Victory Cruise Line is seeing a big spike in new bookings for its Great Lakes cruises and owner John Waggoner knows why.
“I hear it every day: There’s a stalemate in Middle East and the airlines are raising fares and cutting flights.. People are cancelling plans for travel to places like Egypt or Jordan and they’re looking closer to home,” the founder and chairman of Victory said in Toronto at the launch of a new season of Great Lakes cruising. “There are 25 million people who live within a five hour drive of Chicago or Toronto where our ships ships sail from and you get to explore Canada and America in a new way. “
The trend is backed up by a survey by Longwoods International that found that a third of Americans report that higher gas prices are impacting their travel plans, up from just 21 per cent in March.
Twenty-seven per cent of travellers say that the war in Iran makes them less likely to travel internationally. Among those who reported the war is influencing their international travel, 40 per cent will postpone their international trips, 31 per cent will replace an international trip with a domestic one, and 19 per cent will cancel their international travel. Of those who intended to travel in the next six months, 41 per cent are now planning to travel to destinations closer to home.
To mark the opportunity for both Victory Cruise Lines and Port Toronto, Chairman and Founder John Waggoner welcomed aboard elected officials, port and tourism partners for a celebration. Dignitaries in attendance included Members of Parliament James Maloney and Chi Nguyen; Sally Davis Berry, Tourism Director of Cruise the Great Lakes and R.J .Steenstra, President and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority.
Great Lakes cruising is becoming more popular as holidayers chose to explore their own backyards rather than face the uncertainties of more distant travel, Sheenstra said. In 2025, this led to a successful cruise season at the Port of Toronto, where we were proud to welcome over 18,000 passengers, contributing to a record-breaking year in local tourism as reported by Destination Toronto.
In 2026, this is set to grow to 45 visits by cruise ships and 19,000 travellers. Cruise the Great Lakes, the region’s cruise marketing program, forecasts record growth in 2026, expected to exceed $300-million in economic impact, a 25 per cent increase from 2025, Davis Berry said.
“We’re proud to kick off Victory Cruise Lines’ second season on the Great Lakes and to once again call Toronto one of our most important homeports,” Waggoner said.
Now in its second season of operations, Victory offers more itineraries that visit all five Great Lakes in a single voyage than any other cruise line, with 35 itineraries scheduled to call on Toronto in 2026. Guests embarking from Toronto receive an included pre cruise hotel night in the heart of the city, providing time to explore its most popular attractions before setting sail.
The 190-guest Victory I and sister-ship Victory II were purpose-built for the Great Lakes. During a winter layup, both ships underwent enhancements to significantly upgrade guest areas including new furnishings, carpets and wall finishes, maing the 20-year-old ship appear almost brand new.
The 10-night itinerary on Victory I from Toronto to Chicago sails all five Great Lakes. Beginning with a pre-cruise hotel night in Toronto, guests experience the majesty of Niagara Falls from Port Colborne, then tours to cultural highlights in Cleveland and Detroit, a day on historic Mackinac Island, and another visiting the engineering marvels of the locks at Sault Ste. Marie. The itinerary also features stops in Escanaba and Milwaukee, before concluding at downtown Chicago’s Navy Pier.
Sailing onboard the Victory I is guest lecturer, award-winning photographer Gary Bogdon, whose work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, and USA Today. Guests will also have the unique opportunity to join Bogdon during select shore excursions, where he will provide hands-on guidance in framing, lighting, and storytelling through images.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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