The 2017 cruise season at Port Saint John provided a 3% year-over-year increase with 208, 818 visitors from cruise ships in 2017 as compared to 202,929 in 2016. Cruise passenger count increased to 147,736 in 2017 from 143,926 in 2016, while ship count increased to 64 in 2017 from 63 in 2016. In addition to passenger increases, crew count increased to 61,082 in 2017 from 59,003 in 2016.
Highlights of 2017 included:
- 12 double cruise ship days and 5 triple cruise ship days in September and October
- 2 inaugural calls Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Vision of the Seas & TUI’s Mein Schiff 6
- Introduction German-based TUI Cruises to Port Saint John (Mein Schiff 6)
- 2 calls by Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic; and
- Anthem of the Seas, the largest cruise ship to call Port Saint John to date, which called on 4 occasions
Earlier in 2017, Port Saint John released updated economic impact figures for the cruise sector in New Brunswick which show total annual impact from the cruise industry in New Brunswick has risen from $41.5 million per year to $49.9 million per year, an increase of 20%.
The new figures were taken from an economic impact study entitled “International Cruise Industry in Canada (2016)”, which was conducted by Business Research & Economic Advisors, and carried out in partnership with the Atlantic Canada Cruise Association.
The total impact included direct spending by cruise lines, passengers, and crew in New Brunswick of $21.5 million, 298 direct jobs in the Province, and $12.5 million in personal income.
Port Saint John is Canada’s third largest port by tonnage, Canada’s fourth busiest cruise port, and has a diverse cargo base, including dry and liquid bulk, break bulk, and containers.
Source: Port Saint John