Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the Surprise Port City for Your Family’s Next Cruise Vacation

Mention domestic cruise ports and big-name cities like Miami, Seattle and New York come to mind. But cruising is not limited to ocean cruises and, looking inward, or in this case, inland, for an experience that gives you the cruising experience without having to hit the high seas just might give your family their next cruise vacation inspiration.

Like most ports, Port Milwaukee gets plenty of industrial use, but it is also the departure port for some pretty incredible Great Lakes cruise ships. Viking Expeditions offers multiday cruises departing from Milwaukee that take you on a tour of the Great Lakes with stops in places like Michigan’s Mackinac Island, Alpena and Detroit, before venturing into Canada with stops in places like Point Pelee and Niagara Falls in Ontario before finally ending in Toronto.

These Great Lakes cruises not only give the family a chance to spend a relaxing vacation enjoying all the amenities and entertainment cruise ships are known for, but these cruises also introduce kids to different states, incredible sites and even the opportunity to add a new country to their list of places visited.

But before your journey even begins, you’ll want to take advantage of Port Milwaukee’s great location. Situated in downtown Milwaukee, the port is ideally located, so you’ll be able to enjoy all the great sites and attractions the city has to offer, like the Riverwalk along the waterfront; interactive Betty Brinn Children’s Museum; Discovery Word, a science museum complete with an aquarium, a flight simulator and VR experiences; and Milwaukee Fire Department Museum, where kids can see vintage fire trucks and memorabilia inside an old fire station.