The Octantis, a Viking cruise ship and research vessel, is seen in Antarctica. The ship will make seven stops in Houghton as part of a Great Lakes cruise, with the first coming Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Viking via the Houghton Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — If people want to catch a glimpse of the cruise ship visiting the Keweenaw next week, the best vantage point on land might be the Nara Nature Park boardwalk.

Houghton City Manager Eric Waara provided an update on the cruise ship itinerary during Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting.

The Viking Octantis cruise ship and research vessel will come to the Houghton area June 1 for the first of its seven trips to the area this summer. The Victory cruise line will also make two stops this summer.

Original plans had called for the ship to arrive via the North Entry and dock near the Kestner Waterfront Park. The 665-foot expedition ship, too big to fit under the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, would have turned around to head back out to Lake Superior when leaving.

The revised itinerary sent last Thursday now has the ship docking near the U.S. Coast Guard Station Portage in Dollar Bay. Passengers will be tendered 3 miles to Houghton, where they will disembark at Bridgeview Park.

Passengers will have a number of options, whether seaplane tours of the Keweenaw, walking brewery tours or visits to the Quincy Mine Hoist and Seaman Mineral Museum.

“There’s going to be a lot of people visiting a lot of the things that we have,” Waara said. “That’s what’s really nice, is they’re going to be getting that little taste, and hopefully they’ll come back on their own sometime.”