The Norwegian-owned Viking Expedition cruise ship, Octantis, anchored way out in Thunder Bay on Wednesday morning, and bright orange passenger ships called tenders brought passengers under the double-leaf lifting bridge in to dock behind the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration building. Groups of about 120 passengers disembarked from the vessel on each trip in, while other passengers waited to board the next tender.

The Viking Octantis has been to a lot of places, including Antarctica, but this is her first time on the Great Lakes. Alpena was the sixth stop in her Great Lakes tour. The 665-foot cruise ship carries 378 passengers, many of whom had never been to Alpena.

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Each passenger could sign up for various excursions throughout the city and area, including a tour of the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, shipwreck tours on the Lady Michigan glass-bottom boat, chartered fishing with Wipe Out Charters, followed by cooking your catch at JJ’s Steak & Pizza House, tours of the two local breweries, Austin Brothers Beer Company and Hopside Brewery, and Thunder Bay Winery, and hiking out at North Point, owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy.

Courtesy Photo The Lady Michigan glass-bottom boat, seen at left, is dwarfed by the Viking Octantis Great Lakes cruise ship, anchored in Thunder Bay on Wednesday.

Theresa Nemetz owns Great Lakes Shore Excursions. She follows the route of the cruise ship on land, meeting up with the crew and passengers at each port along the way. She also coordinates the excursions that are planned for each destination.

“Definitely, one of the most popular things that we’re doing is the shipwreck tours on the glass-bottom boat,” Nemetz said.

Nemetz is based out of Milwaukee.

“I own a tour company in both Milwaukee and Chicago, and we started getting involved a couple of years ago with all the cruising on the Great Lakes,” she said. “We really recognized that there are so many amazing ports that we can go to.”

Wednesday’s weather was calm and sunny, so it was perfect for viewing the shipwrecks out in the bay on the Lady Michigan. But the temperature, although in the 50s, was still too brisk for some watery excursions such as kayaking or scuba diving, which may be offered in the summer. Lighthouse tours are also on the agenda once it gets warmer, as well as Great Lakes Air flights.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Viking Octantis passengers Jan and Mike Helmstetter of Norwalk, Ohio, pose for a photo on their first trip to Alpena.

Nemetz said she is always looking for more excursion ideas and tour guides to lead them. She said one of the ideas would be an art walk through downtown.

“We’ve been helping to find out what kind of shore excursions can we do in Alpena,” Nemetz said. “We have been hiring individuals in each city that can serve as our leads, that point person, locally.”

Stephanie Bender and her 18-year-old daughter Evelyn are the point people for guiding passengers to and from the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center. This is their part-time summer job, and they are excited about helping visitors enjoy their time in Alpena.

“She was looking for a summer job, and it popped up, and we like to travel,” Stephanie Bender said of her daughter. “Right now, we’re just helping people get where they need to go. Just smiling and saying ‘Good Morning.’ We’re trying to be good representatives of Alpena.”

She said her daughter Evelyn will likely be guiding people on the lighthouse tours once they open up.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Passengers of the Viking Octantis Great Lakes cruise ship tour the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center on Wednesday morning.

Passengers and crew members from all over the country and world converged on Alpena Wednesday.

“I think it’s so cool to be able to have a vessel like this to go on the Great Lakes,” said Jan Helmstetter. “We’ve never done all the Great Lakes.”

She and her husband Mike are from Norwalk, Ohio. They had planned to go on a European cruise a couple of years ago, but the pandemic halted that trip. So instead, they decided to tour the Great Lakes, and they are elated that they chose Viking cruises.

“Viking is just the Cadillac of any cruise line,” Jan Helmstetter said.

She was impressed with the amenities and the live entertainment. She added that it is a more relaxing and laid-back atmosphere than some other cruises they’ve been on.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley The bright orange Viking Octantis tender brings about 120 passengers to the Maritime Heritage Trail on Wednesday morning.

“We are fortunate to be a port stop here, and that the passengers are able to get off the cruise ship and explore Northeast Michigan and the amazing things to do here,” said Jeff Gray, superintendent of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. “I think that’s a great way for people to discover it. When you think of all the different places that Viking could stop in the Great Lakes, they picked Alpena. That’s a huge deal.”

While this was the first trip to Alpena for the Viking Octantis, it certainly won’t be the last, as the cruise ship is scheduled to come back seven more times this season. And plans are in the works for twice as many cruises next year, Nemetz said.

“Viking Expedition’s ship is purpose-built to explore both Antarctica and the Great Lakes,” said Stephanie Gandulla, resource protection coordinator for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. More information on the research projects will be forthcoming upon a future Viking Octantis visit.

“NOAA has a relationship with Viking to conduct science,” Gray added. “So, this is not your typical cruise ship. It’s an expeditionary ship. It is fully equipped to conduct cutting-edge science, not just with the equipment, but with actual scientists on board. They are conducting real science to help us better protect the sanctuary.”

The ship will return on May 10 and 18, with more visits planned for the summer.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Passengers of the Viking Octantis Great Lakes cruise ship walk down the Maritime Heritage Trail toward the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center on Wednesday morning.

To find out where the Viking Octantis is right now, and where she’s been, check out cruisemapper.com.