The 210-passenger Pearl Mist cruise ship has made its third port call of the summer at Port Milwaukee near Discovery World.
The vessel docked Thursday morning and is expected to depart Friday or Saturday, said Jeff Fleming, spokesperson for Port Milwaukee.
Pearl Mist’s voyages on the Great Lakes include a regular route between Milwaukee and Toronto. It is part of the Pearl Seas Cruises small ship cruise line.
Passengers toured Milwaukee on Thursday and spent the final night of the cruise on board, Fleming said. A new set of passengers will embark before the ship makes it way back to Toronto.
“Milwaukee is becoming a turnaround port for cruise ships,” he said. “That’s a good thing because more people are coming into Milwaukee and they are perhaps spending the night at a hotel or eating at restaurants before going on the ship.”
Cruise ships pay $7.50 per passenger along with other docking fees to dock at Port Milwaukee, Fleming said. Being a turnaround port means ships pay double that amount.
Eleven port calls by cruise ships are expected at Port Milwaukee this season. That is more than double the number of stops by cruise ships in Milwaukee last year, and Fleming said the number will likely increase in future years.
Pearl Mist also docked in Milwaukee on June 11, July 3 and last year. It will return next month.
