Port Saint John celebrates 35 years welcoming cruise ships, anticipates record-breaking 2023 season
Saint John, N.B. – Port Saint John will celebrate 35 years of welcoming cruise ships this coming season. With 86 vessel calls carrying almost 200,000 passengers total, our port city will be bustling with visitors throughout the six-month season, spanning from May 7 to November 7, 2023.
“We are thrilled to be releasing the 2023 cruise schedule today so that our community can prepare for the exciting season ahead. This year’s cruise schedule boasts 14 double ship days, as well as six triple ship days, eight inaugural vessel calls, and eight overnight calls,” says Natalie Allaby, Cruise Development Manager, Port Saint John. “We are also excited for passengers and crew to experience year two of the Area 506 Waterfront Container Village. The container village transformed the port city welcome experience for visitors and residents alike last season; some past vendors experienced such success that they have set up permanent locations uptown.”
The schedule also includes a call from a vessel belonging to the largest class of cruise ships in the world. With a capacity of more than 5,000 passengers, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas returns to Port Saint John for the second year in a row on May 30. Consult the full 2023 cruise schedule via the Port Saint John website.
The cruise business brings over $68 million annually to the Saint John and southern New Brunswick economies. This economic impact includes direct spending by cruise lines, passengers, and crew in the Bay of Fundy region and direct jobs for New Brunswickers.
With each year and every visit, Saint Johners give cruise visitors a hometown welcome, showing off the natural wonders, urban and coastal activities, and mouth-watering culinary delights that make a visit to Saint John an unforgettable experience.
“We are privileged to share our historic uptown, made up of unique boutiques, restaurants, galleries, and special landmarks,” says Nancy Tissington, Executive Director, Uptown Saint John. “As representatives of uptown Saint John, the Business Improvement Association is ready and proud to roll out the red carpet and show off to the cruise world each and every year.”
Port Saint John looks forward to welcoming cruise visitors from around the world throughout the 2023 season and sharing the best of our port city.
“The growth of the cruise ship industry in Saint John is a testament of what we offer as a region,” says Paulette Hicks, CEO, Envision Saint John. “The ability of our local businesses to seize the opportunities cruise visits bring speaks to the strength of the entrepreneurship in our community.”
About Port Saint John: Port Saint John is Atlantic Canada’s largest port by tonnage and has a diverse cargo base, including dry and liquid bulk, break bulk, containers, and cruise.
For more information, please contact:
Port Saint John
Paula Copeland, PPM, G.Dipl.SR&S
Vice President, Engagement and Sustainability
pcopeland@sjport.com