2015 INTERNATIONAL CRUISE SEASON AT THE PORT OF QUÉBEC A RECORD-BREAKING 122 CRUISE SHIP VISITS
11/26/2015
Québec, November 26, 2015 – The Port of Québec has set a new record in 2015 by receiving 122 visits from 29 different cruise ships. A total of 24 different cruise ship lines made stopovers in Québec, bringing more than 168,000 passengers and crew members over the course of the season, which began in May.
A premier destination
Québec continues to be a premier destination for the Canada-New England market as it welcomed seven ships making their first visits to the Port: the Saint-Laurent Prestige (Croisières de France), the AidaDiva (Aida Cruises), the Insignia (Oceania Cruises), the Marco Polo (Cruise and Maritime Voyages), the Saga Sapphire (Saga), the Caribbean Princess (Princess Cruises) and the Serenade of the Seas (Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines). The 168,000 visitors who came ashore in Québec included 46,000 crew members and 122,000 passengers.
“The Port of Québec is a must-visit destination in the Canada New England market and is continuing to prosper in the face of increasing competition from Asia. This generates economic benefits for Québec and the region. Once again, the Port’s stakeholders made an exceptional contribution, playing a key role in our operational success, and we want to sincerely thank them for it,” said Mario Girard, President and CEO, Québec Port Authority.
An industry that contributes to regional tourism development
The Port of Québec continues to attract cruise lines for embarkation/disembarkation operations. This year, 17 ships chose Québec as a destination, embarking and disembarking more than 46,636 cruise ship passengers. Note that for the Capitale-Nationale region, an average of $329 is spent per destination passenger and $111 per stopover passenger.
“Québec City Tourism (QCT) is proud to be partnering with the Québec Port Authority once again this year in welcoming international cruise ships. Whether it is product development, marketing, welcoming passengers, mobilization or regional cooperation, the QCT is actively involved in this industry that benefits the region. These tourists’ visits help generate significant benefits and also extend the tourist season, to the great pleasure of all,” said André Roy, Director of Québec City Tourism.
A popular choice for cruise ship lines
Once again this year, the Port and its tourism partners pulled off a logistical feat as nine cruise ships docked over the weekend of October 2–4, bringing with them over 35,000 passengers and crew members. On days like these, some 400 skilled workers are required.
The Port would like to thank all stakeholders for their contributions, including the City of Québec, whose Centre de coordination d’événements spéciaux [special events coordination centre] helped ensure coordination and a fluid flow of traffic on these high-volume days.
The 2015 season in figures:
• 122 cruise ships
• 29 different cruise ships from 24 different cruise lines
• 7 ships visiting Québec for the first time
• 168,000 visitors: 122,000 passengers and 46,000 crew members
• 103 days with one ship docked and 45 days with at least two ships docked
• 2,416 hours at dock
• 48,000 pieces of luggage transported during embarkation/disembarkation operations
• 400 employees at work during high-traffic days
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Source:
Marie-Andrée Blanchet
Advisor, Public Relations and Events
Québec Port Authority
Tel.: 418-648-3640
[email protected]