Photo Credit: The Western Star
The Norwegian Sky and Silver Cloud docked in Corner Brook. Corner Brook accounted for almost 40% of passenger visits this year.

Seeing the world in a cruiseship is one of the fastest growing segments of tourist trade. The Province, like many potential destinations, is capitalizing on this trend. Forward planning, improved promotions and a lot of hard work paid off this year as the number of cruiseships and ports of call throughout Newfoundland and Labrador increased substantially.

Photo Credit: Gene Patey Cruiseships, such as the Columbus, visited St.  Anthony on seven separate occasions.

Photo Credit: Cruiseship Authority of Newfoundland  and Labrador; City of St. John’s The widening of the channel in St. John’s  Harbour has increased accessibility for  larger vessels.

North American Market
Growth in the number of passengers on North American based cruise lines has averaged 5.5% per year over the last ten years. By 2000, it is estimated that 6.5 to 7 million passengers will take a cruise compared to 3.2 million in 1988. Cruiseship vacations are increasingly being recognized as hassle-free, relaxing vacations where individuals can do as much or as little as they want while still travelling. A good dose of pampering, which is characteristic of many cruise packages, together with the bonus of being able to cover many destinations in a short period of time has heightened cruising’s popularity. The potential of this industry is enormous given the public’s favourable reception to this form of travel, rising income levels and demographic trends. To keep pace with cruise demand, capacity has expanded rapidly. Between 1988 and 1998, capacity, as measured by berths, rose by 6.7% annually. Between 1999 and 2003 capacity is projected to grow even more rapidly, at 8.3% per year.

While warmer climates like the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Mediterranean account for the majority of the growth in cruise activity, seasoned cruise travellers and those with diverse interests have been turning their attention to new experiences in natural environment, culture and history. This is evidenced by the success of Alaskan cruises in the last decade. 

Click on chart to enlarge view

Newfoundland and Labrador
This was a banner year for the cruise industry in the Province. In total, 15 ships visited the Province making a combined 60 ports of call. This compares with 12 ships and 34 ports of call in the previous year. Approximately 22,500 passenger visits were recorded for the season, resulting in total expenditures of about $2.1 million. Expenditures include passenger and crew spending as well as ship related expenses such as pilotage, moorage and port charges. While cities such as Corner Brook and St. John’s account for the lion’s share of passenger visits, 15 other communities throughout the Province served as ports of call for cruiseliners this year. This demonstrates the potential for cruise tourism trade in picturesque rural Newfoundland and Labrador.