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Beginning May 14th, American Queen Voyages cruise ship will dock at Escanaba’s North Shore Marine Terminal with approximately 200 passengers.  When the cruise ship passengers disembark the ship, many will board a bus to head off to shop Escanaba businesses. The Chamber of Commerce is looking for tour guides to help acquaint our visitors with our beautiful waterfront community!

Tour guides will ride in the front of a chartered bus, and utilizing a “script,” will talk on a microphone to the guests about the Delta County areas they are visiting. If you are interested in riding in the front of the bus and describing the points of interest and a bit of Delta County history to the cruise ship guests on the mornings of the cruise ship dates, please fill out the form below.  Training will be provided prior to the arrival of the first ship and guides will be compensated for their time.

Cruise ship passengers will be able to take a ‘Hop On Hop Off’ bus route once they step off the ship at 8:30 am at the dock.  The buses will be moving passengers along Ludington Street to the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds.  Cruise guests will have the choice to hop on and hop off the bus at various locations on the route.

In the afternoon, the bus will take guests to the Potawatomi Heritage Center in Hannahville with a cultural experience provided by the Woodland Sky Native American Dance Company. This will also provide an opportunity for guests to stop at the Island Resort and Casino in Harris.

An optional premium experience for guests will be an afternoon craft beer and wine bus tour from 12:30 to 4 p.m. with stops at Leigh’s Garden Winery, Hereford and Hops, Upper Hand Brewery, and Northern Sun Winery.

Another optional premium experience for cruise ship guests will be a U.P. Timber Life excursion with a tour of the MSU Upper Peninsula Forestry Innovation Center (apx. 7.5 miles from Escanaba), where cruise ship guests will learn about the production of maple syrup, tour the maple sugarhouse, and sample maple syrup and candy.  The U.P. Timber Life excursion will end at the UP State Fairgrounds with the Great Lakes Timber Show.

After the May 14 visit, the next date that AQV cruise ships will be docked in Escanaba is Thursday, May 18. The ships will visit on various days running through Oct. 2. Each ship will hold up to 202 passengers per trip; the cruise line’s 28 visits will have a projected economic impact of $1.25 million to the Escanaba area.

Guides will be compensated.