News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Kelly Bruning, owner of Soaps and Such in downtown Alpena, shows off some of the bath and beauty products people can make during workshops at her shop. Bruning hopes to work with Viking Cruises to offer the classes to passengers as an onshore excursion.

ALPENA — Thunder Bay and Alpena may be covered with ice and snow, but local leaders and business owners are already gearing up for the upcoming tourism season and the return of the Viking Cruise ships Octantis and Polaris.

Viking began making Alpena a part of its Great Lakes tour packages in 2022 with only nine stops, but feedback from passengers pushed the company to bump that total to 20 or more visits since 2023.

The list of excursions passengers can enjoy has also increased over the years and added an economic boost to the local economy.

This year, Viking has 20 stops in Alpena, beginning on April 26 and wrapping up the cruise season locally on Sept. 18.

The goal of local leaders is to make sure the ship’s passengers enjoy Alpena and all it has to offer and also spend some money while on shore.

Jeff Konczak and his wife Tina, who own Thunder Bay Shipwreck Tours, stepped to the plate to offer a variety of excursions for Viking’s customers. They purchased the glass bottom boat Lady Michigan to offer the popular shipwreck tours and had a custom ship constructed called the Tatt Katt, which can carry 48 passengers, kayaks, and gear, out into Thunder Bay. Konczak has also added some amenities in the rear of the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, which includes a pavilion and ice cream and gourmet hotdog shops.

Konczak said Alpena has become a favorite stop for Viking passengers and scores high when post-cruise surveys are submitted. He said that motivates Viking to keep Alpena on its itinerary, which is a local benefit in many ways.

“The obvious benefit for Alpena and its businesses is the dollars these passengers and the staff spend here when they get off the boat,” Konczak said. “More than 12,000 people come on shore from Viking and all of them have disposable income and they want to spend money. We need to take advantage of that.”

There is no shortage of onshore excursions passengers can enjoy in Alpena after the ship anchors in Thunder Bay. People can take a guided tour of downtown and through the natural resources of North Point, visit local breweries and wineries, tour the Great Lakes Maritime Museum, go fishing on a charter, or visit and tour the local lighthouses.

Konczak said many passengers decide not to add any of the pre-planned excursions to their itinerary and choose instead to explore the area on their own. He said that is something local businesses should plan ahead for and take advantage of. Konczak said it may also be a good idea for businesses to tweak business hours to capitalize on the influx of foot traffic and the purchasing power of the passengers.

“People want to have unique experiences and businesses,” he said. “Sometimes weather forces some of the excursions to be sidelined and we need to be prepared for that and find more things for them to do indoors. I encourage businesses to come up with cool ideas or experiences. Why would you not market yourselves to 12,000 people who want to spend money and come into your business?”

Kelly Bruning, owner and founder of Soaps and Such in downtown Alpena, said she has reached out to Viking to try to promote her classes and workshops.

She said her shop offers bath sugar and bath salt making classes, as well as a handful of other workshops where people can create custom bath and beauty products. Bruning said her vision is to have passengers partake in the classes and make memories while doing so.

“It would be extra revenue for us, but more importantly, it allows them to see what a small-town business is capable of as far as a unique type of experience that you can’t really get anywhere else,” she said.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent Jeff Gray said the sanctuary and the cruise line try to work with businesses in downtown Alpena and in other areas to coordinate when the cruise ship will be in Alpena to help them prepare and plan. He said making sure guests have a positive experience and leaving impressed, could pay dividends down the road.

“Each year we work with the downtown and businesses to better showcase the opportunity they have for the passengers and crew,” Gray said. “If we can showcase Alpena in one day what we have, it increases the chance that people will come back. I’m not sure many of the people would even know about Alpena if it wasn’t for the cruise ship.”

Konczak, who works closely with Gray and other administrators at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Centre and Viking, said other cruise lines and tour companies have taken notice of the success Viking has had by including Alpena on its long list of stops. He said there is work being done behind the scenes to lure other cruise lines to consider making Alpena a part of their cruise packages. Also, he said, there are talks about having more over-the-road tourism come to the area.

“There are efforts taking place for more cruise ship companies, but also bus tours,” Konczak said. “Getting Viking to come here took a long time and a lot of work and doing these types of things takes time, but we are all working on it. It is a long process.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.