Photo courtesy of Port of Halifax
The Canada and New England cruise season for 2016 began over the weekend as Holland America Line's Veendam arrived in Halifax on April 30 according to Seatrade Cruise News. This year, the Atlantic Canada Cruise Association (ACCA) expects around 611,000 guests, up from 550,651 in 2015.
Nora Fever, chair of ACCA is quoted as saying, "The cruise sector in Atlantic Canada continues to be strong. We are delighted to be welcoming so many passengers during a season that stretches from late April to early November."
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The Veendam continued on to Sydney on May 1 and was in Charlottetown yesterday, May 2. Other ships on the schedule this year include the return of the Disney Cruise Line with the Disney Magic and inaugural calls from Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Breakaway and Royal Caribbean International's Anthem of the Seas. Plus, Viking Ocean Cruises' Viking Star will head to the region for the first time later in September.
Also, additional ports will see traffic this year with Summerside, PEI, for instance, receiving cruise calls for its first time. Overall, ACCA anticipates that cruise visitors will account for $41 million in direct spending and the local industry, including cruise line spending, as a whole will amount to $81.6 million in 2016.
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Since it's not a year-round destination like Alaska, Canada/New England is a relatively niche region that certainly benefits seasonally as new ships come online and get bigger with greater visitor capacities. In fact, the aforementioned Anthem of the Seas can accommodate over 4,180 passengers, while the Explorer of the Seas - the largest ship ever to visit Alaska, (going for the first time this year) - has a somewhat smaller guest complement of 4,029.
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