Record Cruise Ship Season Begins with ‘Grandeur of the Seas’ June 5th

(Saint John, N.B.) The Saint John Port Authority kicks off its record cruise ship season tomorrow, June 5th, with the arrival of Royal-Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas.  The 279-metre-long vessel will dock alongside Pugsley A Terminal on Water Street at 7:00 a.m. and will depart at 3:00 p.m.  The first vessel of the 55-ship season will bring approximately 1,800 passengers to Saint John and a crew of 760.

“This elegant cruise ship is a great start to our biggest season ever,” says Betty MacMillan, Manager, Business Development at the Saint John Port Authority. “We are expecting more than 140,000 passengers this year, which is estimated to have an economic impact of more than $14-million for the 2007 season, nearly $5-million more than last year.”

Ms. MacMillan says passengers aboard the Grandeur of the Seas will experience Saint John during a nine-day round trip from Baltimore, Maryland-- which also includes the ports of Portland, Maine; Bar Harbor, Maine; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Boston, Massachusetts. The majestic ship comes equipped with a full-service spa, six whirlpools, an outdoor jogging track and countless bars and restaurants. The Grandeur of the Seas has visited Saint John on several occasions and is one-third of Royal-Caribbean’s ‘Vision-class’ ships.

Although the Grandeur of the Seas will dock at Pugsley A, the record season will see Long Wharf Terminal in the inner harbour renovated to accommodate the extra traffic. “The facility is being repaved and a tent will be erected for passengers,” explains Captain Al Soppitt, President and CEO of the Saint John Port Authority.  “The port has also purchased two new gangways to handle the ships at Long Wharf.  Captain Soppitt also pointed out that there will be two days consecutive days this fall when three cruise ships will arrive at the same time, bringing over 14,000 passengers and crew to the city in a 48-hour period.

 “It’s going to be a very strong season,” he added, “and at the end of the season we will complete construction of a new Cruise Terminal building.”  He says the two-storey, 16,000-square-foot structure and accompanying walkway will provide a secure transition point between the terminal building and the existing gangway.   The terminal is expected to be ready for the 2008 cruise season. 

A significant part of this year's growth can be attributed to the fact that Carnival Cruise Lines is featuring Saint John as the destination on seven cruises this summer.   These four-day cruises are being marketed as "Weekend Cruises to the Bay of Fundy". The inaugural four-day arrives Thursday, June 14th—a date that marks the first time Saint John has ever been the only port of call on a cruise. The remaining four-day cruises will arrive on Saturdays.  The Carnival Victory will call Saint John on 23 occasions from June until September, varying between four, five, and seven-day cruises.  

Cruise ships began to regularly call Saint John in 1989.  The Port of Saint John is a commercially viable, self-sufficient business enterprise and a cornerstone of the local economy. It is a critical component of the region’s transportation infrastructure essential to many of New Brunswick’s major industries engaged in international trade and provides deep-water, ice-free access to shipping year round. 

MEDIA CONTACT

Alwyn G. Soppitt

President & CEO

Saint John Port Authority

Tel: (506) 636-4884