Grande Mariner to Visit Port of Duluth-Superior

The Grande Mariner, a 183-ft., 100-passenger U.S. cruise vessel, is scheduled to make her third visit to the Port of Duluth-Superior on July 22. The vessel is scheduled to arrive at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) dock at approximately noon on Thursday, where it will be greeted by a welcoming ceremony that will include the Duluth Community Band. The Grande Mariner, which called at Duluth twice last year, is visiting the Port this month as part of a “Lake Superior Grande Tour” offered by American Canadian Caribbean Line (ACCL). The Port of Duluth-Superior will be used as a debarkation/embarkation point for the cruise vessel, which is scheduled to depart at noon on July 25 with new passengers. This tour for the vessel commences in Chicago, Ill., and ends in Warren, R.I. It include stops at Manistee, Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie, Munising, Marquette, Houghton, Grande Marais, the Apostle Islands and Bayfield (in addition to Duluth-Superior). Ranked at two-plus stars by the Berlitz Guide, the Grande Mariner was built in 1998 at Blount Industries, Inc., Warren, R.I. Vessel features include a patented bow ramp that allows passengers to disembark without the need for docks, a draft that allows the vessel to access shallow waterways, a retractable pilot house ideal for sailing under low locks and a swimming platform at the stern.