Port Saint John poised for 19% increase in cruise ship passengers
Port Saint John is poised for a 13 per cent increase in the number of cruise ship calls this year and a 19 per cent increase in passengers and crew, according to president and CEO Jim Quinn.
A total of 75 ships are expected between May 1 and Nov. 2, bringing with them approximately 176,000 passengers and 70,000 crew members, he announced on Tuesday.
The 2018 season will also feature four new cruise lines and five inaugural calls.
"We're very pleased with the continuing upswing in cruise over the past four years," said Quinn.
Although numbers are down from 2010, when 200,000 passengers visited the port, the industry is cyclical, he said.
"We knew that [number] was going to fall as new regulatory regimes were coming in with respect to ships' emissions … Because of that, we saw 2014 be a low point and then it started to build again."
Quinn attributes the recent success, in part, to the increased focus on the Canada-New England market, which continues to grow as a "safe destination," weather-wise.
The Caribbean had "a rough season" last year, he said, pointing to the devastation caused by hurricanes.
"So I think people are starting to look more towards that Canada-New England [market] where the weather's a little more predictable."
Longer season
The cruise season is also longer this year, which Quinn said will help showcase more that the region has to offer than just the popular fall foliage.
He hopes that will help "whet the appetite" of visitors and get them to come back for a vacation, when they have more time to explore than the approximately eight- to 14-hour port calls allow.
Cruise activity contributes nearly $50 million to the New Brunswick economy annually, said Quinn, citing a study conducted by Business Research & Economic Advisors.
Other highlights of the season — the port's 30th — include:
- 14 double cruise ship days.
- Two triple cruise ship days.
- A Queen Mary 2 visit on July 3.
