Harley-Davidson Museum ... the list goes on.

Touring the ports

Waggoner and Bill Annand, VP marine operations, just returned from meeting with port directors around the Great Lakes to iron out the logistics for the season that starts in April 2025. Meanwhile, Shelly Hartfield, VP destinations, is making a series of trips to craft the included and premium excursions at each destination.

Shelly Hartfield is crafting Victory Cruise Lines' included tour at each port plus premium special access offerings

Must-sees and special access premium offerings

Victory is creating all tours in-house 'to make a better guest experience so we'll have repeat business and referrals,' Waggoner said. 'Profit is secondary. It's about the experience.'

Victory will provide the 'must-sees' in each place but Hartfield understands people also want exclusives so she's also developing intimate, special access offerings like a behind-the-scenes tour of Green Bay's Lambeau Field led by a former pro football player.

Besides the included tour at each stop, Victory's premium, small-group excursions will be limited to about a dozen participants and bookable in advance. Soon the cruise line's website will be updated with those.

Waggoner, whose company is Indiana based, credits the Great Lakes Cruise Association's Stephen Burnett for opening his eyes to the bounty the region has to offer during a familiarization trip some years ago.

History-rich

Now, the more Waggoner learns and personally researches, the more enthusiastic he gets. For example, he related some of the history behind the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, starting with Indian fur traders who portaged around the rapids. After iron and copper ore were discovered in upper Michigan in the mid-1800s, the first locks were built to transport it to Midwest steel mills, supporting the industrial revolution. As time went by, bigger locks were needed for bigger ore carriers, and the US Army Corps of Engineers took over operations and administration.

Also transiting the locks: submarines built in yards on the Great Lakes instead of at the seacoast, where they would be more exposed.

On his recent visit to Detroit, where Waggoner toured the Henry Ford Museum with its director, he learned about Ford's fascination with the power production and machinery needed to run his plants. And at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, a port on Victory's roundtrip Chicago itinerary focused on Lakes Michigan and Superior, the transition from big coal-fired steam locomotives to smaller, more powerful diesel engines is chronicled.

'Trains, planes, automobiles and boats all tie in extremely well with the whole experience we provide,' Waggoner quipped.

Fast start-up

Noting he just closed on the acquisition of the 190-passenger Victory I and Victory II 70 days ago, Waggoner recapped Victory Cruise Lines' flurry of activity. Bank and escrow accounts have been set up, along with the legal department, the reservations system, website and marketing materials. Sales opened in July.

Victory Cruise Lines' headquarters in New Albany, Indiana

Company headquarters reopened in a historic former department store on New Albany, Indiana's main street. The team is in place. All are veterans from Waggoner's prior company so 'there's no learning curve.' 

April 16 inaugural well-booked

Invitations went out to Steamboat Society of America loyalty members for the inaugural April 16, 2025 cruise from Portland, Maine to Toronto. The 11-night voyage will be hosted by Waggoner and wife Claudette.

Some team members were skeptical about marketing an early-season cruise through Nova Scotia and the St. Lawrence Seaway to Toronto, concerned about the cold. Waggoner brushed that off.

'It's such a beautiful part of the world. Hardly anybody gets to go around Nova Scotia and into the St. Lawrence Seaway,' he said, adding that the cold was no concern when Victory operated in Alaska. 

'We'll have a good time. There will be a lot of interesting content and enrichment. We're excited about it and it's great to see the enthusiasm from all our past guests, press, tour operators and travel agents and groups coming back.' Just 22 cabins remain.

Naming festivities in Toronto April 27

Waggoner's daughter Emily will be the godmother for Victory I's naming festivities April 27 in Toronto.

Victory Cruise Lines' core itinerary visits all five Great Lakes and sails Toronto-Chicago or Chicago-Toronto

Core itinerary — all five Great Lakes

From there begins Victory Cruise Lines' core 10-night itinerary.

'Our most popular trip has always been Chicago-Toronto and Toronto-Chicago,' Waggoner said. 'You get to hit all five Great Lakes and such key cities, from departing Chicago's Navy Pier (the only boat to do so) with that great vibe and the views of the skyline, Escanabia, Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie, Detroit, Cleveland, Niagara Falls then Toronto.'

Crazy idea?

Another itinerary, 15 nights roundtrip Chicago, goes deep into Lake Superior. There, Waggoner's mulling what he called one of his 'crazy ideas.' Inspired by his son-in-law Brendan, a Navy engineer, he's considering deploying an ROV to some of the historic wrecks to broadcast images onto big screens in the main lounge.

Victory Cruise Lines' roundtrip Chicago itinerary goes deep into Lake Superior

NYC travel advisor event

To get the word out about Victory's inaugural season, Waggoner looks forward to sharing his zeal for the Great Lakes at a travel advisor event in New York City next month.

It's being put together by Bob Salmon, head of sales, and Kari Tarnowski, head of marketing, and a special meal is planned.

Victory I already operating on charter

Meanwhile, Victory I is already operating on a charter, providing housing to a dredge company working on MSC Ocean Cay Marine Reserve in the Bahamas. It will be there 60 to 90 days, with an option to extend.

Waggoner's pleased; the charter means immediate cash in the door and it was a chance to get the vessel back in class, get the crew aboard and 'get the mechanical kinks out.' Internal renovations can continue since not all staterooms are being used.

Victory II remains in Portland, where it's undergoing work. That vessel's naming festivities are planned for May 12 at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

Inclusives and $1,000 savings

Victory fares include a pre-night hotel and transfers, a shore excursion at every port, unlimited beverages and Wi-Fi. Prices start at $5,799 per person, double occupancy, with $1,000 inaugural season savings per person.

Close-to-home alternative

'With global unrest, people still want to travel but are willing to stay closer to home,' Waggoner said. He touts the Great Lakes as ideal for even the most seasoned travelers, especially the rare exploration into Lake Superior.

'I'm excited there is so much content. It varies so much,' he said.