It might still be winter, but Saint John is already gearing up for this year’s cruise season.
Officials at Port Saint John unveiled the 2024 cruise ship schedule on Thursday morning.
The city is expecting a total of 75 ship calls with more than 170,000 guests this season.
Natalie Allaby, director of cruise excellence at Port Saint John, said it is similar to what we saw last year.
“It signals great stability going into our third season post-pandemic,” Allaby said in an interview.
Saint John will have 10 inaugural cruise ship calls this season, according to the schedule.
Allaby said that is one of the highest numbers of new cruise ships to visit in a single year.
“Inaugurals are always a great indicator for us that the cruise lines are sending newer ships, bigger ships, different ships to our region because they believe in what we have to offer as the Canada-New England itinerary,” she said.
In addition, 11 cruise ships will be staying overnight this year, which is much higher than usual.
Allaby said one comment cruise lines often hear is how guests wish they could have stayed in the city longer.
“That’s going to be a really great opportunity for cruise passengers to get to enjoy nightlife in Saint John. Our bars, our restaurants, our evening entertainment and activity,” she said.
The season kicks off with a visit from the MSC Meraviglia on May 8 on the heels of her unprecedented December call to Saint John.
With another call lined up the following week, May will see 9,000 passengers move through the Port City.
The final cruise ship of the season is scheduled for November 4, but as the city found out last year, ships can always come much later.
