Victory Cruise Lines is making Erie an official destination for tourists to explore in 2028.
On July 21, Victory Cruise Lines, along with the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority, Erie County Executive Christina Vogel, VisitErie, Presque Isle State Park and more joined together for a news conference at the Port Authority’s office at 1 Holland St.
During the conference, Shelly Hartfield, vice president of destinations for Victory Cruise Lines, confirmed that Erie will be a stop along the Great Lakes destinations, bringing thousands of tourists to explore the Erie area and what it has to offer.
“This is so exciting,” Julie Slomski, executive director of the Erie Port Authority said. “All of our partners here, everyone is so excited for folks to embrace Erie and see what we have to offer. And it’s coming. We’re so thankful for Victory to give us that first nod and to help a lot of these folks embrace Erie.”
The cruise line will begin making stops in Erie on July 21, 2028, two years from when the announcement was made.
A cruise destination in the making
Making Erie a destination for Victory took more than a year and a half of planning.
Victory officials first made a visit in March of 2025 to experience Erie and meet with Port Authority officials. With later stops and work going on behind the scenes, it became clear that Erie was going to be a destination.
It wasn’t until July that the destination was made official.
“It became obvious that we needed a cruise ship in Erie,” Hartfield said. “But it was really working on an itinerary that would allow us to do that. All five Great Lakes and eight states is the perfect opportunity to start in Erie with that itinerary. We’re very excited to bring guests to Erie.”
Even for officials in Erie, there was a lot of waiting and conversations behind the scene. Slomski, however, was thankful that Victory did most of the heavy lifting.
“It’s been coming for a long time,” Slomski said. “That’s why we’re so excited about Victory as it’s very minimal effort on our side. There’s no infrastructure, no construction or anything like that. We’ve been working on this with our team and working through the security side to ensure we are ready by 2028.”
What Victory Cruise Lines will bring to Erie
Bringing a new cruise ship to Erie means a boost in tourism, economics and recognition.
“We have 190 guests on board with the average age of 70 and well-traveled,” Hartfield said. “These guests will continue to see and learn the local culture. It’s a perfect fit to see what Erie can offer.”
For the local tourism organization, VisitErie, having a cruise ship make stops in Erie means the opportunity to show Erie in a different light.
“It will allow hospitality partners to shine when visitors come in 2028,” Mark Jeanneret, interim president and CEO of VisitErie said. “It’s an opportunity for us to show visitors Erie in a different way to a different audience. I give Shelly from Victory a lot of credit for recognizing what we have here and being able to push that agenda through. I can’t say enough about what our hospitality partners are doing and it’s a great opportunity for them to take advantage of a new audience.”
Jeanneret said that these cruises have a $300 million economic impact on the areas they stop in. Jeanneret said that economic information was estimated from all of the cruises in the Great Lakes combined in 2026, as provided by Sally Berry from Cruise the Great Lakes.
It’s not just about the economics or statistics for Erie tourism. Erie County Executive Christina Vogel said she believes that tourists will walk away from visiting Erie having experienced a difference.
That difference could mean culture, items you can only find in Erie, food and drink and more.
“Presque Isle, our sunsets, all of our local businesses …,” Vogel said. “We have the Hagen History Center, the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, all of these things will help them experience a part of Erie and want to come back.”
Another goal Erie officials are hoping for is to leave the tourists with a positive impression enough to make them want to come back on their own.
About Victory Cruise Lines
Victory Cruise Lines offers four cruise lines that make stops across the five Great Lakes and East Coast, ranging from Portland, Maine to Jacksonville to Chicago and multiple areas of Canada.
Fares range from $5,000 to $15,000, according to the cruise line’s website.
