Uptown Saint John was bustling on Monday with another cruise ship making a visit.
It was the first time that Holland America’s Zaandam cruise ship stopped in the city.
Natalie Allaby, director of cruise excellence at Port Saint John, said the visit was also special for another reason.
“Holland America is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, so all of the ports they’re visiting, they’re doing some extra special things,” Allaby said in an interview.
The day started with an inaugural plaque exchange with the captain, which happens with any new vessel that comes to the city.
Allaby said there was also a celebration in the cruise terminal, with a select group of people being invited on board the ship.
Holland America has a special history and connection to Atlantic Canada and New England.
From 1873 to 1898, Holland America made over 1,300 transatlantic crossings, with over 500,000 passengers who immigrated from the Netherlands to Ellis Island in New York City.
The company was also the first ocean liner to dock at the Pier 21 Immigration Facility in Halifax in 1928.
The Zaandam is the second of 10 inaugural calls on the schedule for Port Saint John’s 2023 cruise ship season. Most of them are expected to arrive during the month of October.
“Normally we’d have five, six or seven inaugural calls throughout any particular season, but to have this many this year is an excellent signal for us,” said Allaby.
“That means that the cruise lines are choosing to deploy new vessels and different vessels in our region, which is always a show of support that they believe in the tourism product that we have to offer and that they want to send their biggest and best vessels to our region.”
In total, Saint John expects to see nearly 80 cruise ships by the end of the season in early November. That includes 15 double-ship days and five triple-ship days.
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