Trio of smaller Québec ports post strong cruise season

All three destinations drew new and notable ships while continuing to develop their tourism offerings, training and community partnerships.

Baie-Comeau - Disney and more

Baie-Comeau handled 17 calls from May 27 to Nov. 2, its longest cruise season to date. Eleven ships from 10 lines visited, with maiden calls by CTMA Vacancier, Marco Polo, Silver Wind, Silver Spirit and Disney Magic, whose two visits on Sept. 25 and Sept. 30 were deemed 'very successful.'

Despite four cancellations, the season tallied more than 15,000 passengers and crew members, nearly three times the total number of cruise visitors in 2017.

Viviane Richard, president of Baie-Comeau Cruises, acknowledged staff for their logistics and the welcome on the pier, at the Cruise Pavilion and at Place LaSalle, and thanked the guides, staff and volunteers at the attractions.

New gangway system, guides, bike rental

2018 investments included hiring new guides and reception staff, acquiring a new gangway system for large vessels, installing giant decorative wooden megaphones in the Parc des pionniers, enhancing the outdoor waiting area of the Carrefour-Maritime, introducing a bicycle rental service and improving the boutique adjacent to the Tourist Information Office.

According Baie-Comeau Cruises, the support and collaboration of tourism attractions' managers, merchants and Baie Comeau Cruises' partners ensure continued improvement in the quality of the destination's offering every year.

During a pre-cruise-season meeting for tourist and commercial attractions in the Manicouagan region, a training course was presented by Cruise the St. Lawrence. Participants received a sticker attesting to their certification to display at the entrance of their establishment.

Last October, Baie-Comeau Cruises welcomed two representatives of Zegrahm Expeditions on a familiarization tour. Jean-Philippe Messier, founder and director of the Manicouagan-Uapishka World Biosphere Reserve, presented information and activities related to the Uapishka Research Station and the tourism around the Groulx Mountains.

Baie-Comeau Cruises said it needs to align with regional tourism partners and continue efforts to ensure visitor satisfaction. The group also intends further increase tourism offerings and diversify recruitment strategies in the sector.

'Last May, we entrusted the tourism mandate to Baie-Comeau Cruises and the results are conclusive. We benefit from their expertise and the synergy of this team, which is also involved in our major attractions, such as the Garden of the Glaciers,' Mayor Yves Montigny said.

'Our solidified relationship with Tourisme Côte-Nord Manicouagan was necessary and also fruitful. At the moment, in our region, there is a great deal of enthusiasm on the part of all the economic players in order to develop the tourism offer as a whole,' he continued. 'For the city of Baie-Comeau, developing the tourism offer is profitable for our attractions, our shops, our restaurants, our hotels ... We cannot neglect it.'

Havre Saint-Pierre - luxury and large

Ten calls formed the best season for Havre Saint-Pierre in the decade it has been welcoming cruise ships. Since 2008, the port has handled vessels from 17 cruise lines for a total of about 40,000 passengers and crew.

A number of the ships are operated by cruise lines ranked among the most luxurious in the world, a seal of approval for this smallest of the St. Lawrence ports of call.

2018 chalked up Havre Saint-Pierre's largest cruise ship in 10 years, AIDAvita, with 1,266 passengers and 402 crew, during two summer calls. The port also welcomed first visits by Seabourn Quest, Silver Wind, Silver Cloud and Fram. The Hurtigruten ship visited on May 6, the earliest cruise call ever.

In total, 5,931 passengers and 2,790 crew visited.

Havre Saint-Pierre projects a busier season next year, with 14 calls confirmed, including three by AIDAvita.

Sept-Îles - German-language training, local flavors, Innu culture

Sept-Îles, meanwhile, posted its second-best cruise season. Despite the federal measures for right whale protection leading to the cancellation of 45% of the expected passenger volume, the destination hosted 7,960 passengers and crew from four ships, three visiting for the first time.

The season opened in mid-September with the return of Phoenix Reisen six years after its first visit. Since the German market continues to grow, Amadea's arrival provided an opportunity to improve the reception offered to this clientele. Steps included an introductory training course in German for greeters and guides (tools are now available in four languages, French, Innu, English and German).

Later in September, P&O Cruises’ Arcadia and Cunard's Queen Mary 2 paid first visits. Business was good for artisans, merchants and Sept-Îles' main attractions. On Sept. 18 alone, the Old Trading Post welcomed nearly 530 visitors, a record. Shore excursions included the North Shore Regional Museum, the Shaputuan Museum, the traditional innu site on De Quen Avenue, helicopter flights, photo tours, Alouette aluminium smelter tours and Zodiac tours in the archipelago.

The season ended Oct. 6 with a maiden call by Silver Wind. Silversea Cruises has been a regular visitor to Sept-Îles since 2014.

Community involvement

In 2018, Sept-Îles continued initiatives to boost the quality of the cruise welcome. Together with partners and collaborators, the WOW Committee, made up of representatives from the city's Recreation Department, the Port of Sept-Îles, Tourisme Sept-Îles, Tourisme Côte-Nord and the Société de développement économique de Uashat mak Mani-Utenam, created an animation plan combining local flavors and Innu culture.

Cruise visitors were offered campfire-grilled marshmallows, tastes of local products in collaboration with the Table bioalimentaire Côte-Nord and bannock, Labrador tea and jams in collaboration with the Innu Ishkueu Center of Mani-Utenam. They also were treated to Innu tales and legends, dance performances and Innu singing with young dancers from Johnny Pilot School and Paul-Arthur McKenzie, famous native singer Claude Mckenzie, saxophonist Philippe-François Gallant, and a percussion show by local musicians of Le son de l’arbre.

The recycled metal sculptures of Jean-Pier Synnott, acquired by the Port of Sept-Îles earlier this year, enlivened the cruise terminal. A visit by Québecer Mylène Paquette, who rowed solo across the Atlantic, highlighted the second call by Queen Mary 2 (in 2013, the ocean liner had provided Paquette essential supplies mid-Atlantic).

In addition, before the season started, a familiarization trip for guides, greeters and merchants was organized by Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu. They visited the 20 or so businesses and attractions that completed the 'Bienvenue Cruise Passengers' training, offered online by Cruise the St. Lawrence. This tour enabled teams deployed in the field to better inform passengers about the attractions and services offered around town.

Tourism Excellence Award

These community efforts enabled Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu to win the Tourism Excellence Award in the 'Partnership Initiative' category during a gala organized by Québec's Ministry of Tourism Nov. 6 in Québec City.

Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu continues working with its major partners to make Sept-Îles a 'four seasons' destination by intensifying its promotional and development efforts in line with the established growth plan.

In 2019 and 2020, new ships, new cruise lines and the return of well-known ships mean the port expects three times more visitors a year compared to its annual historical average.

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