St. Lawrence region expects early return to 2019 cruise levels

This will stretch from April 23, starting with a visit by Viking Octantis to Îles de la Madeleine, to Nov. 5, with Silver Shadow's departure from the Port of Québec.

More than 460,000 cruisers forecast

The strength of this season shows that post-pandemic recovery is well under way. After a two-year hiatus, international cruises on the St. Lawrence resumed in 2022 with 248 calls carrying 266,601 passengers, a figure that pales in comparison to the more than 460,000 expected in 2023.

43 ships and a dozen maiden calls

Forty-three ships are booked, including a dozen or so calling the St. Lawrence for the first time.

Heartened by the speed of the comeback, René Trépanier, executive director of Cruise the Saint Lawrence, said: 'Last year, we set our sights on a return to 2019 levels of performance by 2025. We are now confident that we will achieve this goal earlier than initially anticipated.’

Meeting at Seatrade Cruise Global and, at right, Genevieve Archambault (Tourisme Montréal) with Cruise the Saint Lawrence President Yves Gilson (Port of Montréal)

Cruise the Saint Lawrence's nine member ports — Montréal, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Saguenay, Baie-Comeau, Sept-Îles, Havre Saint-Pierre, Gaspé and Îles de la Madeleine — were on hand at Seatrade Cruise Global.

Cruise symposium June 19-21 in Québec City

The association, part of Cruise Canada/New England destination, will host this year's 23rd annual Cruise Canada/New England Symposium, June 19-21 in Québec City. More than 200 stakeholders are expected.

Registration is open here.