Saint John to see Boost in Cruise Passengers this Year
SAINT JOHN – The port city is expected to see an increased number of cruise ship passengers this year.
By the time the last ship of the season docks on Oct. 28, 64 ships will have visited, bringing with them approximately 144,000 passengers and 57,700 crew.
“Our passenger numbers for 2016 represent an increase of 20 per cent over last year,” says Jim Quinn, president & CEO of Port Saint John. “That is great news for Southern New Brunswick, and for its many tourism-related businesses.”
This season will include ships that haven’t visited Saint John before: Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine, Holland America’s Rotterdam, Royal Caribbean International’s Anthem of the Seas, Hapag Lloyd’s Europa 2, Azamara Club Cruises’ Azamara Quest, and Phoenix Reisen’s Amadea.
Azamara Club Cruises is a new line for Port Saint John. Described as a mid-sized boutique luxury line, their vessel Azamara Quest will dock on Oct.1, carrying close to 700 passengers. Blount Small Ship Adventures will also return this year, staying dockside for five days. Disney Cruise Line also returns to Saint John with Disney Magic on Oct. 4, after four years.
“This season we will have eight double-ship days and four triple-ship days,” says Quinn. “Our busiest cruise day will be Oct. 19, when we will welcome 8,900 passengers and 3,500 crew for a total of 12,400 visitors to the city. We look forward to an active cruise season for the many operators both large and small in Southern New Brunswick who depend on this industry.”
Cruise in Saint John contributes about $25 million to New Brunswick’s economy. The first ship of the season will dock May 9.