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Study underway on potential cruises in Buffalo

These cruises would be smaller and more expensive than the typical cruise ship.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — When most people think about taking a cruise, the last place they think of is Buffalo.

But according to Mark Wendel of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, that could soon be a new sight on Buffalo’s waterfront.

For the past few months the city has been entertaining the idea making Buffalo a port city for Great Lakes cruises and has commissioned a study to determine whether that option is viable. 

Moffatt & Nichol is the firm conducting that study, and a representative from the group — Scott Lagueux — addressed the public Thursday about what they are looking for during their research. 

“Given the size and scale of this community, and the types of vessels that are out there, and the type of value proposition that they have, we think Buffalo should be right in the mix,” he said.

Cruise ships are already on the Great Lakes, hitting cities like Duluth and Milwaukee. In fact, in the 2023 season, the Great Lakes cruising industry is projecting 25,000 passengers.

However, these aren’t the average 6,000-person Carnival Cruise ships. These boats by luxury cruise lines like Viking and Vantage fit just 100 to 200 passengers and can pack a punch in your wallet, costing anywhere between $500 to $1,000 each day — two-to-four times the cost of the average cruise.

“These folks tend to be a little bit older, a little more affluent,” Lagueux said. “And they're definitely looking for heritage, culture and certain experiences that kind of fit the bill.”

Part of the study — which is expected to conclude in November or December — is determining which cruise lines would be the best fit for Buffalo. Moffatt & Nichol is also examining different port options lie the DL&W terminal. 

But ultimately, as the city continues to pour resources into developing the waterfront, the hope is that this new industry will offer a return on that investment.

“It's not always the the impact of that one-day trip, two-day trip of these boaters getting off and learning to walk around the city,” said Mark Wendel, Senior Director of Design at the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation. “It's about them being excited about coming back to Buffalo on a different vacation on a different trip.”

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