Atlantic Canada cruise sector enjoys positive outlook

The Sea Princess in St. John's, NFL for a few hours
Photo: Claude-Jean Harel

(Originally published in TOURISM)

No matter which Atlantic cruise sector representative you talk to these days, the message is the same: there are more cruise ships choosing Atlantic Canada ports of call. According to Atlantic Canada Cruise Association chair Bernadette McNeil, cruise ship visits to Atlantic Canada have increased by 33% since 2000. These numbers do not surprise Cathy McGrail, manager of marketing and cruise development at the Halifax Port Authority: “Compared to last year we have witnessed a 16% growth in cruise passengers who have an opportunity to visit attractions like the Citadel and Peggy’s Cove.”

Here is how this trend is playing out for Beth Kelly, owner and operator of Aquila Tours in Saint John, New Brunswick: “The cruise sector is growing very well, but we get dips, and this year is a bit of a dip. We have 80,000 passengers scheduled for 2006, but next year, we are looking at 150,000 passengers.”

Kelly, whose company operates tours for cruise visitors, finds they are drawn to attractions like the Bay of Fundy. “We have the highest tides in the world. There is a lot of awareness about the Bay of Fundy, so people already know some of the things they can see. But also, Saint John has fostered greater awareness about the whole region. We probably offer 20 tours everyday while they are here; we get mostly the mega ships.

“On a typical day, we have access to a potential audience of between 2,200 and 3,500 people delivered through Princess, Carnival or Royal Caribbean holidays. We are talking about ships like the Jewel of the Sea and the Sea Princess. This year we get the Queen Mary 2 twice. We would take anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 people on tour on a normal day; most of the team is out there today because the Carnival Victory is in. She goes from New York to Saint John, then Halifax, and back to New York, so it is a 5‑day cruise.”

Kelly finds about 75% of her guests are Americans. “We offer highlights tours which just give them the flavour of the city. We have a trolley that just goes around Saint John; that is what the majority of the people want, and then they spend 4 to 5 hours walking around on their own. The ships dock right in the centre of town; passengers can walk to the city market and the museum if they want. We also offer visits outside of the city to places like the coastal village of St. Martins, where they can walk the ocean floor.”

Whether it is a result of the increasing popularity of cruises or not, one of the trends Kelly notices is that motorcoach travel is not fairing as well as it used to in Atlantic Canada. “There might be a number of reasons: cruise lines have priced their products very well and since 9/11, people don’t like to fly as much, but if they can drive to New York, board a ship and go on a holiday, they will. I think in the bigger picture, the baby boomer has not yet been sold on the motorcoach. Those of us who are in our fifties probably don’t want to spend a lot of time on a bus; what we need to sell is an experience, not a bus tour. I think it will take time for us to do that and for the time being, cruises are a winning experience; you go to bed at night and you wake up somewhere else. That is quite memorable.”

As a result, new cruise destinations are emerging in the region. Tracey Singleton is director of marketing and cruise ship development for Tourism Charlottetown.

“Up until recently Charlottetown had not really been a player on the cruise scene, mostly because of our limited infrastructure. We didn’t have a long enough pier. It was also crooked, so it didn’t actually provide for safe berthage. We are currently in the process of investing $15 million dollars US into port upgrades to expand and straighten the pier, so we have been able to secure new business for next year. Up until now, Holland America has been the only major line that made Charlottetown a regular port of call, and that is mainly because her vessels are the correct size for our facilities. As a result of the expansion, we are going to see Princess and Celebrity Cruise Lines coming in for 2007, which is great news for Charlottetown.”

Singleton expects 27,000 passengers in 2006. That figure will likely go up to 33,000 passengers in 2007. “We are basically forecasting 100% growth by the year 2010. The ships spend anywhere from 5 to 9 hours in port. We have noticed people really like an island as a port of call, as it adds island appeal to an itinerary. Those Canada‑New England programs are full of potential, and the demographics are switching; we are seeing a lot of multi‑generational travel coming off the ships, which is great. They seem to be looking for safe destinations (and spectacular scenery), for which I think Canada and New England are ideally positioned.”

The impact of these destination developments is also felt in Newfoundland and Labrador. Yvonne Power is executive director of Cruise Newfoundland and Labrador: “We benefit from the Canada and New England cruise sector, but there are also the trans‑Atlantic European cruise lines and the adventure expedition cruise sector. Often we get transatlantic cruises because of our position and geography, and we have the adventure expedition cruises that make multiple port calls within the province. Some circumnavigate the province, with calls into Labrador. (The cruise lines) are creative in their itinerary planning and often theme their itinerary; a ship may focus on ecological reserves, so passengers can view the birds.

“In terms of numbers, this year we have scheduled more ships and more passengers and crew than any other year. This is a record year for us, and it is consistently going up each year. In 2006 we will have 107 port calls in approximately 37 ports of call. In other words, many rural and urban ports in the province will receive multiple calls from different types of cruise lines.”

This is the result of an increased number of European ships, Power finds. “They are smaller ships, but they are calling for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are calling for the cosmopolitan, cultural ports. They are calling on the remote historical ports. They are calling on Battle Harbour and Red Bay. So history, culture, geography and natural attractions play a significant role. We are seeing growth overall, and we are seeing an increase in the adventure expedition sector.”

The port calls of the Polar Star may be a good example. This former icebreaker, with passengers from around the world, conducts multiple cruises to many ports. There is also the Explorer, an expeditionary vessel chartered by Adventure Canada, and Cruise North Expeditions, which uses the Lyubov Orlova for its expeditions.

“We expect 60,000 passengers and crew this year. We don’t have the exact conversion rate, but we do know that for some, this is an introduction to the province. They may call on just one, or as many as six, ports, and we see indications these people are coming back for longer land‑based trips.”

There is a consensus among Atlantic Canada cruise stakeholders: this first escorted trip by ship is more valuable to the region than it seems at first glance. Industry representatives say that as many as 30% of passengers who come to Canada’s Atlantic destinations by cruise ship eventually return as land tourists.

Some concerns have been raised about the environmental impact of cruises on the region. Newfoundland and Labrador has made some efforts to raise awareness among visitors, who used to systematically harvest fossils when expeditions landed in heritage‑rich areas. Indications are that the campaign is working. At another level, pollution risks remain a concern. Tourism operators like Beth Kelly of Aquila Tours monitor developments there with great interest.

“The new ships are the product of designs that are more cognizant of environmental considerations. I have attended seminars in Miami at Seatrade where they talk about some of the things that have been put in place, in the way sea water is used and filtered. It apparently comes out cleaner than what was taken in for use on board. They have comprehensive waste management systems on the new ships. With the older ships, there was always a concern, but the new ones are much more efficient. And in the Bay of Fundy for example, we have changed the shipping lanes for all ships, so they are not hitting some of the large mammals such as whales. I think it is something to worry about, but if you think of the alternative of 3,000 people coming out by car to our destinations, it is fair to ask yourself which, between cruise ships and the cars will affect your environment more? One ship or 1500 cars.”