CRUISE

In 2022, Port Saint John celebrated its 3 millionth cruise ship guest to the Port. Our focus on improving and enhancing our cruise passenger experience will mean continued and sustainable growth, and more milestones to celebrate, in the years to come.

2022 Cruise Season

Following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Port Saint John announced the return of its cruise sector to the waterfront in April 2022. The 2022 season which ran from May–November had an impressive schedule totaling 75 cruise ship visits, carrying 174,229 cruise guests and 75,982 crew arriving in the Port City. Specifically, September and October are the traditional busy months for cruise activity in our region, and 2022 was no exception with 87% of the ships visiting after the Labour Day weekend.

The Crew Lounge

In 2022, Port Saint John opened a world-class Crew Lounge for cruise ship staff, which provides thousands of crew members with a unique space to call their own when they visit the beautiful Bay of Fundy. The investment was an easy decision for the Port while we aim to broadly enhance and elevate the passenger experience at Port Saint John.

2023 Cruise Season

The 2023 cruise season saw 174,229 passengers and 73,441 crew members sail into the Port city through 75 ship visits. Representing a 17.8% increase over 2022, these statistics signal stability and recovery for Atlantic Canadian cruise tourism. 2023 season highlights include:

• Largest single ship day in Port history: Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas on May 30 brought a record-breaking 5,931 passengers and 2,113 crew members to Saint John for the day.

• Celebrated nine vessels making their inaugural visit to the Port city.

• Welcomed four overnight calls, seven triple ship days, and nine double ship days.

International Award Nomination

In September 2023, Port Saint John received a nomination on the international stage as one of the top three finalists for Seatrade Cruise Awards' Cruise Port of the Year in Hamburg, Germany.

December Cruise Ship Visit

An unexpected surprise occurred at the Port in December of 2023 when the MSC Meraviglia took a route diversion to Saint John due to weather just prior to the holidays. This is the first time the Port has ever had a cruise ship call in December. Despite being diverted from warmer weather, passengers were greeted with warm smiles and vibrant voices from the Saint John High School choir.

In 2023, we welcomed 174,229 Cruise Passengers and 73,441 Crew Members