The Ocean Navigator cruise ship is planning to dock twice in Houghton during the summer. The cruise ship visited the Great Lakes for its inaugural visit last year and will be returning to dock in Houghton on June 8 and 12.

HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) - The American Queen Voyages cruise ship ‘Ocean Navigator’ plans to make two stops in Houghton this summer.

It will dock on June 8 then again the following week on June 12.

According to Houghton City Manager Eric Waara, the ship will arrive around 8a.m. and will leave in the evening for both stops.

The ship visited the Great Lakes last summer for the first time, letting passengers get off and explore.

“Some of them will go on excursions around the Keweenaw,” said Waara. “But a lot of them last summer elected to stay in town because it’s summer in Houghton, and there’s a lot to see and do.”

At 286 feet in length, the ship can hold more than 200 guests. According to Waara, the ship will be able to dock at the city’s new pier.

“This year, we have the asset in that we can dock them at the pier,” continued Waara. “While the pier wasn’t built as a cruise ship dock, we did add elements to it that you could use to dock a cruise ship there if one came in. So we can bring those passengers right into the middle of downtown.”

However, Waara also says that these may not be the only visits.

“They just might want to make an unscheduled stop,” added Waara. “A lot of times I’ve heard that you’ll get a call two or three days ahead of time, saying ‘Hey! Can you take us in on Thursday?’ So, we may see that this summer.”

Waara finished by saying Houghton residents will be informed of any other cruise ship arrivals. Residents can check out the city’s Facebook page or website news page for any updates.

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