First Cruise Ship Docking in Buffalo in Decades

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that American Cruise Lines’ new small ship, American Patriot, a 130 passenger, U.S. flagged cruise ship, will arrive in Buffalo this evening, marking the first cruise ship to visit Buffalo in decades. It will be docked until May 30 at a temporary berth at the Erie Street dock, near Erie Basin Marina. While in Buffalo, passengers aboard the American Patriot are expected to tour the world-renowned Buffalo AKG Art Museum, explore the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, wander the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Garden, take architectural tours of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House, take in the city’s history on Explore Buffalo walking tours and experience the majesty of Niagara Falls via curated excursions. B-roll and image for American Patriot, American Cruise Lines’ newest small ship sailing the Great Lakes in 2026 (Credit: American Cruise Lines).

“Today we are embarking on a new chapter for Buffalo’s waterfront,” Governor Hochul said. “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 said, “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.”

This year, American Cruise Lines is running seven cruises that embark or disembark from Buffalo: the 9 day/8 night Great Lakes & Thousand Islands Cruise that operates between Syracuse and Buffalo and explores the Thousand Islands, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and the company’s signature, 800-mile, 14 day/13 night American Great Lakes Cruise that operates between Buffalo and Milwaukee, Wisconsin and explores Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Both cruises have reverse itineraries available, and most dates in 2026 are already sold out. Dates for 2027 and 2028 have already been set and are available to book now.

Buffalo will also serve as both an embarkation and disembarkation port for American’s 2026 Great Lakes cruises, and the company offers an included hotel stay on all their U.S. cruises, so guests automatically have extra time to explore local areas before departures, as well as during the cruises. Each itinerary is comprised of days filled with excursions, and time spent cruising the magnificent lakes, including curated enrichment onboard. All itineraries begin, end and remain in the U.S., making a passport or international flight unnecessary for American travelers.

American Patriot is fully stabilized for smooth sailing and accommodates 130 guests. The new ship features private balcony staterooms including suites, and singles available, plus many amenities like spacious lounges including a top deck lounge and walking track, a main restaurant with views from every seat, a casual café, chart room, fitness center, laundry room and elevators to all decks. Take the 360-degree, virtual ship tour.

This announcement marks the first time in decades that an American-built and flagged cruise ship will offer domestic cruises in the growing Great Lakes cruise market. Without the need to cross borders, the new cruises are a completely unique experience apart from all other cruise lines currently on the Lakes. Where other ships dock at ports intended for foreign ships and international entry, American Cruise Lines can dock in the heart of small towns, city parks and private marinas for an authentic and exclusive experience not available with any other cruise line.

Visit Buffalo, the official destination marketing organization for Buffalo and Erie County, will welcome the cruise ship passengers along with a team of volunteers as they disembark, as well as help connect them to local experiences and restaurants. Their mobile visitor information center will be parked onsite to help provide information about Buffalo.

Visit Buffalo President & CEO Patrick Kaler said, “The arrival of cruise ships to Buffalo harkens back to the city’s past, when passenger steamboats ferried thousands of passengers between Buffalo, Cleveland, and Detroit in the early 1900s. The return of cruise ships to Buffalo emphasizes the resurgence of interest in the city as a tourist destination. These passengers will experience the Queen City’s cultural institutions and culinary offerings and share the word once they’re back home.”

Visit Buffalo has created a landing page with information for both cruise ship passengers and locals. Visitors to the page can find the upcoming cruise schedule, as well as the best places to watch the ships come in and out, and guides for passengers on what to see and where to eat.

Last week, Governor Hochul revealed the renderings for a transformative cruise ship terminal on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor, marking a new chapter for the city’s waterfront. It will open at Slip 2 parcel on Fuhrmann Boulevard, the former site of the Pier Restaurant, for the 2028 summer season.

In 2022, Governor Hochul announced an initiative to establish a Great Lakes cruise terminal in Buffalo. Cruise lines have been touring the Great Lakes for years, but have been bypassing Buffalo as they travel between Toronto and Cleveland. In 2024, ECHDC completed a Market Demand Study for the cruise ship industry in Buffalo that focused on the potential and viability for Buffalo to become a destination for cruise lines already touring the Great Lakes. The study also analyzed six potential locations along the Buffalo waterfront that could support both American and international cruise operations and recommended the south berth space of Slip 2. The site was discussed and agreed upon by necessary security agencies and will have a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility to handle international flag ships. ECHDC used this study to initiate conversations with nearly all major Great Lakes cruise lines to bolster the city’s potential as a cruise destination. ECHDC has received two commitment letters from Great Lakes cruise lines to add Buffalo to their travel itineraries.

While a small subset of the cruise ship industry, the Great Lakes cruise sector has nearly tripled its total passenger numbers — from 9,000 in 2010 to more than 25,000 in 2023. The post-COVID growth of the industry is expected to continue, with larger numbers of passengers, vessels, revenues and related activities in Great Lakes port cities. Cleveland, Milwaukee, Duluth, Detroit and other coastal cities are already taking advantage of these upward trends. Buffalo’s strategic position at the southern end of the Welland Canal — the only access point for cruise ships into the Great Lakes from the St. Lawrence River — coupled with its unique attractions and assets, make the destination a logical stopover point. Given Buffalo’s variety of tourist sites, airports, hotels and access to consumers within a four to six-hour drive, the community has in place the infrastructure necessary to support homeport status, meaning a place where cruises can start or finish, as well as a host of local activities for passengers.

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “The arrival of American Cruise Lines is a direct result of New York’s strategic investments in our tourism infrastructure and waterfront revitalization. By establishing Buffalo as a key port of call, we are tapping into the rapidly growing Great Lakes cruise market and creating a ripple effect of economic opportunity for local businesses and cultural landmarks.”

Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Chairperson Joan Kesner said, “Seeing a passenger ship of this caliber docked in Buffalo is a milestone moment for ECHDC and the entire Buffalo community. After years of studying the market and advocating for Buffalo’s inclusion in Great Lakes itineraries, it is rewarding to see Governor Hochul and ECHDC’s hard work literally pull into port. This is just the beginning; as we move forward with the permanent terminal at Slip 2, Buffalo will solidify its status as a world-class homeport for travelers seeking the beauty of our Great Lakes.”

City of Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said, “This announcement is a proud moment for Buffalo and another sign that our waterfront is gaining traction. Welcoming the first cruise ship to our city in decades will give visitors from across the country a chance to experience everything Buffalo has to offer — from our architecture and arts scene to our historic neighborhoods, our waterfront and our incredible people. Capturing the growing interest in Great Lakes cruises will help boost Buffalo’s tourism economy and create even more momentum to invest in our waterfront.”

State Senator April N.M. Baskin said, “The arrival of the American Patriot marks an exciting new chapter for Buffalo’s waterfront and tourism economy, reclaiming Western New York as a first-class destination on the Great Lakes. Welcoming new visitors to our city gives us the opportunity to showcase everything Western New York has to offer — from our incredible arts, architecture and history to our thriving small businesses and hospitality industry.”

Assemblymember Jonathan D. Rivera said, “Buffalo’s waterfront has always been one of our region’s greatest assets, and today’s arrival of the American Patriot marks an exciting new chapter in reconnecting our city to the Great Lakes tourism economy. As Chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on Regional Tourism, I’m proud to support investments that showcase Buffalo’s world-class arts, architecture, history and natural beauty to visitors from across the country. Bringing cruise passengers directly into the heart of our city will strengthen local businesses, create new economic opportunities and continue the momentum behind Buffalo’s waterfront renaissance.”

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz said, “The arrival of the cruise ship in Buffalo is warmly welcomed because it means new visitors to Erie County who are ready to experience all that our region has to offer. I once again thank Governor Hochul for her long-term vision in helping to re-establish Buffalo as a destination for travelers and we look forward to future visits from cruise ship passengers later on this summer.”

About American Cruise Lines

American Cruise Lines is the largest river cruise line in the U.S.A., with 28 small ships and 50+ domestic itineraries on the Mississippi River, the Columbia and Snake Rivers, the Great Lakes, and protected waterways around the country, from Alaska to Florida. The company has a 50-year history of introducing award-winning small ships that sail exclusively in the United States. Today, American has the only 100 percent U.S.-flagged fleet of riverboats and small ships in the world. Operating in 35+ states year-round, American’s 2026 itineraries include bucket-list National Parks cruises and Extended Cruises honoring the country’s 250th birthday.

About Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation

The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) is governed by a nine-member board consisting of seven voting directors and two non-voting, ex-officio directors. The seven voting directors are recommended by the New York State Governor and are appointed by the New York State Urban Development Corporation d/b/a Empire State Development as sole shareholder of ECHDC. The two non-voting, ex-officio director positions are held by the Erie County Executive and the City of Buffalo Mayor.

As a subsidiary of Empire State Development, the state’s chief economic development agency, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation supports and promotes the creation of infrastructure and public activities at Canalside, the Ohio Street corridor and the Outer Harbor that is attracting critical mass, private investment and enhancing the enjoyment of the waterfront for residents and tourists in Western New York. Its vision is to revitalize Western New York’s waterfront and restore economic growth to Buffalo based on the region’s legacy of pride, urban significance, and natural beauty.