Cruise Ships Return to U.S. Port for the First Time in Over 20 years

A cruise ship will arrive in Buffalo, New York today which will mark the official return of cruising to the city for the first time in decades.

The U.S. flagged American Patriot will be docked in Buffalo until May 30 at a temporary berth at the Erie Street Dock. A transformative new cruise terminal will be built at Outer Harbour for future itineraries.

American Cruise Lines will have seven cruises that embark and disembark in Buffalo this year. This also marks the first time in decades that a U.S. flagged ship will offer domestic cruises in the Great Lakes market.

Their eight-night Great Lakes & Thousand Islands Cruise operates between Syracuse and Buffalo and explores the Thousand Islands, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The cruise line’s signature, 800-mile, 13-night American Great Lakes Cruise sails between Buffalo and Milwaukee, Wisconsin and explores Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.

Buffalo will also serve as both an embarkation and disembarkation port for American’s 2026 Great Lakes cruises, and they offer an included hotel stay on all their U.S. cruises.

Governor Hochul gave the following statement about cruise ships returning to Buffalo:

“Today we are embarking on a new chapter for Buffalo’s waterfront. As we welcome the American Patriot, we are bringing new visitors, new revenue, and a new sense of pride to Buffalo.

“This is the first of many arrivals that will showcase our world-class cultural institutions like the AKG and the Darwin Martin House to travelers from across the country. We are proving once again that Buffalo is a premier destination, and with our future cruise terminal on the horizon, the best is yet to come for the Great Lakes.”

American Cruise Lines President & CEO Charles B. Robertson added:

“American Cruise Lines is looking forward to calling on Buffalo with our small ship, American Patriot.” Buffalo’s investment in its waterfront inspires us to continue investing in our fleet on the Great Lakes. We are honored to be the first U.S. cruise line to visit Buffalo regularly and look forward to a growing partnership with the city.”