The luxury cruise ship Clelia II has had a successful maiden season in Duluth and will return next summer with similar service, a trade organization official told the Duluth Seaway Port Authority today.

The first trip from Toronto to Duluth on July 4 had 79 guests onboard, and tallies in the 80s and 90s followed on subsequent trips, said Stephen Burnett, executive director of the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition. About 65 passengers will slip into Duluth on the ship’s fourth voyage Saturday.

After six trips to Duluth this summer, the 290-foot Clelia II, which is operated by Travel Dynamics International, plans to make five voyages in 2010, with tentative plans for six in 2011 and five in 2012, said Ron Johnson, trade development director for the port authority.

The ship can carry up to 100 passengers, but a fair number of the ship’s solo guests have purchased larger cabins for themselves, offsetting costs and capacity figures, Burnett said. A ticket can range from $5,000 to $12,000 for a one-way voyage.

“Most [trips] have been full or above breakeven,” Burnett told the port authority.

Initial costs of a one-way trip between Duluth and Toronto are about $63,000, Burnett said.

During Burnett’s presentation, the Seaway Port Authority Board of Commissioners discussed economic development opportunities for passengers connected to the cruises.

Johnson said a few passengers are staying in Duluth prior to or after their cruise.

“The key is that they are doing this on their own now, and we want the cruise operator to take advantage of this,” said Adolph Ojard, port authority director.

Burnett will return to Duluth in September with a few cruise ship owners and tour operators to explore expanding service to Duluth.

Fewer households in the Northland watched late weekday newscasts last month compared to July 2008, with KBJR-TV and WDIO-TV taking the biggest hit.

The NBC affiliate, Channels 6 and 11, dropped four ratings from 10 in July 2008 to 6 last month. The ABC afflilate, Channels 10 and 13, remained the market leader, but fell three ratings from 13 to 10.

A rating represents a percentage of the number of households in the market watching a channel. There are about 173,000 households in our market.

So, WDIO had an average of 17,300 households view its 10 p.m. newscast from Monday to Friday. KBJR had about 10,400 at 10 p.m. KQDS-TV Channel 21 had a five rating or 8,650 households at 9 p.m. The FOX affiliate, a news parter of the Duluth News Tribune, also had a 5 rating in July 2008.

Ratings across the market fell from 30 in July 2008 to 24 last month. The year-to-date high was 33 in March.

Households watching Sunday newscasts also dropped from 26 to 21 in the July comparison. WDIO had 10, a dip from 12. KBJR registered 6, a drop from 9. KQDS was unchanged at 5.

Network news broke down like so: ABC and NBC were knotted at 9, while CBS had 3, PBS and BBC each had 1.

The Duluth Farmers Market is planning a big splash to mark its 2011 centennial — the opening of a new, larger year-round facility that could triple the number of vendors and offer cooking classes and arts programs.

The nonprofit organization would keep its current 1,200-square-foot location at 1320 E. Third St., but operate it as one of two possible satellite markets. The main market would be in a 10,000-square-foot building at a yet-to-be-determined site. The organization will soon begin seeking investors to raise about $1 million to complete the project.

“We wanted to think about the next 100 years, and with the limitations for the number of vendors and parking at the market, we wanted to see what we can do in addition to that,” said Joanne Fay, a Farmers Market volunteer who is consulting on the project. “We are at the stage now, where it’s ‘OK. What’s realistic? What are the costs? The location?’ … We are in the planning and talking phase.”

Tentative locations for the new main market include a site near the intersection of Arrowhead Road and Arlington Avenue, another near the Harbor Highlands residential development on Central Entrance, one near the Duluth Heritage Sports Center on West Michigan Street and one near Wheeler Field on Grand Avenue. The location of the second satellite market also is tentative.

Fay and Jim Laumeyer, another volunteer consultant, are studying where passengers come from and the traffic patterns and visibility of the potential sites.

Read about the new market’s other planned ammenties and how it will dwarf the current operation in Sunday’s Duluth News Tribune and online at duluthnewstribune.com.