American Patriot Makes First Visit to Port of Milwaukee

Port Milwaukee with the city and art museum in the background
Cruise Industry Ports & Logistics The Americas
by Eve Church

American Cruise Lines’ American Patriot has made its inaugural call at the Port of Milwaukee.

The 130-passenger vessel, which entered service last year, arrived at Pier Wisconsin at 8 a.m. on June 24 and is scheduled to depart at 2 p.m. the following day.

According to a statement from the Port of Milwaukee, Mayor Cavalier Johnson welcomed the cruise line to the city as it begins operating its first-ever Great Lakes itineraries.

Milwaukee will serve as a turnaround port for two of those itineraries, with a total of eight turnaround calls planned during the 2026 season.

The Port of Milwaukee expects this year’s cruise season to be its busiest on record. The season began on April 23 and runs through the end of October, with passenger traffic forecast to nearly triple compared with previous years.

More than 20,000 cruise passengers are expected to pass through the port during the season, which will feature 63 ship calls by eight different vessels.