Saint John October 24, 2007 – Today marks the close of another highly successful cruise season, for the Saint John Port Authority. When Princess Cruises, Grand Princess sails out of the Harbour at 5pm, Saint John will have welcomed over 130,000 cruise passengers and over 50,000 crew members to the city, during the 5 month season.  This represents an increase of more than 50% from 2006 numbers.

“Saint John has firmly established itself as a marquee port in the Canada- New England Cruise Theatre” said Betty MacMillan, Manager of Business Development for the Saint John Port Authority. “The seven 4-day cruises calling Saint John exclusively, were overwhelmingly successful and we look forward to hosting those weekend cruises again next summer”.   MacMillan added, “The 53 vessel calls this year contributed an estimated $14 million to the local economy and next year is shaping up to be even brighter.”

“Many factors have contributed to the spectacular growth in the cruise industry for Saint John. Since the very first ships began to regularly call in 1989, this city has pulled out all the stops to make the visitors feel welcome” observed Capt. Al Soppitt, President and CEO of the Saint John Port Authority.

Soppitt added, “Because of the continued growth in this sector, we will soon see the completion of the new cruise terminal building, in time to welcome passengers for the 2008 season”.

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.

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For More Information, contact:

Bill Eaton
Saint John Port Authority
506-636-4674
beaton@sjport.com